The ARU has announced a major development for the National Rugby Championship, with the introduction of a Fiji-based side for the 2017 season.
The NRC outfit will become Fiji’s first ever professional provincial rugby side, and will be comprised entirely of local players from the Fijian national second XV, the ‘Fiji Warriors’, and will play their home matches in the island nation.
In the wake of the announcement, the NRC will expand to nine teams for the 2017 season, with the regular season now running for eight weeks. Each team will have one bye during the season, and all of the Australian teams in the competition will travel to Fiji for an away game during a two-year cycle.
The plan to include a team from Fiji in the NRC has been in the works for some months now, but it wasn’t until Friday afternoon that the news became official, with the ARU’s CEO, Bill Pulver, joined by Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama to announcing the historic deal.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome Fiji into the Buildcorp NRC and thank World Rugby for supporting both the ARU and Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) in helping to make this a reality for next season,” Pulver said.
“The Fiji brand of rugby is arguably the most exciting brand of Rugby in the world and their inclusion in the Buildcorp NRC will enhance the competition both in terms of the quality of rugby and by adding a huge amount of support and interest from the Fijian communities both in Fiji and here in Australia.”
World Rugby is set to fund the team under the umbrella of its Oceania program.
“The Pacific Islands play a major role in the sport’s heritage and future and World Rugby is committed to working with our friends and colleagues in Fiji, Samoa and Tonga to further assist them with the unique challenges that they face,” said World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont.
“Participation in the NRC will not only provide a superb performance pathway leading into Rugby World Cup 2019, but it provides locally-based players with a strong alternative to playing club rugby overseas should they wish to remain in the Fijian system.”
“It will be a major milestone for the sustainable growth of Fijian rugby.”
For some time now, there has been plenty of criticism towards Australia and New Zealand for capitalising on the phenomenal talent available in the Pacific without doing much to improve the countries’ own rugby programs and infrastructure.
However, there are hopes the introduction of the Fijian NRC team will go some way to quieting those critics by providing the island nation with a pathway to compete in a professional tournament in one of world rugby’s heartlands.
However, there is still plenty of work to be done before the team will become a reality. While the announcement has been made, a home ground still needs to be found in Fiji, and the entire squad needs to be populated. The FRU is looking to create a 30-man strong squad made entirely of local players.
The development is a major feather in the cap of the ARU and World Rugby, having beaten the NRL to the punch in expanding to Fiji. There had been calls to introduce a Fijian team into league’s NSW Cup, following in the footsteps of the Queensland Cup’s PNG Hunters.
Since the Hunters joined the Queensland Cup in 2014, rugby league in Papua New Guinea has received a significant boost, with the national team springing a surprise victory over Fiji in May of this year.
Fiji has been a phenomenal performer in the rugby sevens circuit for some years, winning this year’s world series as well as the men’s gold medal at the Rio Olympics, the country’s first ever Olympic medal.
However, many of the country’s finest exponents of the 15-man game ply their trade overseas, predominantly in European rugby competitions. The NRC team is seen as a way of stopping, or at the least slowing, the talent drain to Europe, with the introduction of a Super Rugby team the next possible step.
Squirrel
Guest
Well you and TWAS are the only ones watching NRC, whilst soccer is getting 60k to a local game. Drug by is on the wane. Wake up you ARU stooges
Squirrel
Guest
TWAS rugby is not swinging at all and will be dead soon
Sydneysider
Guest
No worries TWAS. We'll see in 4 years time.......
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Well if it doesn't increase the fan base what is the benefit?
Sydneysider
Guest
"It can expand all it wants, if there’s not a lot of value in it what does it matter?" Keep telling yourself that TWAS....
clipper
Guest
CT - I have been to Fiji on a few occasions - they will talk about the NRL if you're from Australia, and even are knowledgeable about the AFL - they like to please the tourists - but really, it's only skin deep. Most are still loyal to Rugby. The last time I was there included the day Jonah Lomu passed away - everyone there was absolutely distraught. And obviously you don't know everything about me, as I do voice my opinion when there is a RU or AFL scandal (although this happens less frequently than NRL, let's be honest) and am also critical on Rugby's pathways and lack of penetration out west. So, also please do not misrepresent me. I do agree with Sydneysider - the scouts are out there and have money to spend, and money talks, no matter what the sport.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
The other thing to remember is that soccer has always had a good base to start from. Before the A-League it was still the 2nd football code for participation. It's just been a matter of convincing soccer fans to watch Australian soccer.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
It can expand all it wants, if there's not a lot of value in it what does it matter? With FTA presence it fails to rate better. It will have a better TV domestic TV deal yes. But you have to look at the whole picture. Super Rugby brings in equal TV Revenue in 3 countries as well as other revenue in other countries. The A-League doesn't have a lot of international value because it's such a low level league compared to international leagues. Anyway my point is the A-League TV value is based on 10 teams playing 27 local games. Super Rugby is based on 5 teams playing 7.5 local games. But that value is tripled because of NZ and SA and the same thing in those countries. What this results in is the A-League having a very small salary cap (Under $3M I believe) and requiring a lot of teams to be propped up from private investment. Their presence doesn't simply make them a success if they are not self-sustaining. It's a concern that the A-League is catching rugby no doubt, but it's not overtaking at the rate people seem to believe it it, and it's being helped along by private "investment" (More so private donation actually) rather than it's commercial success. A 12 team local competition is great. But why? Ideally because people are watching and it makes money. Without the 2nd part it's not as appealing actually.
Sydneysider
Guest
"Next stop a Aussie Maori side based out of West Sydney." How about setting up a proper Western Sydney side based at Parramatta (like the Wanderers) and with no cultural affiliation? A side for Western Sydney residents playing in a national competition and having passionate fans?
Sydneysider
Guest
"Also on the A-League. Despite those big crowds, the A-League average less supporters per game than Super Rugby and is on par with the Force at 12,000 per game. That’s grown for the A-League by about 1,000 since it’s inception." Yet the A-League is going to expand to 12 teams soon and has a national footprint. The ARU are stuck with super rugby and everything below that is just amateur and doesn't generate any revenue. It's all happening right now before your eyes.... the decline will continue.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
What benefit will spending money on Shute Shield bring? They spent over $10M in direct funding to the clubs from 2003 and this only saw a decline of every metric. Swing and a miss. Again. Also on the A-League. Despite those big crowds, the A-League average less supporters per game than Super Rugby and is on par with the Force at 12,000 per game. That's grown for the A-League by about 1,000 since it's inception. Another swing and a miss...
jeznez
Roar Guru
Seriously?
Squirrel
Guest
Rugby has declined considerably from the 90s when club rugby was strong. This NRC is a joke, changing the rules hence no support. ARU how about sending money on a domestic club comps like the Shute shield rather than spending millions on leaguie and foreign imports. Look at soccer 60k to a Sydney derby. Compared to 200 at an NRC game
Kirky
Roar Rookie
Don't worry there'll be an ulterior motive by the ARU in this set up with the Fijians, there'll be something in it for them!
Damo
Guest
Yeah that's it, get more overseas players and sides in the NRC because the game in Australia is dying on its arse and can produce its own players or teams. Have the ARU not learned from the failures of Super Rugby? Simply putting more and more international teams into the NRC will simply turn Australians off (even though they haven't yet turned on or really showed up to games anyway!). It is also not going to generate a decent TV deal.
Damo
Guest
Sorry that has nothing to do with what I posted. What has Fijian culture got to do with anything or the popularity of Rugby Union in Fiji? Rugby Union in Fiji is not going to get more popular on the back of this and it is not going to stop Fiji players leaving to go overseas or to the NRL. If anything it will speed this up.
In Brief
Guest
the point I am making is that rugby league was the first code to go fully professional in Sydney and that has been a difficult nut to crack in terms of media exposure. It's a bit like the chicken and the egg argument. The funny thing with rugby league is that its popularity came on the back of media exposure, rather than the media jumping on the bandwagon of a massive sport. And yes AFL is huge in SA and Vic, and much more popular than league in NSW. The real myth is that rugby league has always been a dominant sport on the eastern seaboard. It's been the professional sport, but never really broken its suburban shackles.
Kirky
Roar Rookie
That would be very unlikely to ever happen because the Samoan, Tongans and Cook Islanders are predominantly New Zealanders born. A big percentage of them play in all aspects of rugby in New Zealand, ~ All Blacks, Super, Heartland, and all Provincial rugby sides as it is their right so I can't see them giving that up just to play in the Australian NRC. The Fijians are different in that they are a separate entity and are Fijian through and through so they can go where they like and unlike the New Zealanders Islanders or otherwise they;re integrated into the Kiwi system and get all the rugby they want as New Zealanders born, whereas the Fijians simply play amongst themselves.
Dale
Guest
Here is something a bit controversial. The Fijians seem to want it. So instead of post colonial commentary let's celebrate the opportunity to potentially see great rugby up close. I played in a mixed Fijian Aussie team in the Brisbane first grade competition in 80's and they were ( still are) some of the most talented players and a pleasure to play with (mainly). One of the genuine advantages of our sport over the other is the international nature. Now guys at just above club level can play international competition regularly. Next stop a Aussie Maori side based out of West Sydney.
Kirky
Roar Rookie
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