After mulling over the situation Australian rugby finds itself in for a number of weeks, I went to the pub with a good mate of mine, a high school rugby coach, who always makes sense when talking about the game.
His idea was simple, logical, brilliant: scrap the NRC and turn the Shute Shield and the NSW subdistrict competition into a promotion-relegation system.
That would allow strong subdistrict clubs like Balmain and Drummoyne to develop and move into the Shute Shield, and would put extra motivation on clubs like Penrith and Parramatta to improve.
(It would also stop the situation we have now where clubs like Balmain and Drummoyne are completely undercutting Shute Shield teams like West Harbour – and put them on an even playing field.)
The ARU should still be 100 per cent dedicated to supporting rugby in Sydney’s west, but it does nothing to help the game when Penrith loses by 100 points every week.
Penrith or Parramatta being relegated on performance would allow them to play in Division 2 or 3 of the promotion-relegation competition and become competitive again through winning games – and hopefully move back up as a stronger club.
I would do this exact same thing with the GPS competition in Queensland.
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After scrapping the NRC and setting up the promotion-relegation club rugby system, introduce a tournament where the top-four finishers from the Shute Shield and the GPS play each other in a knockout comp, with each game televised.
People have loyalties to their local club, not to the NRC.
I’d love to fly up to Suncorp to watch the Warringah Rats play Brothers in a semi-final – but I wouldn’t go down the street to watch the Rays in the NRC.
The NRC also has no regard for the passion, history and tradition the Shute Shield has created.
As a longtime Warringah fan, why would I support the Rays, where half the side are Manly players?
The ARU already has a competition with diehard fans, strong juniors and history behind it, but instead of developing that, they’ve tried to invent a competition from scratch.
We can’t invent an NRC and expect people to have the same passion as New Zealanders have for the ITM Cup – a tournament which has existed for decades.
Focusing on a revamped club rugby competition would encourage more kids to play for they local club, as they would have the added incentive to one day make first grade and play in a televised competition, with the chance to make the knockout tournament versus Queensland teams.
A lot of these clubs also have a bucketload of money – meaning the ARU wouldn’t have to stump up the cash for the NRC and could put resources back into western Sydney or junior footy.
The incredible Shute Shield final last year had North Sydney Oval packed to the rafters; the support is there, the fans are there, the ARU just needs to open their eyes.
Sure, this conversation was had at a pub between two blokes and a few beers, I’m sure there are flaws in it. But I love my local club, and I want to support them. Why not build on that fan connection – instead of leaving it out in the cold – in order to fund a competition nobody cares about?
I haven’t mentioned the Wallabies or Super Rugby, but making club competitions stronger and more competitive will see our professional scene naturally grow.
Support the grassroots, and success should flow to the top.
Sterling
Guest
Haha. Yes Jock. Only Sydney siders understand tribalism.
Jock Cornet
Guest
Called tribalism. Dislike but respect is more appropriate term. Qld just too lazy and put in their super squads which defeats the purpose and wa and rebels just out super teams in which again defeats the purpose of the NRC . It is all too convoluted and confusing . What rules will they change this year, it is ridiculous and the spectators aren't watching but hey you And TWAS knock yourself out.
Sterling
Guest
There are "associated teams"; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Rugby_Championship#Teams So you are kinda right about that Jock. Uni, Randwick and East have, for some reason, aligned themselves with NSW Country. So they can't hate each other that much. More financially viable to go with Country? I don't know. Why they couldn't go in with Southern Districts ala ARC and actually "resemble" the area? Once again, I'm stumped. Maybe because they hate each other sooooo much. Until, as TWAS pointed out, it's time to play together under the Sydney RU or NSW or even Aust banner of course. This hate thing must be a Sydney thing. Everyone else in the Aust Rugby landscape seems to be able to put rep sides together and "get over" it for what ever period is required. Or more accurately it seems to be an Eastern Sydney problem. I have always got the impression that the Rams and Rays associated teams as listed in the above link just got on with it.
Jock Cornet
Guest
$30 to stand behind goalpost. Bit rude to watch the force
Jock Cornet
Guest
They are all merged in sydney
double agent
Guest
I'm sure it would come as a complete surprise to these clubs that they have bucket loads of money.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Hasn't merged any clubs. They are rep teams. Unless you consider that the Waratahs has merged clubs and the Wallabies has merged clubs. You keep stupidly comparing the NRL to the Shute Shield. Comparing it to what the NRL invests in the Ron Massey Cup champ.
piru
Roar Rookie
That's the problem
piru
Roar Rookie
$70? GA is $30 at NIB - if you chose a more expensive ticket that's hardly anyone else's fault
Jock Cornet
Guest
Sydney is 70% of the market
Jock Cornet
Guest
The NRC has changed rugby rules merged clubs that hate each other and no longer resemble the area. Ie country are all players from the city. There is no tribalism hence no supporters. It is not developing players and when Buildcorp and the clubs realise no one is watching they will remove their funds and the NRC will collapse. Can you imagine the nrl not putting any money into the nrl comp. This is what the ARU are doing . They are spending it all on the top and their own wages. What a disgrace
jeff dustby
Guest
sydneysiders thinking that is only outmatched by your disdain for them
peeeko
Guest
were you the other guy in the pub with him? beers must have been strong
peeeko
Guest
are you serious?
peeeko
Guest
i dont believe that "North Sydney Oval packed to the rafters"
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
As always, you completely miss the point. During amateur days, most of these players were in fact professional. In 1987 the Australian Institute of Sport established the Rugby Union program in Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane. Many of these players were already full time professionals, just without the money. Australia had players training in elite full time professional level sporting environments from 1987 whilst the rugby around the world was amateur until 1996. We got a head start on professionalism as a result, just without the player payments. Since then what's happened? The rest of the world has caught up.
Jock Cornet
Guest
Who's more professional Nick Farr Jones & Michael Lynagh it Nick Phipps and Qc. Professionalism is just a word that means basically nothing.
Jock Cornet
Guest
That's a myth, nsw is neglected as much as every other state. The ARU just spend money in themselves and high profile players like izzy ands pocock. The ARU is an administration trough fest. It is just give you and your mates huge wages and enjoy the box whilst the average fan can pay $100s for a bledislie. I paid $70 for a bloody force ticket at wa. No wonder the game is dead
Animal
Guest
It is abundantly clear and almost unanimous in these comments that club rugby is to be fully supported. The clubs have been barking this at the ARU for years now. Yet the ARU believes that it has a stronger leverage in negotiating with SA and NZ for a bigger slice of pie re $from TV rights etc if it can say it has a provincial comp.!! In doing so it has ignored the interests of clubs and club rugby comps.To believe a greater slice will be forthcoming from SANZAAR with the NRC is palpable nonsense. The general thread of Roar comments dont support NRC. Agree with Zac except for relegation system. NRC if it is to be continued with should be played as a selection process for higher honours. Presently NRC is no more than a comp similar to the former selection process of north harbour v south harbour or country v city. If it isnt already then thats what it should be.
Train Without A Station
Guest
So base Australian rugby around a bunch of teams that have almost sent themselves broke?