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Joined April 2012
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Wednesday's column by my good friend and sparring partner Paul Cully titled "The Reds and their fight for legitimacy" certainly got the crowd roaring!…
25 years of SR is enough to draw some factual conclusions:
1. “Play the best to be the best” didn’t work out to be based in fact.
2. “Test-like intensity” might sound like a good aspiration however rugby fans haven’t fallen in love with it. Cricket fans haven’t either with 20/20 outstripping actual test matches.
3. “We must stick with NZ” – we have a small sample of being without them which should be enough to warrant further consideration.
4. SR isn’t financially sustainable.
In my opinion, RA can’t afford a third tier comp because the second tier participation model is too bloated.
If (!) we want to continue in an international comp it should be with just two teams – based in the two biggest rugby cities in oz. Hard reading for a lot of people I know. These two teams should be run largely by RA – rather than the two state bodies. Again, hard reading for some. In effect we should view it as RA runs the teams that play against international competitors. The teams would be very aligned to the Wallabies program. It would be our best shot of having winning teams in an international provincial comp – and of rebuilding the wallabies. All players – designated “international players”- for these squads are contracted and paid by RA. Coaches are selected and paid by RA. (And yes the two teams can keep the Reds and Waratahs IP).
QLD, NSW, Act, Vic and WA run teams that compete in SRAu (or whatever we call it). QLD and NSW could run two teams if they want (only called QLD NOT the Reds, and same goes for NSW teams) and money permitting. These players are all contracted to RA as well. This is to avoid unions going broke and closing down. The wages paid at this level should be of an entirely different magnitude to those paid at the international. This will allow for better wage expense control – basically the largest cost of pro sport.
The EBA between RA & RUPA needs to reviewed and replaced if necessary. Financial stability needs to be the paramount concern.
SRAu and SRP are played at the same time. There is no expectation of the ‘international players’ dropping back to be available for the pathway team they played for. (this is a very oz rugby mindset that is a bit odd and a relic
of the amateur era).
Impacts:
– with wages being separated we might see players moving from SRAu to an overseas contract before coming back on an ‘international player’ contract.
– a clear development pathway is established.
– fans get a mix of local derbies and tribalism whilst also seeing oz players compete against international teams at test and second tier.
– the right mix of content – 3/4 SRAu games plus 2 SRP games
– Australian Rugby works within its means and survives, and hopefully thrives.
'Curse the money all you want' but RA must work out what it wants from Super Rugby - otherwise the game is doomed
Hi Savant. Ultimately it wouldn’t matter which of the two SR variants became the most watched or the most valuable. The important thing is to have the sum of both viewers as a growing number.
The 2 comps will play clearly defined roles.
The international SR will be always under the WR laws of the day. It will be the proving ground of Wallabies. It will be where wallabies fans tune in to watch how the broader “wallaby squad” is progressing against other international pro teams. It will be an intense, edge of seat experience where the stakes are high – attached as that comp is (and always has been) to the “Bledisloe every weekend” effect. It’s quite the burden to carry.
SRAu could be whatever we want/need it to be. More experimental – less test-like intensity allowing a more free flowing game – enjoyed for its daring and fun. Away from the burden of the “Bledisloe every weekend” effect.
The other facet of this plan is that the Brumbies survive – so do the Force – and probably the Rebels too. Players in those states and territories can see the opportunity to join a local pro team. Once they prove themselves then they can decide if the next step is Syd Bris London Lyon or Tokyo!
With the Reds and Waratahs now RA programs filled with only Wallabies – or very soon to be wallabies – the teams will be less about being a rep side and hopefully the names are seen more as a nod to heritage of those two teams as being the base under the wallabies for 100 years. Hopefully wallabies fans would embrace the spectacle of their players slugging it out – in teams filled with players from all states.
They might enjoy tuning into these games with a view to how the wallabies will go and to hopefully see more regular wins over the kiwis – but it might be their SRAu team that makes them cry when it wins a grand final.
Both things can be true.
'Curse the money all you want' but RA must work out what it wants from Super Rugby - otherwise the game is doomed