Australian Rugby / RA

[Raytah]

Lol the laughing reaction wasn’t enough. Your grand solution is to focus on private school rugby ins Sydney and Brisbane. Laughable

Why wouldn't you leverage the vast resource base of the schools that produce ~70% of current Wallabies? Far cheaper than running multiple junior academies on balance sheet (which is what the states do today).These are union strongholds, but if you neglect them the AFL will continue to make inroads (already happening in Syd).

FWIW - The Pasifika first strategy probably makes more sense in Melb (you would know better than me), but RA clearly doesnt have the money to pursue properly at present (nor evidently, did the rebels).

Another 'nice to have', but I would (cautiously) support the Melbourne Pasifika idea, because I think World Rugby, NZR & RA could probbaly stand up a viable JV around that concept (in place of Moana which is another case study of ill advised expansion / content for content sake).

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Cool what has that got to do with anything? The majority of kids don’t go to private schools. You are much better putting money into something like the Rebels shield than you are just going back to private schools

Think you'll find RA put bugger all into private schools. They self support and operate saving the sport millions a year. Also means they are prime for other sports to move in and risk losing the majority of our playing numbers.

 

[Rebel man]

Why wouldn't you leverage the vast resource base of the schools that produce ~70% of current Wallabies? Far cheaper than running multiple junior academies on balance sheet (which is what the states do today).These are union strongholds, but if you neglect them the AFL will continue to make inroads (already happening in Syd).

FWIW - The Pasifika first strategy probably makes more sense in Melb (you would know better than me), but RA clearly doesnt have the money to pursue properly at present (nor evidently, did the rebels).

Another 'nice to have', but I would (cautiously) support the Melbourne Pasifika idea, because I think World Rugby, NZR & RA could probbaly stand up a viable JV around that concept (in place of Moana which is another case study of ill advised expansion / content for content sake).

Because the game will only go backwards if we narrow our focus to private schools. That approach may have worked in 1990 but not now

 

[Rebel man]

Think you'll find RA put bugger all into private schools. They self support and operate saving the sport millions a year. Also means they are prime for other sports to move in and risk losing the majority of our playing numbers.

If private schools are self sufficient even more of a reason to put money into different pathways.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Personally I think the more RA does in terms of engagement, funding, coaching and player pathways at junior club level the better. We can't just rely on GPS schools providing the production line of talent forever.

 

[PhilClinton]

Personally I think the more RA does in terms of engagement, funding, coaching and player pathways at junior club level the better. We can't just rely on GPS schools providing the production line of talent forever.

Whilst true, i think there is some romanticism with the idea that RA can simply fund ‘more engagement” and it will mean we get more players or better players.

There isn’t some group of untapped resources waiting around for a sporting organisation to come along and show them the way. Realistically once we start jumping into the public schools and league strongholds, the NRL will double down and try to push us back out. And they have more money than us.

The unfortunate reality is we have missed the boat in terms of establishing stronger pathways outside of private schools.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

If private schools are self sufficient even more of a reason to put money into different pathways.

Wouldn't that suggest the money is already being put there. Becomes an issue of how much money does RA have... We can't continue to spend beyond means. That is how we have got to this point.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Wouldn't that suggest the money is already being put there. Becomes an issue of how much money does RA have... We can't continue to spend beyond means. That is how we have got to this point.

RA's isn't spending its limited money on private schools.

It's the fee-paying parents spending the money on rugby facilities and coaches.

Private school fee-paying parents subsidising our junior rugby player's development is the best asset that we currently have, and probably the only reason we are somewhat competitive internationally, and the biggest obstacle to broadening the base.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Whilst true, i think there is some romanticism with the idea that RA can simply fund ‘more engagement” and it will mean we get more players or better players.

There isn’t some group of untapped resources waiting around for a sporting organisation to come along and show them the way. Realistically once we start jumping into the public schools and league strongholds, the NRL will double down and try to push us back out. And they have more money than us.

The unfortunate reality is we have missed the boat in terms of establishing stronger pathways outside of private schools.

I acknowledge all of that, but I don't think we as a sport should ever give up on trying to get more young boys and girls involved in club footy. It's the base around which all of our successful international sporting codes is built. I can't speak for the Eastern states, but here in WA the code is trying to build the club system and have a good supply of talent from that system flow into the rep and upper grades. The seven PSA (our GPS) schools and Aranmore College (which has a specialist rugby program) aren't enough.

 

[Wallaby Man]

Quick question for people, why does RA need to support amateur clubs anyway? I have played many sports over the years and not one of them really gets any support from a governing body, well financial support or even resources for that matter, it’s generally all generated through subs from participation and raffles. My kids currently play rugby league on the Gold Coast and the NRL has almost nothing to do with the operation of the club. Maybe once a year a fringe NRL player is turning up to the club for an hour. I’m almost certain they receive nothing outside some local council support for their running costs. I always find this bemusing when people say RA need to do more. Amateur clubs should be run on the smell of an oily rag. From my experience the clubs are almost no different from how other sports are treated, the only difference been the amount of kids wanting to sign up and replicate their heroes and the amount of parents wanting their children to play the sport.

I personally think it’s an engagement and perception issue than a financial/resources one.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

RA's isn't spending its limited money on private schools.

It's the fee paying parents spending the money on rugby facilities and coaches.

Private school fee paying parents subsidising our junior rugby player's development is the best asset that we currently have, and probably the only reason we are somewhat competitive internationally, and the biggest obstacle to broadening the base.

That's what I'm saying. Struggle to think of another sport that has a separate entity doing so much heavy lifting for the benefit of the other.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Quick question for people, why does RA need to support amateur clubs anyway? I have played many sports over the years and not one of them really gets any support from a governing body, well financial support or even resources for that matter, it’s generally all generated through subs from participation and raffles. My kids currently play rugby league on the Gold Coast and the NRL has almost nothing to do with the operation of the club. Maybe once a year a fringe NRL player is turning up to the club for an hour. I’m almost certain they receive nothing outside some local council support for their running costs. I always find this bemusing when people say RA need to do more. Amateur clubs should be run on the smell of an oily rag. From my experience the clubs are almost no different from how other sports are treated, the only difference been the amount of kids wanting to sign up and replicate their heroes and the amount of parents wanting their children to play the sport.

I personally think it’s an engagement and perception issue than a financial/resources one.

By the NRL saturating media they push kids to the Clubs, Clubs create players for the NRL. Big cycle for them at this point.

NRL buying Touch Football Australia is a big one also for recruitment especially amongst the women's game.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Quick question for people, why does RA need to support amateur clubs anyway? I have played many sports over the years and not one of them really gets any support from a governing body, well financial support or even resources for that matter, it’s generally all generated through subs from participation and raffles. My kids currently play rugby league on the Gold Coast and the NRL has almost nothing to do with the operation of the club. Maybe once a year a fringe NRL player is turning up to the club for an hour. I’m almost certain they receive nothing outside some local council support for their running costs. I always find this bemusing when people say RA need to do more. Amateur clubs should be run on the smell of an oily rag. From my experience the clubs are almost no different from how other sports are treated, the only difference been the amount of kids wanting to sign up and replicate their heroes and the amount of parents wanting their children to play the sport.

I personally think it’s an engagement and perception issue than a financial/resources one.

At the end of the day, you can probably measure the health of any sport by how many volunteers they have willing to run/promote/coach/fundraise etc the local clubs. All a governing body can really do is make that as easy as possible.

 

[hoggy]

Quick question for people, why does RA need to support amateur clubs anyway? I have played many sports over the years and not one of them really gets any support from a governing body, well financial support or even resources for that matter, it’s generally all generated through subs from participation and raffles. My kids currently play rugby league on the Gold Coast and the NRL has almost nothing to do with the operation of the club. Maybe once a year a fringe NRL player is turning up to the club for an hour. I’m almost certain they receive nothing outside some local council support for their running costs. I always find this bemusing when people say RA need to do more. Amateur clubs should be run on the smell of an oily rag. From my experience the clubs are almost no different from how other sports are treated, the only difference been the amount of kids wanting to sign up and replicate their heroes and the amount of parents wanting their children to play the sport.

I personally think it’s an engagement and perception issue than a financial/resources one.

I think it is an engagement/perception issue and with the other codes AFL/NRL there competitions engage more of the public, they have a greater spread across the country. Those competitions create the interest for people to become involved.

Rugby Union has a top down mentality whereby it thinks Wallaby success will grow the game, which has been are hard sell for close to 20 years now, and Super Rugby has limited appeal to an untapped audience that barely knows it exists, the game can't compete with the more relevant content to a local market that the other codes are putting out.
You slowly end up with less & less people who care whether the Wallabies are successful.

 

[Sideline Hack]

Quick question for people, why does RA need to support amateur clubs anyway? I have played many sports over the years and not one of them really gets any support from a governing body, well financial support or even resources for that matter, it’s generally all generated through subs from participation and raffles. My kids currently play rugby league on the Gold Coast and the NRL has almost nothing to do with the operation of the club. Maybe once a year a fringe NRL player is turning up to the club for an hour. I’m almost certain they receive nothing outside some local council support for their running costs. I always find this bemusing when people say RA need to do more. Amateur clubs should be run on the smell of an oily rag. From my experience the clubs are almost no different from how other sports are treated, the only difference been the amount of kids wanting to sign up and replicate their heroes and the amount of parents wanting their children to play the sport.

I personally think it’s an engagement and perception issue than a financial/resources one.

The RL clubs may not get financial support but they don't have the same financial anchor of sending money upstream to entities like QRU / NSWRU etc that RU clubs (via player levies). Money in RL tends to trickle downwards (it's why the QRL is fighting the ARL/NRL for larger grants to enable it to support local clubs more).

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Also the mini casinos the most of the RL Clubs have all over the country taking money out of the community but gaddam have you seen the A Grade side.

 

[stoff]

That's what I'm saying. Struggle to think of another sport that has a separate entity doing so much heavy lifting for the benefit of the other.

Aussie rules does, but it appears smaller because it’s not the entire development strategy.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

It must be so exasperating for the RA bigwigs, fretting over a couple of million here and there when you've got Twiggy over in Perth casually sitting on The Instant Solution.

Hang on, I've just had my first thought of the day and it could very well save rugby in Australia.

It's so simple.

Commission Gunston Heavy Industries to paint an incredibly flattering portrait of Gina. "I love it. Here ya go RA, take a 100 mill play money. Give my fond regards to Trevor Gunston, Aunty Doris, and that corrosively handsome bastard, 'Dismal Pillock' on GAGR"

 

[Rebel man]

Aussie rules does, but it appears smaller because it’s not the entire development strategy.

60% of AFL players are private school boys. Obviously academic scholarships skew those numbers. Cricket in every state but NSW is heavily reliant on private schools

 

[Wallaby Man]

The RL clubs may not get financial support but they don't have the same financial anchor of sending money upstream to entities like QRU / NSWRU etc that RU clubs (via player levies). Money in RL tends to trickle downwards (it's why the QRL is fighting the ARL/NRL for larger grants to enable it to support local clubs more).

That’s just saying they are making a play for money and not the health of the sport as the sport is incredibly healthy under the current model.

Also the mini casinos the most of the RL Clubs have all over the country taking money out of the community but gaddam have you seen the A Grade side.

I have no issues with us taking this approach. Some areas of our fan base believes they are above this tho. For the record very few rugby league clubs here in QLD have this, it’s only really the big QLD cup sides that do. There is a couple of exceptions to this rule, but most are humble places with a canteen and the most basic toilet facilities.