- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Take a great old song, make it relevant and give it some spice. In the music industry it`s a tried and true formula for turning out a bankable hit song.
Why do I think this strategy would work for transforming the Sydney domestic competition into an Australian national competition?
A great song makes the hairs on your neck stand up, it gives you goosebumps…say the names Randwick Galloping Greens, Gordon Highlanders, throw in the vision of David Campese zig zagging in the green jersey. You get the feeling.
Particularly up until Super Rugby began to steal the limelight, international representatives from Europe, Argentina and the lesser Antipodes would regard it as a particular badge of honor to have played for one of the famous Shute Shield clubs.
A great song stands the test of time. Throw in a few club founding dates: Sydney University 1863, Randwick 1882, another six clubs between 1879 and 1906 who still play in the Shute shield today.
A great song touches your heart. The very founding of the competition in memory of the life of World War I veteran who died from injuries while playing for Sydney University against Warringah in 1923. What a story!
A catchy title: Currie Cup, Shute Shield. In not so many years gone by, these competitions were mentioned easily in the same breath.
The fact that, that cannot be said today brings us to the need for an update for this classic but not so up with the times tune.
So, keep the core, trim it into shape and add some spice to keep it relevant. All the while trying to keep that original harmony.
Here is a possible sample.
The core: Randwick Galloping Greens, Sydney University Students, Gordon Highlanders, Eastern Sydney Beasts (four standalone clubs).
The trimmed-into-shape parts: Manly, Warringah (Manly Warringah Marlins) Eastwood, Northern Suburbs (Eastwood Shoremen) Parramatta, West Harbour (Parramatta Pirates) (three amalgamated clubs).
The spices: (Keeping it relevant) Melbourne Axemen, Perth Spirit, Canberra Vikings, Brisbane Buccaneers, Gold Coast Breakers, Sunshine Coast Stingrays (six new clubs within the other Super franchises with two extra for the second heartland area of Queensland).
The current Shute Shield format of 12 clubs would increase by only one.
Only Penrith and Southern Districts would be relegated however, the core and history of the Shute Shield as the main nursery of Australian Rugby would be retained and leveraged.
We need a national third tier of rugby in this country and if it doesn`t involve the Shute Shield, there is so much history in it that it`s going to drag whatever alternative there is down swiftly like the ARC or until the issue is resolved, slowly lose it`s relevancy which is even sadder.
I would prefer to build on the history we`ve got. I think this old song is a classic. Let`s not throw away it`s potential when we are looking for a national hit! Do you think we should leverage this history or start completely anew?
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.