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Australian Rugby / RA

Goosestep

Syd Malcolm (24)
The Brums and their supporters aren’t really in a position to throw stones. They’ve had relative success and their crowds continue to dwindle. This is in a market with one competitor (Raiders) vs 9 x NRL sides, 2 x AFL, 3 x A-league + everything else in Sydney.

EDIT: i should have mentioned, I have a lot of respect for the Brumbies football department. They are by far the best at identifying and developing talent. But there seems to be a disconnect between what they do on the field and their commercial engagement.
At least they had some culture in there glory days tho lolol
 

HooperPocockSmith

Bill Watson (15)
On what planet is this club comp going to work? It’s going to cannibalise the weaker clubs in each competition. It’s only going to foster mediocrity. There’s also, IMHO, a disparity between the Hospital Cup and the SS. Some may not like this take but if they go with some promotion-relegation concept, it will end up being majority SS teams in Division 1. Many an average player has gone from the SS to Hospital Cup and been one of the best players.
 

Highlander35

Andrew Slack (58)
On what planet is this club comp going to work? It’s going to cannibalise the weaker clubs in each competition. It’s only going to foster mediocrity. There’s also, IMHO, a disparity between the Hospital Cup and the SS. Some may not like this take but if they go with some promotion-relegation concept, it will end up being majority SS teams in Division 1. Many an average player has gone from the SS to Hospital Cup and been one of the best players.
Isn't that the point? 21, 22 teams before you even consider adding additional regional rep sides is far too many so you let some off themselves through either voluntary withdrawal (a la the London Scottish originally transferring their professional arms to London Irish back in the 90s), through poor on field performance (a la Leeds/Yorkshire) or via financial hubris (see far too many)?
 

cyclopath

George Smith (75)
Staff member
It does surprise me that a bank or financial institution with international reach doesn’t sponsor them.
I would think Macquarie is a natural.
Macquarie Bank have shown over the past decade how they know how to maximise their earnings by moving into financial areas they previously eschewed. Being "smart" operators, as such, it's hard to see why they would throw money at something perceived as poor on the risk / reward scale, right now. Rugby in Australia is on the nose, so getting enough sponsor dollars to deliver a champagne product is hard to see from my POV. Especially from a "safe" operator like Macquarie. And a half-baked "Club Rugby on dodgy steroids" probably not a sustainable 3rd tier platform to deliver the panacea we want in Aus rugby, as it will appeal to a subset of fans whose clubs can / will afford it, and possibly alienate those whose can't / won't.
For me, that panacea is mainly better delivery and retention of quality players.
 

Goosestep

Syd Malcolm (24)
On what planet is this club comp going to work? It’s going to cannibalise the weaker clubs in each competition. It’s only going to foster mediocrity. There’s also, IMHO, a disparity between the Hospital Cup and the SS. Some may not like this take but if they go with some promotion-relegation concept, it will end up being majority SS teams in Division 1. Many an average player has gone from the SS to Hospital Cup and been one of the best players.
The weaker clubs have already been cannibalised without the help of a pro club comp ..
 

KentwellCup>ShuteShield

Jimmy Flynn (14)
Thats fair enough, but no one puts forwards their own ideas on how to make it better.

Everyone loves to complain I do too. But if you're going to shoot an idea down atleast come up with another one.
 

Pone's Mullet

Alex Ross (28)
Are they going because Hamish went or because the Wallabies are a national embarrassment and no right minded organisation would want to be associated with abject failure, disunity and in-fighting?

The writing is on the wall though. We keep talking about last chances but it really looks like we used our last chance up already.

Should've left Super Rugby when we had the chance.
Shame, you'd think HN would have some of that Covid money left. Happy not to have that organisation involved.

 

GeoffL

Bob McCowan (2)
Let’s be honest the Waratahs has always been a is a shit name to get behind ..

Waratahs … it’s sounds so lukewarm for a football team.



Forget McLennan for a moment, wouldn't you like a board like the QRU and a Chair like Brett Clark who clearly know what their responsibility is - no matter how tough and maybe unpleasant. Compare that to the weak as P*ss NSWRU Board who just squibbed it on multiple occasions over the weekend. At at time of great and critical importance for the game in this country what did we hear from NSWRU? - crickets

and I'm a bloody NSWelshman
 

Derpus

George Gregan (70)
Thats fair enough, but no one puts forwards their own ideas on how to make it better.

Everyone loves to complain I do too. But if you're going to shoot an idea down atleast come up with another one.
It's just patently untrue. There is a 1000 page thread on how to improve things. No single idea other than the status quo was even considered as far as I can tell by those in a position to pursue other options.
 

hoggy

Trevor Allan (34)
Are they going because Hamish went or because the Wallabies are a national embarrassment and no right minded organisation would want to be associated with abject failure, disunity and in-fighting?

The writing is on the wall though. We keep talking about last chances but it really looks like we used our last chance up already.

Should've left Super Rugby when we had the chance.
Amen, What we should've & could've done 25 years ago is history but one thing remains Super Rugby, and it is an albatross around the neck of the code here.
The game is broke losing supporters, fans, money and is simply unsustainable under the current structure.

The RA have spent the last 20 years chasing some mystical pot of global gold, we're all gonna be rich and popular. Someone is gonna pay for our rugby.
The irony of all this global rugby talk and international markets and now we couldn't even fund a bloody chook raffle.
 

HooperPocockSmith

Bill Watson (15)
We may as well just cut the middle man and pick the 6-8(?) strongest Sydney clubs now. Say goodbye to Warringah, West Harbour, Two Blues, South’s, Easts and Uni.
 

Dan54

Tim Horan (67)
Amen, What we should've & could've done 25 years ago is history but one thing remains Super Rugby, and it is an albatross around the neck of the code here.
The game is broke losing supporters, fans, money and is simply unsustainable under the current structure.

The RA have spent the last 20 years chasing some mystical pot of global gold, we're all gonna be rich and popular. Someone is gonna pay for our rugby.
The irony of all this global rugby talk and international markets and now we couldn't even fund a bloody chook raffle.
Genuine question, has RA chased the pot of gold or the states? How mant states have said we don't want it, or we should be playing a different comp?
I genuinely think all the people involved in actually running the game in Aus(Including in general clubs etc) don't want super to go. Look how keen WA were on getting back into it etc. I must admit while I was involved in anyway in rugby in Aus ,I don't recall anyone really sounding off about getting out. Some may of, but not really from what I heard. And what does that tell us?

I will admit to being keen on a club comp as a next tier involving NSW-Qld clubs, and honestly had never thought enough about ot to consider clubs from Vic-WA etc. I just liked that idea, and my club would never have been involved.
 

dusk

Cyril Towers (30)
Look I get the his history of rugby and the native flower being an identity … cool… keep it .. but …..from a brand perspective, Ireland aren’t CALLED the “shamrocks” … England isn’t the “Roses” and the AB definitely aren’t “the ferns”
You're looking into it too much. I simply like the name. Move on. Not to mention that every single team u mentioned are all international teams but whatever.
 
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