The Awful Truth About The ARU's Financial Position

[Hugie]

Whilst the Elite level rugby is a concern. My view is that a much greater concern is who is going to go to watch rugby in 20 years time.

My observation of the rugby crowds is that it consists of rugby tragics, women who marry or want to marry rugby tragics (I don't know what that's about), and the children of rugby tragics. What's going on now is the decline of the crowds of the future, when we should be building them.

As QH points out where is the long term strategy? Maybe short term survival is the only thing that counts at the moment.

 

[wamberal]

As QH points out where is the long term strategy? Maybe short term survival is the only thing that counts at the moment.

The most important strategic objective is to ensure our short term survival first. No doubt there are lots of metrics that people can quote, but from where I sit we have been going backwards on most measures since the 2003 RWC.

There is not much point revisiting the past.

From my perspective, the most important single underlying strategy is for all stakeholders to understand and recognise the situation we are in, we are heading downhill.

During a war, political and other divisions are forgotten. The whole population gets behind the government of the day, in fact, sometimes a government of national unity is appointed. A government of national rugby unity is what we need.

Pulver has got it right, in going for a NRC. Rugby desperately needs a success story. Even a smallish success would be great, it would lift the morale of supporters, players, sponsors, and so on.

We also desperately need success on the field, at both Test and Soup levels.

Finally, Sydney is the test case. Unless and until we get a competitive and inclusive club rugby competition, we will continue to struggle. Maybe I'm wrong, but I really believe that where the SS heads, the game as a whole will follow.

The pockets of prosperity need to understand that a spurt of communism is part of the answer. Grow the game and the SS competition might be worth winning again. It is not worth winning now, IMHO.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

In NZ they say when all is well with Auckland rugby, all is well with NZ Rugby.

Not many in NZ like Aucklanders or Jaffa (just another friendly face from Auckland).

Perhaps the Australian corollary is - When all is well with Sydney Rugby, all will be well with Australian Rugby. Not many in Australia like Sydneysiders. (Not sure what the Sydney Jaffa equivalent is but I'm sure someone will fill the gap in my knowledge soon).

Sydney, like Auckland, is where the money, power and bullsh!t is. Get that right and the bullsh!t becomes fertiliser for the grass roots. Get it wrong and you end up where we currently are.

 

[Quick Hands]

Absolutely correct that in the short term survival is paramount. But there still needs to be a long term strategy put into place.

The two are not mutually exclusive.

 

[Luvmyrugby]

In about 2009 when he was High Performance Manager (?) at the ARU, Pat Howard came to the annual Rugby dinner at my sons school, a private non gps school in QLD trying to good things with its rugby program.
He stood up and said
" I suppose you,re all here hoping to hear me talk about how healthy the code is? Well I,m sorry I can't . Al we will be doing in the foreseeable future is defending the territory we already hold...Wallabaies, Super 4rugby and GPS schools...you guys are on your own."

You could have heard a pin drop.

Wondering what's changed???.?...

 

[wamberal]

In about 2009 when he was High Performance Manager (?) at the ARU, Pat Howard came to the annual Rugby dinner at my sons school, a private non gps school in QLD trying to good things with its rugby program.
He stood up and said
" I suppose you,re all here hoping to hear me talk about how healthy the code is? Well I,m sorry I can't . Al we will be doing in the foreseeable future is defending the territory we already hold.Wallabaies, Super 4rugby and GPS schools.you guys are on your own."

That is an admission of defeat. What it says is, we have not interest in doing anything. After all, the GPS schools represent territory that the schools themselves, and their alumni and parents, already defend. The Wallabies and Soup franchises are the core of the game, they are not contestable "territory".

The territory that the game's powerbrokers need to do something about is the grassroots. That is where we need to work.

 

[Dave Beat]

The territory that the game's powerbrokers need to do something about is the grassroots. That is where we need to work.

I know you meant - not just the power brokers.
It is us that need to start taking the kids to club rugby, it's planting the seed and letting it grow.
Yes I do think the power brokers need to pull their fingers out and fertilize the kids - Auskick is and example that springs to mind

 

[I like to watch]

Yes I do think the power brokers need to pull their fingers out and fertilize the kids -

Is this the ARU or the Catholic Church?

 

[Dave Beat]

Is this the ARU or the Catholic Church?

Private schools are sorted, ARU need to work the public schools with the assistance of clubs.

 

[Joe King]

It is us that need to start taking the kids to club rugby, it's planting the seed and letting it grow.

I've just started taking my 3 kids to our local club training. They are the only kids at their primary public school who play rugby. But they love it and have a great coach who is enthusiastic and just makes it fun. He even gets the parents involved.

But I reckon a real simple strategy is for every junior coach to simply say to the kids every week, 'whoever bring a friend next week gets a Mars Bar'.

And all the ARU have to do is reimburse for the Mars Bars*




*And I reckon it only needs to be one of those bite-sized ones to work!

 

[Dave Beat]

I've just started taking my 3 kids to our local club training. They are the only kids at their primary public school who play rugby. But they love it and have a great coach who is enthusiastic and just makes it fun. He even gets the parents involved.

But I reckon a real simple strategy is for every junior coach to simply say to the kids every week, 'whoever bring a friend next week gets a Mars Bar'.

And all the ARU have to do is reimburse for the Mars Bars*


*And I reckon it only needs to be one of those bite-sized ones to work!

telling them they can have a play date as well works a trick, the play date is kicking the footy

and taking them to the Shute Shield games as well - they have a ball there.

 

[Joe King]

We also desperately need success on the field, at both Test and Soup levels.

This is so important in order to win attention in AUS, especially because of the crowded and competitive market among the football codes. It's also one of the disadvantages of the Super Rugby structure for AUS rugby.

While the cross-conference games have a special appeal and their own advantages, one of the disadvantages for AUS rugby is that when an Australian team loses to a NZ or SA team, it's not another part of AUS winning and getting excited about their team. This is unlike what happens in the NRL and AFL and now the A-league.

The only real advantage to AUS rugby when a NZ or SA team win the comp, is the interest that's created when that winning team plays against an AUS team the following year.

While I appreciate the call for a single round robin to make the Super Rugby comp fairer, having less local derbies may actually accentuate this issue for AUS rugby.

Hopefully the NRC helps to alleviate this by giving us something to call our own, where some part of AUS will always win; and also by eventually creating depth and strengthening the Super Rugby teams and giving them more of a chance of winning.

 

[Quick Hands]

That is an admission of defeat. What it says is, we have not interest in doing anything.


Kind of summarises NSWRU/ARU in couple of lines doesn't it?

 

[Inside Shoulder]

While I appreciate the call for a single round robin to make the Super Rugby comp fairer, having less local derbies may actually accentuate this issue for AUS rugby.

Hopefully the NRC helps to alleviate this by giving us something to call our own, where some part of AUS will always win; and also by eventually creating depth and strengthening the Super Rugby teams and giving them more of a chance of winning.

A reason why league and AFL have done well is that each is the best comp in the world for the sport.
Soccer clearly aint and that has meant that they have lacked traction: Del Piero shows what happens if you bring a world class has been - the punters get interested.
I don't think the average casual union watcher thinks that Reds v Force is a world class game in which you are watching arguably 30 of the best go round.
I think the conference system has harmed Oz - which is not what most thought would happen.

 

[beserker]

SuperRugby would do better by inviting in Japan, Tonga and Fiji and adjusting the rules so that these sides can be competitive. Japan could save rugby just as India saved cricket, but we'd have to look after them, let them in on the councils, and not pander to our friends from NZ and SA who will always be brilliant. (This is also mirrored in cricket, which has caused much anguish, understandably)

 

[Quick Hands]

I don't think the average casual union watcher thinks that Reds v Force is a world class game in which you are watching arguably 30 of the best go round.
I think the conference system has harmed Oz - which is not what most thought would happen.

And there is an almost total absence of any promotion of super rugby and the promotion that has been done in the past has been too ridiculous for words,

"Give 'em the old razzle dazzle" (We could resurrect that one and have Pulver and Hawker doing the actions with their old Shore boaters)

Something with butterflies???

And now rugby players giving impressions of Easter Island statues.

I mean really, who thinks this stuff up?

League, AFL, soccer, cricket ads all give the impression that something exciting is going on and they actually seem to be trying to entice people to games.

I reckon most of Sydney would not have even been aware that the Reds v Waratahs match was on and most now wouldn't know that it had already been played.

By accident or design, we've got a reasonable window to promote the start of the super season - cricket team overseas, league and AFL not started.

Matt Burke presents the sport on Channel 10 and he wrote a recent column remarking on the lack of promotion for the super launch.

This is fairly basic stuff - no-one is going to go to matches or get interested in a competition they don't know about.

 

[boyo]

This the type of thing that RU has to deal with:-

I wrote "The season started several weeks ago, yet (a registered club) didn't publicise this but seem happy to publicise the start of the NRL season, according to the last email."

The club replied "The club has a commercial relationship with Calrton & United Breweries - the producers of VB. As VB is the official beer of the NRL this commercial relationship allows us to offer promotions to members such as discounted schooners of VB.
As far as I am aware Super Rugby does not have an official beer. Hence there would be no promotional opportunities of this sort available to members. If VB sponsored Super Rugby then we probably would.


Thanks for your interest."

 

[p.Tah]

How about the Tahs sleeves sponsor, Magners?

 

[Rugby Central]

Leave schools to their own devices - they are going well and don't need ARU help

Have to disagree. Far from leaving the schools alone, dragoon them into service.

They are the one's doing it well. They are the one's with all the money. Align the Clubs and school competitions and programs so they work together. You don't need to hurt the school systems or traditions, which is what would be the greatest hurdle.

Term 2 and early term 3. GPS, CAS, ISA, CCC.....etc. and Club comps all run. Later in term 3 you have the "rep season" where Club rep sides play school rep sides. You then select the sate team based on that.

As kids choose Club or School there will be be some blood letting but it's necessary. You can then have a genuine structure that could work accross the country that involves everybody who wants to play the game. You will then have a structure that also feeds into the Colts and Senior's competitions. You never know, the mixing of King's boys with the players from a little further down Pennent Hills Road might even assist with removing the elitist stigma from the game's reputation.

The third grade school hooker could make the 1st grade Club side and prove he's just as good when given the chance. (and don't bullshit yourselves that connections don't affect selections) That great GPS school half back suddenly doesn't look so flash when the forward pack doesn't roll over everything....
Evenout the playing field and make sure the Schools financially contribute at least as much as they benefit.

You'll see the coffers and the quality rise when everyone plays together.

NB: "Schools" refers to the financial elite of CAS, GPS and other Independent Schools

 

[Rugby Central]

Quick Note to Quick Hands

I think this is twice now I have disagreed with you. Please note that that's 2027 messages you've posted that I have either agreed with or thought more that I could not fault.

Just wanted to say I'm not trying to be contrarian, just saw those comments differently