Something has happened that requires urgent attention: today the NRC is the single most important part of Australian Rugby.
The sports Minster in South Africa has refused to allow Rugby and Cricket tours of South Africa because both codes have not met government requirements for the percentage of black players in the teams. The document is called the Transformation Charter.
Here is a link to the government’s cancellation of the Sevens rugby tournament along with an explanation of how the South African government sees this issue.
I don’t wish to comment on this decision. Suffice to say if – and I assume it will – the SA government gets its way, it flows to the Super Rugby clubs and the national 15s side.
My assumption and sometimes sadly but I have found with Rugby folk even at a local Park level, ability determines who plays. A poor player does not get much game time whereas a very good player only comes off if injured or tied.
If the SA government follow the Transformation policy to the 15-a-side game, to Super Rugby, the national team, many talented current rugby players will be looking for a new employer. Europe is an obvious place for them to start, with players like Rory Kockett and Brad Barritt already going thay way.
Again it’s an assumption on my part, but I can’t see the current quality being maintained across both the Super Rugby sides and National teams if this takes place.
If there is a player exodus and new less ready – for now anyway – are forced on SA Rugby then it’s difficult to see both SA ratings as high and keeping the European revenue SANZAAR currently enjoys.
The share of SA ratings coming to Australia when added to European value of Super Rugby makes up a reasonably substantial part of our SANZAAR revenue.
My assumption is if it is perceived and or actually happens if the Transformation policy results in a significant fall in quality the revenue will also fall.
This could have a considerable impact on Australian Rugby’s revenue.
I will copy a little from a post on a thread talking about this issue, it says we don’t care if Rugby in SA falls over they have never done anything for us.
“If you are so concerned about the money you need not, because Black and Coloured South Africans got hardly any of that money anyway from major sports until the government got involved and started to have them included. They have far less to lose than you might think with this policy.”
The poster seems to be saying that the 84% of the Black and Coloured South Africans never saw any SANZAAR money anyway, so if it goes who cares.
It also may never happen and all will be well with only minor changes.
The issue is can the ARU take the risk that the status quo will remain largely the same?
The alternative is revenue will take a hit, and if that is the case the ARU need to urgently get the NRC in a much more advanced state.
If it is a massive revenue hit, then it won’t happen in isolation – rugby league is establishing itself in Oceania for a Test series, and if media reports are correct the A-League will be on a commercial broadcaster and looking to expand to 12 teams.
Rugby needs to ensure as best it can its revenue and that it has a meaningful competition. The Transformation policy if enforced has the potential to effect revenue and the ARU either need to hope it all goes away or as I see get the NRC ready to take over and maybe within five years.
ruggernaut
Guest
being from country nsw I support the eagles. Sydney club rugby holds no appeal to me with its dour games.
Midfielder
Guest
Beastie SA ratings provide a substantial part of SR revenue. If government force changes they are talking about I see both the ratings to fall in SA as well as SQA revenue and quality of Rugby overall to fall and thus less overseas revenue. If this happens the ARU need a new form of revenue and to do this they need to have within 4 years the NRC or its equivalent up and running and that will mean a lot of work and IMO redirecting existing revenue from SR much more to the NRC and again a total revamp of its format.
BeastieBoy
Guest
Look not sure what the heading has to do with the content. In respect to the content that is for SA. It is out of our control. If we want to create depth in our system we need more junior pathways. that means funding the public schools and the district clubs. Start there and put all our resources there. The NRC will improve as a result.
soapit
Guest
rubbish. who cares if they werent born there? at least league is a relevance in australia
Midfielder
Guest
Sorry Sheek I repeated half your name a second time.
Midfielder
Guest
H I have always believed we should copy the AFL, NRL and Football and develop competitions based around clubs sides representing different areas of the country.... Like Cricket we base our competition on a National side. Don't get me started but way way way back in time pre SR some suits came along and convinced a bunch of very inexperienced sports administrators to throw away their traditions i.e. Shute Teams and turn our state teams into club teams and hide it away on payTV... they gave enough money so Rugby could give two figures to RL ... the ,oney was wasted essentially on salaries for management and the players ... over time this practice became standard business practice and is smart because the suits say so... If as I suggest the SA government goes to hard after Rugby then I think SR's revenue could be in for a massive hit and something needs to be ready if that happens.
Midfielder
Guest
Sheek You already know my thoughts on the NRC as it stands they are almost identical to yours and last year I lost all interest in them. However if a revamped NRC will assist then it needs urgent attention.
Midfielder
Guest
Sheek She I could not agree more however they will need money ... arguably today while there still is money is the time to make the appointments you mention.
sheek
Roar Guru
Midfielder, On a more serious note, the most important rugby person in Australia is not the CEO, or board chairman, or national head coach, or Wallabies captain. It's the development officer. I don't know how many DOs the ARU employs, but they clearly don't have enough of them. The ARU needs a small army of DOs to build the game from the ground up. Developing the game top down clearly hasn't worked anywhere well enough. They're (the DOs) going to need the hide of a rhino, because they're going to get 1000s of knock backs, cold canvassing primary & secondary schools around Australia, trying to recruit participant players to develop the game, especially in the southern states. Australian rugby must now develop the game from the ground up. They have no choice. And to achieve this they need a small army of dedicated, determined, tough as old boots, development officers.
sheek
Roar Guru
Midfielder, SA rugby & cricket will soon be dead. The whites will flee the country in droves. If there's 84% non-whites in SA now, that number will probably grow to 94% in another decade. Ironic that white apartheid is being replaced by a kind of black apartheid. Robert Mugabe started it in Zimbabwe, bless his miserable hide. Double ironic that as a young kid & massive rugby & cricket lover, I wanted SA back in the sporting world, instead of being isolated through the 70s & 80s. Now I really don't care. The NRC is an absolute nonsense. Which probably means, much to my chagrin, it'll somehow survive.
Hello
Roar Rookie
Thought provoking article. I have always believed we needed to have something between club and super rugby the nrc fills this(as did the old arc). Hopefully it can grow and we can make it a true national comp that can add to the revenue for the aru
Squirrel
Guest
The NRC is not even a competition. It has no fans
pjm
Roar Rookie
Yes, league craves legitimacy.
Midfielder
Guest
Agree totally but they are also trying to create an illusion to there fan base of how the international aspect is growing and they like to use this against the AFL. Getting back to the premise of the thread in that their is a danger because of government action in SA of a revenue fall for SR... and IMO it would be a huge risk to take not to rapidly advance the NRC just in case it does happen.
pjm
Roar Rookie
There's no money in oceania. League is moving in there to get more players because the majority go to union already. The people in Oceania are poor and will play whatever sport brings them and their families money and there's nothing wrong with that because then their kids will be able to play what they love.
Midfielder
Guest
True don't over read what I said ... I simply said at a time when there is a possibility that Super Rugby revenue call take a big hit other codes are moving... to this end RL is looking long term at Oceania maybe they will have as much success as the Great Waste of Space in Western Sydney ... But that RL is now looking at Oceania and an end of year annual test series is well reported.
pjm
Roar Rookie
The game last year between Tonga and Samoa had 32 out of of the 34 players born in Australian and New Zealand with only two players being born in Tonga.
Midfielder
Guest
JT As above what will that do to the quality of SR and its revenue earning ability
Midfielder
Guest
RL has held and is considering having an end of year test series involving Australia & NZ plus two to three Oceania countries .. On the SA Rugby players I am asking you to consider the affect on SA rating for both Super Rugby and the Currie Cup
JT
Guest
Unfortunately SA rugby is going backwards rather than forwards, the blame lays squarely at the door of the ANC government for pocketing and squandering money rather than building fields and clubs in previously disadvantaged areas. Then expecting these people to have a significant representation in the national teams when the work hasn't been put in at grass roots level. Soon their won't be any white players in the springbok team (the way the ANC want it). A good chance for Aus rugby or any other country to pick up the next Bismarck Du Plessis, Eben Etzebeth, Duane Vermuelen, and Handre Pollard.