Sydney Subbies 2025

[Pfitzy]

I'm a full supporter of the 8x8x8x8 system, but it is becoming clear that for various reasons we're not moving toward clubs being able to do that for the top 4 divisions with enough regularity to proceed.

Therefore I'm humble enough to admit we need to look at options

So let's just accept that there are "haves" and everyone else, and move toward something like this:

First Division becomes all clubs who can field 4 Grades + Colts + Womens Tens - no exceptions. This provides a fairly full day of rugby without overstretching people. With this you probably end up with more than 8 clubs, and the draw has to be created to reflect this:

- so if there are 10 clubs who can meet this criteria, it is 14 rounds, and you play everyone once and 5 clubs twice. Yes, there will be issues with an "even" Club Championship, but in this model, that number isn't as important for promotion/relegation.

- the clubs you play twice will be similar in position to where you were on the table the year before. Kind of like a "super round" which will help clubs rise depending on their recruitment.

All Divisions below this have Womens and Colts optional.
- Second Division becomes 3 Grades
- Third Division becomes 2 Grades
- Fourth Division becomes 1 Grade

The Womens and Colts competitions are run within the Division where possible, but not as a requirement.

There is promotion and relegation available if clubs have demonstrated the ability to do so. If a club in 2nd Division is fielding Colts + Womens and regularly puts a Halligan Cup team out, they're in line to be looked at for The Big Leagues

EDIT: Likewise, if a club in First Div is taking the piss, thinking they'll never be relegated, they need to be put on notice.

 

[Pfitzy]

Posting all these thought bubbles separately - apologies for the inconvenience but it's Sunday and too hot outside to do anything else

One of the underlying factors for participation in 2025 is going to be the Subbies step toward paying registration via RugbyXplorer. I think this will sort out a lot of the tyre kickers and hopefully increase the player engagement.

I'm sure a lot of clubs will be handing out codes for freebies, but it is harder to do that on the day when guys are registering as they pull their boots on! It is going to save the Renegades a lot in shorts and socks jeez I've handed out some kit over the years to one-hit wonders...

I'm interested to see what effect this has on the registered player numbers, and whether we'll see a more realistic player count in this year's annual report.

So far we're getting most guys pay without issue, and coming to see us if the $150 is going to be a problem in one hit; yes it's that bad for some.

 

[The ultimate ressie]

View attachment 21239
You were a fan of the move last year. I wonder if everyone would still have such an issue if Epping had of lost every game last year.
There’s a lot of clubs struggling this year, I wonder if you’d ask the Div 2 clubs this year wether they’d like a 6 team comp or a club fielding lower grades which one they’d go for.

I think if Subbies/Rugby don’t embrace some change/innovation around how they do things then we will die out pretty quickly. We are seeing less and less teams being able to compete with the top end of town, what happens if someone has a year like Drummoyne did a few years ago? What happens if Div 2 next year is 4 teams?

I still stand by that i am just genuinely curious

 

[TinRattler]

One of the underlying factors for participation in 2025 is going to be the Subbies step toward paying registration via RugbyXplorer. I think this will sort out a lot of the tyre kickers and hopefully increase the player engagement

Try and sort out cricketers with playhq what a nightmare and I agree @Pfitzy colts should be the first game as my son has given up the game as he starts work at 2pm on Saturday. If colts start at 9 or 10 he'd be back in a heartbeat

 

[Odyssey_Park the 2nd]

I wonder what the thoughts on our divisions would be with the following.

Div 1+ UNSW, Forrest, St Pats, Petersham & Briars
14 round comp with a bye as only 13 teams currently at the top end of town. Play everyone once. Could split the division and finals be Div 1 top half and Div 2 bottom
Half

Div 3/4 or whatever you want to call it.
15 round comp assuming all the clubs can field the 2 grades plus colts for those who have it. Same as above split the comp for finals and Top plays Div 3/bottom plays Div 4.

1. Epping
2. Beecroft
3. Hills
4. Knox
5. Sydney Irish
6. Valley
7. Hornsby
8. Raptors
9. Old iggies
10. Harbour
11. Harlequins
12. Rennegades
13. Merrylands
14. Redfield
15. Penrith
    Potentially a geographical split for the bottom divisions. I’m sure there’s issues with the above and it would be a big step for a club like Briars but the bigger divisions limits the exposure to the top clubs and provides more sides on the level of other clubs.​

 

[TinRattler]

I don't care what div the emus are in I'll make a trip to Nepean rugby park in crimebrook just for an emu burger. Might watch the rugby

 

[CrashBandicoot2]

This just seems like a bit of a pipe dream - Subbies will never upset the apple cart of Div 1.

Any trial form over the weekend? Or were teams sensible enough not to play in that type of heat?

 

[footy_footy]

Saw Sydney Irish were up in Maitland, St Pat's in Terrigal and Briars in Camden all from Instagram - no results posted. Far too hot for rugby though.

Probably a bit early for the Div 1 clubs to start trialling.

 

[Mad Monday]

How many beers did you have under your belt when you came up with this? Get the creative juices following with a Denzel frothington!

 

[TinRattler]

Whatever happened to Hawkesbury ags and Dundas valley

 

[The Ghost of Bernie]

Hawkesbury Ag went down the gurgler two years ago. A few years of poor discipline didn't help but others may be able to confirm but the College did not want to be associated with the rugby club in the end.

Dundas Valley died a slow death after Parramatta Leagues purchased the licenced club's poker machines. Club went from first division down to sixth division within a few years. Tried a comeback a few years ago playing Halligans but to no avail.

 

[Pfitzy]

A few years of poor discipline didn't help but others may be able to confirm but the College did not want to be associated with the rugby club in the end.

Post-COVID was never the same in terms of the available student numbers for Colts.

And lack of volunteers.

 

[Crashy]

wasnt it more that Hawkesbury ag - as in the college doesnt exist any more? as in the sporting powerhouse that is WSU swallowed it up and killed it?

 

[The Ghost of Bernie]

Whatever happened to Hawkesbury ags and Dundas valley

Also there's some good reading to be done in some of the Subbies forum threads. Death of a Subbies Club and Looking Back Subbies 2001

 

[Odyssey_Park the 2nd]

Also there's some good reading to be done in some of the Subbies forum threads. Death of a Subbies Club and Looking Back Subbies 2001

Love it. I know what I’ll be doing the next few nights. Some great m memories in those forums

 

[CrashBandicoot2]

Whatever happened to Hawkesbury ags and Dundas valley

Hawkesbury Ag also fell on the wrong side of the Judiciary with alot of players suspended for 6-12 weeks which impacted player numbers. Interestingly, the other team involved in that incident didn't get anyone suspended or disciplined...

 

[Here To Do]

Hawkesbury Ag went down the gurgler two years ago. A few years of poor discipline didn't help but others may be able to confirm but the College did not want to be associated with the rugby club in the end.

Hawkesbury Ag also fell on the wrong side of the Judiciary with alot of players suspended for 6-12 weeks which impacted player numbers. Interestingly, the other team involved in that incident didn't get anyone suspended or disciplined...

Distinct memories of calling the final game before 2021 got abandoned - HAC came to Rothwell and we played them in 1s. One of their players got carded and picked up the 50m flag, javelined it towards the pavilion (not many on the ground, thankfully) and then kicked a chair off the bench. Thankfully he didn't have that strong an arm otherwise I might have been in the splash zone.

 

[CrashBandicoot2]

Distinct memories of calling the final game before 2021 got abandoned - HAC came to Rothwell and we played them in 1s. One of their players got carded and picked up the 50m flag, javelined it towards the pavilion (not many on the ground, thankfully) and then kicked a chair off the bench. Thankfully he didn't have that strong an arm otherwise I might have been in the splash zone.

Sounds like he was just trying to help pack the ground up!

 

[Here To Do]

Sounds like he was just trying to help pack the ground up!

Not much help 35 mins into the first half

 

[Odyssey_Park the 2nd]

Distinct memories of calling the final game before 2021 got abandoned - HAC came to Rothwell and we played them in 1s. One of their players got carded and picked up the 50m flag, javelined it towards the pavilion (not many on the ground, thankfully) and then kicked a chair off the bench. Thankfully he didn't have that strong an arm otherwise I might have been in the splash zone.

I love trying to explain that stuff to Subbies when you’re supposed to have the meeting of 5 to control it all. There’s some wild things that go on out there in Subbies land