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Australian Rugby / RA

KevinO

John Hipwell (52)
This TT talk about Australian games viewing times not being right for NZ is rubbish. Your presenting a new comp to broadcasters and you give them the suggested times with reasoning. Also add in solutions, like no NZ or AUS team will play accross the ditch on a Friday night. Keep them for local derbies. With the 7:30pm local kick off time, sorry 7pm is just to early if you have to get home from work and make your way back.

Than Saturday and Sunday games are played at attractive times for both markets. If a NZ team is on Oz they kickoff between 3-5 pm to allow the game to be broadcast at a decent time in NZ. Than local derbies on the weekend are what's best for that country and the other market just accepts it might not be ideal.
 

KOB1987

Rod McCall (65)
Castle called Rennie after she resigned and encouraged him to still come to Australia.

Can’t believe her, she’s simply inept! /s

Again not having a go at her, but this is clutching at straws in terms of achievements, much like the not signing Latrell Mitchell one.
 

hoggy

Trevor Allan (34)
They are. Crowds are great but ratings are king and their ratings have been making ours look amazing. I know a few people connected to the Sydney clubs and their sentiment is that the league is completely fucked.

I think we do have to look at the A-League, why is it struggling so much. Because every-time we mention a domestic competition for rugby the A-League is brought up as a comparison of why it won't work. If we start a domestic competition, would it be any different from the A-league.

What could learn from them, not what to do.
 

Dan54

Tim Horan (67)
This TT talk about Australian games viewing times not being right for NZ is rubbish. Your presenting a new comp to broadcasters and you give them the suggested times with reasoning. Also add in solutions, like no NZ or AUS team will play accross the ditch on a Friday night. Keep them for local derbies. With the 7:30pm local kick off time, sorry 7pm is just to early if you have to get home from work and make your way back.

Than Saturday and Sunday games are played at attractive times for both markets. If a NZ team is on Oz they kickoff between 3-5 pm to allow the game to be broadcast at a decent time in NZ. Than local derbies on the weekend are what's best for that country and the other market just accepts it might not be ideal.

Mate I saying it not good for NZ, not insurmountable, but you have to admit you think it a problem too as we look at changing kick off times!! I sure think these things can be overcome, and what's more they will be if that's what broadcasters want. Still think it likeliest way it will go, if travel eases up. Was watching Breakdown (again) this week and was interested to hear their panel's views. Some were just dreaming what they would want etc, ie tours by international teams etc, but kind of got the impression, that RA maybe a bit shakey to get to deeply in bed with for a year or so. They finished by reiterating that they felt for Aussie rugby people, and were all for getting something to make sure they were successful!
 

Quick Hands

David Wilson (68)

Mr Wobbly

Alan Cameron (40)
I think we can read into this that Fiji will be supporting and voting with the NH in the coming WR (World Rugby) elections. Thanks for coming Augustin Pichot.

“Ratu Vilikesa Bulewa Francis Kean (Fiji Rugby Union), nominated and proposed by the Fiji Rugby Union and seconded by the Fédération Française de Rugby,” read part of a World Rugby statement on Wednesday morning.

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/ru...-to-world-rugby-executive-committee-1.4229928

You might be late to the party with this news. Kean is out.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/world-...-fiji-chair-francis-kean-20200421-p54lws.html
 

WorkingClassRugger

David Codey (61)
I think we do have to look at the A-League, why is it struggling so much. Because every-time we mention a domestic competition for rugby the A-League is brought up as a comparison of why it won't work. If we start a domestic competition, would it be any different from the A-league.

What could learn from them, not what to do.


Structurally perhaps. I'm a fan of the single entity league structure employed by Major League Rugby which is something very different from anything we've got here. But the A-League has always had some fairly significant challenges in terms of relevance to it core demographics let alone the wider public. As mentioned earlier the A-League is only the 58th best Soccer league in the world and has to compete with the likes of the EPL and La Liga for the hearts and minds of Soccer fans. Our world in terms of Rugby competitions is much smaller.
 

The Honey Badger

Jim Lenehan (48)
I know the conversation has moved on from Raelene Castle a bit.

But did anyone else see this article in The Guardian last weekend?

My apologies if this has already been posted and discussed.


https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...st-casualty-of-australias-flawed-rugby-system

I dont normally read the paper but found the article gave a bit more information about the bid process. Including a first bid by Fox of only $20M

a bit lifted out for those that dont want to read the full article:


Castle’s greatest achievement as RA CEO also marked the beginning of the end of her reign.

It would hardly have surprised Fox Sports executives when Castle rejected their initial low offer of $20m a year for the broadcast rights, but what Castle did next would have stunned them. For the first time, Castle took the broadcast rights to open tender, hoping to create competitive tension between Fox Sports and another bidder, expected to be Optus.
Castle’s ballsy move prompted Fox Sports to make a much improved revised offer, but Castle did not seem to fully appreciate the magnitude of her victory and rejected it. It is understood Fox Sports executives breathed a huge sigh of relief and then withdrew from the bidding process. The pressure on Castle has mounted ever since, reaching a breaking point with the captains’ call for change.
 

KOB1987

Rod McCall (65)
I doubt that she would have "rejected a much improved offer" without at least discussing her intentions with one or more Board members.

Correct. And from all accounts the Optus offer was expected to be 'much higher'. Than what though. My guess is that Optus were going to come in at $30m and Fox would have gone to $40m. It's all academic now though, it will be a different product they will be bidding on. And they both will. Perhaps it's going to be worth more, who knows at this stage.
 

Quick Hands

David Wilson (68)
I doubt that she would have "rejected a much improved offer" without at least discussing her intentions with one or more Board members.

Indeed. The idea that the CEO can make decisions such as million dollar court settlements and multi-million dollar broadcast deals on their own initiative is fanciful. Such decisions would be at the direction of the board or with the approval of the board.
 

Quick Hands

David Wilson (68)
I know the conversation has moved on from Raelene Castle a bit.

But did anyone else see this article in The Guardian last weekend?

My apologies if this has already been posted and discussed.


https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...st-casualty-of-australias-flawed-rugby-system

I dont normally read the paper but found the article gave a bit more information about the bid process. Including a first bid by Fox of only $20M

a bit lifted out for those that dont want to read the full article:


Castle’s greatest achievement as RA CEO also marked the beginning of the end of her reign.

It would hardly have surprised Fox Sports executives when Castle rejected their initial low offer of $20m a year for the broadcast rights, but what Castle did next would have stunned them. For the first time, Castle took the broadcast rights to open tender, hoping to create competitive tension between Fox Sports and another bidder, expected to be Optus.
Castle’s ballsy move prompted Fox Sports to make a much improved revised offer, but Castle did not seem to fully appreciate the magnitude of her victory and rejected it. It is understood Fox Sports executives breathed a huge sigh of relief and then withdrew from the bidding process. The pressure on Castle has mounted ever since, reaching a breaking point with the captains’ call for change.

Hmm, so the chairman said she was the victim of bullying, but the board of which he is chairman couldn't bring itself to stand in the trenches with her. It was their loss of confidence which she says precipitated the resignation, and I've seen nothing in her conduct anywhere which suggests that she would make that up. Regardless of people's views of her performance, she seems a very honest and honourable individual.
 

The Honey Badger

Jim Lenehan (48)
I doubt that she would have "rejected a much improved offer" without at least discussing her intentions with one or more Board members.

I am certain all offers would have gone to the board and a consensus from the board about the next move.

No way would Castle be making decisions of this nature without board backing
 

wamberal

Phil Kearns (64)
I am certain all offers would have gone to the board and a consensus from the board about the next move.

No way would Castle be making decisions of this nature without board backing


Well, I would not be so sure. A decision of this magnitude should certainly be brought to the Board's attention. But on the other hand, I cannot imagine any self-respecting CEO leaving the negotiations to check with the Board, or doing anything other than keeping them in the loop. At the end of the day the buck stops with the CEO. Boards do not conduct negotiations with external parties under any normal circumstances, that is a function that the executive performs. Negotiation is an art, it seems to me that she had pulled it off, had it not been for the most awful piece of bad luck.
 

Mr Wobbly

Alan Cameron (40)
Indeed. The idea that the CEO can make decisions such as million dollar court settlements and multi-million dollar broadcast deals on their own initiative is fanciful. Such decisions would be at the direction of the board or with the approval of the board.

I recall reading that, with regard to the court matter, the board had given Castle a number that they were prepared to go to as a settlement. The settlement figure was significantly less than the board's maximum so she could close the deal on the spot.

I imagine there could have been a similar scenario with the Fox negotiations. I.e. if Fox offer $x take it, otherwise.....
 

waiopehu oldboy

Stirling Mortlock (74)
^ that would be pretty standard I'd have thought, otherwise negotiations just get bogged down in consulting the higher-ups (who might suddenly decide to shift the goalposts & scupper an otherwise locked-in deal). In my former days as a Union delegate going into pay talks we always had a bottom-line figure the membership had said they'd accept, if the other side offered that or better we took it & counted it as a win.
 
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