Gatesy writes:
I read my first anti-ARC article this morning, so it’s started.
When are the Sydney clubs going to realise that the landscape has shifted?
If people want to de-stabilse the competition, before it even kicks off, then how do we progress?
Maybe the format is not right but someone had to do something and it’s not a bad start. Those franchises can survive and can develop their identities and their brands, but it will take time
If Sydney doesn’t like having the 3 teams that it has, the solution is simple. Take 2 of them out of Sydney and put them somewhere else, such as Townsville, Adelaide, or somewhere. I’ m sure that there are a lot of new players, who
haven’t played at the Super 14 level who are very excited about this new competition. I bet they won’t thank the Sydney Rugby community if they were forced to move interstate to pursue their ambitions.
The plain fact of the matter is that the Sydney and Brisbane clubs have had ample opportunity to expand, go professional, set up Academies, play interstate games, or whatever is needed to lift club Rugby to a higher level. I don’t see that much has changed in the last ten years. It’s still “amateur hour” at most clubs, as far as I can see.
It’s also true that schoolboy Rugby seems to be the pathway to the higher levels these days and it is becoming increasingly harder for good club players to be seen and to make a mark. This may redress some of that.
This is not about parochialism or self interest of officials, it’s about broadening player depth…and it’s a situation that has come about because of “the paralysis of analysis”. Somebody finally stopped talking about it and put down a marker. It’s a start.
Let’s give it a chance to breathe, at least.
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mcxd said | July 31st 2007 @ 9:48pm | Report comment
Here, here Gatesy…all ive read by certain people in the media is that the ARC is such a bad idea its throwing money away, its going to fail abysmally and its all Gary Flowers fault etc etc .. and it hasnt even kicked off yet ! But the one thing i dont hear is what the alternative is ? How else do we expand rugby throughout ALL of Australia not just Sydney and Brisbane ?
Excuse my ignorance, but is the alternative to ARC to pour more money into developing club rugby ?
Sydney and Brisbane have a long history (notably Sydney Uni and Randwick) of an established club rugby competition. However, as a Sydney club rugby supporter i’ll readily admit that its not exactly thriving. Its not working to draw crowds in its current format. It certainly could do with a bit of cash injection but firstly the actual product has to be attractive. I would have thought that taking the cream of club rugby’s players thereby improving the standard of play, add a bit of inter city and interstate rivalry and that can only generate interest ?
My understanding is that the arguement against the ARC is that it may take away the history, significance of and attraction to the Sydney and Brisbane Club Rugby competitions. If club rugby attracts such loyal supporters which make up the bulk of the crowd, will those loyal supporters stop going because of the ARC ?
In addition, are cities like Perth (and hopefully eventually Melbourne) able to sustain a local club competition that is at a level to feed players in repective Super 14 sides ? I wouldnt have thought theyre any where near that at the moment. This is where the ARC can assist in developing rugby in these cities.
I understand the timing of this years ARC is probably not the best but thats due to the WC..bad timing but hardly its downfall.
Once again excuse my ignorance if im totally on the wrong track but as i said i havent heard of any alternatives only that its going to fail.
Lastly, Ive heard one of the main reasons its going to fail because it wont get the loyal following that club rugby has ? If certain people in the media are continually writing that its going to fail then how does that develope positive interest ? It only detracts the interest .Do certain people want it to fail ?
Overall, i think its a step in a positive direction and at least give it a go..hopefully it’ll prove the doomsayers wrong..
swifty said | July 31st 2007 @ 10:00pm | Report comment
it seems to be a part of the growing confidence that has come back into australian rugby that we are actually willing to give a half-arsed idea like this a go. i agree, what were the other options? something had to be done and if it is giving more blokes a chance at a higher level then its got to be better than doing nothing.
i don’t know that it will last and i honestly reckon the best bet would be to form a competition elevating existing clubs into it. yeah i know that would bugger the old comps but isn’t that what is already happening?
the most important part is that the super 14 teams actually leave squad positions open so that players who perform in this competition can hope for some reward. i hear queensland already have a full squad for next year.
Dave74 said | July 31st 2007 @ 10:27pm | Report comment
Swifty,
if that were the case the competition would become even more lopsided in Sydney asd no half-decent player would stay with a club that doesn’t have any finals aspirations. At least with this club there may be an opportunity down the track to develop some of the struggling clubs in Sydney to be more competitive. IMHO one of the biggest problems with Sydney club rugby is that it is played at the same time as club rugby, thus eliminating potentially its biggest support base.
Matt Rowley said | July 31st 2007 @ 11:59pm | Report comment
From another angle ; at the moment up here on Skysports (pommy Fox) you can now watch the Currie Cup (SA) or the NPC (NZ) at your leisure, but nothing from Australia. And what could you show at any sort of equivalent level? My point isn’t about my viewing habits, but more to mcxd and Swifty’s comments: how else but with some kind of APC will talent get exposure at the right level?
In the UK there’s a very strong club competition that is about to get even stronger with all the players coming across after the RWC. In Australia (and rest of Southern Hemisphere) we just dont have the numbers and the money at club level to entertain this. Something has to happen, and no matter what you do some eggs are gonna be broken to make this omlette.
Matt R
Scotty said | August 1st 2007 @ 10:22am | Report comment
<p>Anyone notice that most negative comments regarding the ARC, the current Australian coaches and certain senior players seem to come out of one particular source at the Sydney Morning Herald? It seems obvious to me that the source has his own agenda to destabilise Australian rugby for whatever reason that may be. The sooner the Herald wakes up to this and gets rid of him, the better for us all.
betterIwas said | August 1st 2007 @ 12:39pm | Report comment
Watch Sydney club rugby crowds this weekend and next weekend. They have lost their major drawcards and I suspect some will struggle to field 4 grade teams given many have lost 10-12 1st graders.
They will have minimal gate revenue and little other revenue. Meanwhile their expenses are still the same.
Creating this mid tier will help to weaken the base. Weaken the base and the tip is unstable.
In any event, if my club is playing, why would I travel up to the central coast to see a make-up team.
Whilst my view is that the ARC will be a financial disaster and will be lucky to last more than one season – it may also damage the base.
Club rugby is a good product – just not promoted well enough. It does need improvement – but strangling it is not the way. The next whinge will be that club rugby is not strong enough to support the ARC.
Dave74 said | August 1st 2007 @ 5:22pm | Report comment
betterIwas,
you mean clubs like Penrith who reportedly required their 4th grade team (no disrespect to the Emus intended as I would love for them to be a force in the comp) to back up to play Manly a couple of weekends ago? Or clubs like Uni who have 1st grade quality players languishing in 3rd grade and playing colts rugby? As for crowds I don’t think they will be diminished to any great extent.
As for the lack of promotion that is hardly the ARU’s fault, they shouldn’t be expected to promote the NSWRU’s competition. I am hoping that the number of grades in Sydney will drop in the coming years to 2 grades and an U23 colts side (mainly as most props don’t start to mature about that age and it would be unwise to grade them too early). Hopefully this will help to spread the talent around a little more and strengthen the competition as a whole.
Scotty, I somehow doubt after all these years the SMH would get rid of their ‘Chief Rugby Correspondent’.
mcxd said | August 1st 2007 @ 6:27pm | Report comment
Yeah i love articles from the “Chief Bitch (sorry Rugby) Correspondant” .. i cant wait for the next article titled..”Can you beleive what Mrs. Mortock said to Mrs. Gregan and what about what Mrs. Waugh was wearing the other day, so didnt match her shoes or handbag” ..rivetting.
and who cares about the frikkin pies in the press box !!
p.s sorry Mrs. Waugh nothing personal intended.
betterIwas said | August 1st 2007 @ 7:11pm | Report comment
Dave74,
You have chosen the two clubs for your example at the the top and bottom end of spectrum. Hardly the norm.
I applaud Penrith for what they did – true spirit of rugby – gave their opponents a game (though it was a cricket score). I know it was much appreciated by their opponents.
I know Penrith are suffering however I do not know the solution.
We have 10 clubs between those two who I think will suffer unnecessarily.
Whilst 2 grade and 1 colts team has been suggested, and I can see arguments for, I am not yet convinced. My observation is that 3rd & 4th graders are good for a club. 1 colts team would not really work – you need 28 players at least – how are the reserves going to get a game.
The best solution for clubs to survive well is another issue. Hopefully all options will be looked at, even private ownership as in England (not suggesting it but it should be on the table)
Not blaming ARU – it is primarily NSWRU’s problems. I am sad ARU resources are going into a comp I think will be a failure and will, in my view, damage the base.
Agree with critics of some of the rugby writing in this country – I am not really interested in gossip columns but prefer hard news and analysis. It seems to me some stories are fed to some journalists who just run with them.
AR U Joking said | August 6th 2007 @ 10:19pm | Report comment
Something happened in Sydney club rugby this weekend. Sorry to those not in Sydney as you may want to drift off now.
West harbour won and Penrith beat Warringah. Parramatta also had a victory. I KNOW I KNOW all the ARC players were absent. However for one second close your eyes and THINK, if NSWRU would allocate the ARC players back into Sydney on an even talent basis what a comp we might have. Beale, PN, Turner in Penrith colours. Harris, Hewat and Siale blistering downfield for Illawarra..
Rugby League have artificially contructed an even competition with the salary cap. maybe we can achieve the same result by allocating contracted players. otherwise back to the same 3 or 4 clubs dominating again
You can open your eyes now.