Where to for Super Rugby?

[Brumby Runner]

Maybe it's not for you, but it might be a window in the game for some people who just do not watch it anywhere else.


Better than nothing, I would have thought.

I'm more with Leo on this. Having lived in the northern beaches area for some 25 years before moving to Adelaide and now Canberra, I always had an attachment to the Warringah Rats. My son played a couple of years with the Narrabeen Tigers. But I have little or no interest in the SS now primarily because of the shit that has been going on with the likes of Papworth et al. I used to watch the Saturday games on ABC and the last couple of years on Seven, but haven't had any inclination at all to tune in this year. Just take a passing interest in some results - mainly Warringah and Manly - that's all.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Thats the beauty of their position: if its unresolved by 2018 - SANZAAR sue them...if its resolved before then one or all of the Force, Rebels, Brumbies (? - assuming No 4918s position ), and RUPA &/or individual players who may have detrimentally relied on Alliance Agreement or Rebels licence agreement.
To roughly quote Jospeh Heller: "That ARUCF ™ is one hell of a clusterfuck." Its the best damned clusterfuck there is"
Edit: I re-branded the acronym it seems, but I think it will lead to wider brand recognition among the engaged stakeholders going forward.

Bill P doing an impersonation of Major Major Major Major at the moment as well.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Bill P doing an impersonation of Major Major Major Major at the moment as well.

Or Milo

 

[Brumby Runner]

Yeah - bombing his own side is very Milo-like but really he wouldn't have understood the contract.

 

[Quick Hands]

The 5 year plan didn't last long did it?

April 14, 2016.

Some snippets: (my bold)

Two of Australian Rugby’s most powerful figures say the governing body is committed to five Super Rugby franchises in the long term, as the code hopes to usher in a new era of unity.
The ARU announced its five-year strategic plan on Tuesday, focusing on building Rugby at all levels, introducing the code to more public schools and continuing to grow the women’s game.
The announcement of the plan, generated after consultation across the country came amid days of high level meetings, including the ARU AGM and CEOs’ meetings at ARU HQ.
ARU chairman Cameron Clyne said the marker of expansion success is still yet to be seen.
“The secret of any expansion is you’ve got to give it time - if we look in the future are more kids from WA playing for the Force and are more kids from Victoria playing for the Rebels?,” he said.
“That will be a real sign of the expansion being successful and they’re the metrics we need to keep watching."
ARU CEO Bill Pulver echoed Clyne’s comments and said the future was looking bright for the relationship between the unions.
“For the first time in a long time we have a collective view of what the future of the game looks like and a really healthy spirit of cooperation to achieve the right outcomes,” he said.
“We’re completely committed to the Force being a West Australian team and continuing to improve in terms of their performance on the paddock,” he said.
“And that’s the collaboration we’re talking about.

“All the chief executives are working together on how we deliver better outcomes and we’ll get there.”
http://www.rugby.com.au/news/2016/04/12/22/08/aru-committed-to-expansion

 

[brokendown]

yep,weasel words

 

[I like to watch]

Hilarious.....

ARU CEO Bill Pulver echoed Clyne’s comments and said the future was looking bright for the relationship between the unions.
“For the first time in a long time we have a collective view of what the future of the game looks like and a really healthy spirit of cooperation to achieve the right outcomes,” he said.

 

[KOB1987]

It's diabolical. If it wasn't so serious it would be laughable. The code is literally collapsing under their watch and the ARU haven't said a word since since a couple of chest beating radio interviews the day after the announcement to chop a team.

 

[Quick Hands]

Hilarious...

ARU CEO Bill Pulver echoed Clyne’s comments and said the future was looking bright for the relationship between the unions.
“For the first time in a long time we have a collective view of what the future of the game looks like and a really healthy spirit of cooperation to achieve the right outcomes,” he said.

I wonder how that collective view is going?

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

NRC is the future. It needs to be the ARUs goal to get every game onto FTA as soon as possible. We need to make it our own Big Bash. Australia can control it and set out own rules to make the game more attractive to new fans. I know the traditionalists will scream, but fuck it. We don't have the luxury of sitting on our hands anymore.

And we use the shortness of the competition as a selling point. That's one of the Big Bash's strongest points. Because it doesn't drag on it's exciting. I'm a cricket fan but these days the BB is pretty much the only cricket I watch besides a bit of Test around the Christmas holidays. A cleverly implemented BB style of Rugby could be the only saviour of the game in Aus.

And trust if it works in Aus, our international competitors will want to incorporate the best bits of it in the international game.

I think the variations that currently exist in the NRC deliver a very entertaining product as is. Maybe a few minor tweaks but no more than that. Things like a similar shot clock to the one employed in scrums for line outs. Say from the time the ball crosses the sideline you have 30 seconds to throw the ball in. I don't even mind it being moved back in terms of its window. In fact, I'd support it being moved back even further as not to overlap with either the NRL/AFL finals.

What the NRC needs is as you highlight is a heap more exposure and marketing focus. You mention the BBL amd I think it's the quintessential example of what smart, well conceived and implemented marketing can achieve.

I hate the idea of losing a franchise but if the ARU were to take the savings and pump it into marketing the NRC and gaining it some FTA exposure then it could work out better for the game longer term.

 

[I like to watch]

What fucking savings?
the ARU have ensured that at least one of three entities is going to sue their arse.
The only variable,is who the ARU choose to sue them,and how big the bill is going to be.

Undoubtedly, the franchise that survives will need additional help in a year or two as well.
Then what do they do?
Bail them out,or shrink even further.

 

[RedsHappy]

It's diabolical. If it wasn't so serious it would be laughable. The code is literally collapsing under their watch and the ARU haven't said a word since since a couple of chest beating radio interviews the day after the announcement to chop a team.

Agree KOB, and their sudden silence is deafening.

Clyne seemingly decided to 'lead from the front' for all of 10 minutes and after his receipt of Alan Jones' intense flame thrower he appears to have totally disappeared from view. Skin transplant anyone?

He did say 'we need to do a lot more communicating'. Which interestingly is the attribute that ex-ARU Chairman M Hawker deemed was the one that was most important when picking B Pulver as CEO.

Perhaps the requisite lawyers' meetings are just taking too much of Clyne's valuable (part) time. One thing elite Sydney business society does very well is: lawyer-ing up with bundles of expensive 'top tier' lawyers for battle. All manner of threatening letters have likely been drafted for every imaginable scenario. Let's just hope the otherwise elite ARU admin team does not mix them up and send the wrong ones out to unintended parties.

Maybe the penny has dropped in St Leonards that the cleverly constructed, carefully crafted 'save Super Rugby' plan of cutting one team is little but a temporary diversion from the, uh hmmm, slightly bigger problem wherein the Tahs, Reds and Brumbies may in truth soon be (or are already) facing far bigger financial and performance dangers than the cullee candidates in Melbourne and Perth.

I for one am looking forward to more of Mr Clyne's proactive communications regarding all 5 Australian Super teams and why they are all performing so poorly and just what does the ARU intend to do about its real, not phoney, problems that darken and intensify by the week.

 

[RedsHappy]

yep,weasel words

It's quite staggering how the ARU could issue verbal junk like that - all with great fanfare and media chest-beating - and literally a year, JUST ONE YEAR, later, the whole edifice and 'exciting' 'Strategic Plan' lies at their feet in rags and tatters surrounded by embattlement and coteries of lawyers.

When even then, early 2016, with very clear performance problems mounting in numerous State RUs, it's breathtaking that Clyne and Pulver could be so ridiculously over-commital, recklessly bold and irresponsibly confident and assuring towards all rugby stakeholders in all 5 franchises.

Their credibility is now utterly destroyed.

 

[TOCC]

anyone want to form an Antifa movement targeting the ARU?

 

[The torpedo]

He did say 'we need to do a lot more communicating' of when the next execs brunch was. Which interestingly is the attribute that ex-ARU Chairman M Hawker deemed was the one that was most important when picking B Pulver as CEO.

FTFY

"Communication through silence"

"Transparency through opacity"

"Harmony through disunity"

- ARU motto.

Probably.

 

[mst]

Comprehension not your strong suit?

How many different ways can it be said that the SS receives nothing from ARU.

Nothing, zero,nada..

Just quietly,it seems the only part of Oz Rugby that's strong ATM.

Purely coincidental that the ARU play no part in their operations

Comprehension you say - I'll bite.

Um, sorry, which part of that discussion was about funding?

Please let me know if you can highlight that part about funding in the conversation? Even one key word; one that may even insinuate if you need to stretch that far.

I will let your playing the man pass, but your defensive rant is akin to the Rebels argument of not getting the same funding as the other Super Rugby teams atm. The past doesn't count right?

Short memory is not grounds to conveniently argue using an irrelevant point to attempt to make a statement. You may wish to consider that you actually reinforced my point with your rant.

I would suggest in future you consider the comments more closely and identify the words both appear in a comment, and those that don't as you craft your response.

 

[RedsHappy]

FTFY

"Communication through silence"

"Transparency through opacity"

"Harmony through disunity"

- ARU motto.

Probably.

'They had to destroy the village in order to save it.'

 

[I like to watch]

Comprehension you say - I'll bite.

Um, sorry, which part of that discussion was about funding?

Please let me know if you can highlight that part about funding in the conversation? Even one key word; one that may even insinuate if you need to stretch that far.
.

SS is fast becoming the advert for who gives a f*ck about rugby in Australia as we are fine - just keep giving us money though.

Not in past tense either

 

[dru]

Not in past tense either

NSWRU 2016 Annual Report shows just over $650k to Premier rugby. It's down by about $100k from previous years, but it's certainly not nothing.

 

[Quick Hands]

What fucking savings?
the ARU have ensured that at least one of three entities is going to sue their arse.
The only variable,is who the ARU choose to sue them,and how big the bill is going to be.

Undoubtedly, the franchise that survives will need additional help in a year or two as well.
Then what do they do?
Bail them out,or shrink even further.

There'll be no savings, nor will there be any net gain for Australian rugby. It kicks the can down the road by providing a short term sugar hit where there will be more players on contract available for selection. This will clearly disapate and more players will simply head overseas. Steve Tew has made it plain that when the next broadcast agreement is done in 2020, the union with the most teams will receive a share of revenue commensurate with this.