National Rugby Championship 2014

[Braveheart81]

I repeat...WTF have these people been doing?

Trying to organise a brand new competition that involves 9 brand new teams with limited resources.

Meanwhile, many of the same people at the ARU will be working on the upcoming Rugby Championship tests we host.

If the draw comes out 5-6 weeks before the first game is it really that bad? This is the first year.

 

[GunnerDownUnder]

I have a wife a 3 kids who all have busy social lives. It matters to me when the draw is released as I can plan what games I want to go to before they inevitably have something on that clashes and prevents me from going.

Sometimes its hard enough getting away for games the better half knows about let alone a comp and team she has never heard of other than in my occasional mutterings.

The week before the comp starts we have Shute Shield grand finals on same day as All Blacks here in Sydney - thats a whole day away from the family, to get the next Saturday free at short notice is unlikely I need to plant the idea as early as possible.

 

[en_force_er]

I have a wife a 3 kids who all have busy social lives. It matters to me when the draw is released as I can plan what games I want to go to before they inevitably have something on that clashes and prevents me from going.

Mate, it's still over a month out. If your wife or kids say they need you at a social event a month out, draw or no draw I think you should go.

Let's be realistic here, nobody is planning impromptu dinners with the inlaws, sleepovers, or car pools over a month before the fact.

 

[Jets]

Mate, it's still over a month out. If your wife or kids say they need you at a social event a month out, draw or no draw I think you should go.

Let's be realistic here, nobody is planning impromptu dinners with the inlaws, sleepovers, or car pools over a month before the fact.

You haven't met my wife.

 

[Braveheart81]

Sounds like Jets' wife should be drafted in to help organise the NRC.

 

[Rugby Central]

Trying to organise a brand new competition that involves 9 brand new teams with limited resources.

Each team was supposed to stump up a truckload of dollars - which they did. Some are being run by the franchises themselves. How limited can their resources be?

If they didn't have the capability to do it in the first place they shouldn't be setting it up to fail.

If the draw comes out 5-6 weeks before the first game is it really that bad? This is the first year.

Yep, it is that bad. The ARU want companies to sponsor the teams and the competition. Take a look at any decent size company, if you want more than $10k they expect a few months lead time.

So companies can suspend their own governance policies and throw money behind the competition, incurring the wrath of shareholders and auditors (with any issues relating to that) or they will have to hold off the sponsorship until next year.....if the NRC makes it that far.

The semi professional players need to organise leave, families who want to support the game but have limited time and finances have to make choices and rugby clubs who organise tours and end of year functions would probably like to put match day session together. Plus with a draw organised, tickets can be sold and revenue can start. Not to mention the ability to promote the competition.

With all my heart I want this to succeed. I just don't understand how they can't see their poor organisation has the potential to not only break the hearts of all rugby fans in Australia, but set the game back decades as NOBODY will financially support something that is so pooly run.

 

[Braveheart81]

Well, seemingly Buildcorp is going to be the principal sponsor of the NRC to the tune of $300,000 so your point regarding sponsorship seems to be completely incorrect.

The NRC teams already know they are playing and they know when the competition starts and finishes. Through their existing feeder clubs most of the likely sponsors will already be well known to each team and Australian rugby overall.

Sponsors don't need precise dates of home games to come on board. A sponsor isn't going to be won or lost because the home game details came out too late and their wife organised dinner with the in-laws that night.

It is understood that the teams already know their draws or at least know when their home games will be and when their away games are so they can already plan for those situations.

My guess is that 80+% of NRC ticket sales will be on the gate. I don't think tickets would be available for sale online a month ahead of a match regardless of whether the final details have been released.

The ARU has to juggle this with the finals of Super Rugby and the Rugby Championship. They are rightfully more focused on trying to sell tickets to the Bledisloe Cup at the moment.

If they actively start promoting the NRC now it will either get lost amongst the more important events happening or will detract from the events that actually generate revenue.

 

[Rugby Central]

Fair points. I do so hope I'm wrong

 

[Jets]

My issue in regards to the draw was negated as it's being released tomorrow so there is plenty of time to plan a day at the rugby.

 

[en_force_er]

My issue in regards to the draw was negated as it's being released tomorrow so there is plenty of time to plan a day at the rugby.

Don't let facts get in the way! Let's hash this out.

 

[Train Without a Station]

My query was mainly in relation to the fact that the NRL at least used to release the draw with no actual locations or specific days assigned to each game initially. Just a round by round draw allocating home and away. I'd assumed this would have been release.

BH your points about the marketing, etc. and the potential it would essentially get lose amongst other rugby being advertised gives a good reasoning why they may have held back. Obviously they want the initial draw release to be a reasonably well marketed event I'd assume.

 

[MarkJ]

The NRL still only release the detailed draw incrementally - but that's just so that Channel 9 can decide which games they want to broadcast on Friday nights/Sunday arvos over the course of the season rather than deciding at the start, so that they can avoid showing bottom of the table clashes.

 

[TOCC]

Actually that is precisely the point. Rugby Union, or any professional sport cannot survive without the fans. It is incumbent upon the ARU to have organised this as quickly as possible.

How many more fans would turn up to games if the draw was released last month as opposed to tomorrow..

I'd much prefer a draw is released at a later date(still a month out from the start date) then one released early followed by several changes which would look unprofessional.

 

[en_force_er]

How many more fans would turn up to games if the draw was released last month as opposed to tomorrow..

I'd much prefer a draw is released at a later date(still a month out from the start date) then one released early followed by several changes which would look unprofessional.

The question has to be asked, if the draw had been released a month ago would their be games at TG Milner? That would have been awkward.

 

[Jets]

Big day today with the draw being released. I'm a little excited. Still not sure if I'll support Brisbane City or Qld Country. Will depend on the make up of squads.

 

[Brumby Runner]

You mean blue and orange versus 2nd place

Why would I mean that?

 

[Train Without a Station]

Draw is on the website

http://www.rugby.com.au/nrc/FixturesDraw.aspx

 

[GaffaCHinO]

And the WA team and fans gets shafted again.

We lose one of our home games so it can be played in Adelaide and then the even dumber thing is we have to back it up a week later with a trip to VIC I guess the force are used to the travel so why not give them a shit draw.

Im actually really pissed about losing a home game.

 

[TOCC]

My understanding is that all teams had control over where they played their games, which makes me think that the Adelaide game is a RugbyWA initiative..

 

[Tangawizi]

Looks like Qld Country will play the Rays as the Curtain Raiser to Wallabies v Pumas on the Coast.

Hopefully that'll help get Gold Coast punters on board who otherwise might not notice the side exists.