Reshaping Australian Rugby essential for the future
Roar Guru By Patstick, 4 Oct 2009 The Crowd is a Roar Guru
There is no hiding from the facts: Rugby has quite literally dropped the ball. Fans are dismayed about how the game is administered and played. The good news is there seems to be, on the Roar blogs anyway, plenty of people willing to put forward ideas on how to revitalize this beautiful game.
Sheek has strong views on the national comp issue, Andrew Logan has addressed the need for a Supporters Union to aid grass roots rugby and most of us believe that the buying league players days are over. I have a few ideas of my own on how to help the Rugby cause which I like to share.
There are obliviously two arms to modern Rugby – Professional and Amateur.
I’ll deal with the Amateur first. It seems that a lot has been said and written about players having a clear pathway to their potential rugby careers. By restructuring the amateur arm, I think we can help solve many professional rugby issues. Every capital city has a club competition, and I assume NSW Country and QLD Country have their own competition as well (forgive me if this assumption is wrong). Overlooking Tasmania & Northern Territory, sorry guys, this leaves us with eight club competitions nationally. Here is how I can see the club competitions restructured for the better:
1. Pre Season Cup/ Charity Cup – Split the comp into groups then have a finals series. Provides a good warm up to the premiership and some silverware to the clubs cabinet.
2. Club Premiership – Each competition is run as per normal, however there should be a greater emphasis on winning the premiership. I hate the phrase ‘minor premiers’. A team that has consistently been the best all year should be celebrated as, for example, the Sydney Premiers. This should have the same significance as the English Premier League. When they win the league it is massive achievement on its own merit.
3. Club Cup – By finishing in the top four positions in the ‘premiership’, you qualify for the, e.g. Sydney Club Cup. I know to some this may be splitting hairs on how competitions are presently run, but I do think the distinction is imperative. One is a reward for the best all year, the other the best on the day.
4. National Rugby Cup – Each of the previously mentioned eight club competitions provide two teams – the Premiers and the Cup holders. If one team does the ‘double’, wins both the Premiership and the Cup, then the other team who made it to the Cup final qualifies. 16 teams are entered into a four week knockout cup.
5. State Premiership – Lets take back the names of the states from the professionals and return it to its natural amateur roots, then put them into a national competition. Eight teams – NSW, QLD, ACT, VIC, SA, WA, NSW Country & QLD Country. Everyone play each other once, team on top of the ladder at the end wins.
6. State Cup – Top four from State Premiership qualify for the Cup finals.
7. Australian Kookaburras – Strictly amateur representative team to play maybe second or third tier nations both home and abroad.
8. Club Sevens – After the 15 a side club comp finishes, introduce a Sevens Competition that runs parallel to the State Comps. Have four carnivals in each of the 8 Club comps, north, south, east, west. Team on top after the four carnivals is crowned, e.g. Sydney Sevens Champions.
9. National Sevens Cup – From the eight clubs Sevens competitions, the top four qualify for the National Cup.
I know that was a lot to take in, but I believe this demonstrates a clear pathway for a player. At club level there is a chance at winning four local competitions and two national competitions. There is the prospect of representative honors at a state and national level. The structures are some what there and all they need is a little tweaking, restructuring and, of course, a lot of hard work.
Which leads me into the professional arm.
The two issues with professional Rugby seems to be player depth and the Super Rugby Competition / National Competition.
1. Player Depth – The above competitions would help develop the depth in Rugby needed to compete on a professional level. The National Rugby Cup and State Premiership & Cup is the perfect place for would be professional rugby players to prove they’re worthy of a contract to a Super Rugby team.
2. Super Rugby / National Comp – With the states names being reclaimed by the amateur arm, obliviously new names/teams are needed for the Super Rugby Competition. I think this can be achieved by calling the teams by their cities, e.g. Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Canberra. These names should be adopted for the new Super 15 comp. These teams then are the foundation teams for our future national comp. When expansion comes up again in the Super 15, we add another Aussie team – Western Sydney, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Central Coast, North Sydney, Wollongong, Townsville, etc, without to much fuss.
We keep expanding the Aussie conference to Aussie teams until the Super Rugby Comp becomes a Heiniken Cup style comp. We have then effectively evolved a national comp with some support and background/tradition within Super Rugby.
And hopefully, with the setting up of the new professional teams, the Rugby politics/egos can be held to an absolute minimum.
Also, when opting for a mascot, lets keep it to animals. Why? Kids can relate to an animal name. The animals should be the kings of their species: Bulls, Rams, Tigers. Lions, Eagles, Falcons, Brumbies, Sharks, etc. Kids can gravitate to these names, not useless marketing names like Force or Kings.
That’s my two bob worth. Actually looks a bit more than that! I welcome your thoughts and ideas.
Recommend this story.
- Explore:
- national rugby competition, Rugby Australia, Rugby Union
October 5th 2009 @ 5:40pm
Working Class Rugger said | October 5th 2009 @ 5:40pm | Report comment
Sheek
Matraville High. Nah I’d like to see them take on schools out Campbelltown way. James Meehan, Sarah Redfern, Eaglevale and Airds High Schools. They’d be to afraid to win. If they dared to they wouldn’t leave alive.
October 5th 2009 @ 7:39pm
Patstick said | October 5th 2009 @ 7:39pm | Report comment
Why cant the club scene be split into 2 seasons over the year? Have the XV a side running parallel with Super Rugby, then have Sevens Rugby running alongside some form of the ARC. Club Rugby still has a long season and an ARC will have plenty of players to chose from. I know Clubs will always want the best players available, but with the imminent induction of Sevens Rugby into the Olympics we will need some form of regular competition. And Sevens Rugby is a great spectacle to watch as well. Win win as I see it.
October 5th 2009 @ 9:07pm
Invictus said | October 5th 2009 @ 9:07pm | Report comment
Yikes,
Excuse me for using the word draft. It has entirely negative overtones in the rugby context of this country.
No, the players would not be forced to relocate outside of their current competition, far too costly. Limited refers to there being a limit on the number of players any one team could bring in (ie players not registered at the club at the start of the season). Wallaby players released to the competition would be exempt of this but also limited in total number per team.
The numbers of teams from any particular competition was for discussion purposes and not a hard and fast total. I don’t see enough of any competition to be able to accurately judge the worth of any side – and neither do you.
The point of my suggestion, other than to get the clubs involved, was to break the cycle of players needing to go to Sydney to further their careers.
I liked the ARC, but it is tainted with failure and is unlikely to rise from the grave.
October 5th 2009 @ 9:15pm
Invictus said | October 5th 2009 @ 9:15pm | Report comment
And if Warringah want to be in the NCC then they need to get their collective finger out and finish in the top 4 of the shute shield (meaning that the shute shield would suddenly have a whole new level of desperation added to it).
October 5th 2009 @ 10:12pm
Yikes said | October 5th 2009 @ 10:12pm | Report comment
OK, fair enough. Well, if you are not going to draft the best players into the teams that take part in the NCC, then you are left with a comp without the best players. And no matter what the benefits you outline of getting clubs involved and preventing players from having to move to further their careers, a national comp will never work without the best players in my opinion.
October 6th 2009 @ 10:24am
Invictus said | October 6th 2009 @ 10:24am | Report comment
In the beginning some “good” players may not be involved (keep in mind that wallabies players won’t be involved a great deal regardless of what competition model is proposed). This may be a necessary sacrifice to get a competition up and running. Over time the concentration of “good” players in Sydney would spread out to other teams for the exact reasons you mention. A desirable outcome in my opinion.
October 5th 2009 @ 9:26pm
westy said | October 5th 2009 @ 9:26pm | Report comment
Yikes before the emotion I hope constructive comments from me. All is not doom and gloom.
What is required is a changing emphasis towards junior district rugby.
Firstly we are starting to do so with a rejuvenation of the Shute shield . the ABC television ratings are good.
Secondly with our limited resouces and exposure we need to heavily promote junior district representatives over private shool competitions. It is not in our interests to have ABC television broadcasters or the SMH commenting exclusively on GPS results to the exclusion of others. it would serve our interests to directly promote junior district rep competitions on such occasions.
Thirdly the relative competitive position of rugby union in western sydney was stronger in the 1970,s and 80.s than it is now. Whatever resources we can garner need to be pushed into technically competent rugby union coaches at the junior rep level. this would not only be for western sydney but the whole state. I again maintain we are in a stronger position here and in the Hunter than we give ourselves credit . We simply lose out to private school raids/ club rep raids who basically have no juniors and the superior rugby league development pathway.
Fourthly in any new points system for each club any club who is able to play a junior who has played 3 consecutive years for a junior district club in that club’s geographical district prior to playing Colts sholud not be counted under that points system.if such a player goes onto play first or second grade.
promote junior district rugby over all other forms. You will never lose the private schools . You need to reestablish community connection. The last comment is a barb. West harbour could do much for rugby by establishing junior district clubs in Burwood/Strathfield/ Rhodes/Five dock/Stathfield/ Concord/ Canada bay / Homebush etc etc instead of playing their rep teams in other peoples distict club competitions.
October 6th 2009 @ 2:09pm
Bay35Pablo said | October 6th 2009 @ 2:09pm | Report comment
Westy, easy fixed. West harbour gets told they have to field their juniors in their own district ….
Go build one!!!
October 6th 2009 @ 3:06pm
Working Class Rugger said | October 6th 2009 @ 3:06pm | Report comment
Westy
Have you joined RA yet. Although some have labelled accusations at you regarding your motives. It is clearly obvious at least to myself that you truly care about the health of the game, especially in Sydney’s West. If you haven’t and have a facebook page please do. Just look up “Rugby Australia”. I’m sure many will find your ideas of the ‘how’ we can start to rectify the situation helpful.
Bay
Any idea where and when the first meeting of RA will take place, or is it a little early still.