Wallabies v USA Eagles, 5th September, Soldier Field, Chicago

[Omar Comin']

Braveheart, the reason they'd do a media appearance with the Wallabies is because it creates free content. And content is king in the marketing of sports. There wouldn't be some huge benefit for them but it wouldn't cost them a thing. Get one or two of their players doing some simple rugby drills/mucking around with the two time world champions and people will watch it. It's a little extra publicity, a little extra entertaining content for their fans. Rugby might be a niche sport in America but everyone knows what it is and a little bit about it. It's not some sport people have never heard of.

And comparing the popularity of European soccer teams to NFL teams in Australia is way off and you know it.

NFL in particular is very niche (though Jarryd Hayne could change that a little). Yet an NFL exhibition match had a crowd of 70k a few years ago in Sydney. And that didn't feature any Australians. At least this match can appeal to a level of patriotism.

 

[fatprop]

More bothered about seeing Aus play well, be composed, have a clear structure and work at their level (not be dragged down) than how many turn up to watch.

That is US rugby's problem

 

[Omar Comin']

Judging from Wallaby twitter feeds, Aussies know a lot about American sports.

Basketball is strong at grassroots level, and there is a reasonably strong fan base of the NBA. Baseball is also somewhat strong at the grassroots here. But NFL is very niche. We all know about it though and most sports fans would have seen a little bit of it - most likely some of the super bowl. But I'd bet there aren't more than 10,000 people in Sydney that watch or play it on a regular basis or know more than the most basic of rules. When 70k turned up in Sydney to watch an NFL exhibition match most were there for the event. Not because they are big fans of American Football.

 

[Omar Comin']

More bothered about seeing Aus play well, be composed, have a clear structure and work at their level (not be dragged down) than how many turn up to watch.

That is US rugby's problem

Fair enough on the first point, but it's also our problem because we had a profit share agreement that was going to generate the ARU $1 million. Signing such an agreement means the problem of promotion etc is shared.

 

[Braveheart81]

Braveheart, the reason they'd do a media appearance with the Wallabies is because it creates free content. And content is king in the marketing of sports. There wouldn't be some huge benefit for them but it wouldn't cost them a thing. Get one or two of their players doing some simple rugby drills/mucking around with the two time world champions and people will watch it. It's a little extra publicity, a little extra entertaining content for their fans. Rugby might be a niche sport in America but everyone knows what it is and a little bit about it. It's not some sport people have never heard of.

And comparing the popularity of European soccer teams to NFL teams in Australia is way off and you know it.

NFL in particular is very niche (though Jarryd Hayne could change that a little). Yet an NFL exhibition match had a crowd of 70k a few years ago in Sydney. And that didn't feature any Australians. At least this match can appeal to a level of patriotism.

I disagree on all counts.

Why would promo work with an Australian sporting team that has very little recognition in the USA be beneficial for those Chicago teams? They are the drawcard, not the Wallabies.

The NFL isn't very niche in Australia. ESPN is Foxtel's highest rating channel on Mondays when the games are on. Sure it's nowhere near as big as the EPL but it is popular and growing rapidly. Apparently Australia is in the top 5 countries for hits on nfl.com.

I think you are really underestimating the level of interest for the NFL in Australia.

 

[saulih]

People should be more concerned about inviting their friends to a NRC match and getting the average attendance up at that level. Turnout at big matches will follow the grassroots growth of the game.

I really think the long weekend is a bigger contributor to poor turnout than lack of marketing. If you are a die hard rugger fan (as many here call it), you get social media messages and you know the game is on. Does it make you want to drop that planned weekend getaway? Nope.

How many fans travel interstate to see a test match in Australia? Not too many. Now understand that the fan base in the U.S. is widely distributed. It doesn't matter what city it is in you really need the supporter community from across the country to travel. I live six hours drive away and am only going because the wallabies have not played here for decades, and who knows when I would see them again. Would o go see a USA vs Poms match or Saffas game? Nuh. Family time comes first

 

[qwerty51]

How many fans travel interstate to see a test match in Australia? Not too many. Now understand that the fan base in the U.S. is widely distributed. It doesn't matter what city it is in you really need the supporter community from across the country to travel. I live six hours drive away and am only going because the wallabies have not played here for decades, and who knows when I would see them again. Would o go see a USA vs Poms match or Saffas game? Nuh. Family time comes first

 

[Happy]

I was born and bred in Canberra. None of my friends are from the US, yet just off the top of my head I know of at least 10 people that watch the NFL regular season, including myself. A couple even have got Foxtel to watch it ad free on ESPN, instead of FTA.

Maybe 10 or 15 years ago NFL could have been considered an largely unknown sport in Australia. Not any more.

 

[Strewthcobber]

The NFL isn't very niche in Australia. ESPN is Foxtel's highest rating channel on Mondays when the games are on. Sure it's nowhere near as big as the EPL but it is popular and growing rapidly. Apparently Australia is in the top 5 countries for hits on nfl.com.

I think you are really underestimating the level of interest for the NFL in Australia.

Absolutely, the superbowl thus year, on a Monday morning in February, did 95k on fox and 462k odd on FTA. Only a handful of rugby games rate better than that.

Way more people watched the Super bowl than any super rugby game this year.

 

[Omar Comin']

Okay I'll concede I've underrated the popularity of NFL. Outside of the Superbowl I still think it's pretty niche though.

Why would promo work with an Australian sporting team that has very little recognition in the USA be beneficial for those Chicago teams? They are the drawcard, not the Wallabies.

Again, it costs nothing and it takes up very little time. Rugby has recognition as a tough, somewhat exotic sport. The 2 time world champion Australian rugby team is something a little different. Remember when Folau couldn't attend that photo op with the baseball players last year? Do you think many people in Sydney knew the names or recognised those baseball players before they came here? Yet it was still something that created a bit of a media buzz because it was something different.

I think to suggest this sort of thing is impossible is not right. I think it'd be cool to see a Chicago Bulls player catch a ball in a lineout or a Chicago Bear kicker have a kicking challenge with one of our guys. It could even be recognisable former players. I think such videos would get posted on social media and many thousands of people would watch them and it'd create a bit of awareness.

If they did all the promotional stuff and some advertising and so on and there was still a poor crowd then that would be one thing. But it just seems like there hasn't been much effort in this. That's the most disappointing thing. Outside of Cummins and White doing a couple of days in Chicago a few weeks ago there hasn't been anything.

 

[Groucho]

There were NO casual sports fans at the game in Nov, only rugby fans.

Northfleet, I'm sure you have local knowledge, but are you certain of that? Approximately 15,000 tickets were sold locally in promotional schemes the week before the game, after a heavy advertising push by AIG.

 

[saulih]

Qwerty, understand that my travel to Chicago for the game is a one off. If the wallabies played a regular match here every year, and it was in California or Houston or East coast my chances of going would be small. I might make it once every few years.

Are average Saffa fans in Adelaide jumping on a plane to go to Sydney for the test each year? Probably not. Neither are Wallaby fans in Brisbane trekking to other cities to watch every game.

My point is that there is no major rugby city here like Brisbane or Sydney. Where the game is hosted in the USA is largely irrelevant providing it is convenient and cheap to get in and out of, and the local population is significantly large.

 

[Brumby Jack]

Wallabies team vs USA

1. James Slipper - C - (67 Tests)
2. Tatafu Polota-Nau (53 Tests)
3. Greg Holmes (17 Tests)
4. Kane Douglas (15 Tests)
5. Rob Simmons (52 Tests)
6. Ben McCalman - VC - (40 Tests)
7. Sean McMahon (3 Tests)
8. Wycliff Palu (55 Tests)
9. Nick Phipps (31 Tests)
10. Bernard Foley (17 Tests)
11. Rob Horne (26 Tests)
12. Matt Giteau - VC - (95 Tests)
13. Henry Speight (3 Tests)
14. Joe Tomane (15 Tests)
15. Kurtley Beale (52 Tests)
16. James Hanson (9 Tests)
17. Scott Sio (9 Tests)
18. Toby Smith (uncapped)
19. Dean Mumm (36 Tests)
20. Sam Carter (11 Tests)
21. Quade Cooper (56 Tests)
22. Will Genia (59 Tests)
23. Taqele Naiyaravoro (Uncapped)

 

[qwerty51]

Like it. A lot. It's exactly what I would've picked. Good choice of captain and vices too. Very happy to see Moore, Kepu, Hooper, Pocock, Fardy, Kuridrani, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and Folau given a rest. Cheika's been reading GAGR.

Looks like Smith is being trained as a TH.

 

[Braveheart81]

Congratulations to James Slipper on being named the 83rd test captain for the Wallabies.

Interesting that Speight is at 13 rather than Horne. Will be great to see both in action.

Good to see Hooper, Pocock, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Moore, and Kepu rested completely.

 

[saulih]

Very happy to see Moore, Kepu, Hooper, Pocock, Fardy, Kuridrani, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and Folau given a rest. Cheika's been reading GAGR.

Well I for one am disappointed. . . that I won't get to see those players play live. Particularly Hooper, Poey and Izzy. It's all good.

 

[Ignoto]

Wallabies team vs USA

1. James Slipper - C - (67 Tests)

Jesus, the amount of caps Slips has completely gotten away from me. Second highest capped player in this team and he's only in his mid 20's.

Is there enough time for Horwill to be slotted into the RWC squad when Douglas undoubtedly blows up from lack of conditioning?

 

[qwerty51]

Is there enough time for Horwill to be slotted into the RWC squad when Douglas undoubtedly blows up from lack of conditioning?

Carter is clearly the next in line anyway.

Horwill seems to be MIA. Not even playing for City.

 

[jimmydubs]

Matt "I'm the f##king vice captain" giteau.

 

[Scoey]

Wallabies team vs USA

Thank fuck for that!