As an Australian rugby fan, it seems that these days the focus is on the blight of the game at the professional level, the inept performances of our domestic sides, and our inability to compete with league, football and Aussie rules.
Some may see this as a negative and even shameful. Why can’t we simply sit and enjoy the sport we follow, regardless of who else is following it?
I personally find the critical mindset to be not only valid but constructive, as it prompts growth and development of the game by pushing those in charge to take initiative and make changes.
Surely it’s safe to assume – as the cries become louder and more desperate – surely the response will be one of drastic proportions?
You’d hope so, anyway.
One thing my AFL and NRL following mates are willing to acknowledge is that rugby’s edge over the other codes will always be its international presence.
Test rugby is a great spectacle, regardless of how many penalties are kicked, and it will always hold a significance and quality hard to replicate in a Parramatta versus Canterbury local derby.
However, this will only ever keep us in the fight, within landing any knockout blows that will take us to the top.
Simply possessing a strong Test team in a competitive global environment is respectable but not enough to capture the hearts of picky, easily distracted Australians.
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For us to truly engage with a greater fan-base we must, surprisingly, connect more to our traditional tribal roots, nurturing these, and allowing them to spread further from where they stand today.
On the one hand, the current structure of the game isn’t strong enough to compel the development of a greater fan-base. With the NRC being introduced, an arguably greater pool of Super Rugby and Test rugby players has been unearthed, but no new fans have really been budded as the crowds for the competing teams only really consist of current diehards.
On the other hand, it takes time to develop loyal fans and tradition by nature. Cult followings don’t pop up out of nowhere, and significance is established through generations.
In saying that, more could be done to streamline, organise and prune the current model to make it more accessible to not only current fans but also new ones.
TV broadcasting is one issue, but nothing is stopping Rugby Australia from hosting more games live around the country. To do so would require another rejig, but it’s not as if there haven’t been any of these in recent times. Of course, we must reach a point where little or no rearrangement of the tiers is needed.
Currently, all major rugby states possess their own local competitions. Some, such as NSW, possess several, with the Sydney teams playing in a different competition to, say, the Illawarra teams. But, to promote equal, balanced growth around the state, Manly should have an opportunity to test themselves against the Central West. Interstate tournaments should make up the first few months of the year.
Following this, a nation-wide tournament – similar to that of the Currie Cup – should take place, involving the same teams.
After rankings are determined from the interstate tournaments, the strongest from each state, with NSW and Queensland supplying more teams than, say, Western Australia, should take place, dissolving state borders to create a true nation wide competition, that, again, maintains local tribalry.
Cottlesloe against Brothers. Parramatta against Box Hill.
The shape or length of the tournament isn’t my point here, but more the gradual progression of scale and level of the competition.
Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images
Next, in place of the Super Rugby, shall stand a similar competition in which our best provincial sides play against the best from New Zealand. If it’s logistically feasible, also from the Pacific Islands, Asia and South Africa.
Just as the Bulls are both a Currie Cup team and a bolstered Super Rugby team with players from surrounding provinces, North Sydney, for example, would merge the best from surrounding teams to take on Wellington, Durban and Tokyo.
Let’s remember that a player who played for Hunter or Melbourne – if they’re quality – will now have progressed to the level of this tournament.
Again, which teams become the representation of others is not my issue here but more the idea of maintaining a strong pathway.
Finally, Test matches will make up the rest of the year, with each country assembling the best from their respective provinces, as they already do.
Part of what makes this model enticing is that it recaptures the magic of Wallabies playing for their clubs again, giving fans a reason and a glimmer of hope to see Jed Holloway and Jake Gordon running out for Southern Districts.
Of course, this concept seems to occupy a large portion of the year and could potentially create a greater load on players.
Additionally, arranging such an overhaul alongside other nations to time this would certainly be easier said than done. Not to mention the whole story of contracting and administration that would deter anything this drastic from occurring.
I’d like to reiterate that rugby union’s global presence will only hold it among the best codes, but fostering greater engagement with fans will push it to compete for the top spot.
Train Without A Station
Guest
And...? Now it can’t crack 16,000 viewers per game for live broadcasts.
concerned supporter
Guest
TWAS, '' They haven’t got more than 16k viewers for a TV game on 7 this year.'' Don't believe your anti-Shute Shield propaganda, you ARU/RA shill. In NSW Shute Shield would rate higher than a Super Rugby game. TWAS, you have a very short memory, remember? '' The decision by Channel Seven to move the Grand Final from 7TWO to their main channel also paid dividends, with 69,000 people tuning into the 3pm broadcast. That’s a decent result on a Saturday afternoon but what proved surprising was Warringah playing Norths drew a bigger free-to-air audience than the Swans, who thumped Carlton across town at the SCG in a 4pm clash.''
Sooner than you think
Guest
I reckon the English league clubs will be joining the Union fold sooner rather than later. Lots of money in union over there, league has to stop kidding itself and go 'home' to rugby.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Really their presence on FTA is what has helped them? They haven't got more than 16k viewers for a TV game on 7 this year.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Most of them don't have the clubs and bars. They wen't broke and sold them.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
1. Spill of the ARU/whatever the Dickens the new management renamed itself to in order to make it look like it is doing something. 2. New board pulls Australia out of Super Rugby.(we stay in the Champs) Who says we stay in the Rugby Championship? That's linked to SANZAAR and Super Rugby and the Tri-Nations did not exist before Super Rugby. Why will our partners let us have our cake and eat it too? What's to say NZ and SA don't say get stuffed and organised an annual 3 game fixture for themselves and then ad hoc fixtures around that annually? 3. New competition is formed with the biggest and best clubs in the land competing in a competition that runs from April to Sept/Oct And if you're a fan of the 75% of the Premier Clubs that won't be represented in this? 4. Job done. By compromising our primary revenue source and basing our product around alienating 75% of premier rugby engaged people?
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
The game is not more watchable and the empty grandstands and lower viewing audiences are proof of that. No they aren't. They could be easily explainable by far more alternative forms of entertainment. TV on demand. Video Games. Increased covered of other sports, etc. Maybe it's not more watchable. That's entirely possible. It's equally possible it is more watchable, but alternatives have just been made even more appealing.
John
Guest
Decline of sydney uni, what are you on about, them and Norths are table topping the comp this year it's a two horse race... One bad year last year where they just missed out on the semi's and you define that as a decline, they made the GF in 2016.. Your out of touch..
Johnno
Guest
They should change coz there rugby standards are too low and not helping australian rugby get stronger..
concerned supporter
Guest
Andy S, The Shute Shield is working again, [except for the culling of Penrith Emus}, 1/Because of the resurgence of clubs like Norths, Warringah Eastwood etc and the current decline of Sydney University. These and other clubs have plenty of members & supporters. 2/ Because of their presence on FTA Ch 7.
sheek
Guest
Anyway Boof Head, Imagine rugby union & rugby league combined. I'm convinced it will eventually occur. Outside of Australia, league is struggling, not that union is winning at every turn either. But in Australia, it would be bittersweet for both codes. Will union would be the game played, guess where most of the iconic national clubs would come from? That's right, league. In a 20 team national comp, only Waratahs, Reds (as 2nd Brisbane club) , Brumbies (maybe ahead of Raiders), Rebels (as 2nd Melbourne club) & Force would get a seat at the table. The point is, despite over 100 years of rugby union in Australia, none of the premier district clubs have entrenched themselves among the populace. Randwick, the best known & most successful Australian rugby club, is nevertheless not a South Sydney Rabbitohs nor Sydney Roosters, nor Collingwood Magpies, nor Richmond Tigers, nor Geelong Cats, nor Port Adelaide Power, etc.
Geoff Dustby
Guest
why would you blame schools? there job is to prepare kids for life with an education. it is not their job to fix australian rugby. they have been playing the same teams for a century, why should they change? just because other schools are no good? go back to reading your book on social inequalities in your newtown cafe in your hipster thongs
Fionn
Guest
Stop talking sense, Andy!
AndyS
Guest
The Shute Shield is working again because it has returned to what it is supposed to be - the top of the amateur code and linked to the clubs, bars and grassroots. It was in a mess specifically because it tried to be something else and broke all those ties. Last thing we need is to make those same mistakes again.
AndyS
Guest
You do understand that in this context (i.e. moving up to the role of NRC, with that as the main show), what you are advocating is amalgamating the clubs into just 3/4 teams and doing away with the Shute Shield...?
Johnno
Guest
Private schools also have to take the blame. Not reforming there competitions to be of higher standards and not allowing RA to turn there schools into rugby factories of high performance unlike in NZ where NZRU controls schoolboy rugby.. Out private schools and public schools are not Ambitious enough and don’t care about global rugby domination.. Not commercialising school boy rugby here thanks to the private schools opposing this has not helped our rugby future... Nor has super rugby’s big import restrictions and reducing rugby here to be just about the wallabies..
Malcolm Cornet
Roar Rookie
Why don’t you make the existing clubs stronger as they have the clubs, bars and grassroots and kids rugby to look after. Are the meaningless made up nrc sides with no tribalism going to have a premise or look after the kids grassroots.
Will Clode
Guest
I’ve recently written an essay for school about the future of Australian Rugby and the importance of the NRC, however instead of talking about international competition, I discussed the expansion into more states where union has a smaller presence such as the NT or SA, thus increasing Australian rugby’s player and fan base. I thought this article was really insightful though, and had this been published earlier I may have even used it for reference or maybe expanded my inquiries into the NSW area.
Gino
Guest
Love it.
sheek
Guest
Boof Head, When you talk of Cottesloe (WA) vs Brothers (Qld), or Parramatta (NSW) vs Box Hill (Vic), I presume you're talking about a national club comp like that which was very popular in South Africa in the amateur era. So in other words, you're describing a situation that presumedly would see the teams competing change from year to year depending on how they went in their local comp. Because to act as Kingmaker, something Jeznez alludes to, and annoit certain teams from each state to compete in a national comp, while ignoring the rest, ain't gonna work. Do people learn nothing from the super league wars of 1995-97? This is precisely what News Ltd tried to do back then. They tried to play kingmaker, deciding which 14 teams would compete in a national super league comp. And especially they tried to dictate to Sydney. Australia doesn't have the depth to have a 16 team nationwide comp, or several tiers, or divisions, or whatever you want to call them. And the teams that get cut, well they won't accept their non-selection quietly. And again as Jeznez says, the players will follow the competition. Wherever the higher competition is, that's where they'll go because the money will be better. Rugby is like cricket, which has been around in Australia since whenever. Yet the Sheffield Shield only has six teams. While there are plenty of layers underneath, the really top quality of players is just enough for six strong squads. Rugby is similar. We may never have enough players for more than 8 national provinces, or national club sides. And no promotion & relegation. My idea would be to build the depth of layers below these 8 national comp teams. And if we do select national club sides, they will have to be generic, like Sydney, East Sydney, West Sydney & North Harbour. No Randwick, Manly, Eastwood, Parramatta, etc.