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The first three rounds of the NRC have proved the necessity of a third tier. But is the current competition the best model?
An article last month on The Roar argued that the RUPA Model – a university competition, could be the answer to rugby’s third tier.
I was very surprised with some of the comments. The main objection was that it would confirm rugby’s “elitist” tendencies and alienate existing fans.
One comment that I did agree with was from Sheek, who wrote that “The Roar is one of the last refuges of the diehard rugby fan”. It seems our passion for rugby can skew objective debate. I feel that the most sensible approach is to base argument on the NRC’s official objectives, which according to the Expressions of Interest Document is to:
• Bridge the development pathway gap between State Premier Rugby and Super Rugby
• Create high quality broadcast content for increased exposure of Rugby, revenue generation and additional quality engagement with Australian Rugby fans
• Introduce new formats and laws to re-kindle excitement in the game
• Enhance opportunities and development for aspirational clubs and partnerships
My argument is that the University model will exceed these criteria in the long term. Fox Sports may not initially bankroll the competition (although I believe they will later on), but sustainability is ensured as universities cover the costs.
Conversely, I argue that the current model will not be financially sustainable and has little room for growth. I will not discuss (a) because any third-tier will bridge the gap. Similarly I will not speak about (c) as this has nothing to do with the competition model. I will talk about (b) and (d), while adding my own section – sustainability – as (e).
Criteria B: Create high quality broadcast content
It is no surprise that there is a heavy emphasis on the importance of broadcasting content, given that Fox Sports has invested $1 million dollars into this competition. Ensuring quality content means greater flow-on effects for Australian rugby. My argument is that a university competition offers higher quality content.
A university competition is unique
A well-backed university model has never been done before in Australia. An ideal system should be based on a promotion and relegation system, which provides the incentive for smaller universities to support rugby to gain nationwide coverage.
| Division I | Division II | Division III |
| Sydney University | University of Western Sydney | University of Tasmania |
| University of NSW | University of Newcastle | Charles Darwin University (NT) |
| Macquarie University (NSW) | University of Wollongong | University of South Australia |
| University of Queensland | Griffith University (QLD) | University of Adelaide |
| Bond University (QLD) | James Cook University (QLD) | Monash University (VIC) |
| Queensland University of Technology | Curtin University (WA) | University of Melbourne |
| University of Western Australia | Edith Cowan University (WA) | RMIT University (VIC) |
| University of Canberra | Australian National University (ACT) | University of New England (NSW) |
This is in comparison to the current city-region based model, which adds to an over-saturated and oversupplied Australian sporting market. I do not wish to list off the number of NRL, AFL, A-League, Big Bash, ANZ Championship teams across the capital cities. It is already known that the Australian sporting landscape is the most competitive in the world.
Creating another city-region based national competition simply adds to an already diluted and saturated landscape. It is difficult to see whether rugby union, as the fourth most popular sport, can attract new legions of fans by creating a generic competition model. I can see the NRC attracting only rusted-on rugby supporters.
Students and alumni are an untapped and high value demographic
I believe that it is far more intelligent to target a smaller, but untapped and high value “student-alumni demographic” as opposed to an over-saturated general sporting public. Spectators and TV viewers will be non-existent in the short-term, but the long term potential outweighs the short term pain.
I have listed the numbers of students and alumni for Australia’s major universities. These numbers came from each University’s Wikipedia page, website, or annual reports (too many to provide reference).
| State/Territory | University | Students | Staff | Alumni |
| New South Wales | Macquarie University | 38,747 | 2,350 | 150,000 |
| Southern Cross University | 14,858 | 939 | 50,000 | |
| University of New England | 20,409 | 1,308 | 100,000 | |
| University of NSW | 50,516 | 5,300 | 240,000 | |
| University of Newcastle | 35,998 | 2,444 | 125,000 | |
| University of Sydney | 49,020 | 3,081 | 280,000 | |
| University of Technology, Syd | 29,842 | 2,682 | 170,000 | |
| University of Western Sydney | 40,257 | 2,969 | 130,000 | |
| University of Wollongong | 28,964 | 1942 | 120,000 | |
| Northern Territory | Charles Darwin University | 22,083 | 1,421 | 30,000 |
| Queensland | Bond University | 4,100 | 20,000 | |
| Central Queensland University | 20,000 | 1832 | 70,000 | |
| Griffith University | 43,000 | 4,000 | 115,000 | |
| James Cook University | 18,294 | 2,149 | 47,747 | |
| Queensland University of Technology | 39,919 | 2,200 | 100,000 | |
| University of Queensland | 46,826 | 6,892 | 210,000 | |
| University of Southern Queensland | 27,337 | 1,668 | 80,000 | |
| University of the Sunshine Coast | 8,904 | 722 | 12,000 | |
| South Australia | Flinders University | 23,261 | 887 | 1,101 |
| University of Adelaide | 25,000 | 3,159 | ||
| University of South Australia | 35,046 | 3,100 | 180,000 | |
| Tasmania | University of Tasmania | 26,783 | 1,226 | 60,000 |
| Victoria | Deakin University | 43,995 | 3,548 | 180,000 |
| La Trobe University | 34,492 | 3,220 | 161,000 | |
| Monash University | 55,000 | 8,172 | 290,000 | |
| RMIT University | 56,724 | 3,692 | 300,000 | |
| Swinburne University | 27,882 | 2,371 | 140,000 | |
| Federation University | 35,633 | 558 | ||
| University of Melbourne | 41,525 | 3,586 | 300,000 | |
| Victoria University | 50,000 | 2,323 | 108,000 | |
| Western Australia | Curtin University | 47,960 | 3,689 | 170,000 |
| Edith Cowan University | 22,274 | 1,758 | 140,000 | |
| Murdoch University | 18,500 | 1,400 | 65,000 | |
| University of Western Australia | 23,052 | 1,717 | 80,000 | |
| Australian Capital Territory | Australian National University | 18,514 | 3,819 | 70,000 |
| University of Canberra | 13,000 | 1,000 | 70,000 | |
| Total | 1,137,715 | 93,124 | 4,364,848 |
The student-alumni demographic is not small. Current students are approximately one quarter of the total Australian alumni, indicating the massive numbers of students now passing through Australian universities. Rugby union could be the first sport to take advantage of this untapped demographic of spectator.
University teams could resonate more than artificial franchises
Universities are embedded in the Australian cultural landscape and play a crucial role to more than one million students per year. There is opportunity to leverage off this to create teams which resonate with an increasing number of people.
This is in contrast to the current model, in which there are nine new teams, some of which are named the “Sydney Stars”, “Melbourne Rising” and “Perth Spirit”. Can new fans get behind nine new artificial teams with rugby union in its current market position? Again, my worry is that the NRC will only attract rusted-on rugby supporters, which will affect the value of the competition to Fox Sports.
A university competition is content that does not conflict with Super Rugby
But universities do not represent the wider public you might say? What about those who have not been to University? This is the job of Super Rugby. Super Rugby, just like the NRL, AFL, A-League, NFL, MLB, NBA, or any major competition have teams which represent their respective cities and regions. Why should a third-tier development competition represent the same cities and regions in the same model as Super Rugby?
A perfect example is New Zealand’s ITM Cup and South Africa’s Currie Cup. With Super Rugby refusing to die, these once flagship competitions have been reduced to hugely expensive feeder competitions. They are also inefficient.
A perfect example is that a fan would in theory support both Canterbury Rugby and the Crusaders, despite them both representing the same area. Again, rusted-on supporters would support both, but an outsider may question why they must support two teams, when they both represent the same region.
A university competition on the other hand, does not interfere with the Super Rugby model. A person can support the University of Melbourne and the Melbourne Rebels, as opposed to the Melbourne Rebels and Melbourne Rising.
Criteria D: Enhance opportunities and development for clubs and partnerships
A university competition enhances opportunities for domestic expansion
Rugby Union is struggling with its existing market, let alone the ability to expand further. It is slowly being squeezed by the AFL, NRL and the A-League, while having little to no chance at moving in on new regions.
A university competition on the other hand transfers the incentive of expansion to universities, who are given a national spotlight to promote themselves. This could allow rugby to be sustainably expanded into new cities and regions such as Adelaide, Hobart, Western Sydney, Wollongong, Newcastle, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Townsville.
But why would smaller universities want to get involved with rugby? If the competition was based on a three division promotion and relegation system (see first Table), it would provide the incentive for smaller universities to support rugby to gain nationwide coverage.
A unique partnership – University World Championships?
What if a university competition led to something else entirely? What about a University World Championship? This concept leverages off the explosion of College Rugby in the United States (as the fastest growing team-sport in the country). What if there was a University Championshps, featuring the winners of the major domestic university competitions?
| Pool A | Pool B | Pool C | Pool D |
| University of Cape Town | University of Sydney | University of Auckland | University of Queensland |
| University of California (Berkeley) | University of Oxford | Trinity College Dublin | University of Texas |
| Ecole Polytechnique ParisTech | University of Tokyo | University of Toronto | University of Cambridge |
| National University of Singapore | University of Hong Kong | Moscow State University | University of Otago |
I believe there is potential for such a competition. The benefit to rugby in Australia is that smaller universities are given a massive incentive to participate. Smaller universities, such as the University of Canberra, or Bond University, are suddenly given the opportunity to rub shoulders with elite universities and make business connections. They would invest in rugby domestically, to be given that opportunity.
Criteria “E” (my own criteria): It must be a sustainable competition structure
Perhaps the most overlooked factor was the need for the competition to be financially sustainable, considering that it would not exist without Fox Sports investing one million dollars. What happens if they decide not to participate next year? A sustainable, cost-effective product is needed, should the worst happen.
Universities have large untapped infrastructure
The big benefit of a university model is that rugby can leverage university resources at low cost. This includes expenditures such as pitch hire and maintenance, utilities, clubhouse, gym and fitness facilities, stadium and grandstand, security and access to transportation.
The current NRC setup does already have university assistance with Sydney Stars (Sydney University), QLD Country (Bond University), Canberra Vikings (University of Canberra), Perth Spirit (University of Western Australia) and North Harbour Rays (Macquarie University), however the remaining four teams have to rely upon capital being drawn from existing rugby resources, as opposed to drawing it from new resources.
This was illustrated when Eastwood decided to pull out of the Greater Sydney Rams consortium, arguing that there was no benefit to the clubs.
Over half of the teams in the NRC are associated and supported by a university, which illustrates that universities see this as a viable competition, beneficial to their interests. If Australian rugby wants a sustainable competition, than why not utilise a stakeholder which can provide financial support and infrastructure?
Universities are breeding grounds for future corporate support
Bill Gates’ famous quote, “Be nice to nerds, as chances are, you’ll be working for them” has never been more relevant than today. Today’s companies are increasingly based on human capital and are creating the future that we are already living in. Many are now founded when students are studying at university.
Atlassian, which is now worth over $3.3 billion dollars, was created when Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar were studying at the University of NSW.
So what do modern day companies have to do with rugby? If Australian rugby is proactive, it could have the opportunity to leverage off the companies of the future. A university competition is the first step to building Australian rugby’s connection with future industry, which could sustain the code for decades.
Conclusion
This is a concept, which I believe has long-term benefits, with the full costs and responsibilities borne by universities. The ARU theoretically would not have to do anything.
Unfortunately, I do not believe the ARU has the ability to take this long-term view (how Super Rugby has not been turned into a Champions League, but is instead being expanded to Singapore is a perfect example). However, I believe that if the ARU continues down its current path, rugby will continue to remain in a perilous state.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
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.