I have been a grassroots rugby man for the past 55 years, and I am concerned about how long the game can sustain itself with the current grass roots set up.
With an uncle who was a Waratah in the 50s, I began playing rugby at the age of ten, became a referee at the age of 16 and played U18s colts with Eastern Suburbs.
I then moved to Melbourne and played with Monash University in the 60s, to Brisbane and played with Redcliffe in the 70s, completed the ARU coaching programme in the first year it was offered and did a refresher course in the 80s.
I started the first mini-rugby comp in Australia at Redcliffe and was on the management committee that began the first major 7s tournament (flying the Ella brothers up to participate).
I retired to coach at Barra Brui juniors in Sydney, was President of the Hornsby Kuring-gai J.R.U. and coached and managed several state carnivals. I coached both grade and juniors for St Ives Rugby Club, second Grade Gordon Colts for two years and for the last 15 years have coached and managed in the Sydney University Colts programme.
That’s 55 continuous years in grass roots rugby and I hope for another 15 or so. That’s provided the code survives that long.
I’m concerned for the future of the game in New South Wales because of the disconnect between an elite professional code at Super Rugby level and Club Rugby. I am writing this article in the hope that enough people will apply some serious thought to the future development of the code in Sydney and actually do something about it.
Now I don’t claim to know exactly what has been happening in the administration of the game at state or even the wider Sydney club level over the last ten years, so what I am about to write is no more that my observations and hopefully a starting point for a constructive discussion about the future direction the code might take.
It seems to me that with the advent of professionalism in rugby, the ARU focused its attention and finances on securing players and ensuring that we retained players that might have otherwise gone to league or Europe.
It meant that the starting point was setting player payments at the highest level and the money could only go so far in supplementing Super 12 teams and now Super Rugby teams. Revenue probably hasn’t increased that much over the last ten years however there are now two additional Super teams and therefore another 60 players to pay.
At no point has the administration at national or state levels addressed building a solid foundation at club level to develop players to progress into the fully professional ranks.
My observation has been that the administrators have focused on identifying talent at the junior or schoolboy level and believed that if they provided these players with occasional training programmes and selected them in the representative teams, they would progress through to the elite level and bypass club rugby on the way.
The problem with this is that those who identify and select these players have a vested interest in ensuring that they do progress. They fail to consider the players with less natural ability but greater motivation and commitment who develop later.
My experience is that there have been more schoolboy stars who have fallen by the wayside and failed to progress even into first grade at club level. When natural talent isn’t enough to carry them into the Super ranks immediately, they don’t have the drive to work on their game and take the two or three years to earn a spot.
I have seen more players with little profile work on their game at colts and grade level and earn a contract than I have those who made the step up from schoolboy star to Super Rugby.
This time last year, a very proud father wrote an article on The Roar about the perfect season achieved by the Sydney University second Grade Colts team. The vast majority of people responded with all sorts of wild accusations and claims that the success was due to S.U. attracting all the schoolboy stars and having an unfair advantage over other clubs.
If anyone cares to respond to this article, would you please either make statements of fact that you have proof positive are fact, or at least acknowledge that they are assumptions.
I have been a part of the Sydney University colts programme for the last 15 years. Yes, in the early years, we did recruit numerous schoolboy stars and they were offered both university sports scholarships as well as college scholarships.
This didn’t produce immediate success. In fact, for five years we only had moderate success with a few teams (In those days there were three grades and under 19’s in the colts competitions).
During those five years however, we were building a player development programme. It wasn’t a case of throwing all the resources at the colts. It was a case of being consistent year in and year out in building the player development programme at colts and grade level. It was as much about building a culture as it was about coaching.
Players had to buy into the culture, commit to their team mates, coaches, trainers and themselves and to work hard at developing their game.
For the last ten years, we have been consistent. Our programmes have continued to evolve, but we have never changed direction. We offer a culture and programme that young players want to buy into. At least, if the players in question are self-motivated and high achieving.
By doing so, we have graduated more players to Super Rugby and European rugby than any other club in Australia, and most of them have been players that were never identified by State or National talent scouts.
They are players who worked hard through the colts programme, earned a first grade spot and were then identified. Actually, some were even identified while still in the colts teams.
If you doubt my claim, and want to perpetuate the nonsense trotted out last year such as “I would like to see the number of Australian/State Schoolboys representative in those three teams, my educated guess would be that there is upward of 20. While other clubs settle for 3, 2 or none”.
But let’s look at the actual numbers. The S.R.U. introduced a points system some years ago in the erroneous belief that we had recruited large numbers of schoolboys and that the points would spread the talent among all clubs.
First colts are allowed 40 points and second colts 35 points. Australian schoolboys are worth six points, NSW schoolboys four points. This year, the Sydney University first colts rarely fielded more than 32 points and seconds 28.
In the grand finals won by both firsts and seconds again this year, our firsts fielded 32 points. We had two NSW schoolboys (four points) and four players on three points (last year’s returning players).
We had another four point player who had approached the club from Auckland because he wanted to join our development programme. In second grade, we had one six point player, playing only half the season due to injury, and two four point players.
The Under 19s who lost the grand final had just one four point player and he was a convert from Aussie Rules.
So, in answer to John Connolly, whose “guess” last year wasn’t anywhere near “educated”, we had four NSW schoolboys last year and four this year and just one Australian schoolboy. On the other hand, Randwick first colts were penalised in the first round for exceeding 40 points and struggled all year to keep under the numbers.
I’d suggest some other clubs also played at close to the 40 points all season.
I’ve only raked over these old coals from last year to once and for all put to rest the myth that Sydney University buys its players. Yes we have sports and college scholarships, but not as many as you would think and they don’t boost our numbers of Australian and NSW schoolboys.
We have a significant number of players who have come through the Canterbury juniors programme and we have been providing coaches for the local representative teams and therefore attracting players from the inner west of Sydney.
Our third Colts team (U19s) which lost the grand final was largely made up of 17-year-olds from this programme.
Then there was “bozo” who wrote “Uni would say they are helping the Parramatta and Penrith juniors … by snaring them to play at Uni and all their resources. (Sic)”
At the beginning of the 2010 season, I arranged for the then outgoing S.U. Colts Coaching Director (Nick Ryan) and first Colts Forwards Coach (Al Kanar), to conduct training sessions for the Penrith colts.
At the end of the 2010 season, Nick spent many days providing a Penrith coach with advice on how to establish a player development programme over the off season.
To return to the main point of this discussion starter, Sydney club rugby is lacking development programmes at each club.
Instead of trying to drag S.U. down to everyone else’s level, we need all clubs to provide professional player development programmes. There are many talented and motivated juniors joining the other clubs however there isn’t the development programme in place to allow them to reach their full potential.
Several clubs introduced their own player development programmes this year and the performance of all their teams in grade and colts reflected this. They need to maintain these programmes for a number of years before they will reap all the benefits.
It’s the long term consistency of these programmes that instil a culture that becomes self perpetuating and successful.
I believe that unless the ARU and NSW rugby union can find the money to support a Grade and Colts Coaching Director for each club, provide them with a development programme model and manage the process, then the supply of players for the elite level of the game is going to suffer.
Football, rugby league and AFL devote considerable resources to developing their codes at grass roots level. The ARU and NSWRU cannot maintain an elite level of the code without a professional grade competition in both Brisbane and Sydney.
A major business wouldn’t establish 12 subsidiary companies, allow them to sell their product but provide them with no funding or direction. Nor would they ignore product development and innovation to maintain their market position.
Why then aren’t the ARU and NSWRU conducting themselves in a professional business like manner?
Mike
Guest
Leo, the problem is more that League dominates in two States as you point out, and AFL dominates in three or four others. So Rugby comes 2nd (or worse) in each State. The support for League and AFL in their home states is deeply tribal and 'rusted on'. Just part of the problem that we have to overcome. And you are right, League has a tiny following in UK and France compared to Union.
Leo
Guest
So league is major sport in Australia with only two states but leaguies don't recognize rugby as a major sport in England, France, Ireland and Scotland.
amband
Guest
when I was at high school we played for school on Tuesdays, and for our local club Saturday. Nothing new in that. Just do it
matthewthorpe
Roar Pro
im not having a go at all, but im interested in the retention rates of those 6 teams when the players enter high school. from my experiences junior club rugby is great, but once high school comes around the club comp seems to miss out
amband
Guest
well, the main district clubs, Gordon, Randwick etc, all have accountants, lawyers and CEOs, much good they did the former with it going into administration. Disgraceful turnout
Mike
Guest
"For some years they have not met their traditional role of assisting juniors" This is where ARU and State rugby union has to be more involved at all levels. Clubs to assist is fine, but someone has to be monitoring the game at every level to ensure that financial woes of a club doesn't stymie player development.
Galgano
Guest
Correct .... "assisting" not managing. And that's all I've been trying to say for some months now in regard to S.U.'s role as a district club. We "assist" the district juniors by providing coaching clinics and coaches for the representative teams. Unlike many other clubs, our super 15 players are great club men and whenever available turn up at our games and attend these coaching clinics for juniors.
amband
Guest
Galgano Each Shute shield club was responsible for assisting local Juniors. In Gordon RFC's case it was the six village clubs, Hunter's Hill, Lane Cove Chatswood, St Ives, an a couple of others Gordon went into administration last year.. For some years they have not met their traditional role of assisting juniors
Homer 2
Guest
Galgano, Good work - dont live in Sydney anymore but Gordon seems to be struggling Had a cold so got to see a lot of ITM Rugby over the weekend - brillaint stuff put local super 15 to shame BTW how does Uni have such a good (relatively) AFL team - Max Moore wilton involved here too...
Mike
Guest
Hi Galgano, great article. I am not sure I agree with everything in it, still thinking it through. But you have made an important contribution to the debate that we have to have. Five S15 teams is good enough for the 2nd tier, but now we must work on the tiers below that. Player development is our biggest current issue, and we need to be working on it now to see results in 5 years time.
Galgano
Guest
For those who have some knowledge of or interest in the current type of injuries being experience by junior rugby player, this was the list of injuries the week before the finals began this season: R AC joint sprain grade 1 Anterior shoulder pain ?pec bruise ?instability grade 3 MCL; ACL 2009 ?previous laxity Hamstring reaggravation R ankle Sydnesmosis sprain Grade 1 Calf strain (Gastroc) lis franc injury L foot ?Shoulder subluxation Bilateral posterior hamstring pain ?low back ankle sprain ? Syndesmosis, ?peroneal tendon strain 3-Aug Hamstring Strain Grade 2+ Hamstring strain gr 1 5th MT Stress fracture for surgery L5/ S1 disc bulge with R S1 radiculopathy L hip reaggravation Shoulder instability Patella Tendinopathy R shoulder subluxation ( had 3 x) posterior impingement shoulder labral tears, chronic neural injury, denervation M Osteitis pubis, recent groin tightness post shoulder reconstruction plantar fasciitis SIJ / adductor pain Insertional Patella enthesopathy Hamstring strain AC joint resprain grade 1, neck and back tightness 27-Jul R psoas strain Groin awareness Left Hamstring Strain / Ankle impingement
Galgano
Guest
Posting at the Roar is like starting a bushfire and then coming back days later to find spot fires have broken out all over the place. I’ll try to address some of these spot fires first and then come back to the main fire. Keir – No District club in Sydney “run’ a junior rugby competition. Junior rugby is administered by independent junior rugby unions e.g. Hornsby-Kuringai JRU. The district clubs role in junior rugby is primarily limited to sponsoring their representative teams in Sydney and NSW championships. In the case of Sydney University, for the last five years we have provided coaches for all these representative teams involving players from the Canterbury, Petersham and Balmain junior clubs. Almost our entire 3rd grade colts team and a large number of others in both 1sts and 2nds colts have come through this development programme. Homer 2 – You are dead right. Given that rugby has around half a page of space in the SMH on around 4 days per week, you’d think that it would be used in a positive fashion. With the exception of the occasional pieces by Georgina Robinson, Paul Cully and Mathew Burke much of the space is waste. Crazy Horse and others – It is the ARU’s problem and responsibility. N.Z. and S.A. rugby have the correct models. They provide direction to each of the provinces, determine the skills and levels expected of them and manage the process. Sheek - Correct, if not for sponsors and benefactors, clubs would have no funds. If all you are expected to do at club level is provide training and gear for amateurs to play in a Saturday afternoon comp. then that money would be sufficient. When a district club is expected to provide the “product development” or “research and development” for the code, it will send them all to the wall. On other posts over the last couple of weeks there has been considerable discussion about the wallabies injury toll. With 28 players currently unavailable, it is pointless declaring Australian rugby dead in the water. Who knows how we would be performing if even 20 of these players were available. You are welcome to your opinion as to who would make the better player in various positions but at the end of the day it is combinations that make the difference. Combinations, continuity, experience, skill levels, game strategies are what coaches should be managing. At the present time, they have no control over many of these factors. Ten years ago, it was common with 4 colts teams to reach the half way mark of the season and have 3 or so players finished for the season with shoulder reconstructions. We would also have around 10 players on the injury list with 1 to 6 weeks recovery. By the end of the season approaching the finals, most players would be available The last two seasons at S.U with 3 colts teams, we have had 10 players with season ending injuries and by finals time, 20 players with injuries still require one or two weeks treatment. It is rare to see shoulder reconstructions these days, it’s more leg injuries. No one knows the answer, however I hazard the guess that in an attempt to accelerate their development in pursuit of a professional career, young players are not allowing their bodies to assume a natural balanced shape. They are trying to build the shape that they have been told is the main selection criteria used by the wallabies and super 15 franchises. While in NZ they select players based on their athleticism, here we seem to think that we need a designer built team. Burt I digress, and don’t want to start another spot fire. At some point the ARU has to accept that the tree from which they have been plucking low hanging fruit has stopped producing. It hasn’t been fertilised or pruned in so long that it’s in danger of dying. The model used for the last fifty years has been to let clubs such as Randwick and now Sydney University develop the bulk of their players. That’s not to say that the other district clubs in the Sydney competition aren’t doing a good job in developing super 15 players as well, however they are struggling to find the funds to develop sustainable programmes and it is no more evident than at the colts level. There are probably only half the number playing colts rugby for the district clubs than there were ten years ago. Ten year ago there were four teams per club and therefore a total of 720 players. This season there were only 8 clubs fielding a 3rd grade team, and therefore only 480 players. The ARU need to take control of the management of the game. With the states and super 15 franchises, they have to not only have a management and development plan but provide the grass roots with support in both management and funding.
Jock M
Guest
The author is correct about the plight of grass roots Rugby and the do or die approach to the upper levels but one of Rugby's core problems is that through law changes it is no longer the game that it was. No one wants to know about that and very few if any will respond to my blog. I am grateful that I knew Rugby when it was a great game and a true player's game. It was an accepted fact that Rugby was the best game to play-even AFL players would say that. Why anyone would want to play today's boring repetitive farce of a game. I always knew that the Rugby fraternity would drift towards AFL. Rugby's brand has also been trashed and especially here in Australia-Wallabies going out on the town and getting into fights is enough proof of that.
onside
Guest
Pub Talk There were two live games shown on PAY TV late this afternoon at my local pub. A League soccer, and IPL rugby in NZ Both games share a common problem,ie,international codes that are not shown on FTA TV. Kids can play either or both games, then go home and watch AFL and League on FTA TV There aint no soccer or union on FTA TV Go figure
Keir
Guest
Galgano, correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that Sydney University doesn't run any junior rugby competitions in their area. I know I'm incredibly biased but I grew up playing in the Easts/Randwick Junior comp where there were a number of junior teams amongst all age groups from under 6s to 16s.. When Sydney University does anything but take the private school players maybe people like myself will tone down the criticism.
amband
Guest
Pro rugby, as administered by the present lot, is a disaster. I'd be happy seeing the end of the world cup too. It only adds to the greed Instead of good ol fashioned rugger and you sent yer team out at 3pm, it's now a game of playing at night when there's dew on the ball, and tuning the side for the WC, and not caring about what's in between Remember, they play for Qantas, not "Oz", the Qantas Wallabies. In NZ there is legislation protecting the Jersey
Crazy Horse
Guest
Well done Victoria. BTW if anyone want's to give my kids a scholarship let me know :-) I've got an up and coming scrum half here who is determined to make it.
Homer 2
Guest
The problem with NSW Rugby is that the chief writer for the herald (the rugby paper) writes bile about rugby most days of the week. esp the Ruck and maul column which finished up yesterday, hopefully forever. Perhaps the RU had to promise the herald more advertising to get him to stop. The other problem is that we overachieved in the eales years and now we are back to normal so we will always be no 3 or 4 depending upon the Socceroos success...
MAJB
Guest
Sheek, Apart from the questionable finances of Randwick and possibly Easts, the problem for Rugby in the Eastern and Southern Suburbs has much to do with the resurgence of both the Easts (Rooster) and South Sydney. Although the resurgence of League has affected Rugby in this area the real culprit is the ever growing success of the Sydney Swans and the development of AFL in the Eastern Suburbs. Although as an old Woodie, Randwick was the enemy I would hate to see this club disappear, considering that Randwick once had the greatest backline in Australian Rugby. This means that the tenure of this article is true; the lack of profession management of juniors in some Sydney Clubs has seen the loss of potential juniors to other codes.
David
Guest
You are right Brendon.I would say Australia is already a two sport country with Aussie Rules and RL. With their new tv deals worth over a 1b dollars this will ensure they will always remain the major sports. Personally I think rugby should take a leaf out of soccers book and rather than compete with the NRL and AFL try and carve out their own niche. Soccer has switched their Aleague comp to the summer to avoid clashing with the NRL and AFL. Union could try the same and set up a summer comp.