Where to for Super Rugby?

[jimmydubs]

Bruce/Canberra Stadium is essentially an athletics facility - difficult to believe that it's still the main rugby/rugby league facility in the city.

I find it difficult to believe Canberra is classed as a city and not a village.
Given the size of the place they punch well above their weight in terms of numbers.

 

[half]

Sometimes I do ponder if our greater rugby intellectuals, planners, thinkers, strategic analysis, deserve their status.

I have mentioned sometimes my connections to rugby in Newcastle, but if ever a region / area has been begging and providing evidence but all to little avail.

So Canberra why, TOCC mentioned Townsville and the new Parramatta stadium which I fully support as well.

But let me leave you with the following first a cut and paste line from the Newcastle Herald in 2016 remember Canberra has 350 K people.

""" The Hunter will grow from 645,000 people to 810,000 by 2036""""

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/4...opulation-continues-to-grow-poll-interactive/

If you need to understand its size here is district's web page, I think its impressive

http://nhru.com.au/

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Sometimes I do ponder if our greater rugby intellectuals, planners, thinkers, strategic analysis, deserve their status.

I have mentioned sometimes my connections to rugby in Newcastle, but if ever a region / area has been begging and providing evidence but all to little avail.

So Canberra why, TOCC mentioned Townsville and the new Parramatta stadium which I fully support as well.

But let me leave you with the following first a cut and paste line from the Newcastle Herald in 2016 remember Canberra has 350 K people.

""" The Hunter will grow from 645,000 people to 810,000 by 2036""""

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/4...opulation-continues-to-grow-poll-interactive/

If you need to understand its size here is district's web page, I think its impressive

http://nhru.com.au/

You're part of the Tahs set up. and since the Tahs (and Reds) determine the structure and condition of oz rugby you'll never get a team until we grow up and work out that the state might be fine (lets just assume it) as a basis for political structures it has nothing whatever to do with building a rugby footprint.

 

[half]

You're part of the Tahs set up. and since the Tahs (and Reds) determine the structure and condition of oz rugby you'll never get a team until we grow up and work out that the state might be fine (lets just assume it) as a basis for political structures it has nothing whatever to do with building a rugby footprint.

You may be right but its total bullshit as a number of rugby folks put together a funding package of almost $600K per year before the NRC started and were essentially total to fuck off as they wanted it based in Newcastle, mostly with players from the Hunter / Newcastle area. They had local, TV, Newspapers and Radio all on side as well.

 

[Quick Hands]

You may be right but its total bullshit as a number of rugby folks put together a funding package of almost $600K per year before the NRC started and were essentially total to fuck off as they wanted it based in Newcastle, mostly with players from the Hunter / Newcastle area. They had local, TV, Newspapers and Radio all on side as well.

The SRU should bring Newcastle back into SS as a first step.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

The SRU should bring Newcastle back into SS as a first step.

The Shute needs to look to expand its base further beyond its current boundaries. Getting both Newcastle and Wollongong involved should be on their radar.

 

[half]

The Shute needs to look to expand its base further beyond its current boundaries. Getting both Newcastle and Wollongong involved should be on their radar.

agree

 

[chibimatty]

Would a cross-over or amalgamation of the Shute Shield and QLD Premier ever work? Was this ever considered before as a pathway to a national championship? I remember the old soccer NSL grew out of the idea of amalgamating State leagues, then rationalising the clubs.

 

[kiap]

The Shute needs to look to expand its base further beyond its current boundaries. Getting both Newcastle and Wollongong involved should be on their radar.

They've done that before. Got rid of those teams pretty quickly.

The Shute barely tolerates covering Western Sydney let alone NSW regional cities or further.

Clubs don't want the travel. And that's fair enough.

rationalising the clubs.

There's the hard bit. You'll need to get clubs to join a new comp, knowing half will have to be dropped.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

The SRU should bring Newcastle back into SS as a first step.

A problem is that the team brought in needs to have the support of the clubs in the region rather than becoming a higher powered competitor.
Why did it fail in the past?

 

[wamberal]

A problem is that the team brought in needs to have the support of the clubs in the region rather than becoming a higher powered competitor.
Why did it fail in the past?

Local politics. The Wildfires had virtually no local support, at least in their last couple of seasons, when I was living in Newcastle.

 

[Merrow]

Agree totally. It's a bad stadium, sure. And it's cold. But for a city that's always crying out for more Wallabies fixtures, to see so many empty seats was really disappointing.
.

For no advertising, I thought 14.5k wasn't too bad actually.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Local politics. The Wildfires had virtually no local support, at least in their last couple of seasons, when I was living in Newcastle.

that was my long distance (geographic and, now, time) impression: hence the view that it needs to be a team owned by the whole lower hunter.
It could dilute the Sydney tribalism.
I think it would be a positive thing to try: Dave Begg can do some lobbying up there.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

A problem is that the team brought in needs to have the support of the clubs in the region rather than becoming a higher powered competitor.
Why did it fail in the past?

I actually think a different approach is necesaary to just using rep squads. One of the major complaints was that these teams didn't operate as clubs. As in only provided the one team. Well, the solution as far as I see it is instead of inviting the Wildfire or the Illawarriors to the fold. Look at an individual club from both regions and invite them.

Yes, I get that it is picking favourities but it's one of the only workable options as far as I can see. So for argument sake. The SS can look to invite the Wanderers from Newcastle and say the Vikings from Wollongong or perhaps even Wollongong Uni.

Looks to position them as the premier clubs in the area and in the case of the Wanderers the northern half of country NSW with whichever Wollongong side being the equivalent for the southern half.

 

[Strewthcobber]

I actually think a different approach is necesaary to just using rep squads. One of the major complaints was that these teams didn't operate as clubs. As in only provided the one team. Well, the solution as far as I see it is instead of inviting the Wildfire or the Illawarriors to the fold. Look at an individual club from both regions and invite them.

Do you think you'll be able to convince the lower grades to make those away games through out the season? (both those in SYdney and the new clubs outside) It's a pretty massive geographical spread of games between Penrith, Woolongong and Newcastle. Lot of time in the car just to play a game of footy.

 

[stoff]

This is always going to be the issue with expanding the club comp. If you bought in two regional sides as first grade only, or first, second and firsts colts you could have the lower grades from the two Sydney sides scheduled to play the regional sides play each other. Not a perfect solution, but doubt there is one.


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[WorkingClassRugger]

Do you think you'll be able to convince the lower grades to make those away games through out the season? (both those in SYdney and the new clubs outside) It's a pretty massive geographical spread of games between Penrith, Wollongong and Newcastle. Lot of time in the car just to play a game of footy.

A better solution would be for the SS to structure itself as a elite competition involving a premier squad of players dedicated to it. But I don't think we'll see that.

Such a structure would allow for participation at that level to grow while maintaining traditional club structures below. So if say a Newcastle team were to enter then only the elite squad would travel up while the rest of the club continues with their current fixture list. And vice versa. When the Newcastle team travels south only their elite squad travels.

Some may suggest that this negates the grade structures within these squads. Not so. Guys who would be playing locally in what is currently 2nd grade would still be playing for the opportunity to move into the premier squad throughout the season. In fact, in terms of training, the premier squad would operate very much as it does now. They'd just play in a slightly different competition.

 

[Strewthcobber]

A better solution would be for the SS to structure itself as a elite competition involving a premier squad of players dedicated to it. But I don't think we'll see that.

Such a structure would allow for participation at that level to grow while maintaining traditional club structures below. So if say a Newcastle team were to enter then only the elite squad would travel up while the rest of the club continues with their current fixture list. And vice versa. When the Newcastle team travels south only their elite squad travels.

Some may suggest that this negates the grade structures within these squads. Not so. Guys who would be playing locally in what is currently 2nd grade would still be playing for the opportunity to move into the premier squad throughout the season. In fact, in terms of training, the premier squad would operate very much as it does now. They'd just play in a slightly different competition.

I don't necessarily disagree - but I wonder if you get 16,000 turning up to the grand final if the lower grades have been playing at different places all season.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

I don't necessarily disagree - but I wonder if you get 16,000 turning up to the grand final if the lower grades have been playing at different places all season.

They won't necessarily being playing at separate venues all season. Only when playing a theoretical Newcastle and Wollongong side. If Eastwood are scheduled to play Gordon then every team will feature including the premier game. The grand final will still be hosted at the one venue as well. We're talking 2-3 games a season. It could be scheduled that when the premier squad of one club club travels to play that another club that is hosting one of these theoretical squads can play the other.

They'd be no real loss of connection between the levels in terms of operating as a club. Just more opportunity to grow the competition.

 

[Bandar]

They won't necessarily being playing at separate venues all season. Only when playing a theoretical Newcastle and Wollongong side. If Eastwood are scheduled to play Gordon then every team will feature including the premier game. The grand final will still be hosted at the one venue as well. We're talking 2-3 games a season. It could be scheduled that when the premier squad of one club club travels to play that another club that is hosting one of these theoretical squads can play the other.

They'd be no real loss of connection between the levels in terms of operating as a club. Just more opportunity to grow the competition.

The problem is the Shute Shield wants to be all things, both the local rugby club where anyone can turn up and have a run and also the tier below Super Rugby - it has to be one or the other. How may grades to the NRL, AFL (and even NSL when they went national) clubs have? The people dreaming of combining the Shute Shield clubs with Hospitals Cup and others for a national comp are also the ones saying that Newcastle & Canberra should be kicked out because they only had 2 grades and 1 colts team...