On the subject of the third tier competition of Australian rugby, the ARU is caught between a rock and hard place.
Is the ARU to follow the well-trodden path of the Currie Cup and the NPC competition formats and align the new competition with existing Super Rugby franchises – and by default traditional clubs such as Sydney Uni in the process?
Or does it allow clubs like Balmain to emerge once more? All good grist-for-the-mill.
As fellow Roarer and rugby scribe Sheek clearly articulated, there have been many attempts to get a National Rugby Competition going, the one common attribute being that each of these initiatives have been centrally funded by the ARU.
In each case these have either failed or, in the ARC’s case, been shut down due to fear of failure.
Giving credit where credit is due, Bill Pulver has produced a self-funding model that by its very nature is sustainable. It’s a major step in the right direction, especially in this age where all is focused on the bottom line and everything else (sadly) is viewed as existential nihilism (not worth much).
What is abundantly clear to this regionally based writer is that – at the Super Rugby level – the perception is the capital city based teams cater for the inner demographics of those cities and rarely take the game outside of those areas.
A case in point is the eastern suburbs and lower north shore Waratahs faithful’s reluctance to drive 20 kilometres down the road to Homebush. This new competition has the opportunity to directly address this perception and spread the game to the rugby-starved regions.
In all of this there is an opportunity to come up with an inclusive rugby brand that all can relate to – city and country folk. Accepting that city teams will form the basis of the competition, what is left is to determine what guise they will play under.
There is the opportunity to form country teams, however, which if marketed correctly would have to potential to galavanise rugby regional support into the one team.
If this comes to pass what will be tough for these teams will be to build a fan-base across more than one home ground, which may warrant subsidy consideration – especially in the early years.
Regardless, what is not to be missed is the opportunity to create a new inclusive rugby brand catering for city and country supporters.
Gatesy
Guest
You just can't take this debate seriously. Pulver has done it, it's a fact, let's stop ruminating on it and let it happen. It will align with the Currie Cup and the ITM Cup and will become a viable 3rd tier competition. Why do we have to keep debating the inevitable. If the answer is "because we are Roarers and we just want to have meaningless discourse and butt heads" - fair enough. But if we are trying to change the world, let's move on to more important subjects, such as why has it taken the Libs so long to get on with governing us? or why was there a Rugby League World Cup, or where were they hiding Boof Lehman all these years, when we could have been winning Ashes series? Important stuff, like!!
Richard Egan
Guest
Sheek. I do not have a major problem with the name if it eventually does actually become national. I personally cannot see that as being a reality with the limited "cattle" available if the SS is played around the same time frame. Plus the RUPA conditions regarding player availability. I do not know where you are located but until 1998 I was a Sydneysider & the SS used to draw crowds of 6K plus to Coogee oval/ TG Milner/North Sydney oval/ Manly oval until the game went professional. I have been a rugby player/official/supporter since the fifties and have literally cried at the progressive decline of Club Rugby. I would suggest the same scenario is happening in Brisbane. Where the hell is Ross "mad dog" Turnbull, David Lord, Peter Fitzsimons and one or two others, possibility Spiros who started , and nearly succeeded, in achieving a much better result in the nineties. A little more intestinal fortitude and determination may have changed the course of Southern hemisphere rugby for the better. I would love to get the current thoughts of David & Ross as to how we can rectify the situation. Assuming they have not joined the pay TV circus. How would Foxtel grow and justify their prices without their sports channels.
Rickety Knees
Roar Guru
In hindsight JON dropped the ball when he defaulted back to being The Financial Controller (banker) rather than the CEO
sheek
Roar Guru
Richard, I agree with you & have argued much the same in the past. From the highwater mark of 2003, the game has been receding ever since. Back then we were seriously threatening rugby league for no. 2 spot. But today we're tailing the field in fourth & last of the footy codes. It will be interesting to see what the ARU come up with for the NRC in terms of teams. That will determine if it has any chance of succeeding. I already don't like the name NRC. I don't know what was wrong with ARC. Whatever the spurious reasons given, it wasn't necessary to change
Richard Egan
Guest
Rickety Knees. I understand that negotiations for the next Super Rugby contract is imminent The RWC I don't know.
Richard Egan
Guest
Sheek I believe that it is imperative to care. Rugby has been going backwards since 2000. Name me any other sport that does not have their major competitions on FTA. I also believe that Australian Rugby will be more of a boutique sport than ever before, within the next five years under the current media arrangements. The "Pulver" experiment will last two years, three max before Newscorp pulls the pin. what happens then. There are numerous ways of getting Rugby back on FTA if the "WOULD BE IF THEY COULD BE" experts put their mind to it.'
sheek
Roar Guru
Richard Egan, I was speaking figuratively, rather than financially, for your info. Far from being delusional, what I was referring to was the fact that super rugby has five teams each from three countries. So in that context for the fan, it is only one-third of a national comp for Australian fans. Responding to 'tc', the beauty of an NRC, is that it will be totally ours, in the sense that all the teams will be Australian teams. Who actually owns it (any comp) financially, I don't really care as it's not part of the current discussion. Anyway, we all say we own our home when in fact we know the bank owns most of it. I trust this helps clear up your misunderstanding. BTW, I agree with you about "Bankers, Buffoons and bum lickers." But that's international sport these days. I personally don't like the intrusion of business corporation into sport, but that's the way it is.
Westie
Guest
Bs. The polynesian kids don't give a rats about the wanderers or giants. They are all about the rugby codes. Western Sydney must have a team.
Rickety Knees
Roar Guru
RE - when are the bidding rights next on the market?
Richard Egan
Guest
Sheek. Re ownership of Super Rugby & Rugby Championships. You are delusional if you believe that we own 1/3 of Super Rugby. They are 100% controlled by Newscorp. Read Chapter three Peter Fitzsimons "The Rugby War" and you will be in no doubt, especially clause 1,4,5,7 & 11. Equally ARU/NZRL established the "Rugby World Cup" and within four years the IRB had taken complete control of the event turning it from the festival of World Rugby it was designed to be into a money grabbing exercise with the IRB being the major beneficiary. The proposed NRC will in turn be a Newscorp controlled event. Four games a week, only one live, for five million. Give me a break. Why has this catastrophe developed? Because the Southern Hemisphere, and in particular the ARU, have been controlled by Bankers, Buffoons & bum lickers who would not stand up to be counted when Rugbys value was on the Table. Watch for the indecent haste by Ten, Nine & Seven when the bidding rights are on the market.
Rickety Knees
Roar Guru
Now that would be something special!
AndyS
Guest
Albeit different tools for different purposes. We own 1/3 of Super rugby, which means we can televise seven games a week while only having to pay for five teams of professionals to hone their skills. NRC will be only four games a week at the cost of eight teams, which is why they have to be inexpensive and more appropriate for player development...
sheek
Roar Guru
tc, Yep, that's the beauty of a national comp - "it's all ours." Unlike super rugby, which is only one-third owned by each country.
tc
Guest
Midfielder/Sheek The thing about provincial rugby is that it will be all yours just like the ITM Cup is all ours, it doesn't matter when it is played out, or if its bringing in big revenues. We know that's where we unearth our future stars. Some Kiwis who take a passing interest in Super Rugby absolutely love the NPC, why?, because its ours, and I can bet your bottom dollar the same thing is felt in South Africa. I really hope the NRC is a runaway success for you guys, because a provincial component to your national rugby structure can only be good for your Super teams and for your club teams. And who knows what the future holds maybe an Australasian wide provincial competition, who knows.
Midfielder
Guest
Sheek I will bow to your greater rugby knowledge ... me thinks the single most important part of this is it pays it way ...
sheek
Roar Guru
Hi Midfielder, I'm actually comfortable with the proposed window for the NRC. For one, it ties in with SA's Currie Cup & NZ's NOPC, which both run during the same time. For two, & perhaps more importantly, it was important for the Sydney Shute Shield & Brisbane Hospitals Cup comps to be completed so as to remove the drain on players from these premier clubs. Which would have occurred if the NRC was run concurrently with the SSS & BHC. Nor do I see a problem with going up against AFL & NRL finals. Better to have something than nothing. In any case, initially it won't have a bearing on things. The critical thing for the ARU now is to get the composition of the NRC teams absolutely 100% right. Stuff that & they will fatally compromise the success of this new national comp.
Midfielder
Guest
As an outsider I applaud what is being done ... what does concern me is the no mood to change / modify most other ruby timetables... Playing late August to November ..... HHHHMMMMmmm are there some issues ..... the obvious one is going head to head with the NRL & AFL final rounds and finals is brave to say the least .... my second concern is playing a lower quality competition after playing a higher level competition... Super Rugby is the best and so when it finishes you expect people to watch a lower quality competition and as already stated when the NRL is at its best.... My guess is it should start in say late February and can be used to pick fringe player for the Super Rugby teams... NRL & AFL pre-seasons .... plus the matches lead into something .... it seems to me it has been plonked a space it will fit ...
sheek
Roar Guru
Zero Gain, Being the best run premier rugby club is no guarantee or right to a place in a national comp. They are different beasts. Of course, I appreciate we all seem to have a different view of what a national comp ought to entail. Bill Pulver did say the NRC clubs should be "regional", meaning bigger than a metropolitan district. Northern Sydney implies it is bigger than Northern Suburbs, for example. Or Southern Sydney outscores Southern Districts. Not necessarily meaning country regional either. Perhaps Pulver is being deliberately misleading about the exact definition of regional, in order to keep his options open. In any case, if the NRC intends to mimic the ARC in intent, there won't/shouldn't be a place for university clubs. Haven't you thought this through as to how it would impact on premier rugby comps, with university enjoying a foot in both comps? Recipe for disaster. I also think 'in brief's' quotes from the ARU website help to clarify things in my favour.
Marlins Tragic
Guest
Would you entertian an "Inner West" side comprising of SU, Balmain & wait for it, The Newtown Jets! Playing out at Henson & Liechart Oval, they started out as a rugby side & could go back to their roots to join this amalgam. It's just a rumour I heard & can't confirm or deny it either way.
kunming tiger
Guest
Brett McKay said | December 12th 2013 @ 11:53am | Report comment South Australia want in Something that is being overlooked here is that the NRC is viable and self sustaining due to the financial support from Foxtel. Almost certainly the broadcaster will be consulted as to their views regarding the location of the bidding teams. Foxtel's criteria regarding the suitabilty of the bida would hing on commercial factors. They would make an assessment of the SA bid and what it could add in commercial broadcast terms. If the SA bid is financially viable and the broadcaster sees them addng value from their side then most likely they'll have a leg up. Is the broadcaster and sponsors interested in the SA market and timezone. If the SA bid gets the nod over other bids then the answer must be yes. The NRC is treated as a commercial property by the broadcaster a bid that adds something in commercial terms is an asset. The SA RFU is putting in a bid because Rugby is dead in the water in SA. Failure is often the mother of success.