Australian Rugby / RA

[Derpus]

Lol if you want to talk about wasteful spending look at how much money the ARU have wasted over the last few years.

But how much of Fiji's aid money has been spent on Rugby?

On what? They've been broke and cutting out everything that isn't nailed down. I suppose you could argue Sua'ali'i'i but they havent spent any money on him yet.

 

[Penriff_boy]

On what? They've been broke and cutting out everything that wasn't nailed down. I suppose you could argue Sua'ali'i'i but they havent spent any money on him yet.

Paying out Rennie's contract , same with hooper and not using him.

 

[Wallaby Man]

Or an alternate take is this result is that the custodians of the world game have got it right and started to give PI nations assistance?
Just it depends what your take is on result, I know it maybe not good for Aus rugby, but bloody good for international rugby, like Japan beating Boks, and Samoa beating Wales back in the day, results like this are good for rugby.

Love that the PI are getting more assistance through either funding or reform, I do also believe countries like our PI neighbors do very little to move the popularity of the game along if they are performing well. It won’t have any impact on the game’s popularity in the americas, Asia, Africa or Europe. Need countries with geographical influence to increase the games popularity.

Reality is Australia just needs to be better

 

[Rebel man]

Diplomatic skills of a monkey or surely trolling?

Fiji will do what’s in their own self interest. At the moment the Australian government is their best option but don’t for one second think if they get offered a more beneficial deal from a rival nation they would knock it back.

 

[Penriff_boy]

Fiji will do what’s in their own self interest. At the moment the Australian government is their best option but don’t for one second think if they get offered a more beneficial deal from a rival nation they would knock it back.

You support Pauline Hansen?

 

[wamberal99]

Albanese is talking about throwing lots of money at Tonga, Samoa, and Fiji to strengthen his favourite sport, which is not rugby.

 

[John S]

Can we get back to Rugby rather than geopolitics?

 

[Derpus]

Paying out Rennie's contract , same with hooper and not using him.

Yeah wont see me arguing with either of those, TBH.

 

[Wallaby Man]

In my eyes there isn’t actually a huge issue with the younger pathways. We have recently been in a junior World Cup final, one that we were a play away from winning. We also just beat the junior ABs, and were some very unhelpful reffing against Ireland away from making the final 4 again. That would indicate to me that the junior players are of sufficient standard.

Our club comps are pretty strong compared to other countries, I’d fancy our SS and QPrem teams against other amateur clubs around the world.

The issue in my eyes comes after players have been exposed to these pathways. It’s probably highlighted best with the amount of players that have gone to different environments and thrived.

Perhaps the issue is at the professional level? We remain the country that plays the least amount of pro rugby in the world. Rob Kearney in his recent time here stated the caliber of athlete was superb but facilities and coach disappointing.

I have always thought we have never moved beyond much of our amateur ethos than other countries have abandoned. It’s not just the set ups but the thought process on how we play the game and areas we prioritize in skill development.

The u20s have shown we are the equal of other countries, it’s what’s happening after this that’s hurting. There appears to be little development in how to be a pro. Wales for example their players just know how to make a game a battlefield, etc. we just don’t have those pro like intellect to manipulate the game to our favour.

 

[Wallaby Man]

Fiji will do what’s in their own self interest. At the moment the Australian government is their best option but don’t for one second think if they get offered a more beneficial deal from a rival nation they would knock it back.

You’re either very young or don’t have much experience dealing with big picture deals.

 

[rodha]

Na fuck Fiji. The Australian government should strip all foreign aid funding from Fijian rugby.

Give them funding for humanitarian issues, healthcare, food, shelter, education and so on but not for rugby so they can beat us

Absolutely right, aren't the Wallabies strongest ball-carriers, most effective line-breakers, and most dangerous attacking players all of Fijian origin? Koirobete, Vunivalu, Nawaqanitawase, Kerevi, Valentini, Gleeson, etc.. yep Fijian rugby is totally to blame here...

 

[Derpus]

Absolutely right, aren't the Wallabies strongest ball-carriers, most effective line-breakers, and most dangerous attacking players all of Fijian origin? Koirobete, Vunivalu, Nawaqanitawase, Kerevi, Valentini, Gleeson, etc.. yep Fijian rugby is totally to blame here...

Vast majority of them are pretty Australian actually.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Fiji will do what’s in their own self interest. At the moment the Australian government is their best option but don’t for one second think if they get offered a more beneficial deal from a rival nation they would knock it back.

Yep. Money given to the PI isn’t about sport even if that’s how it’s sold. Same as China don’t give a shit about highways and healthcare in the Solomons.

Anyways how good is the Challenger League going to be in 2026? Hopefully the Wallabies get invited to the World League in 2030.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Yeah Derp for all the chat about Australia and NZ poaching PI players, the majority of our lads were either born in OZ or have lived here since childhood.

 

[Rob42]

Interesting take on the Queensland SEN radio show about who destroyed the wallabies. IMO the ARU themselves have destroyed our once prestigious national side. The lack of development at the grassroots level is only the tip of the iceberg.

It’s the beauty of our federated system. NSW Rugby and Q Rugby are actually responsible for the vast majority of junior rugby, community rugby, and development, but when the Wallabies’ performance fails, it’s RA that cops all the blame.

 

[Slim 293]

As a neutral, I'm happy to lump blame on NSW and Qld on top of Rugby Australia...

 

[Adam84]

Not saying they don’t, I am just stating I support giving them aid for those reasons but not for sport

Why though, because the Wallabies lost? It comes across as a bit of a sore loser mentality to say "fuck fiji"; sporting programs have their own health and social benefits.

I'd suggest every man and his dog in DFAT/Aus Govt Foreign Policy would celebrate the soft politics success achieved through programs like this in the region, on top of other humanitarian ventures they support.

 

[Rebel man]

Lol if you want to talk about wasteful spending look at how much money the ARU have wasted over the last few years.

But how much of Fiji's aid money has been spent on Rugby?

That’s completely different and a separate issue.

 

[Rebel man]

In my eyes there isn’t actually a huge issue with the younger pathways. We have recently been in a junior World Cup final, one that we were a play away from winning. We also just beat the junior ABs, and were some very unhelpful reffing against Ireland away from making the final 4 again. That would indicate to me that the junior players are of sufficient standard.

Our club comps are pretty strong compared to other countries, I’d fancy our SS and QPrem teams against other amateur clubs around the world.

The issue in my eyes comes after players have been exposed to these pathways. It’s probably highlighted best with the amount of players that have gone to different environments and thrived.

Perhaps the issue is at the professional level? We remain the country that plays the least amount of pro rugby in the world. Rob Kearney in his recent time here stated the caliber of athlete was superb but facilities and coach disappointing.

I have always thought we have never moved beyond much of our amateur ethos than other countries have abandoned. It’s not just the set ups but the thought process on how we play the game and areas we prioritize in skill development.

The u20s have shown we are the equal of other countries, it’s what’s happening after this that’s hurting. There appears to be little development in how to be a pro. Wales for example their players just know how to make a game a battlefield, etc. we just don’t have those pro like intellect to manipulate the game to our favour.

But prior to the 19 side the pathways have been shit for ages. I am not disagreeing with you but say France have been dominate for 6 years at 20s level. We need to keep producing those good age group sides year in year out then we will see the results

 

[rodha]

Vast majority of them are pretty Australian actually.

That's really besides the point. Rennie recognized the significant Pacifica element in this team & he tapped into that aspect strongly.

Rens brought out the best from the Pacific Island boys through empathy, care & meaningful connection. I doubt Eddie has a loving bone in his boomer body. Rennie was ridiculed for having the Wallabies engage in singing and guitar sessions FFS, what people like McLennan brush over is the fact (unlike Eddie) Rens developed an incredibly positive & inclusive team culture, just ask any of the boys - they'll tell you how Rennie did an outstanding job in uniting a significantly fractured playing group coming in from the divided & splintered remenants of Cheika...