Australian Rugby / RA

[KOB1987]

While the teams from Sydney and Brisbane best of is great don’t we have other competitions in state’s that should be included as well ?

Agreed. In NSW the Champion zone from NSW Country Championships at least should be given the opportunity to play off against a city club somewhere in there. I assume Qld has a similar country competition? And winner of ACT comp as well.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

In the Weekend Oz McLennan is quoted as saying, inter alia, "the Australian Club championship would become a formal competition, not a hastily arranged match between the Sydney and Brisbane premiers. The trick will be to organise a structure that does not lead to haves and have-nots". Errr, yes. It will be some trick. Some of us have spent considerable time and energy trying to solve this conundrum.

And then I thought, how about something along the lines of the FA Cup? There would have to be some criteria for admittance: obviously a reasonable ground, a history of involvement in a recognised club competition, a minimum number of financial supporters, sponsors, financial stability.

How about this for a starting point? Maybe the first few rounds would be intra-city, to save on costs, then the quarters, semis, and final would be in the home city of the more successful of the competitors on agreed criteria (tries scored, points differential, whatever).

I would envisage all games taking place on Saturday arvos.

I'll add to my comment on the 'Where to' thread. Where I think it could be done somewhat similar to 7s with a central venue hosting each round(1-4 with the 4th being the finals round) and it being structured in much the same way as 7s with teams falling into progressive stages dependent on results.

Another option would be pools. Once again involving 16 teams and 4x4 pools. But played home and away for 6 games with the winner of each pool progressing to the finals. That's an 8 week structure. Another option could be to expand it to 20 teams an 5 team pools with the top 2 progressing to the finals for a 7 week structure.

Depending on the size you'd go Top 4 from Sydney, BRisbane and Canberra plus winner of Melbourne, Perth, NSW Country Championship (likely Newcastle) and QLD Country Champions/other regional team etc. (North Queensland/Gold Coast) for a 16 team structure and similar for 20 but with top 2 from Melbourne and Perth, one each from regional NSW and Queensland and Adelaide and NT.

 

[Quick Hands]

While the teams from Sydney and Brisbane best of is great don’t we have other competitions in state’s that should be included as well ?

I think that's what is being alluded to.

 

[Up the Guts]

Against the backdrop of the talk about McLennan saying what he was expected to say and nothing more, I see the NRL are considering buying a private jet to be used to transport teams to interstate games (fly-in day of game, fly-out post game) so that money doesn’t have to be spent on accomodation for the players. In the off season the jet can be chartered out. Not something that would necessarily work for rugby but perhaps the sort of out of the box thinking that might be needed to drive cost savings elsewhere.

 

[Rob42]

Against the backdrop of the talk about McLennan saying what he was expected to say and nothing more, I see the NRL are considering buying a private jet to be used to transport teams to interstate games (fly-in day of game, fly-out post game) so that money doesn’t have to be spent on accomodation for the players. In the off season the jet can be chartered out. Not something that would necessarily work for rugby but perhaps the sort of out of the box thinking that might be needed to drive cost savings elsewhere.

Out of the box thinking? They've been working on this restarted NRL comp for a couple of months, and they're only thinking about private air travel now? Qantas or Virgin would have given them a 737 for practically nothing for the remainder of the season, they'd be crazy to think about buying one.

 

[Up the Guts]

Out of the box thinking? They've been working on this restarted NRL comp for a couple of months, and they're only thinking about private air travel now? Qantas or Virgin would have given them a 737 for practically nothing for the remainder of the season, they'd be crazy to think about buying one.

This is permanently going forward, not for this season alone. The idea is to a make a one time investment to reduce ongoing accomodation costs.

 

[Bobby Sands]

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-...sh-on-australia-s-future-20200611-p551qc.html

Incredible article in my opinion.

Those who I have spoken to say Hamish is one of the best execs in Australia, and a seriously shrewd negotionater.

His vision for re-investing and protecting both club rugby and the Wallbies, and then re-negotiating/re-thinking the centre bit (currently Super) via broadcasters and private equity firms makes alot of sense to me.

Let's use the weapons we have; and that is biq, international, liquid, private equity firms and family offices that are aligned with the sport.

 

[The Honey Badger]

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-...sh-on-australia-s-future-20200611-p551qc.html

Incredible article in my opinion.

Those who I have spoken to say Hamish is one of the best execs in Australia, and a seriously shrewd negotionater.

His vision for re-investing and protecting both club rugby and the Wallbies, and then re-negotiating/re-thinking the centre bit (currently Super) via broadcasters and private equity firms makes alot of sense to me.

Let's use the weapons we have; and that is biq, international, liquid, private equity firms and family offices that are aligned with the sport.

No mention of how many teams involved

 

[Bobby Sands]

No mention of how many teams involved

What are you referring to here?

The Force?

Or less teams?

Too cryptic for me to glean one way or the other.

 

[Quick Hands]

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-...sh-on-australia-s-future-20200611-p551qc.html

Incredible article in my opinion.

Those who I have spoken to say Hamish is one of the best execs in Australia, and a seriously shrewd negotionater.

His vision for re-investing and protecting both club rugby and the Wallbies, and then re-negotiating/re-thinking the centre bit (currently Super) via broadcasters and private equity firms makes alot of sense to me.

Let's use the weapons we have; and that is biq, international, liquid, private equity firms and family offices that are aligned with the sport.

If we stop and think for a moment, what a great outcome. RA run the Wallabies (which generate most of their money) and use that money to run the game and develop juniors, coaches and support the community game. While private money runs a pro-domestic league under licence from RA. The licence agreement sets out when the comp runs, players available for WR (World Rugby) test windows etc.

I think that history has shown us that RA and the state RUs aren't so good at running teams in pro-level competitions or the competitions themselves.

 

[Quick Hands]

Greg Harris and others pointing out the pitfalls of a TT competition.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-...-over-trans-tasman-plans-20200612-p55235.html

The domestic needs of Aust and NZ are so different in terms of professional domestic rugby it's hard to see any arrangement working for Australia. I can't see it ending in anything but tears.

The point needs to be repeated; NZRU will always act in the best interests of NZRU and they exist in a completely different context to rugby in Australia.

 

[KOB1987]

This should light up a few screens this morning:

 

[Quick Hands]

^^^Twiggy with a proxy seat at the table is interesting, but I can't really fault anyone in that group or the move by McLennen to put the group together.

 

[Derpus]

Greg Harris and others pointing out the pitfalls of a TT competition.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-...-over-trans-tasman-plans-20200612-p55235.html

The domestic needs of Aust and NZ are so different in terms of professional domestic rugby it's hard to see any arrangement working for Australia. I can't see it ending in anything but tears.

The point needs to be repeated; NZRU will always act in the best interests of NZRU and they exist in a completely different context to rugby in Australia.

You are uniquely pessimistic even for a Rugby fan.

 

[Omar Comin']

Are there any other countries even likely to bid for the 2027 world cup? So far Australia and Russia are the only two who've said they will and surely we'd be almost certainties to win that race. Argentina withdrew and backed us instead. USA Rugby filed for bankruptcy recently so 2027 might be a bit too soon for them. South Africa would be a big chance if they bid, especially after what happened with the 2023 vote, but have they given an indication either way?

 

[Bobby Sands]

I only yesterday looked at Pulvers resume & he was a intern in comparison to Hamish. Good to have some operators back in the drivers seat (I realise he is chair).

 

[Rebels3]

Are there any other countries even likely to bid for the 2027 world cup? So far Australia and Russia are the only two who've said they will and surely we'd be almost certainties to win that race. Argentina withdrew and backed us instead. USA Rugby filed for bankruptcy recently so 2027 might be a bit too soon for them. South Africa would be a big chance if they bid, especially after what happened with the 2023 vote, but have they given an indication either way?

It’ll be all about Government support. Which countries will be able to afford or been seen to stump up the cash needed to host.

I think we will see Aus 2027, USA 2031. It’ll give them more time to strengthen the national team.

 

[dru]

You are uniquely pessimistic even for a Rugby fan.

au contraire, far from unique.

 

[Omar Comin']

It’ll be all about Government support. Which countries will be able to afford or been seen to stump up the cash needed to host.

I think we will see Aus 2027, USA 2031. It’ll give them more time to strengthen the national team.

I think that is pretty likely and would be good for the sport, though Europe has hosted every 2nd world cup so far and they might not want that pattern to end in 2031.

I guess the impact of Covid-19 might make South Africa less likely to bid for 2027, but who knows.

 

[Ignoto]

It’ll be all about Government support. Which countries will be able to afford or been seen to stump up the cash needed to host.

Add in the fact that Australia and New Zealand are co-biding for the womens 2023 Soccer WC and you'll be able to demonstrate a lot of requirements and leg work already being done by the earlier bid. Literally two birds, one rock.