By Boyo
November 24th 2009 @ 3:09am
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What’ll take to get the public supporting the Wallabies again?
As an Old New South Welshman, and a devout rugby union fan, I couldn’t wait to pay closer attention to Australian rugby when I moved to New South Wales.
I was devastated to realise that Rugby Union probably isn’t in the top five of Australian national sports. From what I can see, it ranks behind AFL, NRL, Cricket, Swimming and Horse Racing and it also wouldn’t surprise me if Football and Netball also supercede it to top placings in the hearts of Australians.
In my time, I’ve been witness to devastating defeats of Wales at the hands of the Wallabies and have always held the jersey in the highest respect and esteem, to the point where I’m still convinced the Wallabies will break Welsh hearts this coming weekend.
Even if Australia win, the average Australian will not bat an eyelid, because who cares about rugby union here?
If Wales win, yes I’ll be chuffed to bits, but I wont get much pleasure in ribbing my Australian mates as they simply don’t care about their one truly world-class international sporting team.
What’s it going to take to get the nation backing the Wallabies?
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(51)
Matt0931 said | November 24th 2009 @ 4:32am | Report comment
‘What’s it going to take to get the nation backing the Wallabies?’
A team that shows pride in the jersey.
Aussie’s love a battler… but they have to show some pride and some guts.
How said | November 24th 2009 @ 5:32am | Report comment
The public perception of the players is of overpaid, immature boys who are in it for the celeb lifestyle, not the game. Maybe if they took a drastic pay cut, the ones that were there for the right reasons would actually stick around.
Vented Relief said | November 24th 2009 @ 10:19am | Report comment
Where do you and other people get this impression from? What rugby players have a celeb lifestyle? You don’t see them in the sunday papers having partied all night at the Ivy, you don’t see a different rugby player getting arrested every second week and you don’t see ostentatious displays of wealth from any rugby players that I’ve seen.
All these ridiculous and thoughtless descriptions are a beat up designed to make excuses for the fact that our players just aren’t very good at the moment – but they are the best we’ve got. Give them some time, another season of super rugby and this Wallaby team will be the goods. Then we may see the crowds come back as they see that their one truly world class team has a bloody good shot at the World Cup.
macavity said | November 24th 2009 @ 7:27pm | Report comment
you are right, you don’t see them in the sunday papers… because no-one knows who they are…
KP said | November 24th 2009 @ 6:37am | Report comment
its not that bad boys, aussies either love a team thats winning (see australian world cu[ winning sides) or battlers (eddie the eel…). You cant call the wallabies winners at the moment and while they’re terrible at the moment – we all know they’re so much better than this and so certainly not battlers.
Have some faith – IF the irish hadn’t gotten over the line in the last 5mins, if that final kick on saturday had gone through we’d be singing praises and talking a grand slam, not how terrible they are.
The aussies love their wallabies!! We’re just a fickle bunch…
PJ said | November 24th 2009 @ 7:34am | Report comment
Most Aussies could not give a stuff to be fair. Friday night NRL outrates wallaby tests by quite a wide margin. It takes more than winning, you need to win consistently and you need to develop grass root support. Rugger has never has this and never will, that boat has sailed. Do we all recall o’niell bragging how rugger was going to become the number 1 sport in Aussie and that league would go the way of the Dodo? The man has no clue about the average aussie and what they care about. It is more than just about winning. And now they are getting done all over the park, God help them.
Bay35Pablo said | November 24th 2009 @ 7:47am | Report comment
Need to start winning, and playing attractive football.
When rugby is good, it is great, but when it is bad it is dire. That is the problem. When league is good it is good, and when it is bad it is still watchable – that’s the difference. Plus the FTA. If we had rugby on FTA like league, it’d be more popular. Look at Europe.
Woody Warambel said | November 24th 2009 @ 11:25am | Report comment
Dear Bay35etc.
Europe consists of about 30 countries.
In what of those countries (or regions) of those countries do you think union is a popular sport?
PastHisBest said | November 24th 2009 @ 2:04pm | Report comment
Define popular.
Woody Warambel said | November 25th 2009 @ 11:44am | Report comment
In this day & age perhaps somehere where they can sustain a competition made up of full time professionals.
So in continental Europe it would be only one country – France.
Can’t think of any others.
Here’s Italy’s RU crowds:
http://www.stadiapostcards.com/super100910.htm
How could they support full time profesional players.
netrug said | November 24th 2009 @ 2:20pm | Report comment
Rugby is the second football to soccer in all European countries. It depends on what you call popular. The fact that is played and has a contolling body in these countries means it is popular.
However, there are national competitions and have a strong following in France, Italy, Romania, Russia, Georgia, Czech Republic, Spain, Portuagal, Germany, Poland, Sweden, Serbia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Estonia, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland.
It is also played at various levels and have national teams playing in the European Nations Cup in Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzoegovina, Moldova, Monaco and Norway. The game is in Turkey and Belarus but the nations do not compete in the European Nations Cup.
From what I can see, Rugby is not played in only Albania, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, San Marino or the Vatican.
True Tah said | November 24th 2009 @ 2:36pm | Report comment
netrug
Rugby would be no.1 in Wales, and in Ireland Gaelic football would be the no.1 football code.
Im not too sure about rugby having any following in Poland, Czech Republic, Poland, Sweden, Serbia, Switzerland or the Baltic States. Realistically, the only continental European nations which have any interest in the game are France, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Moldova, Russia, Georgia, Ukraine and Germany. Arguably the heart of Russian rugby is in the Asian part of the country.
Pippinu said | November 24th 2009 @ 2:38pm | Report comment
What about Rumania?
Interestingly, John Paul II, a Pole, was a rugby player at some stage of his life.
netrug said | November 24th 2009 @ 3:00pm | Report comment
I purposely left out UK nations.
The playing strengths of the nations you mentioned are Poland, 5401, Czech Rep, 5172, Sweden, 3467, Serbia, 1158, Switzerland, 2229, Latvia, 660 and Lithuania, 1650. Estonia is not an IRB member but has six clubs.. Not huge numbers but shows there is a following of the game and each of them have played Rugby for many tears except Estonia is the most recent, a national boby was formed this year. Attendances at internationals in the smaller nations range from 500 up to 5,000.
Most of the Russian teams are in Europe, only Krasnoyarsk is in Asia.
Usera said | November 24th 2009 @ 8:56pm | Report comment
I’m afraid that is nonsense.
Rugby Union is played in most countries in Europe, as it has been for many years, but is far from popular. Only in the British Isles and France is it really popular. Italy has improved to some extent but it is way behind other sports. Basketball is usually the second sport and handball is very popular in some of the countries mentioned.
Unfortunatley Rugby Union largely centres on middle-class, university educated players.
Shahsan said | November 25th 2009 @ 5:00am | Report comment
I’m happy for it to stay that way.
Paul J said | November 24th 2009 @ 8:07am | Report comment
I can understand a Welshman thinking Rugby would be bigger in Australia that what it is. I’d assume most Welsh would no little about League and nothing about AFL.
But even if Rugby is 3rd or 4th in the footy codes for support here, Oz has a population of 21 million compared to Wales 4 million (i think) so the Wallabies will always be competitive against the Welsh (and Scots and Irish).
Harry said | November 24th 2009 @ 8:23am | Report comment
Strewthis that how low we’ve got “Competitive agianst the Scots, Welsh and Irish”. Actually when I think about it we are currently half a point from 2, so perhaps we aint even competitive with the Celts anymore …
pothale said | November 24th 2009 @ 8:56am | Report comment
Well the Welsh and Irish have been doing fairly well recently in NH rugby – get over your misplaced snobbery.
This weekend’s matches have an interesting match-up. The IRB top six play each other – 1,2,3 Vs 4, 5, 6. respectively.
If 4, 5 & 6 win their games, there’s a possibility that Australia will end up 7th in the IRB rankings.
PastHisBest said | November 24th 2009 @ 2:05pm | Report comment
Yep, that would be a fair reflection of where this team is at.
True Tah said | November 24th 2009 @ 2:37pm | Report comment
Paul Im sure the Welsh would know plenty about rugby league, have you ever heard the term, going north or players like Dave Watkins, Lewis Jones, Gus Risman, Billy Boston, Jonathan Davies?
Shahsan said | November 25th 2009 @ 5:06am | Report comment
How many have gone north since RU went pro?
The Link said | November 24th 2009 @ 8:22am | Report comment
The Wallabies do alright in Australia, but Rugby isn’t as big here as it is overseas.
oikee said | November 24th 2009 @ 9:02am | Report comment
Can i answer this question, openly and honestly without having a dig at union. Because lets face it, the support you need is rugby league support. AFL wont touch you with a ten foot pole.
1/They need someone with guts to admit the hatred they have had towards rugby league over the years and apoligise for French rugby league, stealing their asserts. I saw they apoligise’d quite easily the other day to Sth Africa for flying a flag unside down.
2/ stop useing the game as some sort of elite sport for the top end of town, and then wonder why you get no support.
3/ bring the clubs closer to league clubs and integrate more and stop being seen to be elitist, rub shoulders with normals. Its holding the game back here.
4/ work hard with rugby league and get them involved in the running of the game, make yourselves more open to learning from league, the sooner you do this, the more the public will back your cause. And your players will start to get their ugly mugs on t/v more. (o’neil mentioned this last year, sinse then its be lost in the eather.)
5/ no more silly comments by your old dinosaur players,(fitzsimmons) dont think they go un-noticed by league fans. So that just drives another nail into the coffin you built, people are stupid, but they are also very loyal, its a trait that wins support.
And finally, if you like rugby league, say you like it, and dont think you have become a traitor to your game, the more open you are the more open others are about union, and this in turn might be a way of getting sympathy for the cause, like you mentioned, people love the underdogs, and we can only cop so much of the Wallabies being flogged to death. We do have hearts.
My posts normally get deleted, but you wanted what it takes, and these are the problems facing the game. And they wont go away anytime soon without the public’s support. (You can scrap the opolgy, this is something that time has healed anyway.)
These are some points, and should not be lost to union if the Wallabies start to win, you might get good crowds, but the real problems remain, sheek is pretty good at knowing the problems, but nobody listens because they are to busy watching the wallabies winning, its only when they lose you see the problems and how bad they really are, i am amazed Sheek has been so loyal. (there is that word again, but your not winning loyalty with a new genaration) Anyhow, take my points or dump them in the bin.
BigAl said | November 24th 2009 @ 10:53am | Report comment
Done !!
sheek said | November 24th 2009 @ 9:03am | Report comment
Just a general comment:
Going into last weekend’s test, Australia was ranked 3 & Scotland 9.
Now according to my perception of things, Australia is currently playing like a 9th ranked rugby nation, & Scotland about an 18th ranked nation.
The point being, that when union fans bang on about how international their game is, it’s more quantity than quality. It’s like a souffle, with a lot of air bubbles giving the whole thing an appearance of substance.
Furthermore, if NZ & SA are our two top ranked rugby nations, it doesn’t say much about world depth at all. Clearly, for all the glitz & glamour, & wall-to-wall TV coverage, this is hardly a vintage era for rugby union worldwide.
Of course, the quality might come eventually, but let’s not kid ourselves we’re still nothing but a minor world sport at present.
Campbell Watts said | November 24th 2009 @ 2:59pm | Report comment
Sheek,
The RWC is the 3rd biggest sporting event on the planet – how can that be a “minor world sport”
Where do you think the AFL would rate gobally, or the Rugby League World Cup?
Agree though that the current standard is the lowest I can recall in my 30-odd years of watching!!
PJ said | November 24th 2009 @ 10:14pm | Report comment
Finally some union fan has spoken out aloud what we leaguies have known all along!
Shahsan said | November 24th 2009 @ 10:26pm | Report comment
Which part? That the RWC is the third largets sporting event, or that The RL world Cup would rate nowhere? Or that the current standard is the lowest it has been in 30-odd years but is still a more satisfying spectacle than legaue will ever be?
Shahsan said | November 24th 2009 @ 9:27am | Report comment
Actually, I saw it as a refreshing thing that no 9 beat no 3. Shows that the field can sometimes level up. It would be a boring world if there are no upsets. I’d love to see the day when, say, Tonga or Japan can beat New Zealand/South Africa. And it need not mean the end of the world for the biigger nation — it just means rugby union has really come of age as an international sport.
slacky said | November 24th 2009 @ 11:10am | Report comment
No angles, no passing, no agro, no one ran straight except the hooker, no support from anyone, run -get tackeld- second phase- boot it so they can have a turn!!
15 individuals who refuse to help their team by non support. How many times did we see a player without anyone around him or to back up? Only 80 minutes.
It is supposed to be a team of 15 players not a team of individuals who either don’t have confidence in the rest of the team or just want to hog the ball.
MickeyB said | November 24th 2009 @ 11:31am | Report comment
Bay 35 Pablo sums it up:
Improve ‘Quality’ and ‘Access’.
ACCESS
1. FTA to broadcast weekly super games for State teams. Rugby product has limited profile and appeal. Once Foxtel contract ends – negotiate to get the game out to the marketplace.
QUALITY
2. Implement the ELVs for Super rugby to create a greater spectacle for the market. Viewers want open, quick playing, multi phase playing rugby to differentiate between the structure style of League. Introduce simple laws to make kicking a less attractive option and, while not popular, you have to bring back rucking when the ball is deliberately being slowed down on the deck.
As the game builds to a try who wants some boofhead picking the ball up from a ruck and giving a penatly. Slowing the ball might be clever play – but it’s turning crowds off rugby in droves!
Let’s poach key international players to raise local profile and improve quality eg: Carter, Wilko, O’Driscoll, Habana and bring back o/s Aussie players.
In short: Improve the quality and access.
Mike G said | November 24th 2009 @ 11:41am | Report comment
100% agree with Shahsan, the fact that the 9th best side beat the 3rd is testament to the fact that the game is competitive in more than 3 countries around the world, ala RL. & this is the point that most of the pro League comments on this blog have missed (conveniently)…I think Leagueys really believe the world revolves around Sydney/Brisbane – too funny!!! It’s fair to say that there are 6-8 sides who could beat anyone else of this lot on their day & that is one of the most obvious & great things about the game they play in heaven, it is a global sport…Ok, obviously not to the extent of football, but you get my drift.
The problem for me with our current Wallabies side is that they are “playing scared”, ie not just kicking as the first option, but also failing to use basic, time honoured techniques like draw the man, pass, to create overlaps. I note the french Top 14 sides are able to do this, as well as a host of teams around the world, but not our national side. Prime example was the first 2 min’s of the Irish game – Cooper had at least a 4 on 2 outside him but chose to kick possession away rather than do what he should have done (& would’ve done before Deans got into his head). & whilst on Cooper, there is no doubt in my mind that Giteau is the best 12 in the country & is the ONLY position he should be playing…If he spits the dummy about that then see you later, team/country before individual mate!!
Sorry to rant but I’m just so frustrated with our great game at the mo, we have a lot of issues & part of me wants to see O’Neill put a few noses out of joint like he used to do (I suspect when he was brought back in he was told to lessen the “all about me” attitude – Bugger it, at least we were winning regularly at the time…Let’s get there again – whatever it takes!)
CliffyTahTah said | November 24th 2009 @ 11:51am | Report comment
Move Friday night S14 games to Saturday afternoons. Adults pay 10 or 15 bucks while kids pay a gold coin. Get the youngsters back involved.
Republican said | November 24th 2009 @ 11:54am | Report comment
The root of Unions woes in this country is a neglect of the grass roots which have always been vulnerable anyway. This is sport on the margins in this country and that it has managed to be at all competitive on the World stage is a credit to its players and GR’s culture. Union continues to run before it can walk in this country when it should really be building from the foudations up in my opinion.
Realistically, the code has been between a rock and hard place since going professional in this respect, because either way it is destined to remain a minor code in Australia. It could however continue to punch above it’s weight I believe, if it’s governing body was less obsessed with a top down approach to growth.
It is in a worse state than ever presently, which is due to a further dumbing down of its nurseries, despite an illusion of growth at the top elite end. This illusion is in the form of Super expansion, firstly with the advent of the Western Force to now be followed by the folly that is the Vic elite expansion.
This will likely spread any semblance of talent thinner as well as the resources and money required for GR development, which does not seem to be forthcoming despite all the razzamatazz of Super Rugby.
The quality of talent is clearly in decline in Oz and this current crop of Wallabies is testament to an incidious neglect of its GR’s.
Cheers
netrug said | November 24th 2009 @ 2:39pm | Report comment
I agree grass root Rugby is in all sorts of ploblems.
A case in point is my grandson. He played Rugby in a junior club from the age of 8 to 1o. Next year, the club could not field an 11 year old team because the most of the boys had gone to a private school. (How can private schools can prevent boys playing for junior clubs on Saturdays is beyond me).Because he loves to have the ball in hand, he joined an Aussie Rules junior club.
He went to Auskick camps and was soon selected in the Sydney representive team. Another player lost to Rugby because of the system.
At his high school, he plays Aussie rules, soccer and league. He wants to play Rugby and is quite a talented flyhalf and fullback (no worldbeater) but where is there a club for him to play in his age group?
ABCDEFG said | November 24th 2009 @ 2:06pm | Report comment
Back in 03/04 I followed Rugby Union like no other sport, Australia was winning games and the media coverage in Melbourne was huge, and this was for Rugby mind you. I’m not going to try and sound like a expert because I really don’t know what has happened since 04. I can’t remember if it was because we started losing or if matches were put on Foxtel exclusively but it slowly faded away from my conscience, now reading about them either winning or losing games means nothing to me. But I do remember the 2003 World Cup, it was magnificant to watch but for now at least I don’t care how the ARU will try to lure me back because I doubt they will succeed. In my opinion the Socceroos are Australia’s premier sports team as our young Aussie cricketers still have to prove themselves and the Wallabies are quickly becoming niche team in Australia.
Pippinu said | November 24th 2009 @ 2:41pm | Report comment
ABC
these sorts of individual stories happen backwards and forwards across all the codes.
AndyRoo said | November 24th 2009 @ 2:50pm | Report comment
The moving of Super 14 exclusively to fox was a big step backwards for Rugby.
MyGeneration said | November 24th 2009 @ 2:49pm | Report comment
So (serious question), if the Socceroos miss out on the World Cup after next, and the cricket team hits a lengthy slump, can the Wallabies “win” you back? Is it all about winning?
JimC said | November 24th 2009 @ 2:54pm | Report comment
CliffyTahTah has it correct. Tahs should play 3pm on Saturday or Sunday afternoon (a time RL has basically vacated for the TV dollar) and you will build again. Who said all matches have to be platyed under lights? It does nothing for me.
Families would appreciate it and that would reap dividends in later years.
Campbell Watts said | November 24th 2009 @ 3:06pm | Report comment
Too ture Jim!
Afternoon games have the advantage of good visibilty and no dew settling on the grass – better handling conditions condusive to good running rugby!!
Jim said | November 24th 2009 @ 3:23pm | Report comment
“a time RL has basically vacated for the TV dollar”
what are you talking about? NRL have matches on at 2pm and 3pm on sunday’s. sure the game at 2 is on fox and the game at 3 is delayed on win at 4pm, but RL has hardly vactacted the sunday time slot. The warriors sometimes play home games on sunday at 12pm too, which makes for a fantastic day of footy.
I also believe that AFL play afternoon games, so it really isn’t a ‘vacated’ time slot.
Jack Petro said | November 24th 2009 @ 7:20pm | Report comment
Yes 3pm on a Saturday when everyone should be out there supporting their local team!
Dean Pantio said | November 24th 2009 @ 5:32pm | Report comment
It’ll take them winning – that’s what bandwagon supporters do.
kick,clap,kick said | November 24th 2009 @ 8:13pm | Report comment
Didn’t the ARC play games on saturday afternoon ?..The rugger loving public really turned out in force…empty stands ,shocking crowds…
I dont think it matters what time you play.
PJ said | November 24th 2009 @ 10:26pm | Report comment
The fact is that rugger has never had widespread support, ever. The world cup in 03 was a one off, we were hosting the world cup and everyone got on the wagon. As soon as it was over, the wheels fell off and everyone went back to their own sports. If superleague couldn’t kill off footy then you know that support and love for league runs deep. If superleague had happenend to rugger what would have happened do you think? I think a second afl team in sydney would have been established years ago!!! We all know that most rugger chaps wouldn’t be caught dead watching footy or having their kids play it so they will all go to afl, even though league is your best chance at survival. At kids level the skills are the same, running, passing, tackling, kicking. It is at high school when you get your hands on them and corrupt them!! – only kidding. Look a Giteau, Genia etc all played league as kids and now are decent rugby players. Rugby just does not have the depth of grass root support and never will. It is too late, the horse bolted years ago and you don’t have the funds to promote and develop the game like you would wish. No sport does. FTA coverage will not help, look at the ratings for test matches, they are poor, and this is the pinnacle of the game.
Shahsan said | November 25th 2009 @ 5:08am | Report comment
“never had widespread support ever” where? In Australia or worldwide?
Tifosi said | November 24th 2009 @ 10:32pm | Report comment
Quote from today’s Sydney Morning Herald.
You know we are in trouble when Tottenham can score more points than we can.
Ouch.
westy said | November 24th 2009 @ 10:40pm | Report comment
Tifosi I like it.
Freud of Football said | November 25th 2009 @ 12:43am | Report comment
Reminds me of a time not too far in the past on Special 1 TV, there was a joke that went something like this:
“Whats the difference between Tottenham and a triangle?
- A triangle has three points” (when Tottenham was getting hammered at the start of last year)