- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Rugby union and football share a couple of things in common: both have previously struggled with very poor management and competition structures, and both play a long way from where the AFL and NRL are.
One of the things a world cup does is get people to watch. The TV ratings for the Wallabies vs All Blacks match on Sunday far exceeded other matches in the tournament.
According to ARU boss John O’Neill, the Rugby World Cup has cost Australian rugby revenue because of the loss of games that would normally be played be played at home in front of large crowds.
But what advantages will the increase in audience bring?
The Socceroo 2005 FIFA World Cup qualifier between Australia and Uruguay is said to have had an audience of 8.75 million viewers, and the Australia vs Croatia 2006 FIFA World Cup match over 6.5 million at three in the morning.
Has this translated to more fans, more sponsors, more media for football in general?
My personal opinion is without the FIFA World Cup and recent Asian Cup, the national domestic competition that is the A-League would be struggling.
Football is boosted by the national teams. Further measurements of player participation numbers and TV ratings for the A-League indicate the FIFA World Cup and Asian Cup do have positive effects.
I wonder whether the Rugby World Cup has produced matches that could get current non-rugby people to watch the Super Rugby and Tri Nations, and whether player numbers will increase and whether future TV ratings will improve.
Or whether matches of a defensive, dour rugby played in the France vs Wales and France vs England matches would help attracting non-rugby viewers to the sport.
Has Australia set up a management plan, to take advantage of the Rugby World Cup, or did they do enough prior to the tournament?
The Shute Shield was played a few weeks back in front of just over seven thousand. This is despite the fact that the competition is broadcast weekly on the ABC and all major media outlets carried pre-match reports with the game information.
Given it was a Rugby World Cup year and with the tournament being played in New Zealand, the should the crowd have been more.
It has been argued that FFA management became obsessed with winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup bid, and took their eyes off everything else and it cost them dearly as they made a couple of fundamental errors in managing the A-League.
I am not a hardcore, rusted-on rugby person, however I do have a keen interest in it.
I have been looking for what the ARU would be doing before and after the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand to promote rugby union in Australia.
Will this help the game expand into new markets like Melbourne, and will more people watch?
Essentially, has the 2011 Rugby World Cup enhanced rugby’s position on the Australian sporting landscape?
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.