- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Many generations ago, after a monumental clash of powers, the two sons of the god William Webb Ellis declared war on each other.
The first son went by the name of Union. Text heir to the throne, Union was a passionate and spirited supporter of the game they play in heaven. A powerful tighthead prop, legend has it he trained for 12 hours each day and could squat 600kg.
He couldn’t get enough of was a well-executed jackal, or a well worked lineout move.
His brother, League, was always more rebellious and not of the same mind. Playing on the wing since his very first game, League hated the technicalities of Union and wanted a rule change.
It was League who created the game we now know as rugby league. He loved the extra money, the entertainment value, the big hits and the drama.
This isn’t a ‘union versus league’ debate, because league is better than union. But don’t worry, I’m not here to propose that flankers and penalty goals should be removed. I’m here with something a bit different.
The NRL is a business. Not only the games themselves, but the merchandise, the cards, the toys, the extras. Casual fans can merge seamlessly and enjoy the abundance of big hits, the steps and the characters.
Rugby union is also a business. But what it offers has a certain majesty that could not exist in a similarly commercialised, heavily marketed model like the NRL.
Rugby union would benefit from utilising some of league’s ideas.
Spectacle matches
People like to speculate, to predict, to make fantasy teams and analyse players. A good example of this is the NRL’s Indigenous versus All Stars series.
Barbarians games are always exciting, and the revival of an Australia A team selected from NRC Standouts is a step in the right direction.
But why not take things a step further?
Super Rugby often seems a bit alien for people in Europe, as does the European Cup for those down south. A way to bring these two together would be to have a Tournament XV from each competition and have them play off. I know their schedules are different, and it could muck up the international timeline, but they could work something out.
Let’s just throw together a team for argument’s sake.
Southern XV
Ben Franks
Dane Coles
Ben Tameifuna
Lood de Jager
Eben Etzebeth
Scott Higginbotham
Michael Hooper
Ita Vaea
Aaron Smith
Lima Sopoaga
Waisake Naholo
Damian de Allende
Jesse Kriel
Willie le Roux
Israel Folau
I don’t support the European leagues, however they are capable of providing an equally exciting line-up. The point is, special matches such as this are exciting enough to mix up the regular schedule.
Marketing and character development
You can always count on the NRL to develop recognisable ‘characters’. Some of your stalwarts include Johnathan Thurston and Greg Inglis, while of coming through are guys such as Martin Taupau and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.
While it also comes down to the talent of the players themselves, union could do more to develop characters who bring publicity.
Israel Folau and Nick Cummins are rugby’s primary characters, although Michael Hooper and Will Skelton are on the rise. Folau is known as that league convert who catches bombs. Skelton is that 145kg monster that plays for the Waratahs. Cummins is the bogan with a great turn of phrase.
On Nick Cummins, why not throw him into a Beau Ryan-type role when he retires? Rugby HQ, rugby’s equivalent of the NRL’s Footy Show, is shown up dramatically by its league counterpart’s superior entertainment value. Adding Nick Cummins to the panel could help to add substance to the struggling Sean Maloney and Nick McArdle outfit.
How else could union benefit from using some league ideas?
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.