National Club Competition

[wolverine]

We already have a National Club Competition: Super Rugby, with 5 professional franchises spread across the country. What is being discussed here is a National Reserve Grade or Second Tier Club Competition. It is interesting to note that no other major sports in Australia run a an second tier open-age competition nationally. This is what they do:

AFL: state competitions like the VFL, SANFL, WAFL etc.
FFA: state competitions like NSW Premier League, Hyundai Queensland State League.
RL: state competitions like NSW Cup and Intrust Super Cup (Queensland Cup).
CA: Futures League is national, but all but 6 players must be aged under 23. Withe the advent of the Big Bash League, comps like this, the Ryobi ODI Cup and even Sheffield Shield could be scaled back.

Other nations that are geographically large don't run national open age second tier competitions. That includes the USA's Big Four sports, the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB , and it seems to be the case in the CFL and Canadian Hockey.

National Under 19s/20s competitions - different story.
FFA runs the A League National Youth League, Under 21s.
NRL runs the Toyota Cup, an Under 20s competition, with two games televised by Fox.

So how much value creating a new product of inferior quality to Super Rugby, that will incur high costs, and won't increase the standard of development over the existing Shute Shield or Brisbane club competition?

 

[wamberal]

Can't happen, won't happen, and shouldn't happen. The proponents of this had their chance to support a national third tier competition, but decided that their own little egos were more important than the health of the game as a whole.

 

[nomis]

I'm glad we have Super Rugby, which is the closest thing to a national comp. But it's not quite a national comp. It's an international comp. I'm not looking for a national comp at the third tier to take on the other codes. I think we need it for development purposes, to really strengthen rugby in AUS, close the gap b/w club and Super, and see lots of new, exciting players emerge. We need the step b/w club and super for school super stars to harden, and for the boys who have been hiding in their shells for a while to come out.

In my mind it would need to run parallel to the the rugby championship, so the non-test super players could mix it up with the top club players.

It can't be the same formula as the ARC, and it can't have the same expectations of glamour attached to it. It needs to run on the smell of an oily rag.

I like the idea of an u20's model. The age group restriction allows it to be the best it can be (just about) without needing the test and super players. It could make for a great tournament to run alongside (and as curtain raisers to ) Super Rugby.

I'd be interested to hear more from WorkingClassRugg on the differences b/w his proposal and the old ARC set up.

I would also want to know it really will develop players with the non-test super players involved before I went with BR. But his does sound like a simple model, which makes it attractive.

If it was for pure developmental reasons, could there be a combo of what you're saying Working Class, and what you're saying BR? If a club could go it a lone financially, then so be it. But if other clubs decided to combine at a higher level, like all the Western Syd clubs or all the Melbourne clubs, etc, then so be it. The mergers would be from the ground up. This may not be ideal, but it could possibly get another tier in place, whilst maintaining the best interest of rugby in non-traditional states.

 

[Bruce Ross]

If it was for pure developmental reasons, could there be a combo of what you're saying Working Class, and what you're saying BR? If a club could go it a lone financially, then so be it. But if other clubs decided to combine at a higher level, like all the Western Syd clubs or all the Melbourne clubs, etc, then so be it. The mergers would be from the ground up. This may not be ideal, but it could possibly get another tier in place, whilst maintaining the best interest of rugby in non-traditional states.

I think this suggestion makes perfect sense, nomis. I am sure there would be clubs in addition to Tuggeranong and Sydney Uni who would be prepared to enter as standalones but there would be others who would want/need to combine.

It needs to be run on the smell of an oily rag.

This is the sine qua non of a National Club Competition in its initial seasons. Any contribution from the ARU would be token at best.

I don't recall reading your previous posts, nomis. Welcome aboard.
.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

I think this suggestion makes perfect sense, nomis. I am sure there would be clubs in addition to Tuggeranong and Sydney Uni who would be prepared to enter as standalones but there would be others who would want/need to combine.


This is the sine qua non of a National Club Competition in its initial seasons. Any contribution from the ARU would be token at best.

I don't recall reading your previous posts, nomis. Welcome aboard.
.

If need be, I'd have no issue with this either. But regardless of whether this ever happens or not, I still think we need a high level U20's set up.