Why isn’t rugby shown live on Free To Air TV?
Roar Pro By Gavin Norman, 14 Jul 2010 Gavin Norman is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- free to air tv, Rugby Union, Seven Network, shute shield
227 Have your say
You may have noticed we recently launched a campaign “Rugby on Free To Air”. The aim of the campaign is to get some backward Television Network operators to give rugby viewers throughout Australia (in particular Melbourne) a fair go.
The main focus is the Seven Network and their rights to broadcast coverage of the Tri-Nations.
For those who are unaware, the Seven Network have the Free To Air broadcast rights for June Tests and Tri-Nations. 2010 is the last year of their broadcast agreement, with the Nine Network to take over next year.
At present, fans in Melbourne (and Perth) can either pay a premium for Foxtel (live coverage), or watch a re-run of some classic family movie, then “enjoy” delayed coverage four hours later at midnight!
Considering we’re living in 2010, you could scratch your head and ask why do we have this issue? Surely Digital Television or “Free View” could solve this dilemma?
The anti-siphoning laws stipulate that particular sporting events must be accessible to all viewers, therefore they must be broadcast on the analog channels only. Currently analog and digital are broadcast simultaneously, with the analog signal earmarked to be decommissioned in 2013.
A long wait, you could say.
“Everyone should have the right to watch Rugby live on Free to Air (FTA) television. Especially when their national sporting team, the Wallabies, are competing in the toughest international Rugby competition in the world, the Tri-Nations.”
It’s hard to argue with that statement, considering how many other national sporting events are broadcast live (Rugby League Internationals, International Cricket, Melbourne Cup etc.). So why isn’t international rugby?
People have their opinions about the Seven commentary team. But it’s about the quantity, not the quality, getting the public interested in Rugby.
In addition, since ABC have ceased to broadcast their high definition channel, ABC HD (a simulcast of NSW ABC 1), we’ve subsequently lost coverage of the Shute Shield competition. A significant blow for rugby tragics.
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- Explore:
- free to air tv, Rugby Union, Seven Network, shute shield
July 14th 2010 @ 8:24am
Redb said | July 14th 2010 @ 8:24am | Report comment
Currently Foxtel do a better job of coverage of the AFL than FTA. Its live, more camera angles, dont go to a commercial break at every goal, more replays, slomos, better analysis. Foxtel has real footy discussion shows not the comedy rubbish we get on Ch 9 the only the exception the Sunday shows on Ch 7 & 9 and Ch 10′s Before the Game.
FTA is over rated for the sports fan.
July 14th 2010 @ 10:59am
The Link said | July 14th 2010 @ 10:59am | Report comment
Different case for Rugby in Australia given its current concentrated following, both geographic and demographic. Some FTA is better than nothing.
July 14th 2010 @ 9:06am
Nick said | July 14th 2010 @ 9:06am | Report comment
I recently wrote to 9 to ask them why they will not air the SoO RL live, ‘Because we do not want to offend the AFL fanbase’ was thier response … Im in SA and yes we are backwards in general, so it actually made sense to me that SA and AFL are doing what they can to keep the sport alive, not that I agree with thier response.
Simply the networks at PRESENT dont care and to be honest only the rugby states get the good stuff. Come 2013 though channel 7, 9 and 10 are vying for NRL rights hopefully this will reflect a passion in the other Rugby Code.
Disgusting how we get inundated with ‘National’ pride when it comes to soccer and badminton but when the toughest sport on the planet RU and our national team play doesnt rate a mention.
July 14th 2010 @ 9:22am
Redb said | July 14th 2010 @ 9:22am | Report comment
I suggest you provide evidence of your response, coz its sounds like BS to me. The previous two RL SOO were telecast live in Melbourne, the third wasn’t as the series was dead, it was on delay. Nothing to do with AFL fans or else they would not have shown the first two games.
July 14th 2010 @ 9:58am
Nick said | July 14th 2010 @ 9:58am | Report comment
Im from SA and I will
July 14th 2010 @ 11:04am
JamesP said | July 14th 2010 @ 11:04am | Report comment
Agreed RedB
“Because we do not want to offend the AFL fanbase”
That is absolute krap…totally made up
More likely the reason is “because it will not RATE”
July 14th 2010 @ 9:21am
JF said | July 14th 2010 @ 9:21am | Report comment
Yes, the current situation is pretty disgusting. Why wouldn’t seven broadcast the NZ SA games, Wallabies fans are just as interested in these games, not to mention the significant SA and NZ expat populations. I am sorry, but I do not buy this line about Rugby not being entertaining enough, with all the crap that is on TV, you are telling me that the 2 best Rugby teams in the world slugging it out in an outstanding display of Rugby played last weekend, played at 5.30 AEST, is not a spectacle enough? The monotonous, predictable rythm of an NRL game, the shambolic mess of an AFL contest – this is regarded as a great spectacle? What are you doing JON??
What is the story with the Shute Shield games? No more coverage, is this right? I have been loving watching the last couple of weeks through iView, losing the Brisbane comp was bad enough – now this!
There is just not the value in Pay TV, why do I have to pay for a plethora of rubbish channels for 12 months when I just want 1 channel for part of the year? Can’t watch Queensland play Rugby on FTA in Queensland, but can watch the suburbs of Melbourne do battle several times every weekend in the AFL, beamed live into my Queensland home. WTF is going on!
July 14th 2010 @ 9:38am
Nashi said | July 14th 2010 @ 9:38am | Report comment
I agree its pretty lame that we miss out on NZ v SA games, particularly when they are so good! Unfortunately they are not covered by anti syphoning.
I agree re Pay TV, its just too expensive if all you want is a bit of rugby. Still the landscape will change in the next few years if the NBN plows ahead. Hopefully the ARU will think long and hard about broadcasters who warehouse content because they don’t have a free delivery medium. The experiment with the Aus Baa Baas games was interesting and offers a glimpse of the future. The trouble is it was run by Fox who must weigh the benefits of removing the exclusivity from a key uptake driver for Pay TV.
If Fox made their Running Rugby a streaming service I would be happy to pay on a per view or subscription basis. I would happily pay for NH content as well if the price was right. The 6 hour delay is a real disincentive for the 3N when FTA is available.
For all that the NBN really changes the landscape, let’s hope the ARU takes the initiative!
July 14th 2010 @ 1:48pm
Rugbywits said | July 14th 2010 @ 1:48pm | Report comment
For people (like me) who dont have pay-tv at home because the packages encourage us to put more money into that than we do onto our plates each week – xbox is going to put ESPN on its internet package, followed by foxtel in total later in the year. Not sure exactly when. I’ve also heard the packages with be more tailored to the audience. IE males.
So with ESPN you can watch northern hemisphere ruggers and hopefully the packages put on when the whole shebang comes out will be usefull smaller packages that are specific to audience.
July 14th 2010 @ 1:51pm
Brett McKay said | July 14th 2010 @ 1:51pm | Report comment
Wits, Foxtel and Telstra are having similar conversations about current pay channels being offered on the new TBox, too. Another one to watch out for..
July 15th 2010 @ 11:31am
Nashi said | July 15th 2010 @ 11:31am | Report comment
Brett, I saw an add last night on tele saying the tbox could be yours for just $100 per month! If that’s the going rate its just OTT for a bit of rugby. I would be supised if xbox pricing was remarkably different, again its a question of packaging. I don’t want the package, I just want Rugby!
July 15th 2010 @ 11:45am
Working Class Rugger said | July 15th 2010 @ 11:45am | Report comment
Nashi
Fortunately the TBOX is only the of a number of similar devices that will soon be making there way onto the market. Hopefully with the increase in competition as opposed to our current PayTV setups (Foxtel and Austar practically the same company, Select TV is useless and does Optus Vision still exist.) prices will fall making these options far more affordable and worthwhile.
July 14th 2010 @ 10:00am
Go_the_Wannabe's said | July 14th 2010 @ 10:00am | Report comment
If you don’t want Foxtel, then just do what I do…..stroll down to the local, imbibe a few bevvy’s with some mates, enjoy the atmosphere and then shout the missus a lovely counter dinner afterwards.
You’ve stimulated the economy, got out of the house and can lay claim to the famous Aussie saying “Who says I never take you out?”
Everyone’s a winner!
July 14th 2010 @ 10:17am
Rabbitz said | July 14th 2010 @ 10:17am | Report comment
Gold
July 14th 2010 @ 10:02am
sheek said | July 14th 2010 @ 10:02am | Report comment
Personally, I think you’re all barking up the wrong tree carrying on about FTA coverage, as frustrating as it may be.
Basically, it’s like rabbiting on about what kind of house you would like when you don’t even have the deposit to buy one.
Firstly, we need more youth playing rugby, so swelling the player participation base is critical. From more players will come more quality players, marquee players, the ‘X-factor’ for any sport.
Tied in with this is a required investigation & overhaul of our rugby structures, many of which are carry overs from the amateur era, & are no longer serving the game in an efficient manner.
July 14th 2010 @ 10:08am
JF said | July 14th 2010 @ 10:08am | Report comment
5 teams playing in the best provincial comp in the world + the best annual international tournament in the world, sounds like a pretty good deposit to me. We have a legitimate product, it is shown to a fraction of the population = big problem.
FTA brings revenue and exposure which inturn promotes the game to get more people playing rugby.
July 14th 2010 @ 10:22am
sheek said | July 14th 2010 @ 10:22am | Report comment
JF,
I hear you, but the lack of FTA exposure isn’t something that came about yesterday.
It’s been with us our whole professional era 1996-present. Okay, contractual arrangements prevented S12-14 from being shown on FTA. The ARU simply doesn’t carry enough punching power to do otherwise.
AFL & NRL can split their games between PTV & FTA, not Aussie rugby. So we need to become stronger – more players & better structures. That will give the game some substantial collateral.
July 14th 2010 @ 2:03pm
Billo Boy said | July 14th 2010 @ 2:03pm | Report comment
sheek “contractual arrangements prevented S12-14 from being shown on FTA”. The S12 was devised as a new competition specifically to create something unique to get the News Corp money in 1995. Rugby put all its assets into that decision.
It’s a bit much to cry now about the lack of free to air coverage when rugby made the package up to get the big money from pay television on the basis that it was an exclusive product.
The FFA has done the same thing with the A League and its fans are crying foul too.
The problem lays with the ARU and FFA, not anywhere else.
July 14th 2010 @ 3:00pm
sheek said | July 14th 2010 @ 3:00pm | Report comment
Billo Boy – I’m not the one complaining about lack of FTA coverage for rugby, but I’m trying to offer some solutions…..
July 14th 2010 @ 11:37am
jacko said | July 14th 2010 @ 11:37am | Report comment
shreek,
I look at it the other way – unless we get rugby on FTA then we wont get youth playing. If they dont talk about it week to week in the school yard (like league and aussie rules) they will have no interest. The other 2 codes get the interest as FTA games and sports reports ram it down everyones throats!
July 14th 2010 @ 3:02pm
sheek said | July 14th 2010 @ 3:02pm | Report comment
Jacko – I guess it’s a double-edged sword, you know, chicken & egg argument. But clearly Aussie rugby doesn’t hold enough strong cards to get any sway with the FTA TV stations.
July 14th 2010 @ 10:28am
AndrewM said | July 14th 2010 @ 10:28am | Report comment
From a football fan, I can see your point of view.. Rugby should be available on FTA in melbourne using the other digital channels. I am not sure exactly how the laws work though for utilising say channel 71 or 73 to transmitt a different signal.. SBS had to get special permission to allow replay games of the world cup onto it’s other digital channel..
Honestly if the FTA broadcasters don’t get their act together they are going to lose out to Internet TV, where you will be able to stream the content from somewhere else, bypassing their signal and their advertisements. This surely in the long run is going to cost them.
The Digital broadcasting of extra channels needs to be sorted out, and quickly.
If you want to watch the game live, watch it on your computer for now , on my favorite site, iraqgoals dot net!
July 14th 2010 @ 10:33am
Brett McKay said | July 14th 2010 @ 10:33am | Report comment
Something we probably shouldn’t forget in all this is that the ARU overlooked a bid from Ten/OneHD for the S15 & TNs for next year, in favour of a higher bid from Fox Sports on the conditions of exclusivity. That is, the ARU have decided – in the short term at least – that money is more important than potential viewers.
And that would be exactly the same argument Seven use to justify its rugby coverage decision-making…
July 14th 2010 @ 10:42am
JF said | July 14th 2010 @ 10:42am | Report comment
This is the ARU’s quandry. Someone has to bite the bullet, what the ARU also have to realise is that the ratings and subsequent value of 3N games are diminished by having no S14 on FTA. Super Rugby lets people get to know the players, who is doing what, who the Kiwi and Saffa guns will be this year, what style of Rugby is dominating.
July 14th 2010 @ 11:01am
Brett McKay said | July 14th 2010 @ 11:01am | Report comment
exactly my point, JF. Unfortunately, no bullet-biting for the next four (?) years at least. The best we can hope for is that the S15 highlights on Nine does very well next year, and that they might consider showing games down the track..
July 14th 2010 @ 11:09am
JF said | July 14th 2010 @ 11:09am | Report comment
So frustrating! I am worried about how nine will handle this highlights show, Ch9 knows sfa about Rugby – and is it really in there best interest to essentially promote Fox Sports?
July 14th 2010 @ 11:13am
Gavin Norman said | July 14th 2010 @ 11:13am | Report comment
Only reason why 9 bought the rights was to compete on Saturday nights, due to Foxtel owning the League rights.
More on your comment below Brett.
July 14th 2010 @ 11:43am
Jay said | July 14th 2010 @ 11:43am | Report comment
Good comment.
Thanks for providing some prespective Brett.
July 14th 2010 @ 12:30pm
Brett McKay said | July 14th 2010 @ 12:30pm | Report comment
Jay, it doesn’t mean I’m happy about the situation though!!
July 14th 2010 @ 10:36am
AndrewM said | July 14th 2010 @ 10:36am | Report comment
yes brett but it surely won’t cost channel seven a dime to broadcast this event to melbourne live on the other digital channels it has.. Channel seven currently has 4 digital channels. 7, 70, 71, 72 and 73. With 7, 70 and 72 being used, they have 2 channels to choose from.
There is no reason not to offer this game live to melbourne fans on these channels.
July 14th 2010 @ 10:46am
Brett McKay said | July 14th 2010 @ 10:46am | Report comment
Andrew, I don’t disagree with you at all, and I also think 7TWO would be the perfect place to show the NZ-SA games too, but my point was just that Seven have obviously decided that more people will watch National Lampoon’s European Vacation in Melbourne/Adelaide/Perth (and therefore equalling more ad revenue) than will watch the rugby live.
The only thing I can think that would stop them showing the Wallabies live on 7TWO would be the AS laws. But NZ-SA games certainly wouldn’t be on the ASL, and so could be shown on 7TWO if they wanted to. But unfortunately, Seven have decided that it does indeed cost them to show rugby live in those markets, and so they don’t do anything more than they have to by law…
July 14th 2010 @ 11:22am
Gavin Norman said | July 14th 2010 @ 11:22am | Report comment
Very true Brett, the anti siphoning laws only include matches with the Wallabies.
The laws are currently under review and hopefully change for the better.
July 14th 2010 @ 2:10pm
Billo Boy said | July 14th 2010 @ 2:10pm | Report comment
Gavin Norman “the anti siphoning laws only include matches with the Wallabies. The laws are currently under review and hopefully change for the better.”
Why should the Super comp be added when it was specifically devised in the first place by David Moffett and SANZAR to avoid the anti siphoning list and make it worth something to News Ltd and Fox?
July 15th 2010 @ 10:16am
Gavin Norman said | July 15th 2010 @ 10:16am | Report comment
How is Super Rugby relevant to this discussion? We’re discussing the Wallabies/Tri-Nations FTA coverage, doubt Super Rugby (a full match) will ever make it’s way to FTA in the near future.
July 14th 2010 @ 11:10am
Chris said | July 14th 2010 @ 11:10am | Report comment
I dare say the majority of us don’t even want any Union on FTA, because it’s boring to watch, the game has no super stars. I’m not trying to start a big argument by saying this, but I think it has become apparent that Union’s current health / position is the best that it is ever going to be from here on it, it’s not gong to get any better. People who like to watch Union should be happy with the fact that nine has picked it up, if this is not it’s last FTA contract, it’s probably it’s second last.
July 14th 2010 @ 11:14am
sheek said | July 14th 2010 @ 11:14am | Report comment
Chris,
The truth hurts, & what you say is mostly true. Expect some flak your direction…..
July 14th 2010 @ 11:43am
jacko said | July 14th 2010 @ 11:43am | Report comment
and superstars are made by????? TV and press reports!
The media tell us Issy F or Buddy Franklin are superstars and the punters fall for it hook, line and sinker. I’m not saying they arnt talented athletes (as they clearly are), rather if the media decared and pushed Fat Cat Robinson or ACC as a superstar 90% of punters would agree because the box and daily fish and chip wrapper told them so….
July 14th 2010 @ 11:48am
Chris said | July 14th 2010 @ 11:48am | Report comment
Mate I honestly don’t think Union is a game where Super Stars can come about. You took league super stars Wendell Sailor and Lote Tuqiri but the game Union restricted them, it didn’t allow them to be the super stars they were capable of. I’m no expert on Union so maybe someone can tell me what it is. Is it the fact that it all comes down to the forwards, I don’t know.
July 14th 2010 @ 11:57am
titus said | July 14th 2010 @ 11:57am | Report comment
Chris, it’s all media-driven. Can’t you understand that? Superstars are made by the media. Otherwise they are just the best players in their sport. As for Sailor and Tuqiri, they just dropped out of the media spotlight because rugby isn’t in the spotlight. You are exactly the type of consumer the media loves. Sheep following the herd (or is that flock?)
July 14th 2010 @ 12:01pm
Chris said | July 14th 2010 @ 12:01pm | Report comment
Yes titus, there is nothing wrong with Union and the way it’s played it’s an absolute buzz to watch!! (sarcasm, just in case your that delusional) It’s the media’s fault there hasn’t been a super star produced in Union for well never.
July 14th 2010 @ 12:09pm
Nick said | July 14th 2010 @ 12:09pm | Report comment
Latham, Gregan, Waugh? ahh you must be an AFL follower, even in a southern state like mine in SA, we know of these stars becasue of the media. Just because you dont like rugby doesnt mean its not a buzz to watch.
Union is like UFC with a ball, greatest game on earth and one of the best game to view live, those ovals you play on … when the ball is in the other foward line and the players are specks in the distance … I find myself not caring for half an AFL match when I watch it live. I just bet the rush to the kiosk.
Back to the point, hopefully the next Rugby World cup will generate the needed viewers even for a short while but hopefully the networks can appreciate that there is a large audience out there.
July 14th 2010 @ 12:32pm
JF said | July 14th 2010 @ 12:32pm | Report comment
Titus is spot on, Superstars are a fabrication of the media.
July 14th 2010 @ 12:39pm
oikee said | July 14th 2010 @ 12:39pm | Report comment
Titus, i mentioned this on a union blog a year ago. Rugby union can not allow super stars to shine. Fans love to see scores, try’s. They want to see players week-in, week-out producing dazzling efforts. Unfortunately for union, the game does not allow this to happen , consistantly.
Have alook at the superstars of top14, they are forwards. This would go over like a lead balloon in Australia, it would get laughed off the tele.
The latest superstar was Wilkinson, did he ever score a try.
Fans who follow rugby league are not stupid, like some people make them out to be. They recognise talent, skill, and athletes. These players are in tip top condition, they have excelled at other sports, like running, jumping, so on.
Hayne, Uarte, Jennings, Sprinters school champions. Folau Duffy, highjump school champions, Idris, Javelin champion…
Nick, i think he follows rugby league mate. “Waugh”,? was he dumped or just retired. Please tell me you are not putting him up as a superstar, surely you are not that confused.
Do you even know what a superstar is? Look, the other day we moved on a bit in rugby league, we went from super stars to mega stars.
The simple fact is, rugby league has evolved and is now designed to allow for these types of players, great athletes who can become the super humans we all want them to be. Rugby league is also developing a superstar flyer, a player like Folau(who is awesome, not only at jumping, but is all power) and go to the next level, which is hero worship.
Have alook at Hayne or Slater around kids, they flock to them like moths to a flame. I am not trying to pump them up, but i notice this week-in, week-out. Slater is becoming the most recognised sportsman in Australia, not only because of league, but because he is the Rexona champ.
I myself was not that big on superstar status, but watching these guys is something else.
Haynes 50 metre run to the line the other nite was the most powerful display of a athlete i have ever witnessed in any sport, anywhere in the world. Trust me, i have seen many good events. This kid is what, 21- 22. Folau only just turned 21. Inglis-23. These are players not even at there peak mentally.
July 14th 2010 @ 12:42pm
Nick said | July 14th 2010 @ 12:42pm | Report comment
agreed oikee, just trying to stick up for Union and justify superstars vs media … even though I am a league fan
July 14th 2010 @ 12:55pm
JF said | July 14th 2010 @ 12:55pm | Report comment
Today Tonight is a sensationalised, dumbed-down ratings winner, it is predictable and lacks any semblance of journalistic substance – and the punters lap it up. Not all punters though, some people actually like some substance to their current affairs journalism, they can’t wait for Kerry O’Brien to appear after the news. The point is, not everyone laps up the sensational crap delivered by 7 and 9, some prefer the ABC. Imagine if you had to get Pay TV to watch ABC style news and current affairs and the only thing on FTA was the cheap, sensational, pseudo news of commercial tv – this is how rugby fans feel.
July 14th 2010 @ 1:00pm
titus said | July 14th 2010 @ 1:00pm | Report comment
Oikee, I’m not denying that these RL guys aren’t superstars. If you look back at my argument, it wasn’t even defending rugby. It was about the whole concept of what makes a superstars and why rugby perceivably ‘doesn’t have any”. But even if I did make an argument for rugby, it still comes down to media coverage. With your scenario of the NRL superstars, I can just as easily give you an almost mirror image of the same thing happening with rugby stars in NZ. It’s all about coverage and popularity amongst the masses. I’m not about arguing which is the better, more attractive code, just about common sense and well thought and accurate comments.
July 14th 2010 @ 1:12pm
oikee said | July 14th 2010 @ 1:12pm | Report comment
I agree JF, i never watch FTA t/v, only channel 9 when the games are live. Apart from that, current affair programs are full of propaganda, you only have to switch back in 6 months to see another report showing where the best food shopping outlets are to be had.
Get payt/v, like the internet, you wont be able to do without it. Masterchef is another program i laugh about. Mate i have seen that many cooking shows on pay t/v, i am all cooked out. I dont watch cooking anymore.
Just remember that when you wish for to much rugby.
I am at the limit of rugby league and how much i can stomack now. AFL has gone overboard, a show for injuries, a show for girlfriends of players, a show for coaches, mate its all gone pairshaped. Trust me, now i pause foxsports news whenever i see a afl report(then fastforward past it, a little tip i picked up by a league follower 
), i am now sickened by crap news about a players toe or how much coffee he has drunk.
July 14th 2010 @ 1:17pm
oikee said | July 14th 2010 @ 1:17pm | Report comment
Yes Titus, and if you read my reply, i said i dont come into this superstar crap. Like i mentioned, these players are only young, this has not happened in rugby league until the last 2 years.
But watching these players, it has shocked me a little. I have never seen anything like this before, dont get them confused with the likes of Lockyer or Thurston, who are skills players, these kids have gone above and beyond that, they have taken the game to the next level, and will be remembered for doing so come 10 years from now.
I should also mention Slater, he is redeveloping the fullback roll in rugby league.
July 14th 2010 @ 1:31pm
Brett McKay said | July 14th 2010 @ 1:31pm | Report comment
Oiks, only you can contradict yourself in the same sentence…
“..i never watch FTA t/v, only channel 9…”
July 14th 2010 @ 1:31pm
SamSport said | July 14th 2010 @ 1:31pm | Report comment
Two words – Jonah Lomu
July 14th 2010 @ 1:43pm
oikee said | July 14th 2010 @ 1:43pm | Report comment
Yes, agree, Jonah was something else. Mega star.
Good one Brett, you know what i mean though. Look i turn onto fox and it stays there when t/v is on mostly.
Good player.
There really was not any superstars in rugby league until this last 2 years as far as i can see. Great players, Lockyer is a legend for what he has acheived, but was not really a superstar as people like to call players these days. Lomu was a superstar years ago for what he acheived. Dont know how well he would go these days, The winger for Manly seems to be of the Lomu mould. Big and Ungly.
July 14th 2010 @ 2:48pm
Chris K said | July 14th 2010 @ 2:48pm | Report comment
David Campese
July 14th 2010 @ 4:18pm
Akazie said | July 14th 2010 @ 4:18pm | Report comment
Lomu huh, wasn’t he another Rugby League Junior?
July 14th 2010 @ 3:06pm
sheek said | July 14th 2010 @ 3:06pm | Report comment
Gee Titus,
I knew the majority of the human race was mostly dumb, but I didn’t know the media was responsible for telling us who were the superstars.
I always thought I could figure that out for meself………. ???!
July 14th 2010 @ 3:50pm
titus said | July 14th 2010 @ 3:50pm | Report comment
Well sheek, I guess it really depends on how we define ‘superstar’. Of course you can think for yourself. Just don’t think that the media doesn’t have a part to play in how society looks at sports stars, that’s all.
July 15th 2010 @ 11:34am
EP - Rugbywits said | July 15th 2010 @ 11:34am | Report comment
Hehe, people get excited about this type of stuff!
FTA coverage turns into a battle of the codes. Superstars – media driven celebrity sports players.
I mean really… there are plenty of players in rugby that are better than their opposition.
I agree that superstars stand out more in league… the way that works is because a player generally just lines up in their channel on the field and goes up and down in that space. If they are consistently better than their opposite then they will be super stars and the media can pounce.
In rugby the structure doesnt just let a person beat his direct opposite over and over again. That makes it harder to see the best players on the field as they come up against different people and often multiple people.
Dan Carter – hes a super star, but does it stand out as much as say Jennings? No because there are 3 people who leave their place in the line to come for him as soon as he gets the ball.
Jennings gets the ball for Penrith Panthers and he pretty much just has to beat the other teams Centre (backrower).
July 14th 2010 @ 11:12am
sheek said | July 14th 2010 @ 11:12am | Report comment
I argued several year ago that rugby was in a unique position compared to AFL & NRL. AFL has only its club premiership comp to show & nothing else. But that works for them.
NRL has its club premiership comp, 3 x SOO, occasional tests (3N) & British superleague highlights. Rugby could easily expand on this, by utilising cross-comp feeds. I’ve often argued the ‘mixed bag of lollies’ approach to TV viewing.
In Australia, we could have Sydney & Brisbane premier rugby rugby shown on FTA (yes, at the moment on ABC). Add to that S15 & national comp (when/if it happens). Add to that all test matches played by Wallabies plus 3/4N.
Then there’s the cross-comp arrangements, some of which already occur on PTV – NZ NPC, SA Currie Cup, 6N, Zurich Premiership, Heineken Cup, French Top 14, etc.
But Australian rugby has to work harder to bring something to the table from within its own resources. I find it depressing that rugby was in a stronger position in 2001 than it is in 2010. We have definitely gone backwards in national media infiltration.
July 14th 2010 @ 11:34am
sixo_clock said | July 14th 2010 @ 11:34am | Report comment
The short answer is that we could do a lot better but we are in a period in the professional era where amateur old guard administrators are influential in running the comps on the Eastern Seaboard. As long as they are the incumbents there will be no (dangerous, radical, progressive, commie, pinko, undermining) innovations.