They say that rugby crowds in Australia lack passion. They say that Sydney crowds in particular lack passion.
They say it is the fault of rugby union’s administrative bodies that the crowds are this way.
I’d say it was the fault of the crowds.
There is no lack of passion at kids rugby games. There is no lack of passion at school rugby games. It’s only when you go to the big matches that the crowds are quiet.
Roarer Gravity Basher recently wrote that Private School comps could be Aussie rugby’s third tier. This is a novel idea.
They could certainly teach traditional rugby crowds a bit about passion.
Take the last game of the season in the CAS competition. Barker were undefeated all year, and had given the old foe Knox Grammar a hiding in the first round.
Knox followed that up with two more comprehensive losses, and found themselves down 26-7 before half time in the final game of the year.
The Knox grandstands were packed to capacity for a game that didn’t mean anything. Barker had already won the Henry Plume Shield, and Knox had had a disappointing year.
But for people with passion, this didn’t matter.
The final half proved to be one of the most exciting halves of rugby of any grade all year. The passion of the home crowd brought Knox home, winning 27-26.
If you want to see passion, if you want to see rugby like you remember seeing when you were a kid, go and watch a school game next year.
You’ll discover just what passion is all about.
Or, have a look at the highlights reel from the Knox V Barker game.
Phil Bird
Roar Guru
Sheek I have to say that School boy rugby is the bigger picture. you cant fix something that's broken in grade without starting in schools. this isnt just about viewership, it's more about focus, talent generation and development. viewership is a function of this concept
Phil Bird
Roar Guru
very interesting comment
Phil Bird
Roar Guru
nice article MickeyM. We havent seen the last of this.
Sircoolalot
Guest
Lol
peeeko
Roar Guru
youve lost it here mate, in NZ and SA its totally diffrent. no one outside of the GPS fraternity would want to watch GPS rugby. who are you to questions the actions of headmasters of these institutions? i am sure they have their students best interests at heart, thats what parents pay them to do
sheek
Roar Guru
Calcio said it best above - schoolboys is not a tier. It really is desperation when we're putting schoolboys up as some kind of antidote to the woes of Australian rugby. Schoolboys is part of the process, but not the main act. Sadly, it reminds of the pathetic push by people in the racing industry trying to make the Golden Slipper our most valuable horse race. It's a helter-skelter 1200m dash for 2 year old juveniles, for chissake. Ditto schoolboy rugby. Let's try to figure the big picture before we start worrying about schoolboys.....
Sledgeandhammer
Guest
Not exactly passionate, looked like Tom Jones school days or something. Funny how skinny the kids are, nice change from the gym junkies in super rugby.
ted
Guest
Hang on NC, in Oz schools you have to go to classes and learn something not simply play rugby and learn how to fill out an Aussie Centrelink form if your rugby career flounders.
Johnno
Guest
Hernando good points you make. But the point is school boy rugby does rate well with the wider public in NZ and sth africa. High tv ratings in both countries. And once again the hedmasters wishes and the parents wishes should be 2nd anyway. If large chunks of the general public want to watch schoolboy rugby form these private schools then bad luck they will be scrutinised. We the public as in NZ and sty africa want to watch them. Im sure the boys wont mind they probably will like the attention of being on tv , even give a few of them some egos but who cares. It rates well in NZ and sty africa. Now rugby league is showing tv school boy footy again next year with the GIO schoolboy cup on foxtel. The 3rd tier begin school boys is nonsense . SOmeone on the roar put that article or idea forwad this week. Totally silly, and i agree with that. If that happened then school boy rugby being semi professional 3rd tier stuff, would be totally irresponsible and not good for player welfare of boys. Making Minors be semi professional I would be 100% against. Mae the the 3rd tier under 20 or ITM cup style. But the couch factor many like to be lazy and on there couch. But many would watch other matches other than the big ones. The point is the public have a right to watch it, and stuff the headmasters or parents. Who are they they are not the only people who have 100% rights on school sport. Optus in the old days wanted to sign a pay tv deal with GPS/CAS in the 90's and the GPS said no becoz of the we don't want to get too big theory. Silly stuff.
Hernando
Guest
As did I Johnno. As well as my elder brother, my uncle, father and grandfather. If you’ve read some of the mission statements that each of the schools proudly display on their websites, the common theme is that the primary role of the elite private schools is to provide a balanced education. The fact that sport is played so passionately by these schools is a bonus but for the general public to turn around and pin their hopes on the schools with regard to providing a “3rd Tier” for Australian rugby is thoroughly misguided. I dare say its not a fair reflection anyway! You speak of free advertising for the schools. How many people, aside from those who attended private school, truly care which school Wallaby X attended? The current representation of Sydney’s CAS and GPS players at Australian schoolboy level is rapidly declining in favour of public schools anyway so the point is becoming increasingly moot. I’m sure the headmaster of St. Joseph’s College is so very thankful of Kurtley Beale’s recent form and off-field antics and so pleased about the good image Kurtley has portrayed as an ex St. Josheph’s student. What a role model! I agree that the level of rugby played in the CAS and GPS is most likely of a consistently higher standard than other competitions and, possibly, more marketable and watchable on TV. However, if the “conservative headmasters” don’t want their kids televised each weekend (which I dare say is a direct reflection of the conservative parents’ wishes) then I, for one, support their decision. If people really do want to watch the games, and let’s face it, its really only the marquee rivalry fixtures such as Barker vs. Knox, Joeys vs. Iggies, etc.., then I’d suggest they lift their derrieres off the couch and support them at the game. Who are these people wanting to see the games on TV anyway? At a guess, ex-students who should revert to my last suggestion instead of whingeing about not seeing their old school on telly.
Bay35Pablo
Roar Guru
Fact is union does tend to get the upper end of the a-b demographic, which is less likely to get fired up in the crowd than at say a Collingwood or Wests Tigers games. Too many spectators, not enough fans. Schoolboys is better crowds because they are there to support the team, not be entertained. As I said to the older lady in front of me a few years ago that complained we were beng too loud - "It's not the opera, love".
Harry
Guest
Pretty even between Aus schools and NZ schools in recent years NC. Don't be too derogatory.
NC
Guest
All very nice and rah rah but it's not exactly Auckland Grammar V Wesley College.
Johnno
Guest
Hernando i went to one of these so called silly elite private schools, I played 1st 15 rugby, I understand the sydney private school system as well as anybody. I disagree with them not owing anything to the ARU or any other sports body. When one of these kids graduates form these schools and plays pro sports it generate exposure in other words free advertising. And how would schoolboy rugby being shown on tv distract the boys form there academic studies or distract the kids not in the 1st 15 or soccer players, it makes no sense. The matches are only on for 2 hours of the week on a saturday for about 10 weeks of the school year. Hardly taking up lots of distraction time. -If the adult general public want to see school sport they have a right too see it, how dare these headmasters deprave the adult public of watching there little pond. We want to see the most talented school boys in rugby. Why should we the adult public be depraved form that Hernando coz silly conservative headmasters don't want the profile to get to too big, why should we miss out, .
Hernando
Guest
What an incredibly naive comment Johnno. The headmasters of "these schools" are tasked with so much more than providing a rugby nursery. It is their jobs to ensure that not only is rugby available to those lucky enough to have the physical attributes to play the game but also ensure that each of the academics, artists, musicians and athletes who attend their school are all catered for with a balanced education. The Sydney private schools that are steeped in rugby history, and lets not forget cricket, rowing, athletics, soccer & basketball, owe nothing whatsoever to the ARU or any other like national sporting body. They owe their resources and efforts only to the kids attending the school and the parents sending them there.
GWS
Guest
They don't want anyone stirring up their little pond
Johnno
Guest
This is what annoys me by these schools. Get this stuff on pay tv fans want it. Just conservative headmasters have fears too much profile and the schools will turn into rugby academies what nonsense. And anyway are these headmasters willing to sacrifice world rugby rankings, to NZ and Sth Africa, coz tv ratings for school boy rugby is high there and helps exposure. The headmasters don't seem to want rugby dominance enough it seems.
cm
Guest
Dead right, Calcio!
brownirugby
Guest
Agree, the passion is create and the support for school rugby is excellent. But, if this is the best standard of schoolboy rugby in Australia, God help us!
PJ
Guest
School boy rugby is already third tier in Australia, so much so that Knox have recently signed former Waratahs coach of the late 90's Matt Williams to a 3 year $450,000 contract as 1stxv Coach and director of rugby. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.