^^^ Western Raptors play under the Penrith District barrier now IIRC, but hail from Blacktown (ish) area.
Continued decline in Sydney Junior Rugby
- Thread starter Quick Hands
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http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/co...ior-rugby-union-2013.12489/page-4#post-470283
I posted the above last April. Very little seems to have changed, but reposted here for food for thought. There are some very good and rather prophetic posts back in that thread if you have some spare time.
Buddha doesn't have the 2014 draw up, so I can't do the team numbers for Season 2014.
It will be very interesting to see what the numbers say this year when the draw is up.
Gary Owen III
Syd Malcolm (24)
Rooty Hill
10to12
Jimmy Flynn (14)
GO111 Do you know whats happening in the Gordon district. Are they keeping their teams together in the 16As age group
Gary Owen III
Syd Malcolm (24)
Fat Cat suggested in post #518 that one Gordon club side may not go the distance.
According to the nominations they have four sides entering teams Wahroonga (A), Lane Cove (B), Chatswood (A) and Lindfield (C).
There are only 6 teams in the A and B comps - so if this does happen to one of these teams it will have a major impact on the club comp.
According to the nominations they have four sides entering teams Wahroonga (A), Lane Cove (B), Chatswood (A) and Lindfield (C).
There are only 6 teams in the A and B comps - so if this does happen to one of these teams it will have a major impact on the club comp.
10to12
Jimmy Flynn (14)
GO111 My reference to soaking refers to a district creating a team from the remaining players . It is about a team cobbled together so that each club with only a few players rather than folding gives the boys a game each week. My assumption is this is the case down at the beaches.
This is not the case as I understand it in the combining of the Norths two A teams. They both have the numbers to field stand alone teams which I thought the SJRU was insisting on. I feel you are being disingenuous in this. By the way are you sure your a Gordon follower. You seem to know a lot about other teams (norths) but not the Goss at Gordon.
Gary Owen III
Syd Malcolm (24)
10to12 - not being disingenuous at all, the Norths guys tell me HH couldn't form a team on own. And yes i have asked a lot of questions of the people i know there.
As for Gordon - i prefer not to fan the flames on that topic. Thus why i quoted FC. Needless to say i think he is correct.
Its easy for you sydney based green and goldies to make comments on what is good for the game when you only have to travel across one or 2 suburbs to play. Illawarra zone is getting too big geographically . few parents want to drive campbelltown to nowra on a sunday morning let alone adding southern districts into the mix. no one ever consults with the membership when these decisions are made. those sort of distances are fine for rep games but for your average clubbie who just wants a good run out on the local club paddock its too much travel and effort
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
don't be too dismissive of the travelling times - they may be the same!
2 hours each way and barely enough players to make a team whether own club or a barbarian side
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Well I have spent an hour and a quarter and arrived to find a forfeit.
Would have mad sense to base the EASTS/Country NRC team somewhere like C'town to generate a bit if interest.
Would have mad sense to base the EASTS/Country NRC team somewhere like C'town to generate a bit if interest.
explains the decline in participation in the older age groups and the drift to league and soccer who have the numbers to keep sport participation local and more consistent
Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
I was at a party last night where some of the issues discussed on this thread were front and centre. The demographic of the party was late 40 to mid fifties and all of the blokes at the party had played village club rugby in the Manly area all those years ago (on Saturdays). Our kids would range from 8-18.
As an advocate of returning village club rugby to Saturday, even I was surprised by the hostility towards Sunday club rugby. Even more hostility was directed at the Sydney wide nature of the competitions, which leads to 10 and 11 year old D level players travelling all over Sydney to play at 8.30 on a Sunday morning.
I'm afraid that the news for rugby administrators is not good and that the people have voted with their feet. Around 80% of the kids of those rugby orientated dads didn't play village club rugby. Most played soccer or league and some boys only played Saturday rugby at school. We're talking about the participation level players mainly, but there's quite a few talented boys playing league, who watch the Marlins every Saturday, but don't play junior rugby.
Interestingly no-one whose kid played soccer raised the mumsie thinks rugby is too rough excuse. The kids played with their mates in a local competition.
I'll summarise the conversations:
When we played the furthest we had to travel was St Ives, surely there are enough teams in the north of Sydney to play teams which are reasonably local.
We spent one year taking our son to Blue Mountains, Sylvania and Dural and he likes rugby, but he's not that good. He now plays league because all the matches are on the northern beaches and are on Saturdays until 15s.
We'd prefer our son to be playing rugby, but the travel and the Sunday mornings are a killer, so he plays league which is on a Saturday and all the games are local.
He plays rugby at school on a Saturday and that's enough or he plays rugby at school on Saturday and plays league with his mates. The travel in junior rugby isn't worth it - he's never going to be a Wallaby
People may scoff at the reasons, but as I always say: the customer is always right.
Rugby seems to have fallen for the notion that every kid who laces up a boot wants to play for Australia and therefore needs an elite pathway to enjoy playing the game. In fact, the reverse is true, most of them just want to run around with their mates and have fun.
The choices are:
Soccer from 6s to 18s, Saturday competition and never have to leave the northern beaches
League from 6s to 14s, Saturdays never leave the northern beaches and 16s up to North Sydney area as well
Rugby from 10s up, Sundays and you could travel anywhere from Newport to Sylvania, to Dural to Blue Mountains
We're the ones who aren't catering to our customers and we're the ones who are losing players and teams.
Note: Manly Roos will field 1 standalone team past 12s this year. They have a 15s team playing in a lower division. In all other ages they are in joint ventures with Raiders and Harbord - so all three clubs are in a similar position and this is an area in which rugby is strong.
As an advocate of returning village club rugby to Saturday, even I was surprised by the hostility towards Sunday club rugby. Even more hostility was directed at the Sydney wide nature of the competitions, which leads to 10 and 11 year old D level players travelling all over Sydney to play at 8.30 on a Sunday morning.
I'm afraid that the news for rugby administrators is not good and that the people have voted with their feet. Around 80% of the kids of those rugby orientated dads didn't play village club rugby. Most played soccer or league and some boys only played Saturday rugby at school. We're talking about the participation level players mainly, but there's quite a few talented boys playing league, who watch the Marlins every Saturday, but don't play junior rugby.
Interestingly no-one whose kid played soccer raised the mumsie thinks rugby is too rough excuse. The kids played with their mates in a local competition.
I'll summarise the conversations:
When we played the furthest we had to travel was St Ives, surely there are enough teams in the north of Sydney to play teams which are reasonably local.
We spent one year taking our son to Blue Mountains, Sylvania and Dural and he likes rugby, but he's not that good. He now plays league because all the matches are on the northern beaches and are on Saturdays until 15s.
We'd prefer our son to be playing rugby, but the travel and the Sunday mornings are a killer, so he plays league which is on a Saturday and all the games are local.
He plays rugby at school on a Saturday and that's enough or he plays rugby at school on Saturday and plays league with his mates. The travel in junior rugby isn't worth it - he's never going to be a Wallaby
People may scoff at the reasons, but as I always say: the customer is always right.
Rugby seems to have fallen for the notion that every kid who laces up a boot wants to play for Australia and therefore needs an elite pathway to enjoy playing the game. In fact, the reverse is true, most of them just want to run around with their mates and have fun.
The choices are:
Soccer from 6s to 18s, Saturday competition and never have to leave the northern beaches
League from 6s to 14s, Saturdays never leave the northern beaches and 16s up to North Sydney area as well
Rugby from 10s up, Sundays and you could travel anywhere from Newport to Sylvania, to Dural to Blue Mountains
We're the ones who aren't catering to our customers and we're the ones who are losing players and teams.
Note: Manly Roos will field 1 standalone team past 12s this year. They have a 15s team playing in a lower division. In all other ages they are in joint ventures with Raiders and Harbord - so all three clubs are in a similar position and this is an area in which rugby is strong.
@Quick Hands, great poll results, probably replicated at various footy gatherings around the place.
Was the question asked, "If Rugby was available on Saturday mornings, would the boys register for rugby?" or "How far (timewise rather than distance) do you think is reasonable to travel for a game of kids footy?"
Build the base of the pyramid, and someone will manufacture a pointy bit. Do not focus on the pointy bit, because there may not be a base for the pointy bit to go on.
Was the question asked, "If Rugby was available on Saturday mornings, would the boys register for rugby?" or "How far (timewise rather than distance) do you think is reasonable to travel for a game of kids footy?"
Spot on!!
Build the base of the pyramid, and someone will manufacture a pointy bit. Do not focus on the pointy bit, because there may not be a base for the pointy bit to go on.
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
I've been to the same party
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Who should be building the base?
View may differ but I'd love the see what people see as the alternatives.
Mine is its an ARU job and that is partly because despite the fact that these parents think that their sons aged between 8 and 18 are never going to be Wallabies the truth is you never know and so the answer is our elite adult levels will be better if we cater to the most players of whatever ability that we can possibly cater to.
The rest will take care of itself.
At the moment we are trying to skim the cream from a churn with a hole in it.
1st step in building the base would be to learn how to count properly and honestly.
While the Shiraz swillers are sitting back in their leather chairs in the board room looking at pretty coloured graphs showing massive and sustained increases in "participation" numbers, what are they going to do?
While the Shiraz swillers are sitting back in their leather chairs in the board room looking at pretty coloured graphs showing massive and sustained increases in "participation" numbers, what are they going to do?
SATURDAY SEVENS
All Clubs should have received an information letter and an entry form for the Saturday Sevens Competition to be run at St Lukes, Concord.
This is an effort to promote Rugby to those not currently playing in an organised school game. We desperately need to encourage “new blood” to the game and ALL Clubs must assist.
I expect at least one team from each District to enter And some Clubs should be able to furnish multiple teams!!!
All Clubs need to look at the schools their players attend and get the attached flyer to the High schools of your players!!!!
This came out on an email from the SJRU
All Clubs should have received an information letter and an entry form for the Saturday Sevens Competition to be run at St Lukes, Concord.
This is an effort to promote Rugby to those not currently playing in an organised school game. We desperately need to encourage “new blood” to the game and ALL Clubs must assist.
I expect at least one team from each District to enter And some Clubs should be able to furnish multiple teams!!!
All Clubs need to look at the schools their players attend and get the attached flyer to the High schools of your players!!!!
This came out on an email from the SJRU
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