Why rugby won't survive

By Tokoloch / Roar Rookie

It was interesting to read such an honest and factual account of rugby with the death of the second tier player. While there are problems with rugby at the senior level, the roots of this problem also stem from the junior level.

I have been coaching junior rugby at a school and village level for over twenty years and have slowly seen the demise of village clubs and participation levels to what would no doubt be record levels.

When my son played ten years ago for a village club, there were a number of clubs in the region (some might say too many within a close proximity) and each club had a team in each age group – some even had 2 teams. While changing demographics account for some of these reduced numbers, the fact some of these clubs no longer exist is alarming.

The ARU still claims participation numbers are on the rise (they use their primary school 7’s numbers to boost these), but for anyone in the ‘real know’, these numbers do not take into account the fact 15-a-side rugby is and will continue to be in the decline. It seems the ARU fixation with 7’s is undermining their interest in 15-a-side rugby.

So, we ask ourselves “why”?

Well one only needs to look at how many schools are represented in the senior teams. Without knowing exactly how many they come from, the majority would come from and historically have come from private schools. In NSW alone, this means our pool of talent comes from predominantly approximately 30 schools.

In Australia, government schools make up 66 per cent of students, Catholic schools 20 per cent and independent schools 14.5 per cent. Any mathematician would tell you that statistically, we could not hope to compete against other countries when we are predominantly tapping into just 14.5 per cent of students in Australia.

Where does this leave the other 86 per cent of students?

Unfortunately, school rugby is not a mainstream sport in Catholic schools and it is dying, if not already dead, in Government schools (except sports high schools).

Selections in the 2018 NSW Firsts Schools Representative team support this – 13 players from GPS, eight from CAS and one each from CHS and CCC. In the seconds, there were seven from GPS, four from CAS, six from ISA, three from CHS, two from CCC and one from AICES.

All up, independent private schools accounted for 83 per cent of players and then, from the two Australian Schools teams selected, out of the 24 players selected from NSW, 22 were from private schools.

Now, I am not for one minute denigrating those students or associations from where were selected and am sure they all deserved their spots in the teams, but surely any statistician would tell you we need to increase our pool of players to include more from the 83 per cent of students out there.

This is not an easy task for a number of reasons, including history, academic preference, resources, calendars, other sports. So, how do you do it?

Well, recently a coterie was set up to look at schools rugby and the job description stated that it was set up to further the development of rugby in “traditional” rugby playing schools.

Now, such a coterie has the right to focus on whatever target group they wish, but really, why spend time and money in this market segment when you already have the focus of this group and where resources are, as seen by representation levels, already being used effectively?

Surely, there must be some attempt to spread resources to the other 83 per cent? Even large financial companies run training camps in private schools and bypass the western suburbs, an untapped source of talent.

In my area of experience, I have been trying for over twenty years to get support in my association, having run both ten and 15-a-side competitions, tapping into the considerable reserve of both league and, to a lesser extent, rugby players. Numerous times I have gone to NSW and the ARU for support and, while receiving some for coaching and refereeing, very little has evolved – support in our schools now comes via running 7’s.

NSW Catholic schools is probably the strongest schoolboy league association in Australia, if not the world, and I have always tried to push the view that there are only so many league players you can select for league teams and just maybe, we could tap into the 20, 30, or even more who miss such selection and are looking for another pathway.

Anyway, this is food for thought and I could go on and on. I haven’t even spoken about my views on coaching and maybe this is the problem – instead of coaching to win, we should be coaching to develop skills and provide better opportunities for all players – this may also help the NRC.

I think back to the 2007-08 Schoolboys teams who, for the first time ever, beat New Zealand schools in consecutive years (even beating them at home for the first time ever) and yet, just two years later, New Zealand thumped Australia in the U20s final in Argentina using basically the same players.

What had changed in those two years? Just maybe, we need to look at our coaching standards. Interesting that the ARU defensive coach comes from a team that actually had their worst defensive year ever whilst he was there. In my occupation, such failure would lead to a performance review, rather than a promotion!

The Crowd Says:

2019-10-24T14:30:16+00:00

Borat

Guest


I've played both and league is far more tiring (it involves far more running). The running 10m back to form a new defending line, over and over, is like doing a perpetual beep test for 80 minutes. League is very fitness heavy, hence the need for more interchanges. But it also explains why league has slightly smaller players on average than Union, a few kg's less makes a dramatic difference in endurance. Union when you play it is far more 'stop start'. Because of penalties, scrums, line-outs, etc. You have more time to rest. Whether all of this translates to TV or not is another matter.

2019-10-24T14:18:32+00:00

Borat

Guest


Reminds me of my High School. We were all league players, yet had a teacher who played union, and who entered us in some ACT school union comp. We ended up having only 1 kid who ever played union (the new kid who transferred from a private school). He was made captain. Everyone else basically had no idea what we were doing, did a few training sessions at lunch time, then started the comp. Ended up coming 2nd haha. Good times.

2019-07-20T00:34:05+00:00

Leonard

Guest


Writing from well-and-truly outside the rugby box (although my code was invented by two mid-19th century 'rugger buggers') - as a symbolic start and as a smack in the chops for trendoids, pseuds and celebs, how about the traditional title of our rugby HQ gets its 'proper' name back? Such dissing should be reversed. On a more serious matter, Super Rugby in the SAANZAR mode surely has to go - the costs of all that east-west flying halfway around the world, and that's just the physical ones. To this outside-the-touch-line (Have I got that right?) dude, if Super Rugby is to survive, it needs two conferences, a SW Pacific one of Aus + NZ and a south Atlantic one of SAf + Arg, with perhaps (at least) the two Premiers playing off for the (whatever it's called / branded) Championship. Or some sort of Final Four comprising the top two clubs in each conference.

2018-10-21T22:35:45+00:00

Paul

Guest


What a great article and how true. This has all been said before at meetings with ARU and those espousing to develop and grow the game.It has failed and the game we love is free falling in decline. Just read the paper on any day and see how far into the sports section you have to go to find Rugby News. Yet nothing has been done. ....this is the same old problem...you need to go west and country areas to the develop where the greater population is and you have a greater pool of players to draw upon. Otherwise we will watch the game we love further wither on the vine. You need to provide support for new areas,local clubs and schools eg. State and Catholic Schools. You already have the independent schools on board, although they are under attack from soccer and Aussie Rules...development should be to grow the game and expand what you have always done. The Shute shield unwisely dumped Penrith rather than inject capital and effort to ensure this club survives at this level.This is why Aussie Rules is growing in the area as is soccer and league. Why do the ARU not see the obvious. Not a great demographic choice. Move away from the coast of Sydney- beyond Anzac Bridge and expand west and to the country. My own son, like myself, loves rugby and loved playing locally and for a local rugby rep team. Rugby is about playing locally and making friends for life .Which he has done and played in the Shute shield with his local mates he has played with and against all his life. We lose too many good players from Rugby due to frustration due to the statistical fact stated in the article. This cloistered mentality unfortunately is reflective at all levels of selection in AR. Look up from the microscope and pick up the telescope you will see the universe. Don't whine if Rugby withers on the vine. Paul

2018-10-21T21:59:19+00:00

sportsco

Guest


Phil, Rugby League has expanded well beyond NSW and QLD and will be in Perth and perhaps you have heard of the Melbourne Storm the most successful football team in any code in Australia. Catalans won the Challenge cup from France with there numbers now topping 50 thousand players. The League World cup is in the USA in a few years Did you see Australia v Tonga sold out in NZ and now pressuring Rugby in Tonga as the number one sport. PNG has league as their national code. Fiji beat New Zealand at the last world cup. So my friend the Global brand is expanding dramtically and Rugby will be under more pressure. oops almost forgot Toronto Wolf Pack is drawing more crowds then NRL games in Australia in Canada.

2018-09-27T00:13:04+00:00

Craigo

Guest


I bet the State of Origin series and the AFL finals in Australia has a bigger average crowd than the 6 Nations Rugby.

2018-09-24T14:00:49+00:00

Kick& Clap

Guest


Hanru, Don’t Fear the “Perth Pirates “ are docking soon. Hopefully if so good he then have a crack at hardest Rugby competition in the World ? Yes it’s the NRL.

2018-09-24T13:44:27+00:00

Kick & Clap

Guest


Phil is that why the boring game provides all initiative & know how for Rugger? How is the Rugby Union actually surviving? By have “Rich Sugar Daddies”. In the Northern Hemisphere, there are plenty Proffesional clubs staring into the oblivion!!

2018-09-24T03:35:40+00:00

Unanimous

Guest


Being played in just as many countries would only make it dead if the number of countries playing it was zero.

2018-09-24T03:11:46+00:00

Unanimous

Guest


Craigo, 6 nations average crowd is the highest of any annual sporting competition. Australia is a dead head country that will only watch sports that no one else is good at.

2018-09-23T10:10:10+00:00

Joe King

Guest


Yes, but imagine if there was no union in NZ, and all their rugby players grew up playing league - how much better would the kiwi league team be? Same goes for Oz if there was no league, and all the league players grew up playing rugby. And that's not even considering if there was no AFL in Oz.

2018-09-23T09:56:58+00:00

Joe King

Guest


Yes, but imagine if there was no union in NZ, and all their rugby players grew up playing league - how much better would the kiwi league team be? Same goes for Oz if there was no league, and all the league players grew up playing rugby. And that's not even considering if there was no AFL in Oz.

2018-09-23T01:41:57+00:00

taylorman

Roar Guru


Yes and thats the key to getting it into public schools. Thats a must if the games going anywhere. Rugby needs to take League, AFL and footballet full on and show that its the far better game, which of course it is,

2018-09-23T00:50:18+00:00

Craigo

Guest


NRL average 2018: 16,081 Supers Rugby average 2018: 11,004 A_league average 2017-18: 10,912 Even super Rugby beats the A-League. https://www.austadiums.com/sport/comp.php?sid=2

2018-09-23T00:18:38+00:00

Craigo

Guest


@Pete, LOL, Wrong again Pete. A-League average crowds are 10,912 in 2017-18 NRL are averaging above 15,000. https://www.austadiums.com/sport/comp.php?sid=10 Prove me wrong? Plus 44,380 crowd at Allianz Stadium last night; the largest for a sporting event ever!! More than 100,000 participants in NSW for first time Growth of 5.5% in NSWRL figures for the first time in five years 5.4% growth for CRL Growth in Queensland of 1.82% 16.7% growth in Western Australia Record participation levels in Victoria. Rugby Union is Dead game walking Bro!

2018-09-23T00:11:08+00:00

Davico

Roar Pro


What year? I finished in 94. Mate of mine had a kid who was looking for a scholarship and was offered one by pretty much everyone and Waverley said they could not do it even though he lived in the area

AUTHOR

2018-09-22T10:59:56+00:00

Tokoloch

Roar Rookie


Horse has bolted, ARU should have done something ten years ago. What is often forgotten is that it doesn't matter how many coteries are set up or how many forums you have, in the end it is up to individual principals to decide what sport is played in schools and unfortunately, because of pressure of academic success, principals are loath to allow anything that may undermine this.

AUTHOR

2018-09-22T10:51:15+00:00

Tokoloch

Roar Rookie


Worse thing about that is he'll probably get a wage rise!

AUTHOR

2018-09-22T10:49:58+00:00

Tokoloch

Roar Rookie


Hey Gloria, any school that has an electronic scoreboard or electronic sidelines or use GPS trackers for their players obviously have plenty of money to spend, Throw in specialist coaches who are on huge contracts to win their school a title and yes you have a private system that is propping up the Wallabies. Shame they don"t use the South African model of schools coaching whereby the coach of a junior team takes his team right through to the First XV, thus not only improving his own coaching skills, but encouraging him to actually coach his team and thus develop their skills. I am constantly amazed at the lack of skills our representative players have and again maybe we need to improve our coaching skills.

AUTHOR

2018-09-22T10:39:17+00:00

Tokoloch

Roar Rookie


Your comment endorses my message, rugby is dying in schools. I went to a public school and back then there was a rugby competition in state schools and I played in the Sydney North competition that stretched from Homebush all the way to Asquith and can you believe it, even James Ruse High had a team and a pretty good one at that. Interesting that based on your age and when you probably finished school (2008?), in the 2008 NSW Schools trials, GPS defeated CHS by over 50 points. When I look at the Sydney North Sports Association 2018 Knockout draws, rugby doesn't even rate a mention. The old Waratah Shield is pretty much dead and has been replaced with the Waratah Cup and as mentioned earlier, it was won by a rugby league school this year.

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