ARU to start up a national rugby comp

Considering its recent Olympic status 7s would be ideal to introduce into the School system. Tens could be another viable option but Sevens would more than likely be the games best option. Someone just needs to get the ARU to begin to think the same way.

I think the Sevens comp has merit, and perhaps Sevens is a game that could be used to get into all of the schools, so also assisting in junior development - by this I mean state schools who it pretty much appears to me are overlooked by the ARU and the state bodies. Here in Brisbane the AFL is massively pushing their AusKick program, and they can afford to do so, and league is in tons of schools so kids are being exposed to these and not rugby. My 10 year old nephew has just joined an AFL club after being exposed to it at school - total non sporting interest family, but he tried it at school and wanted to continue. Sevens is an attractive game to watch and play without all the parental concerns about kids getting hurt in scrums (why there is not a big push for educating parents about the modified rules for young kids in rugby I don't understand) and this would help to introduce a lot of kids to rugby in general. The clubs could then try to tap into this for players, and of course the rugby union for the state could use it as a springboard to introduce 15 man rugby into the schools, thus improving our reach and the uncovering of talent. Perhaps it has been covered before and I have missed it, but what is being done about getting rugby into more schools?

Of the $30m extra from the S15 TV deal for the ARU, assume $10m golloped up in the RUPA player salary cut, and extra costs for MElbourne. Assume $10m for ARU admin costs reinflating, as they cut to the bone, had a slight loss to cover, and once they get some money they'll get flabby again. As such, assume $10m spare. Put that $10m into junior grassroots development. Forget the club comp. If it can't be self sufficient in its current form, reform it. Which won't happen soon.

BRuce, Agreed. When has JON said this? Last time I reall JON mentioning it he seemed to scotch it once and for all (about 3rd quarter last year from memory). The title has no truth to it, without a quote that JON has flagged this.

Meaning the old timers here have thrashed this out before, and now have deja vu for the umpteenth time when a new chum raises it, and we have to go through all the flaws which we previously worked through.

the super rugby competition restricts the game, The clubs should be started as sevens clubs though, in a national sevens competition, more would be included in that case too

again? why bother, we have super rugger.. do the sevens thing

10 clubs sunshine coast, brisbane, gold coast Central Coast, Sydney, western Sydney canberra, melbourne, adelaide, perth further outlook once success is achieved to add 5 extra clubs Extra Perth, Extra Melbourne, illawarra, newcastle, north queensland

National sevens comp is genius, had had ideas of the sort of competition earlier, could easily work and will do wonders in restoring rugby passion in certain areas. A comp with say 16 teams would work better though 24 would be too much unless there is support from the Pacific Islands and New Zealand to create a South Pacific cometition. The competition could demand the support of free to air channels like 1HD and would attract the support of the government in the bid to create a strong sevens team for the olympics in 2016. The concept has been tested in Fiji where their national comp has helped provide players since their triumph in the 2006 (I think) world series. I reckon ther should be fifteen travelling teams, comprised of one from each non Super 15 state and the rest be made up of a team from a local region which upon the completion of the tournament, the best players from these teams could be signed by other travelling sides. Any powerhouse club could enter or launch a joint bid with a rival club, regions can be for their own representation and with strenght maybe the competition could expand. 24 Teams might work better, but best to start low. Think its a fantastic idea could go a long way to helping Australian Rugby now and in the future.

Great ideas and all that... however... Nobody in Aussie has grabbed hold of the Sevens opportunity. Why not start creating a national sevens league or series.... this will be something so different and enticing to the non rugby regions. Run a 7 or 8 round Australian sevens series....24 teams in each round of the series... go to all the regions. Early Jan - TAS Late Jan - Adelaide Mid Feb - Perth Early March - Brisbane or sunshine coast. Late March - Central Coast Early April - Melbourne Mid April - Brisbane Early May - Darwin Late May - Finals week - Sydney Why you ask. Well olympics is one. It develops players for the sevens irb cicuit and olympics. It develops players that are just below the super rugby level exposure to proffesional level travel and game prep and grooms them for super rugby. It takes the game to the"regions"... and you dont have to create any hybrid teams. no hybrid teams = Randwick can enter, Qld uni can enter, Victorian state team can enter, SA state team can enter, NT can enter, an aboriginal all stars can enter. We all love sevens, we just dont have a comp, and if it is going to the olympics... well why not. Some rules about eligibilty etc may have to be developed, but surely that can be quickly overcome. We will have our 5 teams for the 15 a side fix for the purist in super rugby, no doubt you will introduce the game to a whole legion of new fans with the sevens concept. With these teams the players will come from the shute sheild and Bn premier and all the other comps basicall yin their preseason, so they do not really take them from their clubs and weaken them, Feel free to develop my drunken ramblings....

We had a National Competition. It may have been amateur but it was National nonetheless. The Australian Rugby Shield was a fantastic competition which recieved far too little attention. When you consider that Perth, Darwin, Adelaide, Melbourne, Tasmania, NSW Country and QLD Country competed it was in every sense of the word 'national'. This championship should be resurrected and could be used by the Unions as a pseudo development League with the inclusion of a Sydney and Brisbane based teams.

Thought about the Melbourne and Perth premiers but having seen the standards of these two competitions it will undermine the stronger clubs in Sydney, SW QLD and Canberra. However, best to use the Australian Rugby Sheild for the first three to four years, then when the competition is bedded down and all involved are happy with the structure etc. Then the group can meet to decide whether Melbourne and Perth should be given one spot each in the Australian Rugby Challenge, or simply increase the Cup and Challenge to two more teams to include more teams. As I understand, the Australina Rugby Shield when it was in form, had NSW and QLD country included, so the idea was to try and incldue a chance for these teams to get in as well. I cannot see any other way that a competition supporting the Super Rugby teams will work.....it needs club rugby support as for it to work.

I am not entirley clear how the S15 will be structured for the "home derbys" but if that occurs prior to any NZ/RSA teams arriving, then with 5 Aust teams, 1 team would have a bye each week. If that is in fact the case, there would there be an opportunity for another team eg a "Western Sydney" barbarians team (best of the rest?) to play the team having its "bye" in the Australian rounds? This would add to the depth and then provide a "soft" start for another team when the next Super "XX" expansion opportunity comes around.

I wonder how John O'Neill feels about having fictional words put in his mouth. Not too happy, I imagine. We can all divert ourselves by erecting ever more elaborate houses of cards, but what's the point when there is no solid foundation? There will never be a fourth-tier competition in Australian rugby. There is no money for it. It will not happen. It's a dead issue. It has ceased to be. Get over it.

Yeah, agreed BM...If it doesn't include at least some kind of Perth & Melb presence then it can only have a negative effect on rugby development in those cities/states

DNB, if you could fit in the Perth and Melbourne Premiers in your model there somewhere, I'd like the look of that system..

good stuff!

Nice rumour here about a National Comp, but it was clear that the ARC diod not work and caused more problems than good within the games grass roots. Lets embrace club culture of both Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra - where good and well run clubs (we all know who they are), are rewarded with entry into a European Rugby Cup and Sheild competition at the conclusion of their seasons. I can see it being feasible for the following to happen: Australian Rugby Cup (whcih comprises) - top 4 finishers in the NSWRU Shute Shield 1st grade - top 3 finishers in QRU comp 1st grade - top 2 finishers from Canberra/Sth NSW (IR Dent) comp 1st grade All teams play each other once, with top 2 play off for Grand final - 8 week season (Sept to Oct) then the next tier Australian Rugby Challenge - next 4 finishers in NSWRU Shute Shield 1st grade - next 3 finisher in QRU comp 1st grade - 3rd place team in Canberra (IL Dent) comp 1st grade - Champion team from Australian Rugby Shield Time line is the same as for Rugby Cup - play each other once then top 2 finals The competition away games can be strutured to enable teams to fly at least once interstate and no more than three times (only drama is that if WA team makes the Challenge competition). All clubs have the strong support of their sponsors, supporters, and most importantly can use their development system. It will also eliminate the administration costs of having to start new clubs - as was proposed earlier, and builds on what many Rugby supporters call the breediung ground of Australian Rugby. The monet saved on establishing new teams can be used to provide grants and prizemoney to all teams who participate. It will also allow for the "club" player who sits outside SuperRugby, another platform outside their premiership to perform. I mentioned the timing as Sept to Oct as I cannot see any other time that will provide the best chance for Wallabies and Super Rugby players to be avaliable for this competition. Plus it fits in just before the Northern Tour. However this is only an idea, that might just work.....

Deans has made a point of doing this since he started: I recall a game I attended at Millner last year with Dunning playing for the Woodies, and Waugh for Uni amongst many other S14 and fringe Wallabies. TPN will have a run for Parra at every opportunity.

forget about the national comp and get the wallabies back playing club rugby when its not a test match weekend. good for fans to see them on the cheap. good for club players to play with them and feel a bit of lineage to the national side. good for clubs with extra revenue. bad for highly paid wallabies with risk of injuries but they might enjoy a drop in level for an afternoon or two. i know campo seemed to..