Ask what you can do for rugby
Roar Guru
By LeftArmSpinner, 22 Jun 2009 LeftArmSpinner is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- Australian rugby, Rugby Union
Ask not what rugby can do for you, ask what you can do for rugby. In these days of economic gloom, and shrinking marketing and sponsorship dollars, rugby at all levels is faced with revenues that are contracting faster than its expenses.
Cost cutting such as the Australia A Programme at national level, smaller squads at Super rugby level or Sydney grade rugby clubs not fielding representative teams at local level, has narrowed the gap financially. Clearly, there is a cost to the long term future of the game.
The rugby community is famously inactive when it comes to supporting rugby. Yet, in board rooms, and on first tees, rugby is often one of the topics of conversation.
There are many simple things that can be done for those that present themselves as a rugby supporter.
The simple things can bring significantly more money into the game and hence improve the scope, growth and performance of the game at all levels.
Rugby attracts a more upscale audience with greater spending power. It is now time for that purchasing power to be brought to bear in practical support of rugby.
Yet, how often do you walk into a bottle shop to buy some beer and choose the beer brand of a company that supports rugby? Do you even know which beer company supports rugby?
How often do you click on an internet advertisement on a rugby site?
How often do you choose to buy from a company that sponsors a rugby team or club rather than one that doesn’t?
Whether it is the Qantas Wallabies, Bundaberg Rum, HSBC, or the dry cleaner or real estate company who sponsors the local junior rugby club, now is the time to actively choose to support these sponsors.
There is both a financial and anecdotal impact. Buy the product and email the respective sponsor to tell them why you purchased their product.
I do not propose that you disadvantage yourself or your family on major purchases such as cars and airline travel.
Mazda is a major sponsor of Australian Rugby. If you are considering a vehicle category in which Mazda have an offering, visit a Mazda showroom and let it be known why you are testdriving the Mazda. Then choose the vehicle and brand that best suits your requirements.
You are simply returning the favour to a company that is already supporting rugby, and in many cases, your own childrens’ development.
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- Explore:
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retired rucker said | June 22nd 2009 @ 1:48pm | Report comment
LAS,
I agree but more on a grass roots level as the major national sponsors don’t filter down to direct benefits at the club level in wa
A bit of a trap here, do I support emirates or qantas as a wallabies and force supporter? I know which one has better service.
Another example is beer, the state is sponsored by national brand but gives no money to my local club but we are expected to support them, while a local beer does support the club and provide us with a benefit.
Bob McGregor said | June 22nd 2009 @ 2:02pm | Report comment
Very good altruistic thoughts LHS! Agree entirely.
Am soon to embark on o’seas trip and decided on Qantas [Wallaby sponsor] over Emirates [Gordon sponsor] based on cost for 2 Business class return tickets. Qantas was much better deal.
Eldest son recently bought a new Mazda Max after tossing up between it and a Ford – both major sponsors of Rugby – Mazda here and Ford in NZ. Mazda deal was also very compelling so got the nod.
The decisions made were based on bang for buck, company image, product acceptability and lastly the fact they support Rugby. Rugby support is always a reason I would consider one product over another.
I guess it is up to Rugby to do deals with well accepted companies who have a good product range. Guess this was reason Force lost face with its players and supporters after they were left with red faces when Firepower[?] went belly up. Due diligence in such circumstances is a must.
As top sportsmen/women are magnets to use their image promoting various products, it is up to the managers of these ‘celebrities’ to watch out for adverse risk that could befall their clients. One can only wonder how this might have impacted on ‘Roy’ and his tie up with Storm Financial.
Then again, there was the case of some of our top cricketers being caught up with dodgy real estate schemes a few years back.
Caveat emptor – let the buyer be aware!
matta said | June 22nd 2009 @ 2:42pm | Report comment
What everyone can do for rugby is to stop whinging about it and start supporting it.
Honestly, The Wallabies are ranked 3rd in the world. Saturday night we trotted out a team full of kids and smacked the Italians – a team that have taken it to some decent side in recent years yet you would think we are ranked 50th and just went down to Singapore.
For christ sake – doesnt anyone remember the late 60′s and early to mid 70′s? now, other than a few out of the box wins, those were bad times….
Yes the reds are poo and the tahs played boring rugby but as per usual, the Wallabies with take it to the best in the world this year….but we will still sit her an whinge about the current players and their paychecks and how they are nothing like the ol’ boys of 84 and 99.
matta said | June 22nd 2009 @ 2:47pm | Report comment
My post might have nothing to do with the posts above….but someone suggested I should contribute more.
So there you go… that’s my thoughts on what Aussie Rugby needs. Its fans to stop whinging.
Brett McKay said | June 22nd 2009 @ 3:34pm | Report comment
Leftie, another great post, and if even one of us picks Tooheys New over the rubbish in a green can from down south (which frankly isn’t that hard a decision, imho) then you’ve got through. I think plenty of us do choose rugby sponsors, even subconsciously, so you’d like to think that most rugby fans are doing their bit already.
A quick question though, how will I know if the money from my Qantas flights in a few weeks goes to the Wallabies or Socceroos??
onside said | June 22nd 2009 @ 4:16pm | Report comment
Brett McKay
the money is divided equally ; 60% each.
Brett McKay said | June 22nd 2009 @ 5:27pm | Report comment
thanks Onside, I figured it would have been a complicated formula like that!! Actually, 60% each, that might explain some of the additional taxes on top of the airfare!!
Both are noble causes by the way, I’m happy to support both of them…
sheek said | June 22nd 2009 @ 7:14pm | Report comment
Leftie,
A wonderful post that has left me mentally paralysed. Which Brett would obviously heave a huge sigh of relief, otherwise I would typing a mountain of wise (IMHO) advice!
Did I mention national comp?????! (Only joking).
onside said | June 22nd 2009 @ 8:19pm | Report comment
This article confirms the massive job John O’Neill has to tackle.
As a matter of interest which footbal code is the hardest to sell
to a newcomer.Not a casual visitor, but a brand new supporter.
What code might a fictional focus group find easier to follow .
Football is easy to see the ball kicked around,Rugby League has
an open format and the ball has to be swapped over regardless,
AFL is easy to see the ball as its in the air a lot ,and then there’s
rugby.Now Rugby is a different matter.But lets not list all reasons.
The number one over riding reason rugby is popular is because
it is enjoyed by people who either played or were brought up on
the game.Whereas it is possible, and often happens that people
not familiar with rugby enjoy going to an ‘event’ like a major Test
match,Test match attendances never mirror support at club level.
Much has been made of the 20.000 turn up for Italy v Wallabies
in Melbourne. This to me highlights a strength of the game down
there rather than a weakness ,because the 20.000 poor sods
that paid good money for that game must have been diehard rugby
supporters.Nobody takes newcomers to those games.20.000 in
those circumstances is a good foundation for further development..
Back to John O’Neills task.If within reason it is impossible to expect
new support for Rugby from people that have not played rugby ,it
stands to reason the only way to underpin the future of the rugby
in Australia is to get more people, ie children to play the game.The
reason is simple; that is the only growth market. A newcomer can
be seduced by football, league or AFL because they are ‘simple’
games to watch, but rugby is an entirely different kettle of fish.
And so the most important thing anybody can do when ASKED
WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR RUGBY is to get more kids to play it ,
because they ,and they alone are the future fulltime spectators.
Lets put it another way;a hundred rugby players might watch
any other football code and many would go again from time to
time.On the other hand a hundred footballers of codes other than
rugby would visit a rugby match ,and Test matches aside ,very
few would go again. Its that simple Mr O’Neill.The future is in the
kids.In ten years time todays ten year old is a rusted on supporter
who will make the till ring.Rugby Union can only rely on its own.
And that is the games undeniable strength and attraction.
taylor bridge said | June 22nd 2009 @ 10:23pm | Report comment
All those grinning little african immigrant kids who are generally athletically gifted and like most migrants are on the fringes of mainstream society. What a resource to target by our supporters and junior clubs.