Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
Isn't the SANZAR TV deal in US dollars? (Can be corrected on this)
The Pulverisation of Australian Rugby
- Thread starter Bruce Ross
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Antony
Alex Ross (28)
I'd be curious to know the extent of it. Particularly, I get excited about the prospect of selling international/super rugby TV rights into the US (probably a pipe-dream, but we'll see). MLS teams over there sell for $40 million, and soccer can't be that much more popular than rugby. Obviously huge hurdles, but a significant US inflow could set the game in the antipodes up for life.
I'm mainly thinking this in relation to the NZRU, but the ARU fits the bill as well. I'm fairly pessimistic about the long-term viability of the current NZ model (multi-tiered, requiring ABs to play domestically, etc.), and feel that the only way to stop wholesale raiding of our junior players by the NRL (and senior players by Europe) is through financial independence. Which means we need a few foreign broadcast deals.
Has the twin effect of driving up sponsorship value.
JSRF10
Dick Tooth (41)
Rugby is a long way from a $40M TV deal in the states, although growing it is still very much an college elite niche sport from my understanding. It would require the USA to get stronger and capitalise on the exposure of Rugby 7's through the Olympics. There would also need to be a US Franchise(s) in either the Heineken Cup or Super Rugby.
All is achieveable but not for a good 15 years IMO. The good news is our rival code has decided that Sydney and Northern England are the limit of its imagination so we are leap years ahead on the untapped market front.
All is achieveable but not for a good 15 years IMO. The good news is our rival code has decided that Sydney and Northern England are the limit of its imagination so we are leap years ahead on the untapped market front.
I like to watch
David Codey (61)
Don't get too smug.
You have totally forgotten that League is massive in PNG!
Antony
Alex Ross (28)
Absolutely. But let's take a fairly modest aspiration - if a decent chunk of the US starts watching the world cup (and that's not outrageous - especially as they are in line to host within the next 3 or 4 cycles) then suddenly a whole new range of sponsor would be interested in having their logo on a wallabies jersey. It won't happen overnight, but these are workable ambitions.
suckerforred
Chilla Wilson (44)
Anthony, Are you talking about the pure income that would be possible for selling into the US market, or leveraging current and/or future foreign currency income through hedges?
Something in my dim dark distance memory tells me that the ARU has tried this in the past and failed spectactularly. Having said that the company I work with deals in foreign currency for some sales and purchases regularly and we struggle to get it right so it is a difficult thing to do.
Something in my dim dark distance memory tells me that the ARU has tried this in the past and failed spectactularly. Having said that the company I work with deals in foreign currency for some sales and purchases regularly and we struggle to get it right so it is a difficult thing to do.
USARugger
John Thornett (49)
It's pretty widespread at the college level now. Even little Lib-Arts schools in the middle of nowhere will have a men's or girls side, often both. Not to be confused with rugby being popular though, but it has grown noticeably in the past 5 years.
Some high schools are beginning to push for rugby to be included in their varsity programs, getting into high schools would be a coup for the sport but this will be very difficult. By nature high schools are far smaller than most universities and rugby would directly conflict/compete with soccer, wrestling, football, basketball, lacrosse, hockey, etc.
We're nowhere near ready for a World Cup under the current USAR administration though. With the current crop running things it would be nothing short of a bonafide disaster, attendance and geographical issues aside. They have enough trouble mismanaging the college and men's club game as it is.
Even if we did get a World Cup right now the viewership would be a flash in the pan. The base isn't currently big or strong enough to successfully transfer the momentum created by a World Cup into anything sustainable or significant.
A side from the Pacific Rugby Premiership folding into Super Rugby over the next decade would be huge, but right now is a major pipe dream.
Then you have the Olympics..and the very real chance the USA may not qualify to begin with..
@Anthony Soccer is, from a raw numbers perspective, far more popular here - especially at juniors level where it is one of, if not the most played sport
Rugby Central
Charlie Fox (21)
Not a local so happy to be corrected. In my position in trying to organise tours in the US several States seem to run competitions over summer. Given that it's bloody cold in several parts of the country I understand why.
Shabby administration aside, would it be possible to move the season in line with several jurisdictions already playing that way?
USARugger
John Thornett (49)
The joy of having 4 seasons in several parts of the USA has actually been a major issue in terms of setting a schedule for a while now. It was a hot topic 2-3 years ago but doesn't really get talked about much anymore, it would seem. The head coach at West Point petitioned for a while to have a uniform season set for college programs but that must have fallen on dead ears at USAR because little/nothing was done about it. The issue primarily being that we would play out our regular season in the fall, have to take 2-3 months or more off for the winter, then come back with maybe (weather pending) 3 weeks to get ready for playoffs. Multiple times we would end up playing a team from the South who had been able to practice, and play games outside for the past 2-3 months while we were stuck running around in a basketball gym. Similar issues came up when it was regional playoff time for Midwest/West Coast teams.
As far as the summer goes, it's primarily used for 7s in just about every area of the country. Some of the 15s comps will drag on into the beginning of the summer depending on where you are but July->August is almost exclusively 7s season.
It would be very difficult to find a uniform season that would be equitable for everyone. On one hand playing Rugby in the Northeast means you're getting thrown into the deep end once playoffs begin, on the other hand having a schedule that forced teams from states like Florida to play their seasons in the summer heat down there would be equally awful. Not sure if there is an easy solution to this particular problem.
AdelaideRugby84
Chris McKivat (8)
Former Wallabies coach Alan Jones talks to ARU boss Bill Pulver.
http://www.2gb.com/audioplayer/32166
http://www.2gb.com/audioplayer/32166
Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
Heard some of the interview, as always I think Pulver made sense and gave a realistic appraisal of the ARU's situation. As always, he sounded like he was about to climb Everest. One suspects that the non-disparagement agreement with JON and the corporate old boys code prevents a no holds barred analysis.
EDIT: I also believe that his continued support and insistence of at $200 levy per team on community rugby is wrong and unfair and is a black mark against his name>
EDIT: I also believe that his continued support and insistence of at $200 levy per team on community rugby is wrong and unfair and is a black mark against his name>
Hawko
Tony Shaw (54)
Richard Aedy on Sunday profile interviewed Bill Pulver last Friday and I caught it by accident on SA radio tonight. Its a 24 minute interview and covers personal issues (Bills daughter was the victim in the collar bomb case), the selection of Ewen McKenzie as coach, rugby's financial problems, fixing NSW rugby politics, womens rugby plus other stuff. Well worth a listen and is available on the ABC. (I can't link it myself, can someone assist).
The most alarming thing was the discussion about concussion. Heading up a long list of things Rugby administrators are doing to prevent concussed players going back on the field was this gem. "Concussion is a very complex issue and strangely there is less than conclusive evidence that concussion leads to long term damage. (paraphrased)"
I think this sort of statement only gives the concussion deniers lots of wriggle room. If you changed the word concussion with carbon emissions and long term damage to the environment you would think you were listening to our prime minister.
What needed to be said was this: "There is conclusive evidence that lots of football players who suffered frequent concussions in past eras now have significant brain impairment. It's thought that this is the result of poor medical management of these concussions and so what we are doing is..."
The most alarming thing was the discussion about concussion. Heading up a long list of things Rugby administrators are doing to prevent concussed players going back on the field was this gem. "Concussion is a very complex issue and strangely there is less than conclusive evidence that concussion leads to long term damage. (paraphrased)"
I think this sort of statement only gives the concussion deniers lots of wriggle room. If you changed the word concussion with carbon emissions and long term damage to the environment you would think you were listening to our prime minister.
What needed to be said was this: "There is conclusive evidence that lots of football players who suffered frequent concussions in past eras now have significant brain impairment. It's thought that this is the result of poor medical management of these concussions and so what we are doing is..."
Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
Less than conclusive evidence that repeated concussion leads to long term brain injury???
Has the Pulveriser spoken to Mohammed Ali lately?
Has the Pulveriser spoken to Mohammed Ali lately?
I like to watch
David Codey (61)
Yeah,but their actions to protect the players is the important bit,and they have brought in correct procedures in that regard.
Speaking off the cuff,I just think his choice of words was less than ideal.
Speaking off the cuff,I just think his choice of words was less than ideal.
Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
I hope their procedures are more stringent than those which allowed George Smith to return to the field in an obviously concussed state.
Maybe the George Smith debacle was the catalyst that caused the ARU to critically re-examine their overall medical procedures.
Hawko
Tony Shaw (54)
I bloody hope so, that was a major disgrace to the game. You'd expect that in mungo land, we are supposed to be better than that.
Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
pulverise (iz), v. 1. v.t. Reduce to powder or dust; (fig.) demolish, crush, smash. 2. v.i. Crumble to dust. {ME, f. LL pulverizare]
From the first post on this thread. How much more Pulverisation can we take. Time a couple of blokes to exit stage right, back to the Shore Old Boys Union. May be next worldwide search for a CEO might have a better result.
From the first post on this thread
. How much more Pulverisation can we take. Time a couple of blokes to exit stage right, back to the Shore Old Boys Union. May be next worldwide search for a CEO might have a better result.
Less than conclusive evidence that repeated concussion leads to long term brain injury???
Has the Pulveriser spoken to Mohammed Ali lately?
There was a good piece on the ABC about this and the AFL's position which is essentially
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/backgroundbriefing/concussion-games/5497562
I think their point is that at the moment we have evidence of a correlation, but not conclusive evidence of causation - yet.
The ARU has set pretty stringent procedures; but it would be crazy, from a legal point of view, for the CEO to make any unqualified admissions that may make the ARU liable for future compensation claims.
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