Over the last couple on months I think it is fair to say that rugby as a code has been –
and is – going through a tough time. It has been mostly self inflicted.
I have posted many comments on this forum complaining about the ARU. I absolutely acknowledge that the current board and CEO were given a load of crap, my beef is how they handled the situation. Anyway enough of that.
What I would like to write about is some ideas that may provide some solutions for the off-field issues. I am going to focus on interest in the code which hopefully will generate funds that can be used wisely to maintain and then grow the code.
The best place to start is with schools and clubs – mainly juniors. So at the moment in NSW the schools are having ether their rugby trials or may have started their competitions (I can’t speak for other states).
Now five years ago when my son played at school I ran the supporters group and we would have an induction day where we would get around 400 boys signing up for the season.
Getting any involvement from NSWRU or the ARU was very difficult. So one solution to get the kids involved would be to give one of them a free ticket to a Waratah game (same interstate) that could be used at any game during the season.
The ticket would also give a 50 per cent discount to a parent. Apart from bums on seats this would give the NSWRU and ARU good feedback because if there was a bar code on the ticket it could tell where the user came from and then rewards packages could be targeted at clubs and schools.
OK, you ask, what about country and regional areas? Then ticket could for argument say be a season family package for the local club. In Orange where I am, we are going to have a Shute Shield game on 13/5, so that ticket could be used for a family.
The ARU is hopefully given the success of the women’s 7s and applying these models in clubs and schools for girls as well.
Now regarding the Super Rugby and the Wallabies. There are few things that rugby has to get its head around.
Firstly, rugby is the third if not the fourth winter male code. Secondly, and I will give two examples of this, is that sport are often now events. Thirdly and finally the ARU and state unions – and I know in the current environment it is not easy – must start thinking outside the square and not have a siege mentality.
Regarding two examples of sport being an event, I was told that there was between 8000 and 10000 at Knox on Saturday for their Gala Day, where there just happened to be a rugby game between Knox and Riverview on.
If that was all that was on there would have been a crowd of say 3000. The rest are there for the day. They mostly likely don’t know what is happening on the field and may never go to another rugby game until Gala Day 2018.
The other example is that in April Orange had it’s horse racing Cup day where around $250000 in prize-money was paid out, they got a crowd of about 1500. On Easter Monday they had the camel races and got a crowd of around 10000.
So the idea and solution is here. The ARU must go to SANZAAR and frankly say that they are eating the dates of the calendar and the following scheduling of games has to be considered.
Brumbies, look at attaching your games to festivals such as summer nationals (yes I don’t know when it is on) or when the Black Opal races are on.
The Queensland Reds’ permanent Anzac Day fixture against a New Zealand team needs to happen.
Waratahs must get involved with the ATC and if Winx is racing at the championships in 2018 then play in her racing colours. Work out a ticketing deal with Randwick.
Put shuttle buses on including food and wine. The obvious game would be against the Brumbies in continuing with the horse theme.
Wallabies? In the June window in Brisbane talk to the QTC. Find out what is their biggest race day and do the same in Sydney.
There is an old saying – my enemy’s enemy is my friend. What about this concept: cross-code double headers?
In Sydney, Easts versus Warriors followed by Waratahs versus Blues.
In Brisbane, Broncos versus Warriors followed by Reds versus Blues.
In Canberra, Raiders versus Storm followed by Brumbies versus Rebels. Fox would love it as all their outside broadcast is there for two games.
We could even have the union commentators do the league game and the other way around as well.
The NRL is taking home games away to other venues so if no more than 15000 are going to go to the Waratahs versus Reds in Sydney, then play the game in Brisbane if there will be 20000.
I don’t care who takes the credit. These ideas are good, and they just might save rugby.
Michael gardiner
Guest
Guru, you just don't get it you can make ll the excuses that you can imagine for the down fall of rugby , but please it's not the media that controls sport its fans , if the sport is popular the media will support it . You can' t make rugby popular by blaming the media. You have to ask the question , why have fans turned away from rugby? Ask questions like - 1. Is the game boring ? 2. Are the days of the elitist belief , that rugby is only for the elite in society ,gone? Guru , if you don't believe questions 1 and 2 are true , then and if you represent most rugby supporters, then I believe rugby union in Australia has only a short time to become Australia's forgotten football code.
OJP
Guest
One of my fond memories from 1988 Aust u/16 rugby championships was playing a Saturday morning fixture vs South Australia at Parramatta stadium; the 'Winfield Cup' markings were still in place from the Friday night game. I was playing FB and had the opportunity to slide across the 'logo' behind the posts to force the ball in goal.... got red paint all over my gear... could not have been happier at the time.
redbull
Guest
Gould can be full of it. He can also be insightful. But at least he is engaged in the game and causes others to become engaged.
Ballymore Brumby
Roar Pro
Totally agree with you that one size doesn't fit all. As you say, there are things that can be done to reduce costs, such as removing access to tiers, fewer food/beverage outlets open etc. However the stadiums don't often get it right. Case in point was SunCorp Stadium during the Global Tens in February. Literally heatwave 40+ conditions with many of the lower tiers in the direct sun for much of the day. The ground announcers and organisers announced over the speakers that the upper tiers were open to go and sit in the shade, unfortunately nobody told the rent-a-security staff who preceded to spend the next three hours constantly telling people to move.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
16,000 is a simplistic answer. Different grounds have totally different requirements. With capacity of 20,500 the Force I'd imagine would actually have the lowest break even of all times. With Suncorp having a PT serviced location, road closures and a 52,500 capacity it would be the highest. But then teams can do things like close tiers to reduce staffing costs, etc. as well.
Ian Brown
Roar Pro
Thanks to the many people who have contributed excellent ideas when replying to some of my thoughts. In response to some specific posts. I feel for the Force supporters as they shouldn't have to be chopped for other's errors. If indeed that is what the ARU is going to do. With regards to content there is too much. If it was about playing good rugby, whatever that maybe ie set piece, running whatever then given that the NZ super teams are clearly the most skilled why are the ratings dismissal on their games, why are house full signs not up in their major stadiums. Unfortunately sport is now not only competing with each other but also other forms of entertainment. Horse racing has gone through what rugby is now finding that when there is so much content then the consumer just tunes out, it is easier to stay at home than go to the races or the rugby. Don't get me wrong the standard of rugby being exhibited by the AUS teams in various games is not helping matters. Probably the starkest example of this is when my son called me after the Waratahs Kings game and said the only thing that was good was that he was given the ticket as he would have been pissed off had he paid for it and he is a rugby/sport nut. In the AUS sports landscape there are very few contests that can now stand alone, others have to leverage of other events such as the comment about the HK 7's. Not even knockout games ie finals (excepting GFs and AFL games which are a special beast) command full houses. For instance assuming that the Brumbies top the AUS conference when they have their knockout final at home will they get a full house as it maybe the last chance for their fans to support their team for 6 months, the answer is doubtful. Sometime ago I had a conversation with some guy's from Foxtel and they told me that the breakeven point for a home game is 16000 otherwise the franchise is losing money. So therefore if the crowd is say 11000 then their tickets are being co funded by other methods. There is no easy answers to these major issues confronting the code which many of us are passionate about, it's just a shame that this passion rarely comes to the surface until situations like this arise.
WQ
Guest
Thanks piru, much appreciated. I'm from QLD, can I use that definition here? People generally apply whatever thought process they are condition to for their definition of 'grassroots' when talking about Rugby. I offer the following for the city dwellers to consider. Whilst the ARU has been off developing the game around Australia, rural areas of the Country that had very healthy breeding grounds for representative Rugby players have quite simply ceased to exist. Not slowed down or experiencing a lull, ceased to exist!!
kickedmyheight
Roar Pro
I think they do put them in digitally now. I remeber being at the Force vs Chiefs game and noticing how little advertising was actually painted on the ground, but then watched the replay and there it was! I would imagine the different broadcasters would put different sponsors on themselves maybe?
Go the Wannabe's
Guest
Ian, I like the way you're thinking with piggy backing with other events over a weekend. Take the HK 7's for example. I went a few years ago because a mining conference was on for 3 days before it. Coincidence? I think not. The next year they couldn't get a good venue for the mining conference so they changed the date so it didn't coincide with HK 7's. Their early acceptances plummeted and they were headed for disaster. Guess what? They found a venue where they could put the conference on just before the HK 7's. Disaster averted. End of parable.
ThugbyFan
Roar Guru
You are spot on there Wallsy. When I was a kid (just after the French Revolution) school footy teams had a weight limit (47, 54, 60kg) whereas Sat afternoon club footy was by age. Even then many parents allowed little Tommy to play at school but resisted him playing at the clubs as they did not want their precious one to be flattened by some behemoth pretending to be 14 or 15 years old. I imagine its even worse now as some PI kids are massive, even at age 13. Add that parents are more protective these days and little Tommy will be pushed to play a "safer" game such as soccer or AFL. As you have said, junior rugby should be by weights to allay parent's concerns and to keep the kids from drifting away from the game. Does it matter that the halfback is 57kg and the prop is 60kg? No it doesn't as long as they enjoy playing. To me that's not the point, the issue is to get more juniors catching the "rugby fever" then you get a flow on to more playing subbies and grade, rep rugger and/or supporters attending matches.
Stu
Guest
Kids under 16 are free anyway.
Gary
Guest
You are right near the truth yet just not on top of it. You are right , our blokes can't seem to pass in front of the man , scrum particularly well , have a lot of vision , realign effectively in defence after a breakout and frankly a dozen other fundamentals of the game that probably come down to lack of coaching and availability of good coaches . Additionally the lack of clear pathways for young players is an issue and a fragmented junior system ( btw why has the u/17's Gold Cup been dropped to U/16's this year ? ) It seems clear that our standard has dropped against the rest of the world a tad but in particular against the Kiwis where we have fallen through the floor relatively. Take the NSW Waratahs v Wellington game recently. the Tahs stacked up pretty ok in the wash up and played 90% of a good game but they lacked desire. When the Canes were defending their tryline at scrum time , they dug deep and won tight heads , similar things happened in the lineouts and in the loose, their desire was way stronger than ours and this held true at the other end of the field , when it counted ( the fact that Barretts 'desire' extended to episodes of cynical cheating is the unnatural extension of this but whatever, he did the time) In my opinion the Kiwi skill level is 10% better than ours ( for instance they realise that the first few steps of any backline movement is crucial and so they get the ball into motion superbly by either trajectory or acceleration or both) but their desire is 25% better than us and this counts the most. We rarely match them in this department and as a player and student of the game for 45 years I see it as a cultural issue as much as anything , as much as we would hate to admit it , the Aussie way is probably more aligned to the Pommie notion of playing the game for the games sake instead of win at all costs , such is the Kiwi notion. For some strange reason this is unique in Oz sport ( think League, Cricket whatever for win at all costs attitudes ) I think of the many games I have been involved in and watched , suburban and Country comps where the after match function was as important as the game. It's life and death for the Kiwis and we have to face the fact that although we can occasionally master them it is not normal state of affairs. We can align Juniors comps , create the pathways for young players to bolster the senior ranks , prepare better our coaches and skill levels etc , but can we ever match that fervent desire ? Is it in Oz Rugby DNA ?
soapit
Guest
pretty apt piru as grass only ever grows about a foot high.
soapit
Guest
at least gould has a prven record of knowledge in the past. the oz fox crew are most just the old brigade who blagged their way into a role based on their ability to fill air and the lack of knowledge of the person that hired them
Reverse Wheel
Guest
Waratahs have free season passes for kids under 14. My mate can take himself and his 3 boys for under $25 total. Plus $30 each for a small chips.
Reverse Wheel
Guest
Knox is CAS. Just saying
Hannes Lubbe
Roar Rookie
THANK YOU Fionn!!!!!!!!!! I have been waiting to hear that comment for a long time!! That is 110% the problem!! There is too much rugby in a calendar year. Super Rugby even have to take a break for June Internationals. Not even to mention the world cup year. Together with the rugby championships. That is just to mention the international stage. Then every country still have their own domestic competitions, which in my mind became an amateur competition because the big names are never available for those games because of Super Rugby, Rugby Championships(former Tri-Nations), June Internationals and the end of the year tours. No one cares anymore if they missed a game because next weekend there will be another one.
soapit
Guest
by car?
soapit
Guest
do they really lose that much getting 2000 fewer a game on a chance to build futur esupport? at $40 that $8k a game (havent been for a long long time). doesnt seem like a lot in the scheme of things.
Waz
Guest
I'm intrigued as to who the actual enemy is when you say "my enemy’s enemy is my friend" ???