Australian Rugby / RA

[The Ghost of Raelene]

This feels like a Rugby issue world wide. Supported by Sugar Daddies and sugar hit events.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

This feels like a Rugby issue world wide. Supported by Sugar Daddies and sugar hit events.

It's not just a Rugby issue but its definitely more prevalent across the game than other sports.

The game does a really poor job of marketing itself at every level but particularly when it comes domestic leagues.

 

[Omar Comin']

It's not just a Rugby issue but its definitely more prevalent across the game than other sports.

The game does a really poor job of marketing itself at every level but particularly when it comes domestic leagues.

What do you think about the Rugby 360 concept? Seems a bit of a pipe dream, but reports have suggested they have interest from Premier League, F1 and NFL owners. I can imagine Red Bull Rugby being a thing (I note they just bought the Newcastle Falcons), and the City Football Group having a 'City' branded side. If they could get a handful of really big brands behind it then it would have a chance of success. Maybe Twiggy would be interested.

From an Australian Rugby perspective there could be positives if it happened too. They'd recruit our best ~20 players on high wages, saving RA a lot, plus I'd imagine a few of the stars of the NRL would be recruited if the mooted salaries are real. So over time the best rugby athletes produced in Australia would mostly play in this competition. They wouldn't play too many games, and still be available for the Wallabies.

 

[Highlander35]

Unless the Saudi Public Investment fund comes to play I don't see it.

 

[Wilson]

What do you think about the Rugby 360 concept? Seems a bit of a pipe dream, but reports have suggested they have interest from Premier League, F1 and NFL owners. I can imagine Red Bull Rugby being a thing (I note they just bought the Newcastle Falcons), and the City Football Group having a 'City' branded side. If they could get a handful of really big brands behind it then it would have a chance of success. Maybe Twiggy would be interested.

From an Australian Rugby perspective there could be positives if it happened too. They'd recruit our best ~20 players on high wages, saving RA a lot, plus I'd imagine a few of the stars of the NRL would be recruited if the mooted salaries are real. So over time the best rugby athletes produced in Australia would mostly play in this competition. They wouldn't play too many games, and still be available for the Wallabies.

They would be unavailable for pretty much the entire Rugby Championship.

 

[Omar Comin']

They would be unavailable for pretty much the entire Rugby Championship.

Or the RC gets moved into the same window as the 6 nations.

 

[Tazzmania]

and just like the IPL in cricket, over time players will start preferencing the higher paid, less games competition ...and soon TEST match rugby will be quality affected.

 

[Omar Comin']

Unless the Saudi Public Investment fund comes to play I don't see it.

Wouldn't be surprised if they did.

If Red Bull were to be involved, Monster should invest in a team too. The Monsters would be a great name for a rugby team, and they already sponsor the Springboks.

 

[Highlander35]

I've got little doubt wherever stupid ideas occur the fund will be sniffing around, but there's a pretty massive difference between maybe contributing a team or a sponsorship and a complete sportswashing "takeover" like they did with LIV Golf, or they seem to planning to do with the ATP/WTA, or the Esports World Cup and Olympic Esports event.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Unless the Saudi Public Investment fund comes to play I don't see it.

There was an article posted on another forum where they claim that they have secured the funding to launch. In early articles the said they had interest from NFL owners, corporates and group behind behind the IPL and LIV Golf.

What's interedting is the Rugby Premier League launched overnight which has a couple of overlapping ownership groups with the IPL. So...

 

[Omar Comin']

I've got little doubt wherever stupid ideas occur the fund will be sniffing around, but there's a pretty massive difference between maybe contributing a team or a sponsorship and a complete sportswashing "takeover" like they did with LIV Golf, or they seem to planning to do with the ATP/WTA, or the Esports World Cup and Olympic Esports event.

Yeah it would probably help to have a team lots of people would see as a villain straight out of the gate.

 

[Dave Beat]

@JRugby2 there we go - it's still kicking along after over 10 years

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Wouldn't be surprised if they did.

If Red Bull were to be involved, Monster should invest in a team too. The Monsters would be a great name for a rugby team, and they already sponsor the Springboks.

I made the point over on Reddit after the Red Bull agreeing to buy Newcastle story broke that Red Bull has a history of diversifying their holdings in sports they invest in. They currently either own or hold large stakes in 5 Soccer clubs and hold a minority stake in Leeds United.

So it's not impossible they could look at this league as well. Particularly as therevare rules around owning multiple clubs in Europe.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

and just like the IPL in cricket, over time players will start preferencing the higher paid, less games competition ...and soon TEST match rugby will be quality affected.

They have said that they'll run it in two windows to allow players to play both.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

What do you think about the Rugby 360 concept? Seems a bit of a pipe dream, but reports have suggested they have interest from Premier League, F1 and NFL owners. I can imagine Red Bull Rugby being a thing (I note they just bought the Newcastle Falcons), and the City Football Group having a 'City' branded side. If they could get a handful of really big brands behind it then it would have a chance of success. Maybe Twiggy would be interested.

From an Australian Rugby perspective there could be positives if it happened too. They'd recruit our best ~20 players on high wages, saving RA a lot, plus I'd imagine a few of the stars of the NRL would be recruited if the mooted salaries are real. So over time the best rugby athletes produced in Australia would mostly play in this competition. They wouldn't play too many games, and still be available for the Wallabies.

I think it makes some interesting points around the marketing of the game. Which has traditionally been a real issue. Game day experience and making games events as well.

For it to launch and then continue it will require a stupendous amount of money behind it. They would need to look to target the Rugby populations in certain regions with the idea of making it the big Rugby event for each.

I'll be honest. If they manage to get the top 300 players involved I'd watch. It would almost be like watching a fantasy rugby comp coming to life. Something that I've long thought is what Rugby needs is a big league that sits above the rest. Look at Basketball, Ice Hockey, Baseball, Cricket, Tennis, looking more locally the NRL and AFL. I'm sure there are others. With the exception of Soccer which is a different beast altogethet. These sports all have a singular league that is universally considered to be the best league.

In Rugby we have 4 each have strengths and weaknesses that cloud it. The Top 14 could easily be but seems mostly disintetested in being so. If they out more effort into producing English and Spanish content they coukd position themselves fairly easily. The Prem is hugely entertaining but lacks the financials. The URC is stacked with internationals but lacks economies to support. And we're all aware of SRP (Super Rugby Pacific) limitations.

Something with the hinted level of investment this has could be that league but the travelling circus nature makes you question its long term sustainability.

And I have also thought about how it could benefit say RA. If the salaries are what they suggest we could allow as you say 20 Wallabies to go play in this comp and save a significant amount on top ups. We could then use those savings to retain young talent. Though there will inevitably be questions about reducing the quality of SRP (Super Rugby Pacific).

 

[Tazzmania]

They have said that they'll run it in two windows to allow players to play both.

But will players want to..... (may take the "lighter"on the body option, less games longer playing years for a lot more money)

 

[RugbyBrute1987]

What do you think about the Rugby 360 concept? Seems a bit of a pipe dream, but reports have suggested they have interest from Premier League, F1 and NFL owners. I can imagine Red Bull Rugby being a thing (I note they just bought the Newcastle Falcons), and the City Football Group having a 'City' branded side. If they could get a handful of really big brands behind it then it would have a chance of success. Maybe Twiggy would be interested.

From an Australian Rugby perspective there could be positives if it happened too. They'd recruit our best ~20 players on high wages, saving RA a lot, plus I'd imagine a few of the stars of the NRL would be recruited if the mooted salaries are real. So over time the best rugby athletes produced in Australia would mostly play in this competition. They wouldn't play too many games, and still be available for the Wallabies.

Yeah look, the whole Rugby 360 idea sounds like one of those things you hear after a couple of schooners, “bro, imagine rugby but like… Netflix and F1 had a baby.” Feels a bit pipe-dreamy at first, but hey, if the names being thrown around are legit, Premier League, F1, NFL owners, Red Bull, City Group, that’s not just blokes muckin' around in a WhatsApp group. That’s serious coin and serious reach.

Red Bull Rugby? Mate, I can already see the team coming out with sleeveless jerseys and necking energy drinks during the anthems. And City Group? You just know they’d have a "Sydney City Rugby Club" with light blue everything and a billion-dollar GPS scrumhalf from Argentina.

If they actually lock in those kinds of backers, it could flip the game on its head, finally some razzle-dazzle injected into rugby like we’ve never seen. And yeah, Twiggy would be a natural, he’s already got the itch to shake up rugby and would probably love the idea of a global league with a bit of anti-establishment flavour.

From the Aussie angle? Could be a weird blessing. RA’s always cash-strapped, and if this mob swoops in offering Wallaby-level talent monster contracts, that’s 20-30 blokes off the RA payroll right there. And it’s not like we’re losing them to Europe or Japan where they vanish — they’d still be playing high-level rugby and probably available for the Wallabies.

Throw in a few NRL stars sniffing around because the salaries are fat and the seasons are shorter? Suddenly the best footy talent in the country might actually stay in rugby. Crazy thought, I know.

Only downside? It’ll make Super Rugby look even more like a warm-up act at a music festival no one came to. But maybe that's what forces change. RA might need something big and chaotic like this to slap them into 2025.

All up, yeah, feels a bit spacey for now, but if even half of what’s being whispered is true… mate, it could be the wildest shake-up rugby’s had since Lomu ran over England. Watch this space.

Cheers, RB OUT.

 

[Tomikin]

Yeah look, the whole Rugby 360 idea sounds like one of those things you hear after a couple of schooners, “bro, imagine rugby but like… Netflix and F1 had a baby.” Feels a bit pipe-dreamy at first, but hey, if the names being thrown around are legit, Premier League, F1, NFL owners, Red Bull, City Group, that’s not just blokes muckin' around in a WhatsApp group. That’s serious coin and serious reach.

Red Bull Rugby? Mate, I can already see the team coming out with sleeveless jerseys and necking energy drinks during the anthems. And City Group? You just know they’d have a "Sydney City Rugby Club" with light blue everything and a billion-dollar GPS scrumhalf from Argentina.

If they actually lock in those kinds of backers, it could flip the game on its head, finally some razzle-dazzle injected into rugby like we’ve never seen. And yeah, Twiggy would be a natural, he’s already got the itch to shake up rugby and would probably love the idea of a global league with a bit of anti-establishment flavour.

From the Aussie angle? Could be a weird blessing. RA’s always cash-strapped, and if this mob swoops in offering Wallaby-level talent monster contracts, that’s 20-30 blokes off the RA payroll right there. And it’s not like we’re losing them to Europe or Japan where they vanish — they’d still be playing high-level rugby and probably available for the Wallabies.

Throw in a few NRL stars sniffing around because the salaries are fat and the seasons are shorter? Suddenly the best footy talent in the country might actually stay in rugby. Crazy thought, I know.

Only downside? It’ll make Super Rugby look even more like a warm-up act at a music festival no one came to. But maybe that's what forces change. RA might need something big and chaotic like this to slap them into 2025.

All up, yeah, feels a bit spacey for now, but if even half of what’s being whispered is true… mate, it could be the wildest shake-up rugby’s had since Lomu ran over England. Watch this space.

Cheers, RB OUT.

Hahahahahaha, wait hahahhahah. it could be a shake up, but these players will no longer be able to play internationals... world rugby controls that.

its not golf stars like liv, where you can pay 30 guys millions of dollars.. its 10 teams with 40 guys each all expecting to be paid a million each..

Im also confused where they think they are getting the fans from.. is the middle east some rugby mecca I just never knew about ?

 

[RugbyBrute1987]

Hahahahahaha, wait hahahhahah. it could be a shake up, but these players will no longer be able to play internationals... world rugby controls that.

its not golf stars like liv, where you can pay 30 guys millions of dollars.. its 10 teams with 40 guys each all expecting to be paid a million each..

Im also confused where they think they are getting the fans from.. is the middle east some rugby mecca I just never knew about ?

Haha yeah fair call, definitely not saying it’s locked in or bulletproof, but I wouldn’t be so quick to laugh it off either. LIV got clowned in the early days too, and now PGA’s doing a handshake deal with them behind closed doors.

Sure, World Rugby controls international eligibility now, but if enough money and power shifts, those rules can change real fast. Plus, this Rugby 360 thing isn't necessarily about replacing internationals, if players are still available for Tests, and playing fewer games with fatter wallets, some might see it as the best of both worlds.

On the money frontm yeah, 10 teams, 40 blokes, big salaries, no one’s saying it’s cheap. But these aren’t broke blokes we’re talking about. Premier League, F1, NFL owners? These people don’t open their wallets unless they’ve done the math. If they back it, they’ve seen a path to ROI, media rights, brand sponsorships, global content plays, maybe even subscription-driven models. That’s where the real coin is these days.

As for fans, rugby’s a sleeping giant in a lot of places. It’s not just the Middle East they’re banking on, think USA, Europe, South America, South Africa, Asia. If they market it right and slap on enough gloss and Netflix doco-style hype, people will tune in. Casual fans don’t need to know the breakdown laws, they just need some big hits, fast games, and a few stars with swagger.

Might flop, might fly, but I reckon it’s at least got enough legs to keep an eye on. Stranger things have happened.

Cheers, RB OUT.

 

[Strewthcobber]

From an Aussie perspective.....none of these games are going to be on at a time zone that suits us, and the schedule will be done to avoid six nations, but going up against TRC and Bledisloe will absolutely be fair game.

There is a lot of potential downside for the sport here