dru
Tim Horan (67)
It's not even a re-shuffling of the deck chairs, more just sitting down in one a bit closer to the orchestra.
Where to for Super Rugby?
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It's not even a re-shuffling of the deck chairs, more just sitting down in one a bit closer to the orchestra.
Finsbury Girl
Trevor Allan (34)
It's absolutely staggering isn't it. There are some really bright, intelligent rugby peeps on the board, just the what the hell are they doing?
sunnyboys
Bob Loudon (25)
The only thought that consoles me is that the board absolute know all this, but unlike us, they also know that there is no other offer of money for any other format.
If this is the real state of play, what I would like the board to do, is come out and publicly announce that. Tell us that our pro level game is stuck in this until either SA or NZ decide otherwise. Tell us what the cost of going alone might be. Tell us who they have spoken to regarding other models.
At the moment I don’t think fans feel they can trust what they hear from RA.
Perhaps if it was all laid bare, RA might find rugby fans a bit more understanding
If this is the real state of play, what I would like the board to do, is come out and publicly announce that. Tell us that our pro level game is stuck in this until either SA or NZ decide otherwise. Tell us what the cost of going alone might be. Tell us who they have spoken to regarding other models.
At the moment I don’t think fans feel they can trust what they hear from RA.
Perhaps if it was all laid bare, RA might find rugby fans a bit more understanding
Rebelsfan
Billy Sheehan (19)
May I add that Ms Castle seems to have made her comments to deflect from the fact that the RA board met in Melbourne last week. An unusual occurrence - at the same time that Wayne Smith suggested that the Rebels may be insolvent. Did she come down to Melbourne to discuss this with the Rebels management? RA are committed to providing four teams to play, after all in the Super Rugby comp. Perhaps she has come to Melbourne to plead for more funds from the Victorian government - they gave her $5m two years ago on the promise of bringing tests to Melbourne, and they pumped about that much again into the Rebels, but it is all spent now. ho hum. What to do?
dru
Tim Horan (67)
Forrest came to them with a cheque book.
RA refused to open the door and say "hello".
Aurelius
Ted Thorn (20)
I started watching a satire called "Braindead" last night, starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Tony Shalhoub.
Not going to spoil it for anyone who doesn't know the premise, but the more I hear about the workings of the RA board, the more convinced I am that Braindead is not only a documentary, but that the crisis it conveys extends well beyond the Washington beltway.
Gnostic
Mark Ella (57)
Honestly, we need to know if the amateur game is shielded from the fallout of the failure of RA and the state Unions. I don't care if Super Rugby is gone tomorrow. My only real concern is that the real kids and older (kids) get to run around next weekend playing the game we love. I truly fear that a collapse will prevent that by taking our insurance and structural supports with their corrupt and inept system.
hoggy
Trevor Allan (34)
Worth a read from the Australian the other day.
Rugby WA chairman John Edwards.
‘The Western Force would welcome an invitation back into Super Rugby but would demand changes if the opportunity arose, insisting that every Australian side be required to re-bid for their position, Rugby WA chairman John Edwards said yesterday.
Edwards admitted it was an entirely hypothetical situation at the moment, with Rugby Australia showing no signs of changing with the make-up of Super Rugby nor its participants. Nor is Rugby WA turning its back on Andrew Forrest’s Global Rapid Rugby competition that is intended to kick off as a formal structure next year.
Still, the economic climate around Australian rugby makes it conceivable even something as radical as the recall of the Forrest-backed Force, culled by the ARU in 2017, could become thinkable.
“If there was an opportunity we would look at it,” Edwards told The Australian. “I’ve said that to Rugby Australia CEO Raelene (Castle) right from the first day I met her, when we had freshly been turfed out. But as I look at it now, things would have to change.
“It wouldn’t be someone goes out, we come in and off we go to the races. Because the fundamentals of the tournament are a basket case. There is not enough distribution from SANZAAR down to Super Rugby via the national bodies. The laws need to be looked at, like we are looking at them, to make the game more attractive.
“We would entertain the idea but it would be conditional on things changing … the way they administer the game, who is in the competition. All this ridiculous travel, the Argentine story and how the financial model was put together, because they’re all bankrupt. Every one of them is teetering and it shouldn’t be that way.”
It will be Edwards’ proposal all local franchises be forced to re-bid for their spot in Super Rugby that will shake Australian rugby. Indications are, as he said, that every Australian franchise is “teetering”. Last week, the Rebels CEO Baden Stephenson told The Australian Melbourne are struggling financially so much they could be embarrassed if they win the Australian conference and are forced to pay the $75,000 guarantee to the team they play in the quarter-finals.
“If I am putting my own balance sheet at risk with a Rebels or a Brumbies, I want to know that they’re sustainable. I wouldn’t want to have their CEO say, ‘Yeah, we’re OK, we’re talking to sponsors’. I would want to know what do you have locked down, how is it going to work, what do your match-day numbers look like, what are your estimated crowds because this isn’t a charity. This is supposed to be a commercial arrangement — and it isn’t.”
Edwards said Super Rugby in its present configuration was a doomed venture, despite Australia and SANZAAR having effectively committed to persevering it for the new broadcast deal which begins in 2021 — minus the Sunwolves. With the Japanese team removed, the competition will revert to 14 teams which makes possible a round-robin competition, with the complicated conference system being abandoned.
Edwards said the provincial competition has to evolve without South Africa. “Something with Kiwis, Aussies and Pacific Island sides and then you try to develop some Asian nations in a second tier competition with a promotion-relegation program,” he said.
“And then you’ve got what they have got in the UK, which is a successful model. People have to be more attached to the teams. Now, it’s easy for us to say that because we’ve got one city and it’s Perth but when you have a state team, like NSW, clubland doesn’t feel attached to that in any way.”
Importantly too, he said, the Super Rugby competition also needs its own distinct administrative structure. At present, SANZAAR runs The Rugby Championship at Test level, which is the main money-maker, while also looking after Super Rugby.
“There is no governing body that is responsible for its own P&L,” Edwards said.
“The unions themselves decide how much they want to keep for themselves and how much they want to distribute to Super Rugby. There are no hard and fast rules.”
WAYNE SMITH SENIOR SPORT WRITER
Rugby WA chairman John Edwards.
‘The Western Force would welcome an invitation back into Super Rugby but would demand changes if the opportunity arose, insisting that every Australian side be required to re-bid for their position, Rugby WA chairman John Edwards said yesterday.
Edwards admitted it was an entirely hypothetical situation at the moment, with Rugby Australia showing no signs of changing with the make-up of Super Rugby nor its participants. Nor is Rugby WA turning its back on Andrew Forrest’s Global Rapid Rugby competition that is intended to kick off as a formal structure next year.
Still, the economic climate around Australian rugby makes it conceivable even something as radical as the recall of the Forrest-backed Force, culled by the ARU in 2017, could become thinkable.
“If there was an opportunity we would look at it,” Edwards told The Australian. “I’ve said that to Rugby Australia CEO Raelene (Castle) right from the first day I met her, when we had freshly been turfed out. But as I look at it now, things would have to change.
“It wouldn’t be someone goes out, we come in and off we go to the races. Because the fundamentals of the tournament are a basket case. There is not enough distribution from SANZAAR down to Super Rugby via the national bodies. The laws need to be looked at, like we are looking at them, to make the game more attractive.
“We would entertain the idea but it would be conditional on things changing … the way they administer the game, who is in the competition. All this ridiculous travel, the Argentine story and how the financial model was put together, because they’re all bankrupt. Every one of them is teetering and it shouldn’t be that way.”
It will be Edwards’ proposal all local franchises be forced to re-bid for their spot in Super Rugby that will shake Australian rugby. Indications are, as he said, that every Australian franchise is “teetering”. Last week, the Rebels CEO Baden Stephenson told The Australian Melbourne are struggling financially so much they could be embarrassed if they win the Australian conference and are forced to pay the $75,000 guarantee to the team they play in the quarter-finals.
“If I am putting my own balance sheet at risk with a Rebels or a Brumbies, I want to know that they’re sustainable. I wouldn’t want to have their CEO say, ‘Yeah, we’re OK, we’re talking to sponsors’. I would want to know what do you have locked down, how is it going to work, what do your match-day numbers look like, what are your estimated crowds because this isn’t a charity. This is supposed to be a commercial arrangement — and it isn’t.”
Edwards said Super Rugby in its present configuration was a doomed venture, despite Australia and SANZAAR having effectively committed to persevering it for the new broadcast deal which begins in 2021 — minus the Sunwolves. With the Japanese team removed, the competition will revert to 14 teams which makes possible a round-robin competition, with the complicated conference system being abandoned.
Edwards said the provincial competition has to evolve without South Africa. “Something with Kiwis, Aussies and Pacific Island sides and then you try to develop some Asian nations in a second tier competition with a promotion-relegation program,” he said.
“And then you’ve got what they have got in the UK, which is a successful model. People have to be more attached to the teams. Now, it’s easy for us to say that because we’ve got one city and it’s Perth but when you have a state team, like NSW, clubland doesn’t feel attached to that in any way.”
Importantly too, he said, the Super Rugby competition also needs its own distinct administrative structure. At present, SANZAAR runs The Rugby Championship at Test level, which is the main money-maker, while also looking after Super Rugby.
“There is no governing body that is responsible for its own P&L,” Edwards said.
“The unions themselves decide how much they want to keep for themselves and how much they want to distribute to Super Rugby. There are no hard and fast rules.”
WAYNE SMITH SENIOR SPORT WRITER
Rugbynutter39
Michael Lynagh (62)
Watching orgin (league) tonight...seriously everyone knows rugby league can’t compete on world stage with rugby but only does so because in oz due to ineptitude of rugby administration in this country since the early dawn means league has the better athletes, administration, and commercials.
League is a crap one dimensional game but played by superior athletes with better professionlism in way been managed cf dumpties that overseen union since its orgins. Irony is rugby in this country cf world game going from strength to strength continues to go backwards at a rate of knots due to inept rugby administration.
If someone presented an alternative to RA I think most would take it even if only remotely credible as just had a gutful of the current state of play.
League is a crap one dimensional game but played by superior athletes with better professionlism in way been managed cf dumpties that overseen union since its orgins. Irony is rugby in this country cf world game going from strength to strength continues to go backwards at a rate of knots due to inept rugby administration.
If someone presented an alternative to RA I think most would take it even if only remotely credible as just had a gutful of the current state of play.
hoggy
Trevor Allan (34)
I think it is called self preservation or self interest. As was pointed out a few years ago, those inside the so called rugby tent are all still doing alright, there has never and still is no incentive to change.
Rugby maybe teetering on the edge in this country, but all those Wallaby/Super rugby players and administrators are all still getting paid pretty good salaries that the game here is not earning.
Its a bit like the Titanic mention above, why get in the life boat when you still in the dining room having a seven course dinner.
sunnyboys
Bob Loudon (25)
so overnight news sees Fox off loading A-League games to FTA so they can cut the broadcast production costs. whichever FTA channel picks up the game they will also pick up the broadcast costs. 2 of the 5 weekly games are to be offloaded.
Fox is looking desperate. A-League might have 4 years of its contract to run but signing a new one after that is looking very shaky!
Rugby with only 4 teams probably doesnt have enough local games for Fox to bother off loading - so Super Rugby fans shouldnt expect to see it live on FTA too soon.
Fox is looking desperate. A-League might have 4 years of its contract to run but signing a new one after that is looking very shaky!
Rugby with only 4 teams probably doesnt have enough local games for Fox to bother off loading - so Super Rugby fans shouldnt expect to see it live on FTA too soon.
Strewthcobber
Mark Ella (57)
So currently Fox buy a slot on Ten's channel, produce the content and collect the ad revenue and hope to drive more viewers to their own channels. Given the ratings, and that they want out of this, it's safe to assume they aren't achieving their objectives. Also explains why there was never much cross-promotion for the matches.
They are looking for the networks to buy the rights, produce and host the content themselves - taking the risk on ad revenue.
Seems very optimistic that anyone would want that risk, but maybe the networks think they could make it work with more promotion etc.
Aurelius
Ted Thorn (20)
Not to mention good old fashioned pride. There's a certain type of personality that will let the whole scene burn before they admit they got something wrong.
James Pettifer
Jim Clark (26)
No he didn't. That is complete and utter made up crap. The Australian reported that the Rebels were struggling financially and Baden came out denying the statement.
To come out saying the above is a blatant lie and appalling journalism
Slim 293
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Rebels3
Jim Lenehan (48)
Yep, there is a lot of misinformation out there. Fans aren’t reading or even wanting to read the full facts and then this is doubled down with click bait journalism.
Australian Rugby has a lot of problems but most of what is floating around is garbage, then people uninformed or with no context create a rhetoric that’s toxic.
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