“I think this competition will be in place forever. I see this as an important step in the development pathway for Australian rugby.
“I think we will be looking back in 20 years and really acknowledging what a pivotal moment this was in Australian rugby.”
When ARU chief executive Bill Pulver made this bullish claim – that the new NRC will last forever – he was setting himself up for an almighty fall.
Much like ex-PM Bob Hawke’s famous line “no Australian child will be living in poverty by 1990”.
Really?
Or if we go back earlier to last century, when US President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed that the Great War of 1914-18 was “the war to end all wars”.
All cute lines but ultimately meaningless unless backed up by committed intent.
Hello everyone, no doubt you’ve heard the same message from me in 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 and 2007 when The Roar kicked off.
But lucky you, you now get the opportunity to hear his same message from me in 2014. My first rugby dispatch of 2014!
Almost everyone agrees a national comp is essential. Almost everyone agrees the 2007 ARC model was a great concept but poorly implemented.
Broken in the end by ill-conceived compromise and bitter self-interest. Not to mention an impractical financial model.
There is tremendous excitement, naturally, about this new comp. However, those of us who have been around a long time know how easily a good idea can quickly turn to dust.
The American rock band The Eagles even penned a song about human nature’s corrosive ability to destroy anything good, in their haunting ballad ‘The Last Resort’ – “call some place paradise, kiss it goodbye”.
The more discerning among us wait, and watch.
So far so good.
Pay TV operator Fox Sports and parent Foxtel have come on-board to bankroll the new comp, injecting much needed cash into the ARU’s coffers. They will also televise the new comp, of course. It will be restricted, one game per week initially, plus all the finals.
But that’s better than the 2007 deal whereby the ARU paid the ABC to televise the ARC. However, no free-to-air TV coverage is still a concern.
But remember, it’s baby steps. Once again, it’s all about baby steps.
The new NRC is intended to provide better incentives and progression pathways for our aspiring rugby players.
It is also hoped to act as a strong finishing school for those looking to take the next step towards Super Rugby and international stardom.
Pulver wants the NRC to become Australian rugby’s answer to South Africa’s Currie Cup and NZ’s ITM Cup (NPC).
But it won’t amount to much if the ARU don’t get the teams, symbols and their locations right.
That’s worth repeating – it won’t amount to much if the ARU don’t get the teams, symbols and their locations right.
Cricket’s Sheffield Shield is just about the only major national comp I know of that survives without turning a profit, or attracting fans through the turnstiles, or watching on TV.
Fans of the Sheffield Shield are passive and invisible. They will follow matches through the newspapers or internet, but they’re not out there shouting their support from the rafters.
It might work for cricket, although the future of the Shield is uncertain, and in any case is bankrolled by other formats.
Rugby enjoys no such diversity. Our sevens program is a long way from bankrolling other formats.
If the ARU fails to engage the fans with the choice and location of the new teams, then the concept will collapse after a few years. Of that much I am certain.
Again, the ARU appear to be making the right noises. It is looking at an eight to 10 team comp comprising regional teams.
That word ‘regional’ originally had everyone confused, but it seems regional means greater than a district, or premier rugby club.
In the ARU’s Q and A with Ben Whitaker, his standard response to about three or four questions was: “The teams will be decided by a tender process (expression of interest) that is open to existing clubs and groups and new syndicates and partnerships. All will be strongly considered.”
The ARU is being deliberately elusive and non-committal. Everyone can apply for membership, but as we get closer to time, hard-nosed decisions will need to be made.
In the meantime, I suspect the ARU will monitor public media outlets to see where and how the breeze of opinion is blowing.
I am now offering my 10 team NRC model, basing my teams on the ARU’s broad vision. I am also relying heavily on history and tradition.
The ARU has said they will look at interest from Adelaide.
An Adelaide team is possible for several reasons. Firstly, the comp is being bankrolled by Fox Sports and secondly, with the premier rugby comps completed, recruitment of players won’t impact on these comps.
Adelaide is Australia’s fifth largest city. Now is the time to penetrate the capital of South Australia. My 10 team NRC:
1. Adelaide Falcons
Catchment area all of SA. The Black Falcons is the current name of the rep team. Play in red jerseys, navy shorts and gold piping (state colours).
2. Brisbane Griffins
Catchment area north and west suburbs of Brisbane. A pair of griffins hold up the shield on the city coat of arms (check it out)!
Play in perhaps maroon (state colour), although old city colours were red and white (for sporting teams).
3. Canberra Kookaburras
Catchment area all of ACT and Southern Inland NSW. The Kookaburras was the former rep team name before the Brumbies.
Playing in a mix of blue, gold (territory colours), black and white (swans on coat of arms depicting Aborigines and Europeans), featured in a stylish design from the mid-90s in Shute Shield.
4. Melbourne Axemen
Catchment area all of Victoria. The Axemen was the rep team name in the ARS. Play in navy and white hoops (state colours).
5. Newcastle Wildfires
Catchment area perhaps all of Northern NSW. The Wildfires was former team name in mid-90s Shute Shield.
The Wildfire is a red flowering gum that grows down the entire east and south of Australia. Play in now established blue and red (Newcastle-Hunter).
6. North Harbour Platters
Catchment area all of Northern Beaches and North Shore suburbs of Sydney. The Platypus is the state animal (mammal), who thrives on both land and waterways, thus being an ideal mascot for the region.
Playing uniform – open to suggestions. Perhaps green (for hinterland) and navy (for water).
7. Perth Spirit
Catchment area all of WA. The Spirit was the rep name of the team in the ARC.
The spirit is meant to convey connections with the Aboriginal dreamtime and vastness of the land. Play in yellow and black hoops (state colours).
8. South Brisbane Emus
Catchment area south and east suburbs of Brisbane. Suggested Emus because it is the national bird and gets little love. But it’s a pesky critter when annoyed.
Playing uniform – open to suggestions. The rugby league ex-SQ Crushers played in gold, navy and red.
9. Sydney Fleet
Catchment area all of east and south suburbs of Sydney. The Fleet connects with the past history of the country, the arrival of the First Fleet and name of the team in the ARC.
Play in blue and gold (colours of the City of Sydney Council).
10. West Sydney Rams
Catchment are all of Greater West of Sydney. The Rams also connects with the former colony’s first industry and name of the team in the ARC.
Play in orange, grey and black as also worn by GWS Giants.
Well, there you have it, If the ARU follows my blueprint, then I reckon Pulver’s boast of the NRC lasting forever might come true!
tighthead scrum
Guest
I think it should work like this. QLD AND NSW should only be in this competition. it should be based on regions and from hence forth the club rugby is seperated to. QLD DIVISION GOLD COAST BRISBAE SOUTH BRISBANE NORTH SUNSHINE COAST WIDE BAY MACKAY NTH QLD NSW DIVISION NORTH SYD SOUTH SYD WEST SYD CENTRAL SYD EAST SYD HUNTER VALLEY Then you slowly bring in teams from other regions - during the season in future you hold as Nothern, Southern, Eastern Conference - similar to NBA, NFL to there comp. In saying this though - I think its the ARU to bridge not only the gap between the Club and Super Rugby - but entice the whole school system - private and public combine competition. That is the only problem with Rugby in this country that it only treats this game as a hobby and play give it go and bounce back to their original sport attiude. This competition should be to ecourage its TRUE RUGBY players to stay with the game and the ARU should reward these players. For the ARU to hand Expression of interest is riducluous though - they should lay the platform before hand - these are the regions - these are your fixtures, allocate operations managers, developing managers to organise these teams. You would only get the rich viable teams applying which in turn - no one can relate to, no one would care but there patrons. It will be another slow domestic season for Australian Rugby if this is the way they carry on
Michel
Guest
On the topic of nicknames, didn't NRL clubs like Parramatta and AFL clubs like Essendon not start off with nicknames?Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't nicknames come in later?
Scrumpoacher
Guest
Plain names please...
Marlins Tragic
Guest
Crickey Sheek, don't remind SU about history & tradition otherwise we will all be up s--t street without a paddle.
Crazy Horse
Guest
You can't have a "National" anything wirhout Western Australia, one third of the continent.
Marlins Tragic
Guest
@Jack Russell - I think your point is valid regarding crowd numbers & I feel this is what Sheek is trying to get across with the article, get team locations wrong & it will be doomed, just like the ARC. I didn't go to any ARC games because the chose to stick the team I would have followed up on the central coast rather than locating it @ NSO or Brooky Oval, anywhere but Gosford. That goes for the eastern team as well, they shoved them into NSO & not over in the east.
Marlins Tragic
Guest
Agreed on the U20 concept, especially as it could also be part of the JGC pathway. U15 to U17, then upto to semi pro with an NRC U20 team then further no ours by being selected in your regional NRC team, one would hope that the ARU translates the whole JGC concept across to the NRC.
Marlins Tragic
Guest
LMAO, that's exactly what I thought @BillyBob. I'm leaning towards Pirates, particularly on the historical front as I heard that Northern Suburb used this name for a long while after they merged with the Wallaroos in 1900. Although I'm a Manly man I'd still support the the North Harbour Pirates even though Norths use this name for the junior club. go the mighty pirates has a great ring to it as well.
Pie in the sky
Guest
I think you are showing your age with comments like that Sheek :) I don't agree that the bidders are the result of 'instant gratification'. Most of the strong single entity bidders will be clubs with long histories and traditions. But, resources and success are not necessarily tied to broad based appeal, which ideally would be the aim of the NRC. Say SydU get in, then it will be permanently entrenched as the top sydney club and will siphon other clubs talent to an even greater degree than it does now whilst confirming the wider community's view that rugby is an elitist sport. Great result for SydU, but a great result for Sydney rugby? However, Pulver specifically identified universities as a type of bidder they are seeking, and given his son plays for them... i think it is highly likely they will get a guernsey. Don't they already have a significant number of non-wallaby waratahs playing for them? As for t-20, it is hit and giggle, but at least there is some cricket on tv, crowds are showing up, i get to see state players that are otherwise anonymous in the not-on-tv sheffield shield and it is cash positive supporting various levels of domestic cricket. What's not to like?
sheek
Roar Guru
Pie in the sky, I suspect you're right, in which case rugby will be stuffed! ;-) The BBL with its fake, meaningless teams is apparently going gang-busters, so my theory that clubs should have some "holistic" meaning is out-dated. This is the era of the instant gratification society. Shallowness is supreme.....
Stray Gator
Roar Rookie
That should read "Hobart Humpers". It has a certain je ne sais quoi, no?
Stray Gator
Roar Rookie
Sorry - I actually meant to say that Adelaide is not our 5th largest CBD - it's 6th behind North Sydney. But anyhow, my main point remains: whichever way you cut it (demographically, socially, financially, culturally), Adelaide is by far the toughest market for rugby to crack, and I seriously doubt that any sound business case could be created for it, even allowing for subsidies from Foxtel. SA's population is ageing, and declining, and quickly. A hiding to nowhere, for no good reason other than the dubious kudos of saying the NRC is a national comp. (Which, unless you include the Hobart Humoers, it wouldn't be in any event). But enough. You're a good man and I agree wholeheartedly with your overall point and sentiment.
kunming tiger
Guest
I really hope for the sake of merchadise sales that they come up with some eye catching attractive sportswear for the supporters to buy into instead of the dull, bland playing kit of yesteryear. Melbourne Storm's playing strip is a good example of the first while the tradional Victorian State Rugby jersey looks like it was made back in 1820. Considering the prices they would be asking a little bit of effort on the design side might be appreciated.
onetruegame
Guest
Pie in Sky, I sincerely hope that you are wrong. Such a bid would not satisfy the criteria of the comp design that articles like Sheek's and Scott Allen's lead me to imagine.
onetruegame
Guest
Sheek, this is the key point. The adventure here enters into the frontier of culture, not just business creation. And the comp needs to be designed with the stated criteria as it's goals. Financial viability of any particular bid, or mob of bids, is just one criteria. Does the bid satisfy all the criteria and fit within the ideal comp design? And what is the ideal comp design? To paraphrase a recent president of an emerging rugby nation. 'It's about the (Australian rugby) economy, stupid'
Pie in the sky
Guest
Sheek, I know you are hoping against hope, but SydU is a certainty. It will be in both shute shield and the NRC. Any other discussion is wishful thinking. Their inability to appeal to a broad audience or to develop grassroots juniors will be ignored in the face of their significant resources and connections.
Jorji Costava
Guest
Carlton was in the NSL for a number of seasons. The club should have won the premiership in the first season but was robbed by shocking refereeing against Hellas at Olympic Park. Bresciano and Vinnie Grella had their pro debuts with the club. Looking back, Victory is basically "Carlton" reformed under a different badge. It learned from the lessons of the past.
onetruegame
Guest
Train without a station, I disagree. There is a train and there is a station. Newcastle (or Gosford) are accessible by train from Sydney. Adelaide is harder to get to but it's only one team, playing one half of its games there. You cite ' commercial reasons ' for your view. My view is that we need these teams for commercial reasons. We need to set up a national comp. For the cost of a few trips to Adelaide and Newcastle we can have a national comp, at least in theory. And we are all theorising here. The comp is expensive anyway. It's either an expensive east coast comp with a token region or two. Or it's an expensive national comp with national marketing potential for sponsors and code expansion. The potential gain is a commercial gain. I respect your argument but am looking forward to a national comp.
jeznez
Roar Guru
:D I never thought that was specifically wings, thought that gag applied to all backs.
jeznez
Roar Guru
I don't doubt the fans. The issue is the cost of paying players to relocate.