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We need a stronger bridge between professional and amateur rugby

A fish rots from the head, so what does that say about Billy Boy? (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
Expert
11th June, 2015
67
1773 Reads

The Australian rugby union has copped a fair bit of criticism for the widening gap between professional and amateur rugby and as its CEO, Bill Pulver has been in the firing line.

However, the problem is not an easy one to solve, as there are different forces at work.

From an historical point of view, I note that Pulver’s appointment was effective as from first February 2014.

His first major problem was money – or more precisely – lack of money. So he has expended a major portion of his energies in attempting to rein in costs and get the ARU’s house in order – and to rescue it from a position of imminent insolvency.

This has been no easy task, including, but not necessarily limited to, the following challenges he faced when taking up the job as CEO.

• That of broadening rugby’s appeal. People are quick to state that rugby should be on free-to-air to increase its exposure. But you do not have to have a degree in economics to understand that if the free-to-air networks are either uninterested or not interested enough to outbid fox for the television rights then those rights will go to the highest bidder.

• The lure of lucrative overseas player contracts for the professional rugby players.

• The underperforming Super Rugby franchises. Note the 2013 Results: Waratahs ninth, Rebels 12th and Force 13th.

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I have no doubt that Pulver is sincere when he expresses his support for grassroots rugby. The problem for him has been he has not had the money to be able to do much to support it in a tangible way. However, his commitment to establishing a third tier in the form of the NRC has largely been successful.

That is not to say that there isn’t some work to be done on branding, team selections, marketing and so on.

The good news is that there is light at the end of the tunnel with the latest broadcasting deal expected to result in a significant increase in revenue for the ARU. The falling Australian dollar is also helpful given that negotiations are done in US dollars. This deal should see the ARU sail into calmer waters financially from 2016 onwards.

Since Pulver’s appointment, the ARU has taken a top down approach to solving its financial woes, because realistically, this was the only option it had. With money being generated at national and Super Rugby level and none at the grassroots level, what other option did Pulver have?

Having said that, it will soon be time for the ARU to seriously address the issue of grassroots rugby and look at the problems from the bottom up as there is a distinct feeling of disenchantment in the air, exacerbated by the participation levy imposed at the grassroots level.

It seems to me that one way the ARU could start to bring disaffected rugby supporters back to the fold is by:

1. Revisiting the issue of financial grants paid direct from the ARU to amateur rugby clubs or to a body purely representing the interests of the amateur clubs so as to remove any potential conflicts of interest.

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2. Engaging meaningfully with grassroots on the issue of financial sustainability. The problem amateur clubs have is that often they only play 8-9 home games in each season so their capacity for revenue generation is limited if they are relying on rugby home games alone.

Perhaps if we introduced a ‘sevens summer’ rugby season, clubs could get an additional revenue stream for little additional cost, and sevens rugby could be strengthened across Australia.

However, have 4x 20-minute quarters, i.e. each quarter has 10 minutes per half and two minutes break. i.e. 80 minutes of sevens with eight minutes of breaks rather than 14 minutes of sevens with one minute break.

Still have seven players from each side on the field, but instead of 12 players per squad, have 24. Play men’s and women’s so the day is meaningful.

Have divisions if it is popular enough or player numbers warrant it. Currently the game is only 14 minutes long so you are hardly going to get supporters coming along to watch one club play another without some changes.

3. Introducing an alternative participation levy – but on the professional players and Super Rugby franchises rather than the grassroots. In short, a uniform clause in every Super Rugby or ARU contract that provides for a ‘development fee’, which is a uniform percentage of the player’s Super Rugby and/or ARU contract and is paid to the club from which the player came.

After all, it is rather ironic that the amateur clubs which have spent so much time developing the player receive absolutely nothing in the event that player secures a professional contract. As it currently stands the professional player benefits, the Johnny come lately player agent benefits but not the amateur rugby club from which the player came.

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4. Introducing meaningful professional and amateur player and supporter interaction along the lines suggested by Andrew Logan in his article on The Roar. I recently read an interesting quote from Muhammad Ali who said “The service you do for others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth.”

As it is with life, so it is with rugby. Rugby’s base is in the amateur clubs and it is easy to forget where you came from, when you are young, wealthy and playing in rarefied atmosphere. You can be forgiven for forgetting that one day the lights will go out and you will grow old like everyone else and return to the ranks of the great unwashed.

It has been sometimes said derogatively that the older generation are ‘old school’ as if they have nothing to offer. Each new generation is somehow the ‘enlightened ones’ and there are indeed examples of tremendous progress throughout history in all facets of life made as a consequence of youthful innovation, new ideas and creative action.

However, there are also timeless truths that should never be ignored. Service to others is good for your soul, as we tend to learn as we get older. When we are young we can often lose sight of this so it is incumbent on the older generation and those in control to uphold such principles.

The concept of giving back should be front and centre in all aspects of our game – not just at the amateur end.

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