There is an awful lot of public naysaying and fretting about Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forest’s proposed renegade Indo-Pacific rugby competition, but if it improves the quality of rugby in Australia, surely it must be possible.
Commentators are saying that it can’t work because there isn’t enough money in it and because there isn’t enough talent in Asia for it to succeed. Others tell us it will hurt Australian rugby. Those who are worried are not particularly clear about why, but presumably, they think that the competition will pinch Australian players and viewers from Super Rugby.
All of the worries seem to be stopping people from considering the opportunities that Forest’s proposed rugby venture has for Australian rugby. It is, after all, the biggest developing market in the world.
Here are a couple of facts to consider that Forest, since he is a billionaire, undoubtedly thought of before he put his name to this idea.
Fact number one: there are over four billion people in Asia, who are getting richer and will want to enjoy the luxuries that higher disposable incomes will allow them to purchase.
That is an absolutely enormous potential market for rugby.
Rugby already has a foothold in a number of Asian countries including Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka.
All the discussion seems to be about whether or not the Western Force will be well enough supported to commercially succeed, but in reality, the commercial objective of the competition should be to grow Asian broadcasting revenues.
Successfully cultivate those and any takings at the gate at NIB Stadium would be dwarfed by the Asian audiences watching the game on TV.
(AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)
Fact number two: the concerns about the standard of the competition are a complete nonsense. There are plenty of professional sporting leagues that operate without access to the best talent in the world: A-League football and Arena Football in the United States are two primary examples.
Audiences want to be able to follow a team that they identify with, in an entertaining and competitive competition format and there is no reason why that can’t happen in an Indo-Pacific rugby championship.
Moreover, it won’t take long before standards in those countries increase due to the competition. Think about the Australian Women’s Sevens rugby team, athletes from entirely different sports were trained into an Olympic Gold winning team over the course of just four years. There is no reason to believe that existing and new rugby players in the Indo-Pacific cannot be bought up to a high standard at a similar speed.
So instead of the naysaying and fretting, Australian rugby commentators could be thinking about the opportunities a competition like this could provide for Australian rugby.
It could provide the first step into non-Japan Asia which could in the long term help to integrate Australian rugby in our region. This could potentially provide multiple new competitions for fans and commercial opportunities close to home for teams, players, coaches – both male and female – and the Australian union’s themselves.
These are opportunities that we can only dream of with our little domestic rugby market and I think they have the potential to make Australian rugby great again if only we are smart about making the most of them!
Scott
Guest
The Olympics is the bit no one has focused on, a 7's competition would work. Not so sure about 15's
Uncle Eric
Guest
China communist?? In the words of one well known Oz capitalist 'pig's arse'.
Uncle Eric
Guest
I'm going to win the lotto jackpot this weekend. That's irrational optimism, and a lot of people indulge in it every week Piru.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
It's on the World Rugby website.
waxhead
Guest
Piru - I hope those kids are having fun. While they're playing I like to let a little common sense and logic penetrate. You should try it - be a nice change from your naive desperation
waxhead
Guest
hahaha I'm supposed to know which team Rhys supports this week am I Rebel? We already agreed it's not relevant so what's your point?
mtiger
Guest
Before it was professional, there was no money for rugby too. Money will come, and when a billionaire is looking into it, it will come earlier
Rhys Bosley
Guest
The example demonstrates the ACCC's attitude to sporting bodies engaging in anticompetitive conduct, which is what you are proposing that the ARU do. Where is your evidence? Don't have any? Didn't think so.
Crazy Horse
Roar Pro
You've obviously never been to the USA either. I have and Piru actually plays the American game. College Football (of the gridiron variety) is huge in the USA. Many colleges have their own stadiums.
Crazy Horse
Roar Pro
That's what they said about virtually every Olympic sport that China decided to take seriously.
Crazy Horse
Roar Pro
We saw that massive support for Rugby on the TV as recently as last weekend with the poorly attended Rising game.
Crazy Horse
Roar Pro
More details of the “Indo-Pacific Rugby Championship” (IPRC ) have just been announced. The new competition is designed to be complimentary to Super Rugby in as much as it will be scheduled not to clash with it. There is an offer to the EARU to participate but it will go ahead with or without them. It will kick off with a six-team competition in August 2018 selected from the “twenty countries that have already expressed interest in participating”. The plan includes strategies to lure Australian players currently playing overseas to return and participate in the IRPC teams and for existing players to stay in Australia and play IRPC rather than going to Japan or Europe. IPRC players will still be available to play for the Wallabies (obviously subject to selection). There is an offer to the EARU to participate in the IPRC but it will go ahead with or without them. I noted a number of the names most usually mentioned as targets by the East coast teams including Dane Haylett-Petty at the announcement. Cue the nayayers with nothing positive to add.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
The example is banning players from playing in Ice Hockey Australia competitions because they competed in another competition.
Rhys Bosley
Guest
Incidentally, here is a link which describes the ACCCs views on these issues. http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/AUCCCUpdate/2010/22.pdf
Rhys Bosley
Guest
Prove with references how World Rugby and the ARU can enforce ownership over a 200 year old game, which was played informally before those organisations or their predecessors even existed, or zip it.
rebel
Guest
Funny how you pick a side, I never mentioned sides. Not everything needs to be a fight or arguement.
Hoi Poloi
Guest
Twiggy will get World rugby to foot the bill. That is how you get rich. Other PEOPLE'S money!
Hoi Poloi
Guest
Twiggy mentioned that it will be a 7's male and female competition from that stumbling media conference he held.
Hoi Poloi
Guest
You have more chance of a third AFL club than this of ever getting off the ground. Couldn't even sell out that toy ground to a Springboks test match. What makes you think a Perth based competition would garner much interest.
Train Without A Station
Guest
You're coming around