ARU - Taskforce designed to reform Brisbane and Sydney Premier Rugby

For mine it s the fact that in both comps, (leaning more towards nsw here as a have a greater knowledge) that their are haves and have nots. The whole thing needs a strong hand to step in and go these three clubs are now ARC, remove them from the local comp and then manage the hell out of it (a long shot I know) so you end up with rep teams and a local comp that is more even allowing players to achieve higher honors while playing for their local side.

Having a merged comp with NZ would be great but I'm not sure they would be so willing as we are.

I think they would be as they are increasingly losing players to league due to the clearer pathway to senior football. It would also be over by the time the NPC starts and will be quite beneficial in identifying talent for the NPC.

On the issue of club rugby, if it morphs into some sort of NRL-esque competition, do the have-nots just get cast aside when they are unable to operate at a heightened level of professionalism?

I feel club rugby has too much history and politics surrounding it to move towards this style of competition structure. The only thing I see working with the clubs is if they have some sort of Australia wide cup competition for the top ranked teams from the previous season to be played during the current season. But it would need ARU funding and the ARU is broke. And if they could muster the money is it would be better spent on youth teams for the super rugby.

I think both youth teams and a club cup should be long term goals for the ARU.

For any competition to be viable it needs to be funded.
Funding comes from TV rights, Grants, Sponsors, Merchandise sales etc.
The big problem is that at the moment there isn't a commercially viable pathway.
TV schedules are loaded in Oz with AFL, Football, Cricket (about 10 mths plus per year), Rugby League, plus, plus,plus for both free to air and Cable operators.

Sponsors are difficult to attract today and more so if they and the sporting competition aren't featured on mainstream media such as TV, Radio, Press etc. I would seriously question the future of rugby league's Toyota Cup NYC U/20 comp if it wasn't so heavily subsidised and didn't have some games on TV

ARU Grants are stretched across Wallabies, Sevens, Super Rugby, Players Association etc etc and there's not a lot left for another drain on funds.
The calendar is also crammed with Super games, 6 Nations, Tri-Nations and International tours so there is not much available.

Our population can't support so many sports and their variations now, and we've already seen the demise of basketball and the chopping and changing of soccer seasons. We're a large country too, and travel costs would be huge, as ARC discovered.

The other option is individual benefactors, such as those that own teams in Rugby League (Souths), NFL, MLB, Premier Soccer, Indian Cricket etc. It's already happening in club rugby in NSW today but where is it all heading and what does success look like?
People investing in club rugby will have to be either independently wealthy and expect no return, or be persuaded to shift their existing monies from funding America's Cup campaigns and owning race horses to rugby and still expect no return.

I cannot see NZ having any interest in having us join them in a joint 3rd tier comp, they don't need us.

So, it is what it is, and the challenge of finding a 3rd tier and U/20 solution will need some serious celebral horse power working in good faith if they want to deliver a sustainable solution and not another 1 year blip like ARC.

Did you miss the part where I wrote "It would need ARU funding and the ARU is broke".

We are all arguing over pipe dreams. But I firmly believe my pipe dream is the best one.

Good for you, I'm firmly happy for ya Bowside.

The advent of a "national club competition" on the east coast involving only the established/wealthy clubs must be avoided at all cost. The ONLY object of rugby administrators should be the expansion of the game. The rise of Parramatta and Penrith in Sydney this year while traditional powerhouse Randwick run last show how fluid the competition is. And how the potential of clubs in western Sydney can be realised with a modicum of effort. How strong could Parramatta and Penrith be with some decent support?

Looking at the Sydney premiership clubs, Gordon, Warringah, Norths, Easts, Randwick, Souths and Eastwood are basically broke (Parramatta and Penrith I don't know). The club I'm involved with, West Harbour, simply refuse to live beyond their means and post a modest profit every year. Not difficult when the Treasurer's on the staff of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, the banks' watchdog! To ask the Sydney clubs to sign up for a bigger competition with increased expenses is sheer folly, a potential for further disaster.

The introduction of the ARC in a RWC year was unfortunate. If it had've been the following year with JON at the helm, and a realistic attitude toward costs, it may well still survive. Don't forget there were numerous meetings, CapGemini and others, before 2007 involving all levels of Australian rugby which all called for another competition above the existing clubs. We should still be aiming at this, with the rider it MUST be financially viable.

I like your thinking and you and West Harbour should be congratulated for your responsible management.
I'm just struggling to see how another competition can be established, if it is not self funding and relies on hand outs.
This not aimed at you, it's a challenge for the game and all of us.

I personally still think something like the old Australian Rugby Shield would be a better option. Instead of multiple 'clubs' reintroduce it as a true 'provincial' rep structure. It could be used in a similar style as the NPC. Involve a Sydney and Brisbane team alongside the likes of both Country set ups (based in area's nearby to both Sydney and Brisbane), ACT/SNSW and Victoria. If kept to the East Coast it could be kept to a reasonable level of expense and wouldn't require the currently struggling clubs to put forth too much extra financial outlay. Could even in WA providing a business case was provided as they should be included.

I would like to share an amusing anecdote. Apparently Eastwood ran at a loss last season, because they won too many games!

Winning bonuses can kill ya.