• Welcome to the forums of Green & Gold Rugby.
    We have recently made some changes to the amount of discussions boards on the forum.
    Over the coming months we will continue to make more changes to make the forum more user friendly for all to use.
    Thanks, Admin.

Sydney Subbies 2025

O

Odyssey_Park the 2nd

Larry Dwyer (12)
Where are these guys that want to play week in week out? Most are already heavily involved in running clubs and getting teams on the park. As Pfitzy said a lot are weary but it’s not the reason why numbers are declining. The reason the number of games per season is dropping is cause clubs simply don’t have the players to fill out the higher divisions. You can’t run an 18 round season with 5 teams in the comp.
Rugby people love to pick fault and look back and go how great was it we by can’t it be like that. Rather then saying how can we adjust our structures to take pressure off clubs to allow them to get through this period and then help them grow when things rebound.
 
F

footy_footy

Larry Dwyer (12)
It is perhaps a pessimistic outlook but as the Subbies landscape stands it is more probable than not that playing numbers and number of teams will only shrink in coming years. You only need to have a look at the "Subbies Dashboard" in the Annual Reports to see a pretty clear trajectory. Whilst there were increased playing numbers from 2023 to 2024, the number of clubs and teams did not grow. I think clubs are aspirational and want to grow but don't have the resources available to do it or sustain it - that be players (quality and quantity), finances and volunteers (quality and quantity).

I appreciate that someone always has to come last but the gulf between the top and bottom of Div 1 grows. There isn't a single outlier in Div 1 at the bottom. Is the solution to drop the number of required grades in each Division outside Div 1? Try to increase the quality of a club's on-field with fresh reserves, a luxury most clubs can't afford? Can the Halligan Cup become more formalised for the clubs that regularly have excess teams to the division?

As it stands there are 13 teams that can meet the traditional 4 grade and 1 colts teams - Hunters Hill (w/JJC), Waverley, Blue Mountains, Colleagues (w/JJC), Lindfield (w/JJC), Mosman, Newport (w/JJC), Drummoyne, UNSW (w/JJC), Petersham (w/ Chivarovski Cup), Briars (w/ Chivarovski Cup), St Pat's (w/JJC) and Forest (w/JJC).

Sydney Irish obviously don't have Colts and don't have a 4th Grade - whether they have ambition or capability to grow I don't know.

9 of these clubs have a women's team and my understanding is that the ability to field a women's team will be a significant factor in 2026. Mosman are already on the front foot and I can only imagine Waverley, Blue Mountains and Drummoyne have similar ambitions.

No easy answers but there would seem to be a need for divisional re-structure. Whether it's clubs in the division or the format of the division.
 
Numberthree

Numberthree

Stan Wickham (3)
So what has changed?
Is it people? Family and time pressures aren't new. Some say volunteerism has taken a nose dive since covid, anyone can guess what the driver for that is?
Or is it rugby being on the nose? Only so long you can underperform at the top level before people go onto something different.
Is it subbies being ultimately unfulfilling? Short disjointed seasons, lack of post game craic, clubs always on the ropes.
Or is it something else?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top