Australian Junior Rugby Union

[Jaghond]

HJ

Deafening silence so far........
NSWJRU site shows nothing as far as I can see either, as regards proposed 2013 Championships.
But then, they haven't posted an Annual Report snce 2008......
Looks like another season has rolled by with little or no action, whilst we are all still holdiing our breath for something to happen while our kids are still young enough to participate in Juniors...
Cheers
The Hound

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Almost the first anniversary of the Arbib report on Governance and what has happened?

At best we have a reference from George Smith to a Facebook page entitled National Junior Championship 2012 as representing the entire value add of the Australian Junior Rugby Union.

All this at allegedly $100,000 as well.

I've held my breath for quite some time and have had some of the JJ's graduate from the Juniors ranks already. No problem for me to keep holding my breath and waiting to hear something...... anything.

If Inside Shoulder can get a mention in Grumbles Woman's Weekly Rugby Supplement as an irritant to heavy hitting figures from the rugby underworld, then maybe this is my charger to rid into notoriety on.

I haven't given up on the NSW JRU either. Just a matter of time until I have another look at their value add.

Thanks for your contribution. It has been a little lonely on this thread. At least someone else is interested in the future of our game outside the glamourous private school system.

 

[Jets]

From what I was told the U16 championships where meant to have their final instalment this year with the National Gold program taking over in 2014 and national U15 & U17 comps. This has since changed and the U16's will continue next year. I haven't seen anything official on this but was told by someone who should know.

Don't worry Hugh Jarse we are here reading what you post.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

That is half the problem with Aust Rugby. Everything goes on behind closed doors, and the punters have to rely on who they know to find anything out.

Meanwhile rumour, 1/2 truths and outright speculation is circulated through the masses with the end result that no one believes anything, until it is almost too late and the whole shebang goes off half arsed.

It can't be all that hard to agree on a "pathway" and organise a couple of tournaments that support that pathway. Get rid of the clowns with their own Peacock ("look at me I'm important") agenda and put some unpaid interns in place who know what they are doing. Plenty of kids doing Sports Management at Uni (or recent graduates looking for some work experience).

As I have posted elsewhere on the NSW GPS thread, forget about the rockstars in the Schoolboys and the 1st XV's, the future of rugby lies in the hands of those who buy the merchandise, subscribe to foxtel to see Soup games, front up to suburban ovals, and Soup and Text venues and hand over after tax dollars to be entertained.

These people are the kids who are in the School "C" teams and lower, are playing junior village club footy because their school does not have a rugby programme. If they enjoy the rugby experience and "get" the whole culture thing, in 15 years time they will be bankrolling Rugby.

By all means, look after the rockstars, but ignore the battlers at your peril.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

./snip../..

Don't worry Hugh Jarse we are here reading what you post.

It is good to know that someone is on the receiving end of my rants, and pardon the ignorance because I don't know you from a bar of soap nor what capacity you have to promote and effect change, but Rugby needs the heavy hitters from Rugby's underworld to sit up and take notice of what is going on and do something positive about it. Failure to do so will result in the river of vintage shiraz and shed full of gourmet party pies that they enjoy at their various rugby do's that they attend on our behalf being soon downgraded to mouth-scorchingly hot four and twenty meat pies in the plastic wrapper and cans of coke (if they are so lucky).

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Here you go

junior-gold-cup-plan-pdf.4060

I think the attached document from Top Cat may be the death sentence for the Australian Junior Rugby Union.

The ARU seem to have mounted a hostile take over, or simply stepped into a vacuum.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

junior-gold-cup-plan-pdf.4060

I think the attached document from Top Cat may be the death sentence for the Australian Junior Rugby Union.

The ARU seem to have mounted a hostile take over, or simply stepped into a vacuum.

I had heard something about this previously but nothing substantial. Interesting set up. Especially with the attempt to include a SA based squad. Looks like an expansion to build more depth in the youth representative player pool while focusing on development both physically and in terms of trying to provide the highest possible level of competition. If it achieve these goals it could go a long way to improving some of the issues regarding a players Rugby development in time. The 15 year old kids that start with this program will benefit most from it.

 

[Jets]

You can apply here for role in Qld.

http://www.sportspeople.com.au/sp/position/PositionDisplay.asp?ID=25092

 

[I like to watch]

Picking winners at age 14 is not a sound strategy.
The program should be much more inclusive at this lower age level.
Especially if they have the hide to charge the participants for the program.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

I think the main reason that this programme is targeting 14 (U15) and 16 (U17) year olds is that the various Schools RU's have the 15 (U16) and Opens (U18) all stitched up and are not prepared to budge or give up any of their kingdom. The various JRU's are struggling for relevance in the upper age groups and are an obvious easy target for take over/sorting out.

I think that they need a wider net at the Under 15 level and less at the U17 level.

Cost seems a little steep and many battler families may baulk at this. Hopefully there will be an ability to waive fees in the event of demonstrated hardship.

The NSW Country folk may embrace this because ATM, NSW Country JRU charge something like $1200 for the right to participate in their junior rep programme. This will represent a saving to them.

 

[I like to watch]

If they're charging money,it should be open to anyone with the interest at 14.
They should have the confidence in the program,and run it continuously through the ages.
The ARU needs to take ownership of junior development,and wrest control off the Schools.
Mr Pulver needs to understand that you have to crack a few eggs to make an omelette.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Picking winners at age 14 is not a sound strategy.
The program should be much more inclusive at this lower age level.
Especially if they have the hide to charge the participants for the program.

I does state that they plan to reduce that levy as they develop sponsorship for the competition. i actually don't mind this structure as it would be easy enough for the ARU to add another level above the U17s to establish a national U20s setup eventually.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

If they're charging money,it should be open to anyone with the interest at 14.
They should have the confidence in the program,and run it continuously through the ages.
The ARU needs to take ownership of junior development,and wrest control off the Schools.
Mr Pulver needs to understand that you have to crack a few eggs to make an omelette.

That's sort of what I got from it. It's meant to be an integrated program but with a great deal of emphasis on providing more opportunities for klids outside of the elite school comps.

I don't think the levy will be all that restrictive. I think you'd be surprised how far parents will go to give their kids the opportunity if the are selected.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

I does state that they plan to reduce that levy as they develop sponsorship for the competition. i actually don't mind this structure as it would be easy enough for the ARU to add another level above the U17s to establish a national U20s setup eventually.

The Under 20's "pathway" vehicle seems to remain the "Academy" as per the pathway diagram on page 23 of the JGC Plan.

There are many who would say that this is not working, however when challenged as to nominate which athletes missed out on selection for this years Under 20 Team for the Jnr RWC, there was only one or two names mentioned.

What appears to be missing at U20 level is preparatory matches to harden them up in preparation. Training runs can only do so much.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

The Under 20's "pathway" vehicle seems to remain the "Academy" as per the pathway diagram on page 23 of the JGC Plan.

There are many who would say that this is not working, however when challenged as to nominate which athletes missed out on selection for this years Under 20 Team for the Jnr RWC, there was only one or two names mentioned.

What appears to be missing at U20 level is preparatory matches to harden them up in preparation. Training runs can only do so much.

I was more or less referring to the opportunity such a restructure of the U15-17s pathway to this format could present if they ever were to look at setting it up. Not that they ever necessarily would. However, as you allude to there is a need for more competitive matches for U20 athletes and some sort of appropriate league would provide that. They wouldn't need to keep the same number of teams as by that age you know who your most promising U20s are and you could organise accordingly.

 

[George Smith]

Great reading provided by Huge.

1. Structure & Development
IMHO the various bodies purporting to represent junior rugby players should each be dissolved. None of them (club and school streams) develop players. Clubs (AJRU, NSWJRU, SJRU) are glorified tournament competition organisers. The schools' program is mainly hijacked by the various private schools in their respective associations. These schools are only interested in their own glory (read here GPS, CAS etc). The ARU is the only current body who develops rugby talent.

The SJRU has only recently taken on competition management with their former zones doing it before. The highly successful and effective MNZ organised well over 65% of all players competitions and the SJRU have only absorbed this formally under their own banner several seasons ago. As mentioned in other threads this junior competition management in NSW metro could easily be handled by Subbies excellent machine.

2. JGC Latest Draft (4)
Overall this draft now reflects an appeasement to clubland in requiring that all participants must be registered with a junior club. What happens to the school based player who isn't in the 1st XV?
Other weaknesses is the total exclusion of 'girls' as this draft solely focuses on boys and therefore is quite discriminatory. Also if we limit it to club registered players then why have separate trials rather than use existing various State Champs?

3. Schools Rugby
It seems the ARU has taken the pragmatic route and said lets fix the system where it is broken (ie Clubland) leaving the powerful schools to continue. When you have a look at the ASRU you appreciate that they at least dangle the only single point of difference and competitive advantage we have over other codes of football (excl soccer). That is, international tours.

They do this by very active fundraising which the AJRU (and its affiliates) is incapable of under the present elected officials.

4. Where next
Lets segregate the various requirements facing rugby:
a) player involvement (Participation/Community Rugby), including competitions
b) player development

I would recommend that club development falls under Community Rugby. The new GM Participation (recruited from Cricket Australia) will be tasked to tackle these and I hope he can crack a few heads to achieve it.

In you want to read some more of my thoughts have a look at the Australian Club Rugby Championships thread for more structure and options....

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Coming back to the Peak Body of all Junior Rugby in Australia, and the 2013 National Junior Rugby Championships, that seems to be one of the key deliverables of this august body, does anyone have any detail whatsoever on the 2013 National Championships supposedly to be held in Canberra over the October Long Weekend?

Which State teams will be there, where will they be playing and when?

One assumes that ACT will be starters.

 

[Jets]

I hear someone mentioned as the Under 17 Queensland coach so I'm guessing they'll be sending a team.
You would have thought some publicity would be good for this . Parents will need to know what's going on so they can pay for it.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

^^^ Accommodation and travel over the October Long Weekend will be at a premium as well.

The Qld teams may be going into the National Champs a little under done. According to a Qld Gaggerlander who has posted elsewhere, the teams won't be selected before the State champs have been completed, and apparently these are only a week or two before the proposed tournament. Not much time for the QLD Coaches to prepare the teams.

NSW U15 and U17 were named after the Sydney vs Country match in July and have probably had several training sessions already.

I think there was a trial match against the ACT age groups a week or two ago.

Vic U17 and U15's have played the NSW Country JRU teams some time ago (before the Counrty vs Sydney games. Who knows if they will be going to Nationals or not.

It really is time for the Junior Gold Cup to grab this by the scruff of its neck and beat it into shape isn't it. 2014 can not come around fast enough.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Has the AJRU been Pulverised?

By all accounts there will be no 2013 AJRU National Club Championships, as the entry has been removed from the NSW JRU Calendar for 2013.

Looks like everyone is focused on preparations for the Jnr Gold Cup, which will be run under ARU auspices, and look to feed graduates into the Junior Village Club competitions around the place.

As no one here seems to know the masonic handshake to elicit comment from the Juniors Peak Body, I guess we will have to wait for the ARU annual report to see if they get a space to report on their progress and achievements for the year.