How to promote the game

[mst]

I go back a long way, I have seen a lot of low points. I have never seen the game in such a vulnerable position in Australia. At least back in the amateur days we knew that we would always surivive. If all you need is the smell of an oily rag to survive, survival's easy.

Now we need $50 mill a year, or something like it.

To earn that, we can promote our heads off. But if the basic product does not appeal to the potential marketplace, we are just wasting our time and money.

I watch a bit of FTA, either ABC1 or the 24 hour news channel. The occasional rugby news item sometimes contains a few seconds of "highlights". More often than not, the vast majority of the highlights are not tries, but kicks for goal.

You could put together a five minute package of the highlights of the Brumbies Sharks game, I suppose, I would love to see it. What was it, 150 kicks, something like that? One try. Gee, that's get them in.

Only a rusted on tragic could watch something like that. And there are rapidly diminishing numbers of us tragics.

The problem is why can the tragic's or rusted on supporters see that 3% of the ACT population were there in the rain (higher that the Reds and Tahs's get based on population at a good weather game) watched a game and sat on the edge of there seats until full time and were happy with an ugly win? See we (Brumbies supporters) can see that its one game, and that's it. It happens in sports. But I don't hear the rusted on banging on about the Reds game as painful as humiliating as that was, or the fact that the Tah's couldn't score more that a try in a game for a few weeks.

Matter of fact we can probably find more to be critical about. But lets look at that facts. Since the dawn of time books record winners, It doesn't say how they won. We all want to be entertained, but sport is unpredictable in nature, thus the results are never guaranteed, unless you want a product like WWE wrestling. The other part that speaks volumes about sports is that we show highlights - small segments of games, usually a few minutes or about 5% of the game. Why - because the other 95% of it is relatively boring.

We can all be critics as the evidence on this site suggests. I think the biggest threat to this game is the enemy within. If we can defeat that enemy, and unite and find the gold in the game, even if its just gold flakes then its over.

IMHO - this is marketing that writes itself. I was reading about the Brumbies players. Pocock and Benny A out at John I Dent local comp team working with the forwards and scrum the other night - Helping at club level. I watch as Scotty Sio runs out in that same Local John I Dent Cup comp, then the following week I sit near his family as they cheer as he runs on fora Brumbies game. Then a few weeks later I watch him run out for a Wallabies game. Nice humble young guys living the dream, but are merely one of us and will put back in to the community. There is one in every soup team I bet. It shows that kids can do it, the ARU and players are in touch with the games roots and part of the community, and its a family friendly, a good social environment for everyone. Add in what they do, the hits, runs tries etc that what this is all about! No hair-driers or stupid poems!

I now step off my soap box.

 

[SevensPhD]

Sevens. Seriously.

Not the 10 hours per day for 2 days that wears on everybody (fans and players), but the condensed tourney similar to what the English Premiership has started. 3-4 hours in a stadium with 4-6 total 7s teams (like the 5 Super Rugby franchises!).

I promise that if you get the top players from each franchise playing each other in 7s in a AUS-NZ tour (even hit some Asian cities) over the summer, fans will purchase tickets. New fans will turn up. FTA will want to show it!

Fast, exciting, easy to understand. And the Olympics on FTA will help draw a even more fans out.

Why do you think the NRL are uprising the 9s? They see Olympic Sevens as a threat in the long term, or they just have their eyes open and see how the rest of the World is catching the shortened version fever.

 

[Aussie D]

Read this article in the smh today: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/u...p-horror-that-is-jakeball-20140511-zr9gk.html

It was interesting to compare it to the interview with Link in last weeks FIN: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/no-time-to-waste-ewen-mckenzie-20140502-zr33j.html

The point that struck me was Link saying that there are 4 quadrants (or something along those lines). The top quadrant was winning with attractive rugby, followed equally with losing with attractive rugby and winning with 'boring' rugby and finally losing with 'boring' rugby. He made the point that changing the 'tahs from a team that lost playing attractive rugby to a team that won playing boring rugby didn't affect the bums on seats, but once the team started losing playing 'boring' rugby the crowd numbers started declining. He said he needed to get the Wallabies winning playing an attractive style to bring the crowds back.

I remember as a young bloke watching the old rugby: get into it ads back in the early '90s featuring Tim Horan and wondering why the ARU decided to change from that strategy. The best way to promote the game is to get kids playing it, the way to get the kids to play it is to make it look like fun, especially on FTA TV. Dry old commentary won't do, neither will constant criticism - they need to see players having a go with a smile on their face.

as for promoting the professional levels of the game the ARU needs to get some ads on tv, I haven't come across any on FTA at all this year. Put a song to it - I'd suggest "spark in my bonfire heart (crap song I know) and link the lyrics to the crowd being the 'spark' in the team's heart. You could have some sort of training montage interspersed with some game highlights for the 'nights like this' bits.

 

[p.Tah]

Sevens. Seriously.

Not the 10 hours per day for 2 days that wears on everybody (fans and players), but the condensed tourney similar to what the English Premiership has started. 3-4 hours in a stadium with 4-6 total 7s teams (like the 5 Super Rugby franchises!).

I promise that if you get the top players from each franchise playing each other in 7s in a AUS-NZ tour (even hit some Asian cities) over the summer, fans will purchase tickets. New fans will turn up. FTA will want to show it!

I can't like this enough

 

[Omar Comin']

Agreed with the sevens idea. It's ridiculous that the NRL has got the jump on SANZAR with their 9's concept.

I would love to go to or watch 3-4 hours of sevens featuring star players. It would be fantastic. Who wouldn't want to watch the likes of Quade Cooper, Will Genia, Michael Hooper, Alofa Alofa, Israel Folau, Kurtley Beale and so on playing 7's once or twice a year?

 

[Pfitzy]

Read this article in the smh today: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/u...p-horror-that-is-jakeball-20140511-zr9gk.html

Stole my fucking title for it. Should have patented that.

Anyway - yes, Sevens is a good promotional tool, particularly as the Olympic status means we can start promoting it into schools and getting some public traction. Show the NRL how much of a pale imitation their game is, even in Nines format

 

[boyo]

Ahem

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/community/threads/super-rugby-2014.13551/page-2

Brumbies and Sharks show up horror that is 'Jake-ball'

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/brumbies-and-sharks-show-up-horror-that-is-jakeball-20140511-zr9gk.html#ixzz31SU7TVI6

 

[terry j]

Perhaps you could get the Honey Badger and some other characters like TPN to make humorous but educational style videos on the different technical aspects of rugby.

''All you ladies out there can call me honey, '' you know the rest

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Canterbury Rugby and the Crusaders have teamed up with Colorado State University to run a rugby development camp this month.
http://www.sanzarrugby.com/superrugby/news/crusaders-link-up-with-colorado-state-university/

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Canterbury Rugby and the Crusaders have teamed up with Colorado State University to run a rugby development camp this month.
http://www.sanzarrugby.com/superrugby/news/crusaders-link-up-with-colorado-state-university/

Another in what will become a lot more common trend. Some big movement happening in the States. USARugby setting up a for profit Internet based Rugby channel. More and more HS and College on the verge of going Varsity. Youth Rugby now growing so fast clubs are struggling to find coaches. And to top it off. Some huge news likely in November in and around the ABs match in Chicago. Many regard it as a rumour but my discussions with a man in the know with the connections is adamant. Big news. Cannot divulge. Yet.

 

[USARugger]

You better be PMing me some details soon, mate.

Pretty sure it's been covered somewhere on these boards already but the post about Colorado just reminded me that the Brumbies have established a camp/program within Arizona State. Based on the interview with Larkham and the guy heading the expansion they will be focusing in the first year on developing the guys in the gym/getting their bodies right and then subsequent years will be spent on skills development.

ASU is a huge school so has produced some pretty special rugby-athletes in the past:

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Another in what will become a lot more common trend. Some big movement happening in the States. USARugby setting up a for profit Internet based Rugby channel. More and more HS and College on the verge of going Varsity. Youth Rugby now growing so fast clubs are struggling to find coaches. And to top it off. Some huge news likely in November in and around the ABs match in Chicago. Many regard it as a rumour but my discussions with a man in the know with the connections is adamant. Big news. Cannot divulge. Yet.

I've been talking it up for a while but my real point in posting this particular aspect was to get us talking about getting connections between our S15 franchises and colleges in the US.
There must be huge opportunities: plenty of kids get looked at for rowing and other sports. In the not too distant future they'll come knocking for rugby, i think.

 

[Redsfan]

Another in what will become a lot more common trend. Some big movement happening in the States. USARugby setting up a for profit Internet based Rugby channel. More and more HS and College on the verge of going Varsity. Youth Rugby now growing so fast clubs are struggling to find coaches. And to top it off. Some huge news likely in November in and around the ABs match in Chicago. Many regard it as a rumour but my discussions with a man in the know with the connections is adamant. Big news. Cannot divulge. Yet.

Anything to do with a certain Jason Moore?

Edit: this site has some interesting tidbits on it:

http://americanprorugby.com/

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Anything to do with a certain Jason Moore?

No. Though they have updated their plans as well as a slight rebrand from American Professional Rugby Competition to American Rugby Championship. They also outline their format, number of teams both at launch and into the future and investment levels required over time. Check it out www.americanprorugby.com

 

[Inside Shoulder]

The ‘ARC Holding Company’ will sell 350 common stock shares at USD$1 million each. Each investor is required to pay an upfront first installment of USD$300,000 (investment 1) payable by August 1 2015, a second installment of USD$350,000 (investment 2) is payable by January 1 2017 and the third and final installment of USD$350,000 (investment 3) payable by no later than November 1 2018.

So the initial capitalisation of this venture will be $350m?
Bigger than the ARU at startup but with only 8 teams.
I might start my own comp.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

So the initial capitalisation of this venture will be $350m?
Bigger than the ARU at startup but with only 8 teams.
I might start my own comp.

Their fairly ambitious. The plan is for it to be a full professional competition. They also have to carry up to 10 teams themselves initially etc. I think the about of money they are chasing may make a number of investors to baulk but good luck to them.

 

[Pfitzy]

Their fairly ambitious. The plan is for it to be a full professional competition. They also have to carry up to 10 teams themselves initially etc. I think the about of money they are chasing may make a number of investors to baulk but good luck to them.

Maybe here, but in the USA, despite the recent financial issues, there is still loads of appetite for "what if" investing. Here in Oz they're not so keen - we have a real risk-averse approach to anything (which is odd in a country that has gambling out the shitter).