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I consider myself an eternal optimist and a rugby fan. This has proven to be a tough combination over the past 12 months.
I have not been able to completely remove myself from the discussions (heated arguments) that have accompanied the varied decisions made by Australian rugby during this time but I will admit that I became demotivated of late.
You can only preach to the converted or bash your head against a brick wall for so long before it becomes a tiresome exercise.
So it is with relief and muted excitement that I welcome all and any news about the upcoming Indo Pacific Rugby Competition, even if only to redirect the conversation. It has given a reason for those optimists amongst us to start speculating again.
Through crisis, an opportunity is born. Australian rugby now has this opportunity. I believe that, to make the most out of this opportunity, there are three things that need to happen now at the top end of town. The IPRC needs to be supported fully by the ARU and developed into a genuine tier two-level competition, Super Rugby needs to be successfully reinvigorated and the NRC needs to be consolidated and expanded.
The IPRC needs to be a genuine tier two competition. For this competition to benefit Australian rugby it needs to have the ability to attract top-level talent and so provide a genuine option to retain home-grown talent in the region.
(AAP Image/Justin Chadwick)
This is important as it addresses the main issue which has been plaguing (to varying degrees) all three of the traditional SANZAAR nations, player drain to the Northern Hemisphere.
Retaining players in the region will also help to maintain the quality of Super Rugby. The strength of Super Rugby has helped underpin the strength of the Southern Hemisphere nations during the professional era. There is still a place for Super Rugby and it can certainly regain its standing as the premier club rugby competition in the world.
There are many possibilities of what Super Rugby will look like after the end of this current broadcast period. One of the more interesting suggestions is that it may merge with the developing IPRC to become a larger competition with promotion and relegation. While I am not opposed to this idea, I also like the idea of the IPRC and Super Rugby remaining as separate competitions running during different parts of the calendar and complementing each other.
The shape of Super Rugby going forward will be dependent on many competing interests, not least the South Africans who have to determine if they still want to be a part of it or would prefer to throw their lot in with Europe.
Let’s hope that, whatever the outcome, Super Rugby is easier to follow and engage with than the disjointed arrangement we have had in recent years which contributed significantly to the decline of interest in Super Rugby.
Whatever eventuates with these two-tier, two-level competitions, the area in which the greatest opportunity exists for Australian rugby right now is in the third tier, the NRC.
The advent of an extra tier two competition in the IPRC brings with it an increase in the number of available professional positions for Australian players. In the immediate term these will hopefully be filled by Australian (and New Zealand and South African) players currently based in Europe and Japan, but as the IPRC grows and expands and these current players start to grow old and retire, these spots will need to be filled from somewhere.
(photo: John Youngs photography)
Both New Zealand and South Africa already have a plethora of talent plying their trade in excellent tier three level competitions who would leap at the chance to step up to the next level.
The NRC in its current guise has shown that it too can unearth some excellent talent. Now is the perfect time to expand the competition, both in terms of the number of teams and the length of the season to bring the NRC closer to the level of the Currie Cup and Mitre 10 Cup.
More teams mean more players that are exposed to a higher level of rugby and more chance to unearth the next Samu Kerevi. A longer season means there is greater exposure to the general public which gives a greater chance to create new fans.
The rugby being played in this year’s NRC is high quality and exciting, perfect for getting new fans excited about the game. The atmosphere at the games I have attended in Perth has been excellent and I am sure it has been similar in the other locations.
Turn the NRC into a larger, genuinely national competition and you will have created a vehicle to grow the game both from a playing and viewership perspective.
Now is when we need to act most decisively for the good of the game in this country. The only tragedy greater than the axing of the Western Force will be if nothing changes and the game shrinks further or dies anyway.
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.