"Queensland Rugby Records its Largest Growth in History"

[Hawko]

Its telling for me that the GWS AFL club has been on the radio in Sydney every day highlighting thrir drive for a 17000 first year membership. The whole week I have also been subjected to general AFL news, NRL and A league. Rugby hasnt made a bulletin all week. For those wanting to grow the game this is a major impediment.

You are absolutely right about needing to get exposure for the game if it is to grow.

On the other hand, if I read another story about the ninety point thrashing that the Force handed us last week or indeed another story about how the Waratahs play such crappy rugby and kick the ball away unlike those brilliant exponents of running rugby from north of the border, I think I will just throw up. The overwhelming tide of negativity with which the media has surrounded the team (and by extension the game) in Sydney is not helping growth. Bet next year's stories about GWS in their second year, when they are still getting belted, are way more positive than the current coverage of the Rebels who have totally exceeded expectations.

Or look at this week's NRL major issue - the dangerous, bordering on criminal, attacking of the head of opposition players and the call from a large majority of the NRL coaches to "toughen up, there's nothing wrong with it, he's got no case to answer". If it had been rugby there would have been a firestorm of calls to stop children playing such a dangerous game.

Rugby has a perception problem. The reality is way better than the portrayal in the media. That is one of the three key issues that the ARU has to deal with in order to advance the game.