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I hate to say ‘I told you so’, however as a long-term skeptic of Melbourne as the next city to host a Super Rugby franchise, I am not surprised to see the commercial interest of the venture buckling under the pressure of viability and even sustainability in a highly competitive Victorian sports market.
Rugby simply is not in the DNA of Victorians. Yes, hardliners can pull out Weary Dunlop, Ewen McKenzie and David Fitter as evidence that Victoria can produce Wallabies. However, it’s the winning of the hearts and minds of the every day tram catching Victorian to turn their back on the entrenched ‘craddle to the grave’ fanaticism they hold for their beloved Collingwood, Carlton or Hawthorn and embrace the ‘running game’ of which they have little concept of its ethos, history, culture and especially its rules. A big gamble by the Australian Rugby Union, to say the least.
Considering this new venture was financially modeled on private equity, the simple question must therefore be where is the dollar return for the investor? Any prudent investor would ask: if it’s such a good opportunity, why do you need me? The simple answer is the ARU does not have the financial clout to ensure the long term sustainability of the venture. Enter the private sector. The stakes are high and the return far from a certainty.
Case in point is another market competitor, The Melbourne Storm. The Storm is heavily bankrolled by News Limited and could not sustain itself even after 10 years in the marketplace without Murdoch money. Even after three NRL grand final appearances and two titles, coupled with star players like Greg Inglis, Billy Slater and Glenn Lazerus, rugby league is still a boutique sport at best in Melbourne. Why would you invest in a Melbourne based rugby union team then? To fight for the scraps of the Victorian sports market? The ARU has is selling a lemon!
As any rugby person would tell you, it’s a simple game. The style of rugby which has endured since William Webb Ellis had a rush of blood to the head many scrums ago has been the game of simplicity, played with courage, skill and vision. The ARU/NZRFU has flirted with the Asian market with Bledisloe Cups being hugely successful in both Hong Kong and Tokyo, and for mine the latter is where the opportunity lay.
Tokyo – capital to the rugby loving Japanese nation; home to 20 million people; shares a similar time zone to Eastern Australia; home of multinational corporations and therefore potential sponsors such as Toyota, Honda and Sony; home of rugby starved ex-pats and the land of rising opportunity!
A Tokyo based Super 15 team held under an ARU license in a joint venture with the Japanese Rugby Union, and perhaps the private sector, is the way forward in many ways. A team with two-thirds Australian players and one-third Japanese players ensures both Australian and Japanese players are getting the opportunity to play at Super level. A much larger market both in gate and television revenue awaits. No natural competitor in the marketplace like rugby league or AFL. It’s also an attractive option for European players and returning Australian’s from abroad.
The opportunity is endless and waiting. Does the ARU have the vision, skill or courage to pursuit it? If not, enjoy squeezing the Melbourne lemon Mr. O’Neill.
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.