Just over 21 years ago, amidst rugby’s first few steps into the professional era, the Australian Rugby Union commissioned a new top-tier side, residing in the nation’s capital city, to take part in the Southern Hemisphere’s new-look Super 12 competition.
The Brumbies, as they were named, were a reward for the achievements of the ACT’s hardworking clubs and a natural expansion at a provincial level.
The Brumbies’ meteoric rise in the competition saw them become Australia’s most successful Super Rugby team of the professional era. The ACT side won two premierships, built epic and storied rivalries with the Crusaders and Waratahs, defeat the British and Irish Lions, and unearthed so much talent that if I were to list all of it here this piece would practically turn into an honour roll.
To have been a Brumbies fan over that period – through periods of triumph and grief – there really has been nothing like it.
But I did not write this piece to be a eulogy, so let’s get down to brass tacks.
This week, reports emerged that the ARU would agree to dump an Australian team from the Super rugby competition, apparently at the behest of SANZAAR partners.
It made an unpalatable kind of sense that the Force or the Rebels might be facing the axe. It is a sad fact that since their inceptions, both have struggled to keep pace with the competition – especially that from overseas.
That SANZAAR partners might want to hound the Force or the Rebels out of the competition for being uncompetitive seemed within the realms of possibility. I nevertheless felt disappointed that the ARU has apparently folded to pressure over the issue.
I do not support cutting any of the Australian sides. Evidence may suggest Australia does not have the depth to sustain five teams, but if performance is the issue, there are other teams that should go first – including the one whose boss’ comments set this whole firestorm ablaze in the first place.
What has become clear, however, is that this whole debacle is not about performance. Not on-field performance, anyway.
Perhaps fittingly it was on Wednesday – on the Ides of March, no less – that it was revealed the ARU may be intending to stick their knives into the Brumbies.
I had naively assumed that Super Rugby clubs would live and die on their merits. I had not reckoned with the ARU’s commitment to a moribund strategy of expansion that is already a proven failure.
I felt sick. I still feel sick. It’s not confirmed yet, but if the Brumbies axing does go ahead (and it increasingly seems that’s the way things are heading), it would be the most unexpected gut blow in my 20 years following the sport.
More than that, it’d be a betrayal.
Leaving aside for the moment all the good the Brumbies have done for Australian rugby over the years, it is dumbfounding that the ARU would fail to stand up for its clubs. I mean, for what? For the sake of appeasing the selfish conditions of SANZAAR partners?
I wonder what the great rugby patron His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove would think of the ARU deciding that parts of Australia just aren’t worth fighting for. Do white flags start to look like green and gold ones when somebody’s waggled enough cash in front of your face?
Push back! For god’s sake, show some backbone. If the abolishment of your country’s most fertile development ground is the condition of Super Rugby’s continuity, then maybe some questions ought to be asked about Australia’s future in the competition.
Because one thing I have no doubt about is that both Super Rugby and Australian rugby will be weaker without the Brumbies.
Rob
Guest
Brumbies crowds have really started to go south when the Skullduggery was exposed by Jones a few years regarding the sale of the land at Griffith headquarters, After mates and friends took their cut the remainder went on a ridiculous long term lease at university canberra with basically nothing left. Jones referred the deals to the AFP and was sacked for his efforts To rub salt into the wounds the brumbies asked the juniors to cough up more in registration fees to help fill their financial shortfall What a joke!! The brumbies should have been in a very healthy financial position able to fend off any decision by the ARU,,, instead they're broke and beholden to commercial forces,,, I for one who has supported the brumbies since their inception called it quits a few years ago,, and I know any others have done the same Good bye brumbies
Slim 293
Guest
That statement isn't correct. The Canberra Times has reported multiple times, including the same week of this article, that the Brumbies have actually recorded 3 profits since 2003. They definitely turned a profit in 2004, and an older article from the Crimes seems to point to 2010 as another year.
Akari
Roar Rookie
Can't see why NZ and SA could not now be "considered grass roots development areas for Australian Super Rugby teams" at all. They surely cannot accommodate all of the talents that they both are churning out of their respective systems.
Piru
Guest
We're closer to Japan than SA!
Mr T
Guest
"The Brumbies, one of three foundation Australian teams, increased their average viewership on Fox Sports last year and had four of the top 10 Super Rugby audiences. The Brumbies have also been a factory for Wallabies players, with almost 50 per cent of the club's representatives earning Australian honours." End of story. Drop them at your peril ARU.
AnD
Guest
That was my thinking Bakkies, and that their losses were probably structured that way rather than being 17 straight losses of significant proportion.
Bakkies
Guest
The Force had over 20,000 members and oversubscribed corporate boxes
Bakkies
Guest
AnD absolutely no otherwise they would get hit by corporation tax
Lincoln Lense
Guest
Elsom, Palu, Chisholm, Gerard, Brock, Blair Connor Perhaps you should have added Allan Border, Ian Thorpe and a couple of players not good enough to play Super Rugby (eg Josh Valentine or Pek Cowan perhaps) If you're going to present 'evidence' try to keep credibility within an arm's length please FFS Elsom retired 3 years ago
Schuey
Guest
Train is right. Totally different scenarios as we All know.
Schuey
Guest
I Agree with Jacko.
Piru
Guest
For the record, Rugby isn't dying in wa, it's had strong growth since The Force's inception. The only state to do so I believe
Piru
Guest
Guess you haven't watched much rugby this year. Just watched the rebels give up another bonus point loss, and yet no one is calling for their heads. This whole situation is utter bs - if teams need to go, get rid of an sa team, or the joke sides from Japan and Arg - ARU stand up for your damn competition
Adam
Roar Guru
Mate i grew up in tassie so I've had my fair share of the AFL diet. But maybe you're right....
Realist
Guest
Touche.
Realist
Guest
ARU stupidly expanded to 4 and then 5 teams when they should have kept with 3. Now they want to kill the most successful team. F%^k the ARU. If they pull the Brumbies, my 2 young sons will not be playing union in the future and I will not provide 1 cent towards anything rugby-related in this country.
Realist
Guest
Where do those Wallabies who played no junior rugby in Australia fit into your sophistry? Or those that predominately played league as juniors? FYI, players keep developing after they leave school rugby. The role of the super rugby sides in very important in producing pro players and the Tahs and Reds have under performed in this regard. Since Super 12 started, the Brumbies have produced the most Wallabies. You also haven't included players from the broader southern NSW region which the Brumbies represent.
Realist
Guest
And WA and VIC rugby produce outstanding Wallabies? Give me a break. WA and VIC Rugby have no history of achievement. ACT rugby does. This goes way back to amateur days.
Realist
Guest
Far more entertaining? How many games have the Force won at home over the last 2 years? 1? The Force don't produce a lot of Wallabies and they have done nothing as a side . WA Rugby has no pedigree. FFS, ACT beat Wales in the 70s. The home grown ACT side thumpedvNSW in 94 which led to the Brumbies. Rugby in the ACT region has been played for over 100 years. The strongest rugby schools in Canberra would beat anything in WA or VIC. I read somewhere that Brumby games have the second highest number of TV viewers of all the Oz sides. VIC and WA are AFL states - always will be. However, Rugby as a product is dying a death in this country. The rules haven't changed fast enough (professionalism and extra fitness/size of players requires rule changes) and the game is just not as entertaining as it was in the 90s, 2000s, and amateur era. It's overly technical and to see a side penalised when they are in attack makes for bizarre viewing for new fans. Tries are not worth enough points.
Realist
Guest
They haven't had to be bailed out like the Reds and Tahs though.