National Rugby Championship 2015
- Thread starter Hugh Jarse
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I will be interested to see how the Sydney teams perform in the 2015 version of the NRC, there appear to be some figures who are heavily invested in ensuring the comp perform and then others who don't seem to care. If rumours are correct that Foxsports were unhappy with the quality of rugby displayed and a reduction of teams is on the cards then i think one of the Sydney teams is the obvious change.
Two changes i think would suit the game:
-Sydney Stars merge with the Greater Sydney Rams.
-Southern Districts merge with Easts and Randwick in a 'Botany Bay' district team.
North Harbour
Manly, Warringah, Gordon, Norths
Botany Bay
Easts, Randwick, Southern Districts
Greater Sydney Rams
West Harbour, Penrith, Parramatta, Sydney University, Eastwood
Two changes i think would suit the game:
-Sydney Stars merge with the Greater Sydney Rams.
-Southern Districts merge with Easts and Randwick in a 'Botany Bay' district team.
North Harbour
Manly, Warringah, Gordon, Norths
Botany Bay
Easts, Randwick, Southern Districts
Greater Sydney Rams
West Harbour, Penrith, Parramatta, Sydney University, Eastwood
RugbyFuture
Lord Logo
Doubt the private ownership structures of both the Rams and Stars sync up, two entities with very different philosophies. Eventually one would have to think that the Stars will put some effort into broadening their base outside of USyd lines and take a more market driven approach like the rays or rams.
I am still aware of Wicks wanting to go it in a new entity. So that botany bay team would be a possiblity, but I would suggest as lindo did early in the NRC forum that they both play out of redfern and utilise the traditional South Sydney rugby brand that the rabbitohs have their history in as well. Designed something for just this occasion! (as is the obsessive norm for me, I know)
Main colour and name comes from randwick
Jersey hoops and shorts come from Easts
Socks, cuffs of the jersey and general souths name comes from southern
(also somewhat leicester inspired, hence the crosshatch on the away)
Fox weren't happy with the ratings, not necessarily the quality of rugby.
I am still aware of Wicks wanting to go it in a new entity. So that botany bay team would be a possiblity, but I would suggest as lindo did early in the NRC forum that they both play out of redfern and utilise the traditional South Sydney rugby brand that the rabbitohs have their history in as well. Designed something for just this occasion! (as is the obsessive norm for me, I know)
Main colour and name comes from randwick
Jersey hoops and shorts come from Easts
Socks, cuffs of the jersey and general souths name comes from southern
(also somewhat leicester inspired, hence the crosshatch on the away)
Fox weren't happy with the ratings, not necessarily the quality of rugby.
Assuming that the three team NSW model of Botany Bay, North Harbour and Greater Sydney Rams is adopted, there will be a fair few folk in the Bush that will feel disenfranchised with no team to barrack for.
I reckon that there are enough players around for NSW to sustain 4 teams, and still be competitive, even against the likes of the Non-Wallaby Super Rugby teams like Perth and Melbourne. People need to stop aligning the NRC franchises on Shute Shield Club lines, and I think the Stars realised that when they didn't get access to their former Uni players at the Super franchises outside NSW, and they recruited players from other SS clubs that were not needed/wanted by the Rays, Rams and Eagles.
For the Stars to prosper they need to become a little less closely associated with just one SS club. Perhaps they should have a Coaching Team that is independent of that of Sydney University Rugby Club, but are there enough NRC quality Coaches around and available for this to occur?
I reckon that there are enough players around for NSW to sustain 4 teams, and still be competitive, even against the likes of the Non-Wallaby Super Rugby teams like Perth and Melbourne. People need to stop aligning the NRC franchises on Shute Shield Club lines, and I think the Stars realised that when they didn't get access to their former Uni players at the Super franchises outside NSW, and they recruited players from other SS clubs that were not needed/wanted by the Rays, Rams and Eagles.
For the Stars to prosper they need to become a little less closely associated with just one SS club. Perhaps they should have a Coaching Team that is independent of that of Sydney University Rugby Club, but are there enough NRC quality Coaches around and available for this to occur?
T
TOCC
Guest
Brett McKay article on the Roar has a few points.. Suggests that the ARU will step in to assist the NSW teams off the field, and more support should be expected from NSWRU and the Waratahs.
In terms of ratings for 2014 they really dropped off when no NSW or QLD teams were involved, so looking trough the draw for 2015 and you'll notice that a NSW or QLD team is involved in every broadcast match...
Promoting the competition is an area the ARU have identified they need to improve for 2015 in both marketing the comp and games... No shit
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In terms of ratings for 2014 they really dropped off when no NSW or QLD teams were involved, so looking trough the draw for 2015 and you'll notice that a NSW or QLD team is involved in every broadcast match...
Promoting the competition is an area the ARU have identified they need to improve for 2015 in both marketing the comp and games... No shit
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Wilson
David Codey (61)
Sounded like they've hired a social media/marketing guys whose job is promoting nrc and sevens, depending on the time of year. Hopefully having a more dedicated resource will see an immediate improvement. Given the lack of even simple social media promotion in alot of cases last year, you'd want to hope it would.
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T
TOCC
Guest
So why have all the NSW NRC teams run and operated by Shute Shield teams, what's the point of these Shute Shield teams taking a stake in an NRC team if they don't intend to leverage their existing players, supporter and resource base.
We already tried the ARC with no Shute shield lineage and this saw the Shute Shield clubs campaigning for the ARC to be dissolved..
I like to watch
David Codey (61)
Exactly
Let's remember that at least in Sydney,the whole fucking show has been funded by the Shute Shield teams.
Let's remember that at least in Sydney,the whole fucking show has been funded by the Shute Shield teams.
ARC was based around Shute shield arrangements.
Fleet was Uni, Easts, Wicks and Hobbits with home base of North Sydney Oval. Three clubs with almost pathologic tribalistic dislike of the other three forced into a marriage of convenience with the Hobbits and being made to play "across the bridge".
Central Coast Rays was Gordon, Norths, Manly, Warringah, and Central Coast Waves (Rep Team for CCRU). Rather extreme tribal dislike existed between two Manly and Warringah, and slightly lesser between Gordon and Norths.
West Sydney Rams was Eastwood, West Harbour, Parramatta and Penrith. Not a lot of love lost between some of the partners in that consortium.
The ARC was totally based around forced amalgamations of Shute Shield entities. Perhaps that is why the clubs "didn't like it".
In the NRC, Some Shute Shield clubs have totally embraced the concept (Norths, Manly, Rats and Gordon - Rays; Pirates, Souths, Parramatta and Emus - Rams; The Corporation - Stars). Randwick tried to go it alone, Woodies didn't want to take any financial risk, Easts were kind of left like a shag on a rock. Fortunately for Wicks and Beasts, an impassioned Country aligned consortium established loose association with them, but no financial skin in the game.
People still keep trying to reorganise the 4 NSW franchises along geographic or Shute Shield lines, with out realising that apart from the arrangement between the clubs behind the Rays, the backers of the other three NSW Franchisees seem to be anything but simple joint ventures with Shute Shield Clubs as equal partners.
Trying to say things like The Hobbits should be with Uni and Wicks in the Eagles isn't going to work. If an existing aspirational Wicks player doesn't get any NRC time with the mob that the Wicks are supposed to be aligned with, they are going to sound out another franchise to see if there is space for them in their squad.
Let the "owners" of the NRC licences work out where they are going to source their players from. The supporter base from Shute Shield will eventually come on board and attend games that are geographically convenient to them, and have some players in them that they recognise.
The Brisbane Premier Clubs have no stake in the Brisbane or Country NRC Franchises, and some QPR club players are playing "out of region". Has this impacted on the support base for the NRC in Bris-Vegas?
Fleet was Uni, Easts, Wicks and Hobbits with home base of North Sydney Oval. Three clubs with almost pathologic tribalistic dislike of the other three forced into a marriage of convenience with the Hobbits and being made to play "across the bridge".
Central Coast Rays was Gordon, Norths, Manly, Warringah, and Central Coast Waves (Rep Team for CCRU). Rather extreme tribal dislike existed between two Manly and Warringah, and slightly lesser between Gordon and Norths.
West Sydney Rams was Eastwood, West Harbour, Parramatta and Penrith. Not a lot of love lost between some of the partners in that consortium.
The ARC was totally based around forced amalgamations of Shute Shield entities. Perhaps that is why the clubs "didn't like it".
In the NRC, Some Shute Shield clubs have totally embraced the concept (Norths, Manly, Rats and Gordon - Rays; Pirates, Souths, Parramatta and Emus - Rams; The Corporation - Stars). Randwick tried to go it alone, Woodies didn't want to take any financial risk, Easts were kind of left like a shag on a rock. Fortunately for Wicks and Beasts, an impassioned Country aligned consortium established loose association with them, but no financial skin in the game.
People still keep trying to reorganise the 4 NSW franchises along geographic or Shute Shield lines, with out realising that apart from the arrangement between the clubs behind the Rays, the backers of the other three NSW Franchisees seem to be anything but simple joint ventures with Shute Shield Clubs as equal partners.
Trying to say things like The Hobbits should be with Uni and Wicks in the Eagles isn't going to work. If an existing aspirational Wicks player doesn't get any NRC time with the mob that the Wicks are supposed to be aligned with, they are going to sound out another franchise to see if there is space for them in their squad.
Let the "owners" of the NRC licences work out where they are going to source their players from. The supporter base from Shute Shield will eventually come on board and attend games that are geographically convenient to them, and have some players in them that they recognise.
The Brisbane Premier Clubs have no stake in the Brisbane or Country NRC Franchises, and some QPR club players are playing "out of region". Has this impacted on the support base for the NRC in Bris-Vegas?
T
TOCC
Guest
A big part of the problem for the ARC was that it didn't have the involvement of Shute Shield teams, the Sydney ARC teams were geographically placed teams and the Shute Shield clubs weren't involved in the process at all, this left many clubs worried about their existence and hence why they were very vocal opponents of the comp and key in its downfall.
ARC 2.0 invited all the Shute Shield teams to take a stake, this was key to ensuring that the comp would at least be successful at a Sydney level and also because the ARU couldn't afford to bankroll standalone teams. ARU let the clubs make their own decisions which is about all they could do, the ARU wasn't in a position to set out too many guidelines or restrictions on the potential investors.
I don't personally agree that a free market approach is the right format to let the NRC teams establish themselves, rugby union has too many big personalities and too many ego's involved to see teams make decisions which are good for the game. You can already see it in the teams represented...
How is a NSW Country team going to capture the support of those from the Eastern Suburbs/Randwick area, these supporters have been left without a team to support. They are better off supporting the Sydney Stars because they can at least attend Sydney Star games but are unlikely to do so given it is a dolled up Sydney Uni team.
What demographic does the Sydney Stars appeal to, who is their supporter base, what geographic area do they represent.
Brisbane/QLD is at the other end of the spectrum, clubs were invited into the process but they all baulked at the potential financial liability hence why the QRU took the reigns. Teams established were based on geographical alignments and loose affiliations to clubs, it works because the clubs are behind it.
ARC 2.0 invited all the Shute Shield teams to take a stake, this was key to ensuring that the comp would at least be successful at a Sydney level and also because the ARU couldn't afford to bankroll standalone teams. ARU let the clubs make their own decisions which is about all they could do, the ARU wasn't in a position to set out too many guidelines or restrictions on the potential investors.
I don't personally agree that a free market approach is the right format to let the NRC teams establish themselves, rugby union has too many big personalities and too many ego's involved to see teams make decisions which are good for the game. You can already see it in the teams represented...
How is a NSW Country team going to capture the support of those from the Eastern Suburbs/Randwick area, these supporters have been left without a team to support. They are better off supporting the Sydney Stars because they can at least attend Sydney Star games but are unlikely to do so given it is a dolled up Sydney Uni team.
What demographic does the Sydney Stars appeal to, who is their supporter base, what geographic area do they represent.
Brisbane/QLD is at the other end of the spectrum, clubs were invited into the process but they all baulked at the potential financial liability hence why the QRU took the reigns. Teams established were based on geographical alignments and loose affiliations to clubs, it works because the clubs are behind it.
Rugbynutter39
Michael Lynagh (62)
Given still yet to see any real marketing of the NRC I think they need to do something more radical like offer free tickets to one game for all Super rugby members (and if they already have NRC membership they can give this to a friend)....
Need to get people in and sample the game to build awareness and trial of the product....Where are you ARU...come on - be more creative to build interest in a great product
Forcefield
Ken Catchpole (46)
Just over a month out from the first game and no squads announced yet. Hope it comes up soon.
Highlander35
Andrew Slack (58)
Thought the squads had to be officially lodged end of July, beginning of August. That's the impression I'm getting. Rising just put up an article confirming that I think.
Edit: Early August. http://www.melbournerebels.com.au/news/article/rising-ets-progressing-nicely
Suggests that they're waiting for the end of the home and away season of the club competitions.
Edit: Early August. http://www.melbournerebels.com.au/news/article/rising-ets-progressing-nicely
Suggests that they're waiting for the end of the home and away season of the club competitions.
Forcefield
Ken Catchpole (46)
Thanks guys
2015 Buildcorp National Rugby Championship – Marquee Player Alignment:
Brisbane City
James Horwill
Quade Cooper
Will Genia
Greater Sydney Rams
Tatafu Polota-Nau
Rob Horne
Kurtley Beale
Benn Robinson
Melbourne Rising
Sean McMahon
Luke Jones
Tom English
North Harbour Rays
Michael Hooper
NSW Country Eagles
Sam Carter
Matt To'omua
Queensland Country
James Slipper
Rob Simmons
Saia Fainga’a
Perth Spirit
Tetera Faulkner
Kyle Godwin
Sydney Stars
Nick Phipps
Bernard Foley
Israel Folau
Will Skelton
UC Vikings
Henry Speight
Christian Lealiifano
Joe Tomane
Brisbane City
James Horwill
Quade Cooper
Will Genia
Greater Sydney Rams
Tatafu Polota-Nau
Rob Horne
Kurtley Beale
Benn Robinson
Melbourne Rising
Sean McMahon
Luke Jones
Tom English
North Harbour Rays
Michael Hooper
NSW Country Eagles
Sam Carter
Matt To'omua
Queensland Country
James Slipper
Rob Simmons
Saia Fainga’a
Perth Spirit
Tetera Faulkner
Kyle Godwin
Sydney Stars
Nick Phipps
Bernard Foley
Israel Folau
Will Skelton
UC Vikings
Henry Speight
Christian Lealiifano
Joe Tomane
Joeleee
Ted Fahey (11)
Sorry for my ignorance, but what goes into these marquee player alignments? Is it just players who have decided to put their hands up for the teams? There are a few on there that seem out of place (Godwin, English) and plenty of Wallabies missing, while most obviously won't play much in the NRC. I guess I don't really understand what the list is about?
Each NRC team was asked to nominate to the ARU the Wallabies they were seeking for their allocation.
http://www.rugby.com.au/News/NewsAr...gnments-announced-for-2015-Buildcorp-NRC.aspx
http://www.rugby.com.au/News/NewsAr...gnments-announced-for-2015-Buildcorp-NRC.aspx
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