ROAR TV EXCLUSIVE: Bill Pulver answers your rugby questions

I really like tries over penalty kicks. I love penalty kicks reduced from 3 to 2 points. But the proposed reform increases the probability of draws, as all scoring is even. I think that tries should remain at 5 points.

I've been thinking that Tasman Sevens Series is a better idea than a Super Sevens Series. With one team per franchise, you could have a men's and women's tournament simultaneously over two days. If African and Americas teams were in, you would need to add a third day or split the men's and women's tournsments.

This should be looked at for sure by the Super Rugby Franchises. Would wouldn't want to see the Tah 7s or Brumbies 7s. Each Super side to hold a tournament

Given the byline, that is some serious third-person self congratulation Bill!

And how do those juniors get interested in clubs?

Spoke about it but no plan & appears not to realise Juniors come from Clubs. The odd School program is not an answer. And all the Club presidents I have spoken to are very upset with the new levy system. Not as simple as it might appear & multiple errors in the ARU Administration.

There are clubs that on the whole are handing over less fees as a result of the changes actually. I don't understand how it's been difficult to administer. If anything it should be easier as instead of forecast what fees you might collect (based on what numbers you expect to get) it's now not variable. Everybody pays the same amount regardless of the depth of their club. Didn't he specifically mention about the goal of growing junior numbers? I know he spoke of expanding the game into public schools. Schools exposure and things like Viva 7s are gateways to the club game.

I agree, but there is a very big difference between penalties existing and it becoming a whole game plan just to rely on them. IMO Australian rugby has for some time fallen too far toward the latter, as have paid for it in the skill base of all the players moving through the system. That above all should be what they are learning as they make their way up to contention for a SR contract. Decision making does not matter much...no-one is likely to graduate straight from NRC into a leadership role at SR so there is plenty of time to understand the tactical differences. And while I agree about the state of our kickers, they've got like that without the NRC. Much easier to teach one or two players a specific skill, than all players the basic skills sets and competences that so many seem to progress without under our current systems.

The collection process has changed in recent seasons which has made it difficult for Clubs to administer- plus by imposing individual levies as opposed to Team Levies the ARU are collecting more money. At a recent meeting Officials could not state where the money is being utilised. And my point that other than the Shute Shield there was no mention of Clubs & certainly no indication of a plan to grow Junior numbers - the majority who play Club

That's irrelevant pTah. Don't you realize that the ARU are money hungry grubs for charging for something which no other sport is able to offer for free?

Like it or lump it penalties/taking the points are a part of the game whether you are playing for them or not. Decision making of when to take them is very poor. Captains are going for the corners 99% of the time in the NRC. That's not proper game management in a real game. There are very few good goalkickers coming through the system. The NRC is not helping with that development.

I'll cheerfully swap one player's individual skill for teaching the rest of our players how to use pace, passing, mauling and scrumming as weapons rather than just ways to draw penalties. That player can pick up the difference with a little specialist training; the Australian game has been lacking the others for a long time now.

And from my experience it's not that much to register my boys in NSW. On par with the sports my daughters play and the summer sports the boys play.

The points system mainly. It doesn't help improve goalkickers who have to nail those pressure clutch kicks that occur at every other level including Shut Shield and as evidenced in the under 20s dunderhead captaincy where captains don't take the points. Basic Rugby that wins games. The NRC doesn't address that.

I'd just be happy if they had a team from the five current SR bases plus say a Western Sydney side to start. Six teams, two pools. Three games each.

Every sport slugs every player for paying. They're called fees and they aren't something the ARU invented champ.

How disappointing for Clubs. Clearly of little importance to the ARU except as a source of people on which to apply levies & extract money . Pulver talks about growing the base- any assistance for Junior Clubs- oh that is right the ARU cannot forget them-how much shall we (the ARU) slug an 8 yr old for playing. Rabbiting on about Viva 7s while his only talk of Club Rugby was the Shute Shield. Quite frankly a bloody disgrace- where do the majority of players- Seniors or Juniors participate? The answer Mr Pulver is Club Rugby. All those volunteers who bust a gut treated with complete contempt.

Problem is being a non Sunni muslim, they would string him up for being a heretic.

Well he does seem to have a fondness for Rhodesia and spends a lot of time there, so he could be good for them and boost their chances. We have plenty of blokes who can play already.

I feel bad. I should point out that the interview was very good. The beard and the diction were mere bonuses.