There have been some complaints about a lack of information regarding the National Rugby Championship (NRC) from the ARU and the teams involved as the start of the competition bears closer.
To some extent, the purported drought of information has been alleviated on The Roar by the excellent reporting of Brett McKay among others.
So it was with some interest on a Thursday afternoon that I had a look around to see which teams were pulling ahead in the race to build media platforms that look to be successful in achieving one of the tournament’s objectives. That is, getting the game back to its grass roots.
Part of my objective in this article is to help familiarise readers with some of the places online that they might go to get more information on each of the NRC teams as the information becomes known.
While I won’t be going into too much detail with regards to any particular team, I hope that readers here will get a feel for their adopted team and how far along the club is in setting the foundations for its success.
Obviously I am not infallible, so if there is anything that I have missed please let me know in the comments below!
NSW Country Eagles
The NSW Country Eagles will not be unprepared when August rolls around. They have a modest Facebook page established back in April with links to YouTube interviews with coach Darren Coleman, General Manager James Grant, and President Dave Carter.
They have also launched a website that looks impressive but is still incomplete with club memberships, ticketing, merchandise and (obviously) player profiles to be added later.
Greater Sydney Rams
The Rams have laid the platform for their internet presence, and if their Facebook page is anything to go by, they will be one of the better teams at engaging with their fans.
With more than 60 posts since their page became active in February, it is little wonder that it has attracted nearly 900 followers as of my writing here. At present this makes it the most popular of the three Sydney teams’ Facebook pages.
A website appears to still be under construction, so hopefully we will hear more about that in the not too distant future.
North Harbour Rays
The Rays have a decent Facebook presence with a page containing interviews with coach Geoff Townsend, assistant coach Damien Cummins, Chairman Gary Flowers, and player Matt Lucas.
With nearly 750 followers, their 40-odd posts since establishment in May will not have fallen on deaf ears.
No sign of a standalone website, though.
Sydney Stars
The Sydney Stars seem to have laid the foundations, but I feel they need to do more to start engaging their fans.
Although their Facebook page has a following of over six-hundred supporters, there have been less than ten posts with no interviews with players or staff posted yet.
They do have a website up, but like NSW Country, many features are yet to be made available.
Melbourne Rising
Melbourne Rising’s Facebook page is doing surprisingly well considering it has not been regularly updated since it was established back in June. With about as many posts as the Stars, I feel the club could probably be doing a bit more to engage with its fan-base – particularly when you compare it to the Rams’ page.
Still, you don’t get 1,300 followers without doing something right, and while they are still piggybacking off the Rebels’ website elsewhere, I reckon things are okay down south.
Perth Spirit
Perth Spirit are in a similar position to the Melbourne club, but I congratulate the West Australians on racking up more than 1,700 followers to their Facebook page to be the most popular of the NRC clubs on Facebook.
Again, they are dawdling behind a bit on material posted to their page, but given that their page was established only a few days ago, I think the pace at which they have gathered a following has been extraordinary.
Like the Rising, the Spirit are relying on their’s state’s Super Rugby franchise page to provide information elsewhere.
University of Canberra Vikings
The University of Canberra Vikings have a Facebook page with just a few posts and a decent following of 1,100 supporters. They have already released a picture of their kit design, but precious little other information is available at present.
Like the Melbourne and Perth teams, there is a little information on the Brumbies site, but the Vikings have no standalone website at present.
Brisbane City and Queensland Country
You may have noticed that I have not addressed the two Queensland teams’ pages. Try as I might, I simply could not find them – either on Facebook or elsewhere.
There is a little bit of information on the Reds site, but that was all I could find.
Editor’s note: Brisbane City has a Twitter handle @BrisCity_NRC, while Queensland Country’s is @QldCountry_NRC. You can get all the information available on these teams here. They are also disseminating a lot of NRC information through the Reds Facebook and Twitter page.
So what do you think Roarers? Are things moving ahead as you’d hoped that they’d would?
The Reds have been in touch since the publication of this article, and have given us the following the response:
Queensland Rugby Union, through the St.George Queensland Reds Facebook page, has the biggest social presence of any Super Rugby team in Australia. Both Brisbane City and Queensland Country will be managed by Queensland Rugby to enhance rugby’s elite pathways and rather than splitting its Facebook support group of over 133,000, Queensland Rugby’s strategy is to encourage its existing fan base to engage in conversation around both Queensland NRC teams on the existing Queensland Rugby Facebook page. The two teams have their own Twitter accounts, which will allow them to distribute their own messages around games and players, but Queensland Rugby will also drive information to its existing 38,000-plus followers on Twitter. The Reds Instagram account has also attracted more than 11,000 followers and Queensland Rugby will also drive NRC content related to the two Queensland teams through that platform. On www.RedsRugby.com.au there is a prominent and dedicated NRC section which provides information around fixtures for the Brisbane City and Queensland Country (and the rest of the competition) as well as answers to ‘Frequently Asked Questions’. More information will be added to this micro-site as it becomes available and when squads are formally announced on August 1.
Working Class Rugger
Guest
The Rams have got a supporters group under construction via FB by he name of "The Horned Army". Over 1000 members of that group so far. Would b nice to see them all show up to every Rams game in Sydney. According to the info on the group page a team song is soon to be released and they are openly soliciting members (and potential members) to get in the spirit and offer ideas and chants/songs for the group to perform during the game. I think the blokes behind this are on the right track with this one. So I would like to encourage as many people reading this to look them up and join as they have serif "the herd".
Working Class Rugger
Guest
The Rams have released their training and playing kit via their twitter and FB accounts.
Schuey
Guest
Yes. It will be unforgiveable if the Tahs game is not used to promote the NRC. I wouldn't be surprised though.
AdamS
Roar Guru
All seems a bit hokey and amatuer to me. I would have thought the ARU would be guiding media presence and supplying a standard set of media lines to all the clubs (websites, twitter etc) and be providing fluff content at this late date. QRU's approach is fine for an initial traffic boost, but if they expect people to bond and identify with these teams they need to look as stand alone as possible. I mean, City v Country is a natural derby, they need separate identities to build that aspect. The way they are going about it they may as well call them Reds training squad A and B.
Brett McKay
Expert
Rob, first up, I'm not disputing anything you've written, nor the lengths you've gone to to write it, because I did indeed cover a lot of the same ground. I do in fact agree with what you've said just here, but I'll come back to that... If your intention today was to put the spotlight on that stated objective of "engaging people who aren’t currently following the game", then no, perhaps you weren't quite as clear as you thought you were being. In reading this earlier today, I honestly thought I was re-reading the same info - and that's why I posted the links. I actually wondered whether what I'd written wasn't obvious! As for resourcing in finding out this info, you're really not that far behind me. Yes, I've got contacts within the nine clubs now, but my first port of call would've been the same as you: Google, Twitter, Facebook, etc. You might not use Twitter, but I don't use Facebook, so that's even - regardless the info and social presence (however small it might be) is still there. Certainly, my being able to talk to the clubs has helped me understand their strategies, and share that as much as I have done. Onto the QRU strategy, while I completely understand and even agree with how they're going about it, I can completely see your point. In truth, the QRU strategy is not too different to what Canberra/Perth/Melbourne are doing too - their existing Super Rugby channels will be the main avenues, but with an NRC presence. Look at Melbourne Rising for eg: for all intents and purposes, they look like a standalone club, but in truth, the Rebels' channels will be the major avenues of communication. Even the Rising website when it launches, will divert back to a page on the Rebels site, as you've already noticed. The NSW clubs ARE completely separate of the Tahs and NSWRU though, and so have to start from scratch. The Waratahs may assist in promotion, but essentially the clubs themselves are creating their own presence. This all said, I will be surprised if the QRU doesn't establish a token FB presence in the end, even if it's just to throw back to the Reds page. As you say, you still need to be able to find them.. (On searching, the QRU NRC news item does top the list you mentioned, in which Sheek's article comes up 6th, the Reds announcement of their two NRC tops the list - so at the very least, their search parameters are well set.)
Bakkies
Guest
Well depends on the pricing and availability. I place that above the design which in Aus Rugby is generally a plainer look which there isn't nothing wrong with. I can't see the Super Rugby merchandise flying off the shelf given the exorbitant costs hence the bargain basement kit suppliers. I can get the same jerseys in store here for €50-60.
Rob na Champassak
Roar Guru
Apologies for the late response, I have had a pretty busy day. Brett, perhaps I didn't make myself clear in the article, but this was meant to be an assessment of the effectiveness of the media strategies of the different clubs. In the time I spent searching on Google as a casual observer, I returned the results that I have listed above. You are right to point out that you had already posted a more complete list, but you were posting from the perspective of an informed journalist with more resources than the average punter. I suppose my point is that in spite of your coverage, people who don't read the Roar (and especially those who don't come online much) will be searching around on Google confused as to why, amongst other things, there don't always appear to be dedicated club sites to connect and interact with. For a competition that has been stressed by many to be critical for the continued viability of the sport in this country, I question whether not having something as basic as a dedicated club site a month out from the start of the comp is acceptable in pursuing the objective of engaging people who aren't currently following the game. With all due respect to the QRU and their marketing strategies, I was not impressed by their site and its limited scope for interaction. I am looking at the Reds' page's NRC News tab right now, and there are two entries in there. For one of those posts alone, they have 50 comments on their Facebook post. Know how many they have on the Reds site? Zero. The page on the Reds site does not appear to have a comments section. So either you are already following the Reds Facebook page (or some other Reds associated medium) and have been for some months, or up until now you have been informed with inadequate tidbits about what the two QLD NRC teams are up to. Because you can't just google 'NRC Queensland Country Rugby' and get much useful information. I mean for god's sake, sheek's article expressing his disapproval about the NRC is the sixth link if I plug in those search terms. What a great advertisement for the competition and for casual fans to see! So if the QRU's objective is to get existing fans of the Reds to interact with the new NRC teams, then sure, there is nothing wrong with their strategy. But I fail to see how this is supposed to help Rugby bring more fans into the game and expand the ARU's pool of revenue. There does not have to be a situation where the NRC posts are associated exclusively with the NRC club's website. I imagine many of the posts from the Rams' and Eagles' pages etc. will feature in Waratahs media and so on. The QRU have their reasons undoubtedly for consolidating everything to the existing resources of the Reds. But my assessment is that their strategy lags behind their southern counterparts for what I feel is a key objective of the NRC - bringing new people into the sport and converting the unconverted. I'll be keeping an eye on the clubs as the season launches and progresses, and I will write again later in the year. If I think things have improved, then I will not be churlish enough to deny it. Whether you agree with my assessment or not is your own affair.
RollAway7
Guest
Thank Brett, I got it :)
Brett McKay
Expert
well I don't think we can make it come any quicker!
Brett McKay
Expert
Wow, even just a quick glance at the top of this page would've been enough, RA7......
kunming tiger
Guest
Thanks the wait is becoming frustrating hopefully the kit will be something eye catching without over the top.
RollAway7
Guest
Too lazy to search, anyone got a link to the schedule?
RollAway7
Guest
GO THE RISING!!! Great ticket prices and family friendly, we are there! This is the Roar, can we start predicting who is going to win?
Brett McKay
Expert
A little more on the Queensland sides (I've a bigger post currently under moderation :mad: !!) The NRC micro-site they alluded to in their response: http://www.redsrugby.com.au/NRC.aspx Also, this was sent to Reds members ad supporters today via email, in 'Front Row': Round 17 of Queensland Premier Rugby kicks off this Saturday and Brisbane City and Queensland Country coaching staff will be intently watching as they look to finalise their squads for the inaugural National Rugby Championship (NRC). Just two rounds of Premier Rugby remain before the 2014 finals series and St.George Queensland Reds head coach, Richard Graham, is looking forward to seeing which club players put their hand up for selection before the NRC squads are announced in the coming weeks. "Now that our 2014 Super Rugby campaign is over, our focus is shifting to the NRC and Premier Rugby players have the opportunity to earn selection in either the Brisbane City or Queensland Country team depending on eligibility," said Graham. "Nick Stiles will be at the helm of Brisbane City and Steve Meehan of Queensland Country. These two coaches have strong ties to Premier Rugby and will be keen to see which players they can recruit into their squads. "We're keeping the last few spaces in our 2015 Reds squad for players who perform well in the NRC this year so it's a great chance to showcase their talent and earn themselves a spot in a professional Rugby program. "Samu Kerevi is a great example of a player who was selected out of Premier Rugby and seized his opportunity this year and I'm interested to see what other talent we can unearth from club Rugby and help further their development in the NRC."
Brett McKay
Expert
Good to know the Reds were listening Rob!! First up, here’s just a quick recap of what I wrote last Tuesday in Part 1 of the series: “The Brisbane City and Queensland Country sides will be formally launched at the conclusion of Super Rugby, and current Reds fans can expect the same level of team-specific info coming out of the Queensland Rugby Union’s Ballymore HQ very soon. Though the NRC sides will have their own social media and online presences, if you’re hooked into the various different Reds’ channels now, you will begin to see a lot of NRC content very soon. Likewise, once the competition is up and running, what you currently see and enjoy from the Reds before, during, and post-game will be precisely what you can expect from whichever Queensland NRC team you support.” The point in this, and why the Reds were a little bit miffed about what you wrote, is that whatever Reds members and supporters currently see via the Reds Twitter, Facebook, and exclusive email updates, they will start receiving NRC information through these same channels. When you think about it, the Reds’ strategy to not separate the NRC entities and try to build new social media standings, but rather to use the channels they’ve already established, is a pretty solid plan. Why bust a gut to get maybe 10,000 new likes or 2000 new followers, when you already have significantly more than that already receiving your content. And indeed, Reds social media followers have been receiving NRC information already. Reds members and supporters get exclusive emails each week, including ‘Front Row’ which goes out each Friday previewing the upcoming round. This week’s edition includes NRC news, plus a Premier Rugby preview. What had a Reds flavour during Super Rugby is already morphing into NRC content, and that will only increase as the competition gets closer..
Brett McKay
Expert
They've all confirmed them, Kunming, just 8 of the 9 clubs haven't released then yet. As I've said below, you'll start seeing them as clubs launch, which from my understanding is going to be around that meeting before and after the Super Rugby Final for most clubs..
Justin Mahon
Roar Rookie
Good stuff Rob (and Brett for that matter). While it seems inconceivable to me that an allegedly professional domestic sporting league can be 'launched' in this way, you are doing more than your fair share at spreading the word. Well done.
Rebel
Guest
The Rams website was a one pager with simple info and a chance for fans to register for updates, which I did. In the last couple of days it seems to have gone to a "website ready" page so I suspect it is in the process transitioning from the original one page to a full site.
dr katz
Guest
Be nice if the Rays came up with a webpage to let us punters know what was happening. I'm not a facestalker practitioner (nor do I want to be).
tfolk
Guest
Hi Bakkies, Yes I had seen this. The article probably gives a little more information than the reds website. I would like to know more information about the squads support coaches (I don't have much faith in nick styles) and other general info but considering I would like to hear some more information in relation to the direction and recruitment for the reds and have heard nothing this isn't surprising. In any event the proposed playing strip as depicted in the pictures along with the logos don't do them much service in terms of marketing. I can't imagine they will do too well from a merchandise perspective just based on the appearance. I hope I'm wrong.