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?
Crashy
Guest
yay rugby. yay everything. Its been a good year all told Queensland Reds - Super15 champions Australia - Tri-nations Eastwood - Shute Shield. now for that Pesky Bledisloe and those Tahs to perform. I think Republican is trying to suggest that as AFL fans are maionly those with an Australian heritage, it is far more popular than rugby. Trawling the newspapers for any articel that denigrates another code - he is quick to jump back on the keyboard. Republican should then be aware that most of Australian soccer fans don't count either - going by the diversity of their backgrounds.
NF
Guest
One can argue Jaceman that Super Rugby is indeed the best rugby competition in the world considering it involves the top 3 nations Oz,NZ & South Africa.
Ray
Guest
Almost 50% of all the NRL under 20 players are Kiwis and the mority from rugby union schools. Not sure about the numbers in first grade but I hear that West Sydney junior comp is mainly Kiwis.
Emric
Guest
Midfielder i liked the question and did not see it as a code war thing. i always believed that the rugby world cup and the soccer world cup made people aware of their existence and hopefully that might make them pay attention to other games of the codes. football has done remarkably well i hope rugby can emulate footballs success
Jaceman
Guest
AFL and NRL wil always dominate because the best competitions are here in Oz. The best RU teams are elsewhere and obviously one can get a huge soccer fix by watching high quality games on TV. THe Wallabies had half their team born o/s which must be a concern...On the other hand how many Kiwis make up the NRL firsts and u20 rosters??
Mike
Guest
Ha! My first ancestor arrived here before 1820 and my wife's was on first fleet. Therefore according to Republican our family now represents the entirety of the Australian viewing public. You all watch what we watch. Finally, "Duckman" will get the attention it deserves, and Neighbours will vanish from the screen... ;)
Republican
Guest
Brett Well the feeling is sometimes mutual. There are many PC altruistic sentiments that you and others in the Roar community bang on about here ad nauseam, that more than grate on me as well. To every action there is apparently, an equal and opposite reaction. If you are really that altruistic in respect of this tribal thing called sport, perhaps you should spend more time scrutinising the nation called NZ who make my singular Aust voice in the wilderness pale in the extreme when it come's to vilifying culture and country. There certainly appears to be a continuing of double standards in this respect as I note only this week, on an AFL thread, a Kiwi contributor by all accounts, that if you read, certainly puts my civilised tirades into perspective - to be sure. If I were in the position to edit some of these ground hog day threads, you and others would be moderated in the interest of ethos as opposed to pathos. I will leave you all to bask in your delusions of grandeur oh and go Les Bleu this weekend; I expect they will unleash some of that passion that Kefu so rightly identified as lacking in the Australian side and this Brett is the essence of what I was relaying when moderated I believe. All the best to you Brett.
Ray
Guest
rugby league fans saying rugby is not entertaining. thats the funny part of it when rugby kickass all over.
Kevin
Guest
AFL in Denmark has 300 senior players-Virtually non-existent. Also League in Wales is going nowhere.
Kevin
Guest
Sounds like someone's jealous, if you want carnival rugby watch Sevens (Don't worry you'll be seeing it EVERYWHERE in 5 years time).
Next year!
Guest
"Imagine if they made the sport entertaining" An estimated audience of four billion will watch the final on Sunday ................... Not bad for a sport that is not entertaining ..............
NF
Guest
Johhno what I meant by your reality check is your constant deathriding of rugby league because it will never happen I do acknowledged Rugby's growth and good for them I'm just sick of your selfish and delusional remarks about rugby league in the future.
db swannie
Guest
Didnt another "John" start making wild claims about RU after the 2003 WCnone of which came true...in fact the sport went backwards in this country for a few yrs.
Reason
Guest
On top of all that, imagine if they made the sport actually entertaining!
Emric
Guest
We are talkikng about viewing numbers.. So what if the All Whites get 30,000 to Westpac Stadium with another 1000,000 kiwis watching on tv (about the ratings of the All Blacks) this is not going to deminish New Zealand rugby at all. I do play rugby watch the phoenix, hurricanes, and support NSW in the SOO, and when i was a teenager i was a die hard supporter of Manly in the NRL. As a kid i played soccer, rugby, tennis, and a whole lot of other sports yet i now work in IT The top players are normally found at college and high school while Rugby in New Zealand maintains the advantage there it will always get the cream of the crop so to speak what never used to happen was the kids who where the top soccer players always had to leave nz to make it big in their sport it does not need to happen now.
Sprigs
Guest
The huge point here is the Olympics. Johnno is on the money there. Rugby is set to take off. I can't wait to see African-Americans start playing in big numbers in the US....
Sprigs
Guest
Wow, what an amazing story. Deserved to be a story in and of itself.
johnnoo
Roar Pro
But Emric pleasantries aside you make it sound all too nice, there has to come a time when say the all whites, kiwi rugby league , the NZ tall blacks basketball team, are attempting to pinch some of the rugby union talent in NZ and vice versa and same in any country. There ar sonly os many talented athletes and many athletes the talented ones could be good in multiple sports look at KHunt, isreal foal, wendell sailor, tiquiri, matt rgoers as just some examples. The recruitment of developing sports grass roots has to come form somewhere and i am sorry the codes get there talant form the same heartland. Do you think what the AFL is doing via GWS is helping rugby league, rugby union, and soccer in western sydney. Of course not no no no. Some of that talent in western sydney will now play AFL not , Rugby, or NRL, or soccer, or cricket, or basketball. SO to pretend that they are no threat is nonsense, they are direct threat, plain and simple to junior talent, simple as that. Code wars in all sports in modern times exist just simply look at the AFL via GWS example as a good example Emric and others.
johnnoo
Roar Pro
How is what i am saying wrong NF, do you actually know anything NF about rugby development in the last 5 years, and the goals and money IRB is spenign on the future of the sport. Did you know for example Belguim is ranked 25 in world rugby getting very close to Namibia standard, and spain and pritugal could match Namibia now. I think you lack education on the sport of rugby NF, and should i add idea to the end of your name NF. Your failure to acknowdlge 7evens olympics, and the rugby world cup as the 3rd biggest sports event on the planet in revenue only highlights your ignorance and lack of knowledge on the subject NF.
Emric
Guest
Soccer in the USA and Rugby in the USA. Rugby in France where it almost rivals soccer in a few small provences. Rugby League in Wales where its getting more popular, soccer, basketball and rugby league in new zealand, afl in denmark. You do not need to overtake to the top sport to get people interested in watching your sport you only have to make people realize that your sports not interested in over taking, nor threatening the status quo. I prefer to think of these sports as coming of age, soccer in New Zealand is a perfect example it will never threaten rugby union for the no.1 position but it has grown, a lot of rugby supporers watch the All Whites play, and go to the phoenix games its no threat but it has matured and become a better product for people to watch