Questions for NSW Waratahs CEO Jim L’Estrange to answer on The Roar
Roar Pro
By The Roar, 11 Jan 2010 The Roar is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- Jim L'Estrange, Rugby Union, Super Rugby, Waratahs
Waratahs feeling the pain - photo by Oscar Jimenez
The NSW Waratahs CEO Jim L’Estrange has told The Roar that he is happy to provide detailed answers to 10 questions put to him by readers of The Roar. This follows the successful Q and A session on The Roar by the ARU CEO John O’Neill.
Like O’Neill, at the time, L’Estrange is going into a challenging season with the Waratahs.
There was widespread disenchantment with the style of play of the Waratahs. The Super 14 schedule this season does not include a home derby match. As the NSWRU is dependent on gates receipts there is a possibility that the fall-off in crowds might be continued.
To its credit, the NSWRU has set up a separate board for the Waratahs to maximise their interests in Super Rugby.
This season, too, is the last Super 14 tournament. In 2011 each SANZAR country will have five teams which will allow for 20 local derbies games. And for 2010 the Waratahs have recruited Berrick Barnes to give the backline, which is full of talented runners, some direction.
What we want to hear from Jim L’Estrange is what plans and policies have been developed to allow the Waratahs to fulfill their destiny, as one of rugby greatest provincial sides since 1882, in winning a Super Rugby title.
So over to readers of The Roar. What are the questions you want Jim L’Estrange to answer? Leave your questions in the comments section below.
(At the end of the week, we will select the best ten questions posted as comments below to be answered by L’Estrange. Interested in this for another code or team? Suggest your Q&A here.)
Enjoy sports? Enjoy a bargain? All Sports Online has your favourite sporting brands at up to 70% off. Online only, premium quality sporting goods and merchandise at discounted prices. Get a deal now.
Do you have what it takes to become a sports writer? Write for the roar
Rugby Union articles
- Will Super Rugby crowds continue their slide? (201)
- Will South African rugby force a Super 21 by 2018? (173)
- The real story of how John O’Neill turned Manchester City down (70)
- Dan Parks and the unsolved questions of expat rugby (65)
- Australian teams at Super disadvantage (58)
- Pocock set to be named new Force skipper (56)
- Can the ‘Tahs win the battle after losing the Waugh? (51)
- France turns to Parra and Trinh-Duc
- Rebels look to lift for formidable Blues in rugby trial
- Mr Fix-It Lucas wants to nail down No.10
- Force roost loses ‘Mother Hen’ Sharpe
- Waratahs romp to 83-5 trial win over Samoa A (2)
- Quade Cooper’s return to the Reds goes up a gear
- Chiefs continue to wait for SBW (7)
- Wales show Southern Hemisphere how to play running rugby (29)
- What opening matches of Six Nations taught us (19)
- Will Super Rugby crowds continue their slide? (202)
- Clinical Chiefs cost rusty Rebels in Corio (9)
- Six Nations shows rugby is a parochial game at heart (5)
- Goose’s Super Rugby up-and-comer XV for 2012 (29)
- What does the future hold for the Six Nations (50)
- Explore:
- Jim L'Estrange, Rugby Union, Super Rugby, Waratahs
Brett McKay said | January 11th 2010 @ 7:33am | Report comment
this will be interesting….
True Tah said | January 11th 2010 @ 7:50am | Report comment
Jim,
when are we going to see any more Super 14 games on a Sunday afternoon?
Matt said | January 11th 2010 @ 7:57am | Report comment
Great shout Jim.
Bay35Pablo said | January 11th 2010 @ 7:58am | Report comment
1. In recent years the NSWRU’s focus on grassroots rugby and development appears to have lapsed, with the focus mainly being on the professional level (i.e. the Waratahs). In the 2008 ARU Annual Report, it was indicated that it was going to take over more of the development side of rugby from the state unions. The NSWRU web site sections dealing with development have not been updated for some years. With the recent setting up of NSW Waratahs P/L, exactly how does the NSWRU intend to focus on development and fund it (and will the fuinds be any greater), what resources are going to be put into development, and is the NSWRU going to release publicly a detailed plan of how it intends to develop rugby at all levels in NSW? How will this work with what the ARU will be doing?
2. Is the NSWRU going to develop and release a medium to long term plan for further developing club rugby’s Shute Shield into a more professional competition, or is it content to let the competition continue as it is? Will this be left to the clubs to developer and administer, or will NSWRU be involved in an active way?
3. How does the NSWRU intend to deal with the competing unions and competitions of school and junior rugby, and put in place a more streamlined structure? At this point in time the schools competitions are fragmented (GPS, IAS, CHS, etc), and some competitions playing on Saturdays denies players to junior clubs. Can the NSWRU achieve anything given the schools’ influence within the NSWRU, and the likelihood that many will insist on tradition winning out over better structures?
4. Are there any plans to consolidate the multiple unions and structures currently dealing with rugby in NSW (e.g. Country RU, Juniors RU, Schools RU, Suburban RU), to achieve savings in administration, and reduce duplication? Why are so many unions needed?
5. Does the NSWRU have in place, or is it planned to have in place, a registration process to avoid duplicate counting of junior, schools and rep players, to enable a proper audit of player numbers to be underatken, or is the NSWRU working with the ARU to do so?
That’s just off the top of my head in the 10 minutes before I start work.
Yikes said | January 11th 2010 @ 8:27am | Report comment
1, 2 and 4 I like, Bay, and would like to see them included!
I think 3 and 5 are unanswerable. The private schools are a law unto themselves. They play many, many sports and imagine if all those sports’ governing bodies tried to control the structures of competition. It would be chaos. The schools don’t have “influence within the NSWRU”, they just do whatever they want.
And until the private schools release the personal details of their students to external sporting organisations (ie. never!) you will have some duplication in player numbers. This is faced by every code.
This is a good initiative. Good luck to Jim.
Brett McKay said | January 11th 2010 @ 7:59am | Report comment
Has there been discussion among the Australian Super coaches, or are there expectations from the ARU to follow NZ’s lead and have the S14 sides play more expansive and attractive rugby?
Will NSW allow Chris Hickey to revert to his tradional game that served him so well in club rugby, or is “win ugly” still included in Standard Operating Procedures?
rugbyfuture said | January 11th 2010 @ 10:20am | Report comment
Is the NSWRU working, truly, on developing interest in less traditional Rugby Union bases, how will they approach this as a fulltime product marketing regime and will they include the trageting of traditionally League based areas and schools to maximise future player potential from these areas.
Hansie said | January 11th 2010 @ 7:48pm | Report comment
This is the key question, especially with the AFL juggernaut hitting Western Sydney.
rugbyfuture said | January 11th 2010 @ 10:28am | Report comment
are the NSWRU working on opening up communication channels between enthusiasts and administration and in that process opening up the game of Rugby Union. Will they take heed of comments from the community and balance them with clever administration in order to bring the game both back to the people who proudly upheld it and back to profitability through this process.
Simon said | January 11th 2010 @ 10:49am | Report comment
Are NSW resigned to the fact that we will again loose a fair chunk of our second tier players and at least a few of our first team players given Melbourne starting from scratch next season? What extra recruiting and development strategies are being put in place to minimise the impact of this transition for Aus rugby?
LeftArmSpinner said | January 11th 2010 @ 1:21pm | Report comment
why arent the 5000 members who turn up to every home game expected to buy another ticket to ANZ when the best game of the year is moved there and what is the real breakeven for the game at ANZ, including factoring in the disillusionment that members feel and react to when a game is moved?
rugbyfuture said | January 11th 2010 @ 1:36pm | Report comment
get a waratahs membership if you want to attend their games, you can attend the games then, you’re a member of the scg and sfs trust, not the NSWRU its like asking for tickets to the movies when you just bought a donut from the place next door
Mike said | January 11th 2010 @ 2:21pm | Report comment
How do you plan to get the crowds back to the SFS? Having been a season ticket holder for the past 10 years, it’s a real shame to see the numbers drop off so much. Wouldn’t it be better to lower the price of a ticket to ensure more bums on seats, than play to a 1/4 full stadium?
rugbyfuture said | January 11th 2010 @ 4:34pm | Report comment
how is the NSWRU working on retaining top class schoolboys within RU with such open recruitment happening at their games from the NRL?