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How much would you be willing to pay to get a third-tier of Australian rugby up and running and how many fans out there would look to invest in the concept?
I’ve been looking into this quite a bit recently and how it could be applied to funding projects to varying degrees.
It’s an interesting concept and one that could be an avenue to overcoming the one obstacle that appears to be the thorn in the side of any ambition to develop a viable third-tier between Super Rugby and club rugby.
We are forever being told that the finances are just not there and that it would be too expensive to run a national competition without incurring a significant loss.
All we ever get are the reasons why it cannot without anyone looking to resolve the issue.
I had to question much of this after learning the the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) was a truly national league spanning several months.
How can a sport that makes rugby union look enormous run such a structure but we are apparently cannot? I’d like to find out.
But this isn’t about the AIHL, is it? So here’s my thinking. How much would you pay to get this up and running and how many fans out there would look to “invest” in such a concept.
What I envisage is a re-launch of the Australian Rugby Championship from 2007 – the only competition structure in Australia that actually resembled representative state/provincial rugby.
The teams will need to be tweaked but it would provide a pathway that’s sorely missed in rugby in this country.
Much the same as the Currie Cup in South Africa it would be a six team competition with each Super Rugby base represented in the forms of Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra (ACT/ Southern NSW), Melbourne and Perth.
Plus one other that could be used as a direct development tool to future Super Rugby teams.
This could either be via looking to a new region in Adelaide or a logical choice in western Sydney. For the sake of cost, and readily accessible talent, western Sydney would be the most obvious initial choice.
To pay for this under my model it would require a reach out to the Australian rugby community to fund such a competition.
While operating costs would need to be established, the major factor in such a launch would be the number of those who elect to “invest” in the concept.
I highlight the word invest as the return wouldn’t be financial but physical in the form of the competition and likely to be over a few years. But it would be tangible.
The cost per head would be determined by the interest. The more interest the less per head it would cost.
Some may question the effectiveness of this model, which is fair. However crowdfunding initiatives raised more than $3 billion last year and is expected to double that this year, so it’s a growing investment platform.
I have been of the opinion for quite some time that rugby needs to innovate and it may need those with some vision to look to alternatives in delivering what desperately needed.
This is just one alternative.
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.