Australian rugby needs structural change
Roar Guru By TheGenuineTailender, 12 Sep 2012 TheGenuineTailender is a Roar Guru
Easts vs Randwick. Photo via http://www.eastsrugby.com.au/
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I’ve seen much debate on The Roar about how Australia’s third tier, Super Rugby and The Rugby Championship can/should expand.
I thought I would weight in on the discussion and put forward my own idea of how Australia, and to a lesser extent SANZAR, should structure its rugby moving forward.
Starting at the grass roots. Schoolboys rugby has an undeniable needs to become more inclusive.
Sydney and Brisbane’s best school sides must form unified competitions with around 10 highly competitive sides playing against one another on a weekly basis, with no division between private and state schools.
Poaching young league prodigies, signing them up with the ARU or the local professional side and mentoring them through their development could play a key role in securing the talent for the future.
Club rugby must be condensed to increase the quality of play and players. What the Australian Rugby Championship (ARC) failed to do was a) realise they couldn’t compete with the NRL and AFL from the get go and b) find a window that allowed the very best players to compete.
The ARU should look to Cricket Australia’s Big Bash League and the FFA’s A-League for a reference and the dos and don’ts of implementing a new franchise competition. Another go at an ARC competition with 8-10 sides would be perfect in addition to my next suggestion.
Scrap the current Super Rugby franchises and system. No Kiwi is going to give two hoots about the Lions verse Force fixture. So why is that part of the TV package Sky Sports in New Zealand is forced to pay for.
The newly formed ARC along with the existing Currie Cup and ITM Cup in New Zealand will be the pinnacle of domestic club rugby with Wallabies, All Blacks and Springboks playing in every match, every week.
Each domestic competition is free to include as many sides as they please and develop their own talent pools as they wish. The next stage is where Super Rugby is placed.
A Champions League style knock-out to crown the best club in the southern hemisphere. Argentina’s top-flight Zona Campeonato will also run. The top four domestic sides from each nation qualify and the tournament is all done and dusted in four weeks.
Future expansion could allow for additional sides to enter the new Super Rugby Champions League from the domestic competitions in countries like Canada, Japan or the USA.
SANZAR get their big bucks for a cross-continent domestic competition and each country retains its own top flight domestic competitions. It’s a win-win.
A return to Australia ‘A’ and the Junior All Blacks or New Zealand Maori participating in the Pacific Nations Cup, following domestic rugby and parallel to other internationals, will further lead to the games regional development.
Australia’s second string and up and coming players will be playing at a high level in addition to an increase in existing exposure to international rugby for Samoa, Japan, Tonga and Fiji.
The PNC should also expand to include the USA and Canada so all six developing rugby nations have regular, competitive, international rugby.
The Rugby Championship remains the pinnacle of rugby in the southern hemisphere. We now have a full structure of rugby in the southern hemisphere for Australian rugby.
From young player development in schools, to a national domestic club rugby competition, to an intercontinental club competition, regional international development and then top-flight international rugby.
But would the ARU or SANZAR take the steps necessary to do this? Probably not. Seems like a pretty bloody good idea to me though.
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September 12th 2012 @ 7:27am
peeeko said | September 12th 2012 @ 7:27am | Report comment
“Sydney and Brisbane’s best school sides must form unified competitions with around 10 highly competitive sides playing against one another on a weekly basis, with no division between private and state schools”
last time i checked schools were independent organisations and not rugby academies. some of those competitions are well over one hundred years old
September 12th 2012 @ 7:38am
p.Tah said | September 12th 2012 @ 7:38am | Report comment
Actually some of those schools do think they’re rugby academies
September 12th 2012 @ 9:29am
Spencer said | September 12th 2012 @ 9:29am | Report comment
Not mentioning any names. Nudgee, nudgee, wink, wink!
September 12th 2012 @ 6:20pm
p.Tah said | September 12th 2012 @ 6:20pm | Report comment
September 12th 2012 @ 7:44am
sixo_clock said | September 12th 2012 @ 7:44am | Report comment
Whilst this may be the best option for the Kiwis, such as yourself, it will do little to help the game in Oz. We need the interest generated by visiting teams from O/S. An ARC here would die the same death of a thousand cuts as it did before. We are a minority sport in Oz, probably the third, and most likely the fourth winter football code.
Our best option is to ask our Super franchises to field a lead-up game for home derbies with their fringe players. Costly-ish, but good entertainment. We could trial new laws, get the boys involved with promotion and generally get them in the franchise building mindset that our older players seem reluctant to be a willing, active participant showing initiative, leadership, drive etc. These players would benefit from exposure to the facilities, coaches, and pressures as they attempt to step up. They would play eight games at this level and then return to their clubs for the remainder of the club comps.
September 12th 2012 @ 8:04am
Shop said | September 12th 2012 @ 8:04am | Report comment
Not sure the ARC died a “death of a thousand cuts”. The guillotine seems more apt.
September 12th 2012 @ 8:25am
sixo_clock said | September 12th 2012 @ 8:25am | Report comment
ha ha. No-one turned up, if they had, and each brought a band-aid… well? It haemorrhaged bucket-loads which could not be staunched. The guillotine was a final act of mercy.
By aligning this level with Super Rugby we can ensure the crowds, facilities, promotion…
September 12th 2012 @ 5:19pm
Sledgeandhammer said | September 12th 2012 @ 5:19pm | Report comment
I turned up to about 4 games, and the crowds seemed pretty good to me, even if the ‘reported’ crowds were not. The competition didn’t lose that much money considering it was the first year. With a bit of leadership and cost cutting it could have been a viable concept.
September 13th 2012 @ 9:31am
Calcio said | September 13th 2012 @ 9:31am | Report comment
lol
Go the Aces.
September 13th 2012 @ 11:06am
Claypole said | September 13th 2012 @ 11:06am | Report comment
The ARC was axed by O’neill because it was Gary Flowers who made it happen. It was killed because of ego.
Despite financial concerns, if there was a will to make it happen, it would have happened. In one season, the players and the audiences benefited hugely from it. By now it would have been 5 years old and building a head of steam, with improved player depth and decent crowds.
The ARC delivered watchable domestic rugby. Club rugby is what it is, but it’s simply not of a high enough standard to be watchable by anyone beyond friends and family.
September 12th 2012 @ 8:49am
Bring Back the Bears said | September 12th 2012 @ 8:49am | Report comment
I disagree, I think it could be great for Oz rugby. Local derbys usually generate more interest than playing O/S teams, and having South Africa in the comp is a massive blessing and curse. While they are a great rugby nation and help boost the playing standard across the comp, the time difference means that you are losing a huge audience for games, TV rights are worth less and so is sponsorship. Sure you get die hard fans watching the game however most casual fans won’t bother.
A local comp followed by a Super 15 style knock out comp would be a great way to generate interest, support and fan engagement. The knock out factor would also prompt more fans to stay up and watch games due to the stakes being higher.
September 12th 2012 @ 10:42am
nk7792 said | September 12th 2012 @ 10:42am | Report comment
I’m actually an aussie. I was just making the point that up to two thirds of Super Rugby games become unmarketable in two countries. The limits this places on TV deals, sponsorship etc. are a big problem for Super Rugby. I believe that if a club rugby competition has all the very best players, then the game will prosper and people will flock to watch.
September 13th 2012 @ 6:18am
AndyS said | September 13th 2012 @ 6:18am | Report comment
It becomes an all-in bet on that belief though. Add three more teams and they will either all want paying Super Rugby money, or all the existing players have to take a serious paycut. So prospering won’t cut it – the bet is that putting the 30 Wallabies back into the competition would change the ARC into something that would pay 60% more than Super rugby. If not, it’d be a field day for the European and Japanese clubs and we’ll have no competition at all to sell.
September 12th 2012 @ 12:00pm
klestical said | September 12th 2012 @ 12:00pm | Report comment
The problem with the ARC is that they tried to create another layer underneath super rugby. I for one, could not stand supporting QLD Reds and the Ballymore Tornadoes, so I’m glad it died….
Like what a number of articles are suggesting at the moment, one simply needs to add a few more teams (3 in my opinion) into the Australian Super Rugby Conference. As said on another article, rather than having Argentina (because its competition is still amateur), I would push to have Japan as part of the Heineken Cup/Champions League because it is already professional.
September 12th 2012 @ 8:28am
hog said | September 12th 2012 @ 8:28am | Report comment
I agree with the basic concept, you have to align the 3 countries and i don’t believe the ARC will die a thousand cuts it is exactly what is required 8/10 teams with that will allow a genuine aussie comp. And that model will then allow many other options Heineken cup etc:
Problem now is that we have a top heavy model, no matter how you try to fix things you are to compromised from the start you need to grow the tree first.
September 12th 2012 @ 8:37am
tc said | September 12th 2012 @ 8:37am | Report comment
So we are going to bend over for Australia again ,I don’t think so .Six-oclock you are exactly right in what you say ,use Super Rugby to build your depth. What you rugby supporters need to do in Australia is support that rich guy from Belmain because if he gets his way you will have your third tier.
September 12th 2012 @ 4:45pm
Denby said | September 12th 2012 @ 4:45pm | Report comment
What rich guy from Balmain?
September 12th 2012 @ 9:05am
nomis said | September 12th 2012 @ 9:05am | Report comment
Some good ideas in this article
With June internationals and the RC from Aug-Oct (8-9 weeks including travel weekends), a proper domestic window may not properly fit later in the year, even if the RC were placed straight after the June inbounds
The next best option might be to have the domestic tournaments from Mar-May, followed by June internationals, followed by SR champions league, followed by RC, followed by NH tours.
All three countries will still look to develop depth during the RC.
September 12th 2012 @ 9:18am
sixo_clock said | September 12th 2012 @ 9:18am | Report comment
An ARC would be great but history, and the accountants, all beg to differ. If Rugby were able to elevate itself to second place amongst the winter codes then maybe, but not now.
Even the farm team concept has money concerns for our franchises and would be a benevolent step forward. Just how deep do the power brokers believe we can penetrate the Oz sports market is the acid test, how much are they willing to punt on creating a great night of entertainment to further that aim. Hard questions needing research, analysis and leadership.
September 12th 2012 @ 9:25am
DJN said | September 12th 2012 @ 9:25am | Report comment
This is the second article in the last week saying what the schools must do , I think its all a great idea but is also pure fantasy … the schools will never admit they are rugby acadamies, they favour many different sports and most of all they are there to educate , not teach rugby . the GPS in Sydney is abt to lose another team as Grammer pull out of 1st XV games (or so I was told) , and only a few years ago the GPS changed the structure of their sports calender and they no longer even play the CAS schools , very few of these schools ever participated in the Waratah shield , a decent idea for a state wide competition … can someone please explain how they are going to agree to a natiowide competition and who is going to pay for the travel ? the parents ….who are abt to be hit with higher and higher fees ? sorry it is a great great idea but is also fantasy
September 12th 2012 @ 10:29am
nk7792 said | September 12th 2012 @ 10:29am | Report comment
I was referring to two competitions, one in each Sydney and Brisbane. Apologies for not making that clearer. There are great rugby schools in both cities that aren’t being tilted against one another because of their traditions etc.
September 12th 2012 @ 9:46am
DingoBob said | September 12th 2012 @ 9:46am | Report comment
Show me the money. Who will pay for all of this? The travel for the school rugby sides alone can get quite pricey over the length of an entire competition.
The reality is without change at the top of the structure i.e. the ARU Board, nothing will change, we will just get the same tired ideas from the same tired old heads.
September 12th 2012 @ 10:20am
Roscoe said | September 12th 2012 @ 10:20am | Report comment
Six o’clock has it right. Currently there is the occassional curtain raiser including Brumby Runners/Rebel rising etc but these games should be a feature of EVERY Oz derby. That’s 8 games for the “fringe” players. The big problem we have in Oz is distance, and therefore cost.
While I support the idea of a ARC it is not likely due to the reasons above.
September 12th 2012 @ 10:41am
sheek said | September 12th 2012 @ 10:41am | Report comment
NK,
Godd effort, I’ll respond in more detail later.