I’ve seen much debate on The Roar about how Australia’s third tier, Super Rugby and The Rugby Championship can/should expand.
I thought I would weight in on the discussion and put forward my own idea of how Australia, and to a lesser extent SANZAR, should structure its rugby moving forward.
Starting at the grass roots. Schoolboys rugby has an undeniable needs to become more inclusive.
Sydney and Brisbane’s best school sides must form unified competitions with around 10 highly competitive sides playing against one another on a weekly basis, with no division between private and state schools.
Poaching young league prodigies, signing them up with the ARU or the local professional side and mentoring them through their development could play a key role in securing the talent for the future.
Club rugby must be condensed to increase the quality of play and players. What the Australian Rugby Championship (ARC) failed to do was a) realise they couldn’t compete with the NRL and AFL from the get go and b) find a window that allowed the very best players to compete.
The ARU should look to Cricket Australia’s Big Bash League and the FFA’s A-League for a reference and the dos and don’ts of implementing a new franchise competition. Another go at an ARC competition with 8-10 sides would be perfect in addition to my next suggestion.
Scrap the current Super Rugby franchises and system. No Kiwi is going to give two hoots about the Lions verse Force fixture. So why is that part of the TV package Sky Sports in New Zealand is forced to pay for.
The newly formed ARC along with the existing Currie Cup and ITM Cup in New Zealand will be the pinnacle of domestic club rugby with Wallabies, All Blacks and Springboks playing in every match, every week.
Each domestic competition is free to include as many sides as they please and develop their own talent pools as they wish. The next stage is where Super Rugby is placed.
A Champions League style knock-out to crown the best club in the southern hemisphere. Argentina’s top-flight Zona Campeonato will also run. The top four domestic sides from each nation qualify and the tournament is all done and dusted in four weeks.
Future expansion could allow for additional sides to enter the new Super Rugby Champions League from the domestic competitions in countries like Canada, Japan or the USA.
SANZAR get their big bucks for a cross-continent domestic competition and each country retains its own top flight domestic competitions. It’s a win-win.
A return to Australia ‘A’ and the Junior All Blacks or New Zealand Maori participating in the Pacific Nations Cup, following domestic rugby and parallel to other internationals, will further lead to the games regional development.
Australia’s second string and up and coming players will be playing at a high level in addition to an increase in existing exposure to international rugby for Samoa, Japan, Tonga and Fiji.
The PNC should also expand to include the USA and Canada so all six developing rugby nations have regular, competitive, international rugby.
The Rugby Championship remains the pinnacle of rugby in the southern hemisphere. We now have a full structure of rugby in the southern hemisphere for Australian rugby.
From young player development in schools, to a national domestic club rugby competition, to an intercontinental club competition, regional international development and then top-flight international rugby.
But would the ARU or SANZAR take the steps necessary to do this? Probably not. Seems like a pretty bloody good idea to me though.
richard
Guest
Stingerea, don't talk crap mate, you've done nothing for nz sport. The only reason oz has expanded into nz, is they see another market they can milk. You only have to look at the warriors , whose junior team had won the junior comp up until this year, but have had all of their talent siphoned off by the other NRL clubs, not to mention the players your taking by using SOO as a carrot. The bottom line is oz is only interested in whats in it for them, so don't come the raw prawn with us. Hell, over the last 20 years , we have had our game undermined by your lot at every opportunity, you take our players and coaches and now we're expected to have oz teams competing in our NPC - not going to happen! btw your well within your rights, to complain about nz teams in your comps, the solution is simple - throw them out; I for one wouldn't lose any sleep over it.
Pete
Guest
everything that's wrong with Australian Rugby was just on display at Concord Oval. While ever the establishment ensures "preferred" clubs like Sydney Uni win games against clubs who are trying to build the game locally like Southern Districts, Australian rugby will remain in the cellar where the Wallabies now live. Someone needs to do to rugyb what Kerry Packer did to cricket. Smash the old establishment sitting back with their cigars and port and watching the game die and replace it with young vibrant players who actually have talent adn didn't just go to the right school.
Interesting
Guest
Interesting idea. But why would they need to be based over there? Have a couple of teams here. Of course the clubs here would try kill it because all their best players would be scrambling to get time playing in a comp with higher standards....
Claypole
Guest
The ARC was axed by O'neill because it was Gary Flowers who made it happen. It was killed because of ego. Despite financial concerns, if there was a will to make it happen, it would have happened. In one season, the players and the audiences benefited hugely from it. By now it would have been 5 years old and building a head of steam, with improved player depth and decent crowds. The ARC delivered watchable domestic rugby. Club rugby is what it is, but it's simply not of a high enough standard to be watchable by anyone beyond friends and family.
Calcio
Guest
Just amazed at how delusional posters at this site can be.
sheek
Guest
Luke/Calcio, I find it odd you would bother to post. Just move on..... And heck, I agree too. But I'll keep plugging away until the ARU/SANZAR gets it right.....
Calcio
Guest
Agreed.
Calcio
Guest
lol Go the Aces.
AndyS
Guest
It becomes an all-in bet on that belief though. Add three more teams and they will either all want paying Super Rugby money, or all the existing players have to take a serious paycut. So prospering won't cut it - the bet is that putting the 30 Wallabies back into the competition would change the ARC into something that would pay 60% more than Super rugby. If not, it'd be a field day for the European and Japanese clubs and we'll have no competition at all to sell.
Stingerea
Guest
I've tried to find a way to get the third tier some rugby experience and have come up with the idea that we have supported NZ sport for long enough with the Warriors in League the Phoenix(?) in football and the Breakers in basketball it is about time that they turn around and help us. I propose that we run two or three teams in the NPC and house the lads over there, Melrose Place style, like the early Brumbies days. Another thing would be to take the tv rights away from that league station and get some rugby on free to air for kids to watch.
Johnno
Guest
Yes I did Brett,. But I have while taking the dog for walk, have now had a change of opinion. Just not making any profit can't see it happening. Like a dog without a bone it will starve and go bankrupt if super rugby opens up to USA/Canada/Japan teams no money to sustain teams there.
Luke
Guest
and this is article number 100 on how Australian rugby should change...this topic is getting tiresome.
Brett McKay
Expert
Johnno, haven't you been espousing the financial windfall to be had by bringing Japanese and American teams into Super Rugby?!?
Johnno
Guest
Zero chance i think of USA/Canada/Japan super rugby teams. Travel costs,player welfare issues, and uncertainty if franchises will make money there. Expand in SANZAR nations 6 or 7 per team. ANd allow more import spree squad to cover depth issues.
Bakkies
Guest
We don't need to do that. We only require a 10 week competition not a 24 week comp plus finals and a big tv contract.
p.Tah
Guest
:)
Sledgeandhammer
Guest
I turned up to about 4 games, and the crowds seemed pretty good to me, even if the 'reported' crowds were not. The competition didn't lose that much money considering it was the first year. With a bit of leadership and cost cutting it could have been a viable concept.
DGR
Guest
With respect to NSW school boy rugby and the lack of commitment to the Waratah Shield by some private schools. One option could be to limit eligibility for NSW School boys and hence pathway to Aust School boys to pupils of schools who compete in the Shield. This would change some schools views or more importantly the views of some rugby parents who pay the fees
Denby
Roar Rookie
What rich guy from Balmain?
Warren
Guest
This topic is similar to what soccer in Australia had to face up to many years ago. Stick with the local teams (Sydney Croatia, Olympic etc) or go to City based National league. The difference is that nearly everyone has played soccer in Australia whereas Rugby is a sport far few have played or in some cases understand. The alternative is to have the competition (whatever this may be) played in the summer to attract more attention. Maybe a bit too hot in some parts but with the congested sporting markets of Sydney and Melbourne, Rugby is not getting a look in especially this time of year.