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There is a lot of anger in Australian rugby right now as state turns on state in a fevered attempt to bolster their case for survival.
This anger has been most visible on the pages of rugby forums and at the grounds. A lot of the anger is being aimed at the game’s administrators, specifically the ARU. If our fearless leaders are wondering why this is, we will enlighten them.
The real reason goes beyond the simple act of cutting a team. The real reason for the anger of Australian rugby fans is the apparent lack of foresight shown at every stage of the process and the eagerness with which the nuclear option has been embraced.
The only reason that the ARU has given for the need to cull an Australian Super Rugby team has been financial. According to their figures it is impossible to sustain the current five teams for even one more year, let alone to 2020.
If we accept the assumption that this is the case, then it is not a new problem. The ARU has bailed out clubs before, so they must have had an idea of the dire state of the finances in each club and indeed in their own offices before it came to such a dramatic point.
So what has the ARU done prior to this current crisis to try to avert the impending disaster? Where was the ARU demanding reform from the state unions in order to fend off insolvency before the destruction of 20 per cent of our professional presence became the only option left?
Culling an Australian team will not solve the solvency issues of the remaining teams and nor will it have a significant impact on the long-term viability of rugby in this country. The ARU has embraced cutting a team as its first and only option when it should have been the last resort.
But even if we accept that culling a team is the only option remaining to us, there is still plenty of cause for anger. The anger stems from the almost casual way that the power brokers of the game have agreed to kill off all professional opportunities from a growing rugby area with not even a hint of any replacement or compensation. It is the professional silence that has and is causing the anger.
There is one way the culling of a franchise could possibly have been achieved without completely destroying all good will towards rugby in the area affected, and you need only look to South Africa to see it.
First there would need to complete transparency of the entire process. Not everyone will agree with all decisions made, but they need to be able to at least understand the reasoning behind the decisions.
South Africa have set up a process for determining which two teams they will cut. Have no doubt it will hurt whichever teams get culled, but no-one can complain too loudly when all stakeholders had a say in how the decision was made.
Second there would be recognition of the importance of the pathways created in the area and a plan to keep those pathways open.
This is the main thing that has been missing from all of the ARU discussions. They have told us they are willing to rip the heart out of a rugby community but have been silent on how they intend to replace it. The South Africans at least have a plan B for their cut teams.
There needs to be a viable professional pathway maintained in whatever state or territory loses a team and it needs to be more than just token. I could almost accept the loss of my team, the Force, if it resulted in the creation of a true Australian domestic competition that allowed the team to remain but feed into the Spirit instead.
Whatever form this takes is very debatable; however, my point is that the ARU has been completely silent about how they intend to fill the void they are about to create in one of rugby’s key growth regions. By doing so they are effectively saying, “Thanks for playing, we’ll take it from here”.
That, simply, is why people are angry.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.