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Shute Shield 2018

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Quick Hands

Quick Hands

David Wilson (68)
dru said:
The lack of connection to SS is a blight on RA imo. It’s the largest contributor to professional rugby in Australia and there would appear to be a badically non-existant communication path let alone organisational structure. I still struggle with the concept that “grass roots = shute shield” but if RA cant connect at least that far what hope is there?
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For reasons best known to themselves, the ARU have waged an undeclared war against the clubs for the best part of a decade. Interestingly in other Tier 1 rugby nations clubs are embraced by the governing body as part of the advancement of the game, whereas in Australia the ARU has taken the view that the clubs are a pesky reminder of the amateur era who are barely tolerated in the overall structure.
 
dru

dru

Tim Horan (67)
Quick Hands said:
For reasons best known to themselves, the ARU have waged an undeclared war against the clubs for the best part of a decade. Interestingly in other Tier 1 rugby nations clubs are embraced by the governing body as part of the advancement of the game, whereas in Australia the ARU has taken the view that the clubs are a pesky reminder of the amateur era who are barely tolerated in the overall structure.
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QH, as much as I dislike the current RA board, I'd STILL like to think you are wrong here. Can't find any evidence to help my argument though.
 
Inside Shoulder

Inside Shoulder

Nathan Sharpe (72)
Rugby Central

Rugby Central

Charlie Fox (21)
While I can't defend the indefensible of ARU/RA's actions over the last decade or two, please take care with those stones in your glass house.

It's always interesting that the SS "grassroots" magically sprout from nothing. Despite their being the largest single rugby competition being run below them. Subbies Rugby is run on the smell of an oily rag, quite literally, and NSWRU forces a levy on them to keep SS running.

When rugby went professional, SS was at the forefront of Club rugby around the world. It failed to adapt and refused to make the changes necessary to place it in the same position as we now see Premier Rugby in the UK, or even League in the 80's

The ARU was significantly and mostly responsible for this lack of thinking but SS Clubs just assumed a right of entitlement and this is the place we find ourselves today. Some Clubs have adapted and some haven't.

SS should be the premier rugby in this country but it isn't. Either do something about it or accept the scraps if you expect someone else (RA) to do the work. By the way, In my opinion that work is starting to be done, though still a long way to go.

But please remember, next time you go shooting off about how hard done by the SS is, there are thousands of players in the dirt every week supporting those same "grassroots"
 
wamberal

wamberal

Phil Kearns (64)
A lot of truth in what you say, although I am not certain that the SS was ever one of the premier comps in the world?


If the whole Australian rugby community was willing to support the SS as the premier club comp, we would probably all be better off in the long run, because it is probably the only possible long term FTA offering.



And what you say about the grass roots is more or less what I have been saying. No grass roots, no game. But by definition, the grass roots must grow themselves in the first place, and yes, a bit of water and a bit of manure from time to time would be a help, but in and of themselves, without the bottom up growth, nothing survives.

If the game does not appeal at the bottom, it will not flourish.
 
Quick Hands

Quick Hands

David Wilson (68)
Rugby Central said:
While I can't defend the indefensible of ARU/RA's actions over the last decade or two, please take care with those stones in your glass house.

It's always interesting that the SS "grassroots" magically sprout from nothing. Despite their being the largest single rugby competition being run below them. Subbies Rugby is run on the smell of an oily rag, quite literally, and NSWRU forces a levy on them to keep SS running.

When rugby went professional, SS was at the forefront of Club rugby around the world. It failed to adapt and refused to make the changes necessary to place it in the same position as we now see Premier Rugby in the UK, or even League in the 80's

The ARU was significantly and mostly responsible for this lack of thinking but SS Clubs just assumed a right of entitlement and this is the place we find ourselves today. Some Clubs have adapted and some haven't.

SS should be the premier rugby in this country but it isn't. Either do something about it or accept the scraps if you expect someone else (RA) to do the work. By the way, In my opinion that work is starting to be done, though still a long way to go.

But please remember, next time you go shooting off about how hard done by the SS is, there are thousands of players in the dirt every week supporting those same "grassroots"
Click to expand...

I think that most of us have given up on ARU/RA doing any work. You may or may not be aware, but the ARU/RA haven't funded SS for years. You seem to imply that SS clubs aren't grass roots? If clubs which have affiliated junior clubs down to 6s, plus junior rep teams, plus genuinely amateur lower grade and lower grade colts teams aren't grass roots, I'd love your definition of grass roots. Subbies rugby is also grass roots - I'm not sure why you want to peddle a binary argument and pit one section of rugby against another. It would seem to be counter productive and not a position which will advance rugby in any way. As for SS clubs being finanical beneficiaries from the levy - you must be joking. All SS players in grade and colts are subject to the same loathesome levy, as are their local juniors.
 
Inside Shoulder

Inside Shoulder

Nathan Sharpe (72)
Rugby Central said:
While I can't defend the indefensible of ARU/RA's actions over the last decade or two, please take care with those stones in your glass house.

It's always interesting that the SS "grassroots" magically sprout from nothing. Despite their being the largest single rugby competition being run below them. Subbies Rugby is run on the smell of an oily rag, quite literally, and NSWRU forces a levy on them to keep SS running.

When rugby went professional, SS was at the forefront of Club rugby around the world. It failed to adapt and refused to make the changes necessary to place it in the same position as we now see Premier Rugby in the UK, or even League in the 80's

The ARU was significantly and mostly responsible for this lack of thinking but SS Clubs just assumed a right of entitlement and this is the place we find ourselves today. Some Clubs have adapted and some haven't.

SS should be the premier rugby in this country but it isn't. Either do something about it or accept the scraps if you expect someone else (RA) to do the work. By the way, In my opinion that work is starting to be done, though still a long way to go.

But please remember, next time you go shooting off about how hard done by the SS is, there are thousands of players in the dirt every week supporting those same "grassroots"
Click to expand...

Not sure where you think the SS clubs were going to get the money to run the newly professional show in 1996. The league wars meant that Murdoch and Packer each had their local content for winter. Murdoch bought some protection by bankrolling super rugby. All but about three have since lost their licensed premises at least once, not entirely due to mismanagement
 
Inside Shoulder

Inside Shoulder

Nathan Sharpe (72)
Ruffledfeathers1992 said:
How else other than mismanagement do you lose a licensed club?
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You put pokies in pubs, impose shift and wage loadings for weekend trade and turn the city into a much more vibrant and less parochial one. No one comes to the club anymore, the wages limit what can be put on on the off chance. Visiting clubs don't stay for the piss up and suddenly you're sitting on a multi million dollar asset with unsupportable expenses if it is to continue providing a home once a week to a few players who don't drink as much as we used to. Simply no way for small operations like district rugby clubs to compete with Justin Hemmes - for whom making money out of food and piss is a full time occupation.
 
the coach

the coach

Bob Davidson (42)
Inside Shoulder said:
You put pokies in pubs, impose shift and wage loadings for weekend trade and turn the city into a much more vibrant and less parochial one. No one comes to the club anymore, the wages limit what can be put on on the off chance. Visiting clubs don't stay for the piss up and suddenly you're sitting on a multi million dollar asset with unsupportable expenses if it is to continue providing a home once a week to a few players who don't drink as much as we used to. Simply no way for small operations like district rugby clubs to compete with Justin Hemmes - for whom making money out of food and piss is a full time occupation.
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And it's not only rugby clubs that have closed. Also look at bowling clubs, RSLs, tennis clubs, you name it. They've all been impacted by the reasons you've listed. I used to frequent the Taj Mahal (aka St George Leagues Club) where the waiting list to join was years long and you needed to be approved by the board after being nominated by another member. Now anyone can rock up and pay their $10 to join on the spot. The auditorium which used to host top international acts is now a big empty space, the attached bowling green has been turned into a carpark. The once book-well-in-advance restaurant is now a walk up Chinese.
 
Brian Westlake

Brian Westlake

Arch Winning (36)
the coach said:
And it's not only rugby clubs that have closed. Also look at bowling clubs, RSLs, tennis clubs, you name it. They've all been impacted by the reasons you've listed. I used to frequent the Taj Mahal (aka St George Leagues Club) where the waiting list to join was years long and you needed to be approved by the board after being nominated by another member. Now anyone can rock up and pay their $10 to join on the spot. The auditorium which used to host top international acts is now a big empty space, the attached bowling green has been turned into a carpark. The once book-well-in-advance restaurant is now a walk up Chinese.
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Do you remember the gestapo that used to be on the door there???
They said they were in the hospitality industry, they were the worst pack of bastards including that cranky fat little duty manager with the comb over. Pricks, no wonder I hate the Illawarra dragons
 
the coach

the coach

Bob Davidson (42)
Brian Westlake said:
Do you remember the gestapo that used to be on the door there???
They said they were in the hospitality industry, they were the worst pack of bastards including that cranky fat little duty manager with the comb over. Pricks, no wonder I hate the Illawarra dragons
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They were all very enthusiastic about keeping the riff raff out --- especially around closing time for the pubs! We had a way in which avoided the entrance foyer, through the downstairs bowlers' bar and up the staff stairway. But now anyone can walk in and just sign the book as a temporary member.
 
Inside Shoulder

Inside Shoulder

Nathan Sharpe (72)
Brian Westlake said:
Do you remember the gestapo that used to be on the door there???
They said they were in the hospitality industry, they were the worst pack of bastards including that cranky fat little duty manager with the comb over. Pricks, no wonder I hate the Illawarra dragons
Click to expand...

Is that the doorman whose death brought David Morrow to tears one Sunday? You'd think an immortal had died, despite the internally contradictory nature of that proposition
 
Quick Hands

Quick Hands

David Wilson (68)
the coach said:
And it's not only rugby clubs that have closed. Also look at bowling clubs, RSLs, tennis clubs, you name it. They've all been impacted by the reasons you've listed. I used to frequent the Taj Mahal (aka St George Leagues Club) where the waiting list to join was years long and you needed to be approved by the board after being nominated by another member. Now anyone can rock up and pay their $10 to join on the spot. The auditorium which used to host top international acts is now a big empty space, the attached bowling green has been turned into a carpark. The once book-well-in-advance restaurant is now a walk up Chinese.
Click to expand...
Yes, I well remember when I turned 18 and dad signed me up to join Harbord Diggers club. Prospective members had to front the board and get a lecture on the club rules and regulations, before becoming a probationary member for a year.
 
Brian Westlake

Brian Westlake

Arch Winning (36)
Inside Shoulder said:
Is that the doorman whose death brought David Morrow to tears one Sunday? You'd think an immortal had died, despite the internally contradictory nature of that proposition
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I don’t know on this one IS. All I know is that the place was a shit of a joint then, and by the looks of the Tele today going to be a shit of a joint still, if it survives
 
R

rugbyman03

Frank Row (1)
Any update on Sydney Uni's tour to Japan.

Also saw that Gordon recently toured the USA in December 2017.

I've heard that both Randwick and Easts are planning club tours at the end of the 2018 season - does anyone know where to?

It's great to see clubs going on overseas tours - memories they'll have for life!
 
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