Here’s a novel thought: ARU supremo John O’Neill calls the five Australian provinces together for a high level summit meeting. Each province arrives with their CEO, head coach, operations officer and financial officer, to be joined by the ARU’s CEO, high performance manager, rugby operations manager, financial manager and national coach.
That’s 25 people to nut out the future direction of professional Australian rugby.
O’Neill tells the assembled head-honchos that they must co-operate for the benefit of Australian rugby, and put the interests of the game above any self-interests.
O’Neill further tells the gathering the fiasco of 2005-06 when the WA Force entered the super rugby comp, must be avoided, never to be repeated.
Back then the Queensland Reds suffered disproportionately to the other Aussie franchises, losing more players to the Force than anyone else. With disastrous consequences to their immediate and short-term well-being.
The ARU then under the stewardship of Gary Flowers did little to nothing to prevent the blood-letting suffered by the Reds.
O’Neill tells the gathering the existing 4 provinces must all give a little, more or less in proportion with their respective strength, to help the Rebels in the short-term.
For example, the ACT Brumbies have 3 top quality flyhalfs. Only one can be in the run-on XV at any one time. While a second might come off the bench. Which means the third cools his heels in the stands.
This third player could be lent to the Rebels for two seasons, where presumedly he would benefit enormously with plenty of on-field time. He would then return to the Brumbies a much better player.
Already in both New Zealand and South Africa we see this kind of co-operation that is non-existent in Australia. NZ provinces regularly loan players from a position where they might be strong to another province that has a paucity in a particular position.
In SA this year, Northern Transvaal lent a lock to Natal to help through a critical injury crisis in this position.
Obviously, transfers/loans would have to be on a volunteer basis. No-one can be forced to relocate against their wishes. But surely, there must be young Australians with a thirst for adventure, and a desire to be part of something new, a frontier spirit.
Furthermore, the gathering itself would need to work through the details of how they would manage this situation.
Unfortunately in Australia, the provinces behave like scorched outback farmers and their water – it’s a precious commodity, and there’s too little of it, so they horde it for themselves.
There’s a saying that the secret to a winning team is when the sum of the whole is greater than its individual parts. This means everyone working together for the greater good of the whole rather than focusing on themselves.
Now that’s a novel thought: putting country before self!
Recommend this story.
The Turkey 10
The Turkey 10 teams have now been selected, as Wild Turkey Bourbon's sport sponsorship kicks into the next exciting phase.
Choose which side you're going to support and get in the running to win $2,500!
Simply visit Wild Turkey Australia on Facebook for your chance to win.
Find out more.
- Explore:
- Australian rugby, John ONeill, Rugby Union
February 27th 2010 @ 11:01am
Harry said | February 27th 2010 @ 11:01am | Report comment
It is apparant not enough thought was given to the introduction of a 5th team, as we now have the Rebels doing their upmost to cull top players from the other 4, irrespective of what damge it will do to those clubs and in the process the Wallabies. The Rebels should be told hands off the exsisting teams and prove you can operate as a successful club. You cannot expect to jump into the top overnight. If after a couple of years they need help then that should be available. The Force have struggled from day one and the stupid attitude of the ARU when the Force asked for some sense in wanting to play Staniforth because of an unfortunate spate of injuries shows that the ARU don’t have the right attitude. What’s the problem if they allow overseas players to come back and play in our season. Obviously these players cannot be considered for the Wallbies whilst they are they are also playing overseas but their availability will give the Australian teams a better chance of finishing nearer the top of the Super14 and next year the Super 15. The Rebels already have an big advantage that no other club has and that is they can import 10 players.
February 27th 2010 @ 11:11am
tarpo said | February 27th 2010 @ 11:11am | Report comment
Sheek,
Good article & I think you are on the right track. I have long advocated a draft for Australia.
It is plainly ridiculous that the Force can’t get a hooker or 5/8 in Aust when the Brumbies have three 5/8s & the Waratahs have three top hookers. Chapman (mainly plays 6) resigns for the Brumbies when Rocky is signed there too!
It makes more sense to me to allow each of the five Super sides to recruit say 3 international (marquee) players rather than to concentrate them at the Rebels. This would allow the Aust side that lost a top Aust player to replace them with an international thus maintaining their strength. eg if Hynes left the Reds for the Rebels they could recruit someone of his calibre from OS, therefore strengthening the Rebels without weakening the Reds.
This of course could be phased out/reduced as the local talent proved they were up to it.
There will never be a completely evening of the talent, & that is as it should be, but a draft would see a larger proportion of the talent Aust does have spending time on the pitch. Surely this is the best way to improve your game & certainly the best way for you to impress selectors.
February 27th 2010 @ 11:16am
Republican said | February 27th 2010 @ 11:16am | Report comment
Big Al
The Wallabies rest assured are still an Australian team albeit with a Kiwi coach. The Rebels will be predominately made up of O/S players, due to Vics lack of Union pedigree.
Having said that, the Brumbies should return their 8 Vic Academy players to the Rebels, which would give them a tribal culture to build on. This would engender a more passionate local support base in my opinion.
This is the Force all over again really i.e to say, the thinning of an already wafer thin Aust Union talent pool. Australian Super franchises will be rendered even less competitive for many years to come me thinks.
Cheers
February 27th 2010 @ 11:47am
Justin said | February 27th 2010 @ 11:47am | Report comment
Rep – While there is an “option” for 10 OS players it has been repeatedly stated by Maqueen that the team will be predominantly Australian.
If the Rebels could get back the Academy players and others like Ioane, Horua and Lealifano for instance there would be some home-grown VICs from day one.
February 27th 2010 @ 11:43am
bever fever said | February 27th 2010 @ 11:43am | Report comment
Why are these Australian teams continually called provinces ?, from where does this term come, and are the ARU bigwigs referring to these teams as provinces.
February 27th 2010 @ 5:22pm
sheek said | February 27th 2010 @ 5:22pm | Report comment
It’s easier than saying states & territories.
Besides, ACT has taken a chunk of Southern NSW, demonstrating that sporting divisions don’t necessarily match geo-political divisions. Nor should they be expected to.
Provinces is practical & sensible……….
February 27th 2010 @ 12:11pm
Republican said | February 27th 2010 @ 12:11pm | Report comment
Justin
What Mac Queen says is quite different from the current reality.
We are not seeing alot of Oz content let alone Vic content as yet, although it looks like those Rebels have managed to lure Mortlock for a corporate motza no doubt, just before he is put out to pasture.
bever fever
‘Provinces’ are howKiwis refer to their jurisdictions, so Union being so culturally influenced by Kiwi’s in Oz, our states are referred to as Provinces, in respect of the the Super comp anyway.
The only true Aust Union ‘Provinces’ (States) are of course NSW and Qld, and even then the game is restricted to certain enclaves of Sydney and Brissy, the rest simply manufactured to create an illusion that Union is somehow a national code.
Cheers
February 27th 2010 @ 12:16pm
bever fever said | February 27th 2010 @ 12:16pm | Report comment
I suspected it a kiwi or saffa term, here i was thinking the next team admitted would be Hutt River province in WA, i imagine Prince Leonard would be quite happy about that.
February 27th 2010 @ 12:32pm
bever fever said | February 27th 2010 @ 12:32pm | Report comment
BTW in case some people are not aware here is the link for HRP, very interesting.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hutt_River_Province
February 27th 2010 @ 12:38pm
Onceinawhile said | February 27th 2010 @ 12:38pm | Report comment
What do you mean restricted? I live in Penrith, am I somehow breaking the law by following/playing rugby, and where do the Brumbies fit in to your interpretation of ‘Provinces’.
February 27th 2010 @ 12:43pm
Ora said | February 27th 2010 @ 12:43pm | Report comment
Provinces are how kiwis deternmine the teams that make up the Super 14 franchises
The Wellington Hurricanes are a regional team that includes the provinces of Taranaki, Hawke Bay, Manawatu and Wellington City
The New Zealand teams are regional teams they are not provincial teams
February 27th 2010 @ 12:18pm
Rickety Knees said | February 27th 2010 @ 12:18pm | Report comment
Great post Sheek – agree completely
February 27th 2010 @ 12:35pm
Cattledog said | February 27th 2010 @ 12:35pm | Report comment
Yeah, good post Sheek. Only wish there was some semblance of reality about it…although stranger things have happened!
February 27th 2010 @ 3:00pm
formeropenside said | February 27th 2010 @ 3:00pm | Report comment
Rubbish, the Force and 5th team should be disbanded and the Brumbies moved to Melbourne, if the ARU is serious about Australian rugby. But they aren’t. They still play tests v SA in Perth, where its pretty much a home crowd for the Boks.
They play AB matches in Melbourne: a slap in the face to the heartlands, and also the conditions are close to NZ: why would you do this if you want the Wallabies to win?
February 27th 2010 @ 3:19pm
Cattledog said | February 27th 2010 @ 3:19pm | Report comment
FOS, I agree with your sentiments about where tests are played, however, your thinking on only having 3 franchises is somewhat blinkered. The additional teams are needed to mould players at the highest level before test rugby. Should there be a tier above Premier AKA ARC, then there would be a semblance of reason in the argument.
Under the current structure, the additional franchises are essential IMHO.
February 27th 2010 @ 4:04pm
formeropenside said | February 27th 2010 @ 4:04pm | Report comment
Oh, and there should be an 8-team ARC as well, but I thought that went without saying.
We won two world cups with three franchises (actually, we one one with only two franchises, really) so I dont really see why two extra franchises (which dont produce significant player numbers) are necessary. Three quality teams would be better than 5 mediocre ones.
February 27th 2010 @ 5:34pm
Cattledog said | February 27th 2010 @ 5:34pm | Report comment
FOS. Your argument breaks down when we talk about the current structure ie. no ARC. If we had one superb team, which basically stepped up as the National Team as required, then we wouldn’t need two, or three, or five. However, if we want to mould particular players and gain depth, then we need the additional franchises.
Look at the Reds after the Force pillage and look again now. It’s just that we have some strong schoolboy talent coming through. It’ll be sometime before ACT and WA will be producing their own players in the necessary quantity. Same with Melbourne. But it’s great to think that there’s opportunity for other players out of NSW and QLD to get some rugby at the best level possible before National representation.
We need some years of hurt IOT benefit with the additional depth. The structure of rugby is changing so whilst we may have won several WC with three teams, I would argue that this may no longer be the case with the requirement these days to have a multitude of players ready to step up having had the opportunity at Super 15
February 27th 2010 @ 5:27pm
sheek said | February 27th 2010 @ 5:27pm | Report comment
FOS,
The last time I suggested the Brumbies move to Melbourne, about 10 years ago, because they pinched Vic’s colours – Navy & White (with a dash of Gold) – I very nearly got lynched!
Of course, I also said they had a equine (re Brumbies) tradition (Melbourne Cup) & had a 100,000 seat stadium, but I still got nearly lynched!!!
February 27th 2010 @ 3:16pm
Hawko said | February 27th 2010 @ 3:16pm | Report comment
On paper the Waratahs and Brumbies have the two strongest squads in Oz, but paper is pretty worthless as we’ve seen so far. Without the Force injury calamity, the Brumbies would now be one from three and the Waratahs are very likely to be one from three come tomorrow morning.
The Rebels will get good players from teams with too much talent and I think that one of the three 10′s at the Brumbies will want to play S15 as will Kimlin, Freir or Fitzpatrick will want to play S15, Beale will want to get away from Weismantel’s non-coaching and make no mistake he is a talent, Nadolo and Betham will want to play S15, so will Kingi and Morahan, so will Dave Dennis, Cam Jowitt, Dan Palmer, Rory Sidey, Chris Thompson, Adam D’Arcy, Locky Mc Caffrey and Brendan McKibbin.
With the addition of some class and experience from overseas, plus Mortlock to captain you have the basis of a very good team. MacQueen will be a major attraction, he is a great coach and a lot of Waratahs will want to go south to be on his squad. Hickey will still be the Tah’s coach by the time all the negotiations are done and dusted, who wouldn’t want to go? Only the old and bold.
I think things will sort themselves out before the end of May. The bigger issue is how to expand the talent pool at the next level down.
February 27th 2010 @ 5:36pm
MW said | February 27th 2010 @ 5:36pm | Report comment
Sheek
Good idea but where do RUPA stand on a draft?
February 27th 2010 @ 11:28pm
sheek said | February 27th 2010 @ 11:28pm | Report comment
MW, short answer – don’t know.
But I suspect they stand on the players’ side. However, whether you are management or shop floor, the smart operators understand that arriving at a collective position that benefits both sides of the fence.
February 28th 2010 @ 10:35am
MW said | February 28th 2010 @ 10:35am | Report comment
Sheek, I don’t know either but I suspect if they were on side with it we would have it already.