Australian Rugby / RA

[ForceFan]

With the current lack of interest in any meaningful broadcast options for 2020/2021 it's time to revisit my likely outcomes from nearly 6 months ago:

What's needed is a complete rebuild from the gross mismanagement under which the game in Australia has been suffering for a very loooong time.

Lower the sights, aim for success, focus on timezone, reduce the amount/cost of travel, don't try and fix everybody's problems, slow and steady growth from the grass roots, seek more corporate sponsorship, competition managed by professionals not amateurs, ensure that media coverage is readily accessible and affordable (to as many people as possible).

There are all kinds of new models being talked about but non address the basic issue of funding.
Where are the $$s coming from to support 5 professional rugby franchises moving forward?
That equates to $30M - $35M per year without the operating costs of RA.
There is obviously zero interest from the broadcasters as there is little/no commercial interest in the game under the current structure.

All of the plans of Australia-wide competitions at the club level are fanciful. Where are the $$s to finance this form of competition? We have shown that we can't even maintain the NRC.....

I reckon:

1. RA should have the task of co-ordinating the game of rugby in Australia from the Wallabies, through other Australian representative sides and growing the game from the grassroots across the country. However, in the short term RA is unable to guarantee that it can even provide ongoing funding for the 7s or any other representative activities.
2. The professional game in Australia should be run by a professional organisation without all of the vested interested created by the outmoded state systems.
3. The Wallabies should be able to be selected from any eligible Australian player (no matter where they are playing) and providing players (who are interested in playing for their country) ensure enabling clauses in their contracts.

With the ongoing support of philanthropist, Andrew Forrest, the Western Force has shown how to run a lean organisation and survive through tough times while still rebuilding from the grass roots.
Only the Western Force is offering 2 year contracts to old and new players.

The only way forward is for the current system to get completely broken in order to re-establish itself.
Shuffling the deck chairs is not going to achieve the desired/necessary outcomes.
Here we are almost in October and still no assured plans for 2021.
The RA board needs a total cleanout without the input from those who have helped to create this mess.

You know it makes sense.

 

[wamberal]

Now, where's that magic pudding?

 

[ForceFan]

Now, where's that magic pudding?

There is no magic pudding - just the need for a concerted and co-ordinated effort along the road to recovery - free from the burdens of the past.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

With the current lack of interest in any meaningful broadcast options for 2020/2021 it's time to revisit my likely outcomes from nearly 6 months ago:

What's needed is a complete rebuild from the gross mismanagement under which the game in Australia has been suffering for a very loooong time.

Lower the sights, aim for success, focus on timezone, reduce the amount/cost of travel, don't try and fix everybody's problems, slow and steady growth from the grass roots, seek more corporate sponsorship, competition managed by professionals not amateurs, ensure that media coverage is readily accessible and affordable (to as many people as possible).

There are all kinds of new models being talked about but non address the basic issue of funding.
Where are the $$s coming from to support 5 professional rugby franchises moving forward?
That equates to $30M - $35M per year without the operating costs of RA.
There is obviously zero interest from the broadcasters as there is little/no commercial interest in the game under the current structure.

All of the plans of Australia-wide competitions at the club level are fanciful. Where are the $$s to finance this form of competition? We have shown that we can't even maintain the NRC...

I reckon:

1. RA should have the task of co-ordinating the game of rugby in Australia from the Wallabies, through other Australian representative sides and growing the game from the grassroots across the country. However, in the short term RA is unable to guarantee that it can even provide ongoing funding for the 7s or any other representative activities.
2. The professional game in Australia should be run by a professional organisation without all of the vested interested created by the outmoded state systems.
3. The Wallabies should be able to be selected from any eligible Australian player (no matter where they are playing) and providing players (who are interested in playing for their country) ensure enabling clauses in their contracts.

With the ongoing support of philanthropist, Andrew Forrest, the Western Force has shown how to run a lean organisation and survive through tough times while still rebuilding from the grass roots.
Only the Western Force is offering 2 year contracts to old and new players.

The only way forward is for the current system to get completely broken in order to re-establish itself.
Shuffling the deck chairs is not going to achieve the desired/necessary outcomes.
Here we are almost in October and still no assured plans for 2021.
The RA board needs a total cleanout without the input from those who have helped to create this mess.

You know it makes sense.

Mate we are all waiting to see what unfolds so welcome to the guessing game of what lies ahead. Force is not dependent on broadcast dollars as have twiggy backing. Will there be a broadcast deal or private equity investment? I don’t know as all tight lipped and would love a media rumour or leak at this point as otherwise we just end up with posts like yours filling the void.

 

[eastman]

Mate we are all waiting to see what unfolds so welcome to the guessing game of what lies ahead. Force is not dependent on broadcast dollars as have twiggy backing. Will there be a broadcast deal or private equity investment? I don’t know as all tight lipped and would love a media rumour or leak at this point as otherwise we just end up with posts like yours filling the void.

Prediction for you mate - there will be no private equity investment for next year's competition - there's not enough time or certainty.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Prediction for you mate - there will be no private equity investment for next year's competition - there's not enough time or certainty.

Yeh I agree in that - private equity investment for trans Tasman competition been the word and that won’t likely happen until 2022z.

I think the trans competition for 2021 is all but dead with 2022 likely for that

 

[Dctarget]

I'm liking all the new instagram/facebook stories from the marketing intern. Such a cheap but effective way to build hype.

Also great reminder that these blokes are bloody strong. All the gym footage has got me feeling lazy.

 

[Derpus]

I'm liking all the new instagram/facebook stories from the marketing intern. Such a cheap but effective way to build hype.

Also great reminder that these blokes are bloody strong. All the gym footage has got me feeling lazy.

Only one solution for that mate

 

[Dctarget]

Only one solution for that mate

Unfollow them?

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

If Tattarang's (Twiggys company) bid for RM Williams is successful surely they get onboard as a sponsor.

I can see the betoota articles already.

 

[Joe King]

The Wallabies have been generally poor against the ABs since the mid to late naughties. What do you think are the main reasons for this? Rank your reasons from the most relevant to the least from the following:

A. Poor coaching.
B. The ABs have improved in some way (say how).
C. The Wallabies have have declined in some way (say how).
D. NZ rugby has changed in some way resulting in a better ABs (say how).
E. Australia rugby has changed in some way resulting in a poorer Wallabies (e.g. structurally, junior levels, junior coaching, participation numbers, etc.).
F. The Wallabies have been experiencing less cohesion since the increase in number of Oz Super Rugby teams (think Ben Darwin's theory).
G. Oz players going overseas has meant the Wallabies have suffered from a lack of depth compared to NZ (that is, if Australia was able to retain their best players, there would be no decline in Wallaby performance against the ABs).
H. Some other reason.

 

[qwerty51]

H. Rugby Union doesn't get the best athletes in the country, not by a long shot. NZ does.
C. We were good at the turn of professionalism due to being pseduo-professional before everyone else (mainly thanks to the NRL & AFL already being pro at the time), as time went on they caught up and our disadvantages of player quality exposed
E.
B.
A.
D.
G.
F.

 

[Braveheart81]

The Wallabies have been generally poor against the ABs since the mid to late naughties. What do you think are the main reasons for this? Rank your reasons from the most relevant to the least from the following:

Alternatively, the Wallabies have been generally poor against the All Blacks across our entire history outside of a few brief windows where we had more success.

We've won 44 out of 166 total tests for a win record of 26.5%.

Between '78 and '82 we had 5 wins, between '90-'92 5 wins and '98-'01 7 wins.

If you took those groups out of the equation where we historically outperformed we have 27 wins from 138 games for a win record of less than 20%.

 

[wamberal]

H. Rugby Union doesn't get the best athletes in the country, not by a long shot. NZ does.
C. We were good at the turn of professional due to being pseduo-professional before everyone else, as time went on they caught up and our disadvantages of player quality exposed
E.
B.
A.
D.
G.
F.

Absolutely spot on. Plus rugby is their national religion.

 

[Dan54]

Absolutely spot on. Plus rugby is their national religion.

Haven't we just had a discussion on another thread how NZ's top young players were coming to league?

But you are right, and the excuse has to stop being used though. Rugby in NZ is national game BECAUSE NZR work their butts off to keep it like that, the same as AFL does in Aus, we have to stop these excuses, late 90s rugby was almost on a par with league (and during 90s League was close to rugby in NZ) . NZR kept working their butts off to get into schools with promotions etc, like AFL does here? Remind me how RA took advantage? See we have a vastly superior game in my opinion, so either a large percentage of Aussies are stupid, or more likely, the game has let go and maybe rested on laurels!

I don't actually believe the athletes are all that superior in NZ, but the skill level and understanding of how to play the game is, that goes back to good coaching from early age.

 

[wamberal]

Haven't we just had a discussion on another thread how NZ's top young players were coming to league?

Mmm. Like Kalyn Ponga? (I do not know enough about league to have an informed opinion: what I do know is that the NRL and also second tier league clubs in Australia are rapacious and well-loaded, and always have been. For decades they stripped away most of the best rugby players, thanks in large part to their access to the rivers of gold from captive poker machine palaces. That can have a long term effect.)

But you are right, and the excuse has to stop being used though. Rugby in NZ is national game BECAUSE NZR work their butts off

Again, I would not know. But one of my neighbours told me once that every mother in New Zealand understands the Laws of Rugby. Maybe he is a bit out of date, but that sort of base does not go out of date. I also recall not all that long ago reading how the incidence of heart attacks goes up when the All Blacks lose a game. Sounded like a national impact to me.

I don't actually believe the athletes are all that superior in NZ, but the skill level and understanding of how to play the game is, that goes back to good coaching from early age.

Err, yes it does. And that legacy does not disappear overnight, by definition.

 

[Dan54]

I understand Wamb, when you say you don't know about how hard NZR work, but they do, and more through the individual unions who are terrific at supporting the game at junior level, well always in anything I have had to do with Junior rugby, and from mates who still are involved it continues. As for mother's knowing the rules or understanding them , probably correct and is helped by sitting down with kids watching shows such as 'Small Blacks' that NZR pay to get made and put on tv in NZ, which emphasises playing enjoying the game and being good sports etc.
Yep the legacy doesn't appear over night, and not suggesting it does, but something we HAVE to work on here in Aus, still believe if we promoted the game to youngsters better the results will show in the end.

 

[Number 7]

Not sure this is the best place to post, but amongst some of the negativity around where our game is heading there are occasional positive stories like this one. The positive rugby foundation saved 7 development officer roles in NSW, 5 of which were in the country.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/win-grassroots-rugby-development-officers-back-board-greg-mumm

 

[Dan54]

Ok boys I will ask it it in here, give a score on how you think Hamish and Clarke have done with their job so far. I know it been hard with covid etc, but have they delivered what the said (and Covid was here after they said it) ie; a super comp going forward, and tv deal (so money to support game).
I will say now I was a huge fan of Haimsh when I first saw him talk on TV, but am concerned (and have said) he maybe a very good public relations man, and talks a big game, but he needs some kind of results, especially now.

 

[Rebels3]

Ok boys I will ask it it in here, give a score on how you think Hamish and Clarke have done with their job so far. I know it been hard with covid etc, but have they delivered what the said (and Covid was here after they said it) ie; a super comp going forward, and tv deal (so money to support game).
I will say now I was a huge fan of Haimsh when I first saw him talk on TV, but am concerned (and have said) he maybe a very good public relations man, and talks a big game, but he needs some kind of results, especially now.

9/10