Payten calls for Golden Point
- Thread starter Pfitzy
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Omar Comin'
Chilla Wilson (44)
The problem with a Wallabies centric strategy to growing the game is that they are only one team that can only play in one place at a time. They will not always win or be a top 3 team, especially as global rugby becomes more competitive in the longer term. The Wallabies only play 6 or 7 home games per year and about 14 in total - 4 or 5 of those in the middle of the night. Meanwhile the AFL, NRL and A-League feature 18, 16 and 10 teams that play week in week out for half the year in pretty much all the major population centres of Australia.
Rugby is not accessible to huge portions of the population and doesn't engage with the community enough because not enough places have a team - or the teams cover too big a territory. IMO this is the most important reason for the NRC alongside player development. Casual fans become loyal fans through having a team to support and see live or on TV every week. Not just a national team to feel proud of when they're on the big stage a handful of times each year. So I really see the major potential drivers of sustained growth being NRC and Super Rugby. The Wallabies are the pinnacle but will always be more cyclical.
But that's the carrot that draws people in.
Which sport attracts new fans with it's lower level competitions?
Do sports fans start watching the Pan Pacific games to see if they're going to be interested in watching the Aussies in the Olympics swimming?
Do people tune in to a random NFL game to decide if it's worth watching the Super Bowl?
Do people decide they're going to watch a random NRL game to see if they should listen to the hype and tune in to State of Origin?
I think the number of people who will get introduced to rugby via the NRC will be only a handful. It doesn't matter what the laws are, it doesn't matter whether it's potentially slightly more exciting because there are a couple less penalty attempts. People are attracted to the iconic events.
This has nothing to do with it being a Wallabies centric strategy. Improving the lower levels is what will make every level above it stronger. More kids sign up to play junior rugby when the Wallabies are doing well.
Which sport attracts new fans with it's lower level competitions?
Do sports fans start watching the Pan Pacific games to see if they're going to be interested in watching the Aussies in the Olympics swimming?
Do people tune in to a random NFL game to decide if it's worth watching the Super Bowl?
Do people decide they're going to watch a random NRL game to see if they should listen to the hype and tune in to State of Origin?
I think the number of people who will get introduced to rugby via the NRC will be only a handful. It doesn't matter what the laws are, it doesn't matter whether it's potentially slightly more exciting because there are a couple less penalty attempts. People are attracted to the iconic events.
This has nothing to do with it being a Wallabies centric strategy. Improving the lower levels is what will make every level above it stronger. More kids sign up to play junior rugby when the Wallabies are doing well.
Omar Comin'
Chilla Wilson (44)
They might not be introduced to rugby by the NRC, but it's the sort of competition that will hopefully make the support more sticky in time. The Wallabies just don't play often enough to do that (and nor should they).
How many Western Sydney Wanderers fans do you think there were that had previously never watched a soccer match or considered themselves at least a casual fan of the game? I doubt there were many. But many of them probably didn't watch a lot of Australian football and now they support the A League week in week out - and get to see them live every 2nd week. Now (for many of them) the number 1 team they support in the game is the Wanderers, not the Socceroos or Man Utd.
In Rugby League the SOO might be seen as the highest level and it does draw the biggest audiences per game, but the NRL is the bread and butter. Each week the NRL attracts total crowds and television audiences that exceeds any individual state of origin match. And I think probably more people are introduced to rugby league through the NRL simply due to that level of frequency and local tribalism.
T
Train Without a Station
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Mate your off your head comparing to the wanderers. People watch EPL but not A League. Nobody is ignoring super rugby and staying up to stream Aviva premiership games.
@Omar Comin
I don't disagree with you. I think we're conflating two very different things though.
I believe that rugby is struggling to attract interest from those outside the game. I don't believe there's a large volume of rugby fans out there who just wish they had a local team to support but instead make do with watching the Top 14 on Foxtel.
I think we're in a very different space to soccer. 140,000 people tuned in to watch Man U play Swansea at 10pm on Saturday night on Foxtel. That's a bigger audience than most Australian Super Rugby games get in prime time.
I think there are large numbers of soccer fans who have been looking for better quality local soccer to watch and had to make do with watching international leagues on TV. I think the situation in rugby is absolutely nothing like that.
I don't disagree with you. I think we're conflating two very different things though.
I believe that rugby is struggling to attract interest from those outside the game. I don't believe there's a large volume of rugby fans out there who just wish they had a local team to support but instead make do with watching the Top 14 on Foxtel.
I think we're in a very different space to soccer. 140,000 people tuned in to watch Man U play Swansea at 10pm on Saturday night on Foxtel. That's a bigger audience than most Australian Super Rugby games get in prime time.
I think there are large numbers of soccer fans who have been looking for better quality local soccer to watch and had to make do with watching international leagues on TV. I think the situation in rugby is absolutely nothing like that.
Pfitzy
George Gregan (70)
Most soccer fans I know who are fans of EPL and laugh at the local comp are utter c*&ts. Carry on like they were born with Man U/Chelsea/Liverpool colours. The only one I've got respect for is the Warrington Wolves supporter - he's not even a Pom (Croat or Serb I think) but likes those blokes for some reason. The rest just follow success.
A lot of them follow both - particularly the Wanderers supporters who are mad for it.
Omar Comin'
Chilla Wilson (44)
Yes and that is why people need to be attracted to what happens with the Wallabies and for it to make them seek out Super Rugby and then the NRC and club rugby.
Enjoying the Wallabies and getting excited by what they are doing is what will make kids want to play rugby.
At the moment those numbers are way down on where they were 10 years ago.
Omar Comin'
Chilla Wilson (44)
I agree with you on this, but most of these people do have awareness of the game or have seen it before. Most Australians will have watched a Wallabies game before.
The Wallabies were very popular in the late 90's/early 00's - it's just that popularity and level of success was never going to be sustained indefinitely, and not enough was done to convert casual interest in the Wallabies into bolted on support of the game. Not enough was done to grow and expand the level beneath the Wallabies.
I don't think the Wallabies are the only way to draw interest from casual fans or even people that have had no previous interest btw. Take Adelaide for example. Wallabies test matches rate extremely poorly in Adelaide - a city of 1.2 million people. While a super rugby team in Adelaide is a pipe dream, an NRC team is not so crazy. A future Adelaide NRC team would have the ability to engage with the local community and attract curious outsiders to check out some rugby to a much greater degree than the invisible Wallabies.
qwerty51
Stirling Mortlock (74)
Don't get me wrong, I totally agree with you. I can't stand people who are passionate about EPL teams from Australia it makes no sense. You have no fucking connection to Liverpool or Man U you just cherry picked your team!
T
Train Without a Station
Guest
Ditto NFL and NBA
Pfitzy
George Gregan (70)
COZ ITS FUCKEN UNASTRAYAN MAYYYYYYYTE!
Nah seriously - I get like if someone lived over there for a while and got into following a team through work mates or family or whatever.
But I know guys born here of Italian background, and give precisely zero fucks about Serie A, but are gung-ho for (insert EPL team) because they've got the big players or win a lot. Similar in basketball - everyone is a fan of the brand teams. They've got no other connection.
By all means watch and enjoy the sport, appreciate the athleticism of it. But how can you live or die like a fanatic when you just don't have any valid connection?
I realise that a valid connection is a subjective thing. Just sayin'.
ShtinaTina
Alex Ross (28)
Managing to work in the bubbler into this thread is impressive Cyclo!
T
TOCC
Guest
Ive got no problems with people supporting EPL teams, the EPL is one of the best soccer leagues, is widely available on broadcast in the world and has some of the highest quality play. Although La Liga is quickly getting recognised as been host to some of the best teams in the world.
I mean, i've met plenty of Europeans who enjoy watching Super Rugby because of the nature of the competition, the expansiveness and athleticism on display. They have no direct affiliation to Australian/Kiwi teams but pick one they like because they respect 'player x' and continue to support them.
I mean, i've met plenty of Europeans who enjoy watching Super Rugby because of the nature of the competition, the expansiveness and athleticism on display. They have no direct affiliation to Australian/Kiwi teams but pick one they like because they respect 'player x' and continue to support them.
USARugger
John Thornett (49)
Who you cheer for is irrelevant, the only metric that matters when it comes to sport is the volume of your voice.
It's all just a game anyway.
Golden Point is a dumb idea but I don't need to tell any of you that. Rugby is a beautiful game because it reflects life in a myriad of ways - one of those being that there will always be times, situations and scenarios in life where nobody wins.
Dan54
Tim Horan (67)
Dumb idea goden point, imagine playing an extra 20 minutes or whatever in a test, absolutely smashing each other to bits, then get on a plane and go to SA (for example,or Saffas coming here), geez usn't that going to give fresh legs next week!!
Anyway in my life a draw was always considered a result, and for it to get brought up after last week's test where a draw seemed a fair resuly is daft!
Anyway in my life a draw was always considered a result, and for it to get brought up after last week's test where a draw seemed a fair resuly is daft!
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