It’s funny how music can teleport you back to another place in time.
To distant fairy-tale lands filled with John Howards, Shane Warnes and Wallabies winning Bledisloes.
The motivation for this piece is none other than the Aussie legend John Williamson. Sitting at work listening to his ‘Anthems’ album, I think back to a passionate sea of Wallabies supporters belting out Waltzing Matilda along with the man himself.
The fans were arm in arm, all several Bundies deep, responding to the All Blacks haka.
Although to the uninitiated Waltzing Matilda may seem a feeble attempt at responding to such a fearsome and spectacular challenge, it’s all we had, and if you perform any song with enough passion and collective intent, it has the desired effect.
The desired effect being a swelling in national pride, with players and supporters uniting as one. The intent was for nothing less than a wallaby’s victory.
These were times when you puffed your chest out (and sucked your stomach in) when wearing your Wallabies jersey. When you looked forward to seeing your kiwi mate at work or school the next week.
Don’t get me wrong, we didn’t always win, but we were always proud. And when I use the collective “we” I’m talking about fans and players alike.
Granted, as a fan, it wasn’t hard to support the likes of Bernie Larkham, an incredibly talented and passionate Wallaby. Although being somewhat of a string bean, he was never shy about grabbing an All Black by the scruff of the neck and pulling him in face to face (and not in the traditional Maori greeting sense).
However it’s easy to lay down the gauntlet to a much larger opponent when you have 80,000 willing participants ready to jump to your defence.
Bundaberg Rum will do this to a man. You get the sense that some current day Wallabies would be quick to apologise to their Kiwi counterpart should they ever have the audacity to perform such an act.
Probably not sure that the 15,000 in the crowd would be willing to help, let alone the 14 on the field.
Wallabies supporters are quick to point fingers at a losing team that is no doubt somewhat difficult to support. But surely it’s a case of cause and effect, the collective power of a stadium full of supporters passionately singing and cheering you on to victory has an immeasurable and intangible effect on a players will to win.
There is no award for suggesting that there are major issues with how Rugby is being managed in this country.
Australian rugby needs a dramatic overhaul to bring it back to the halcyon days, starting from the fundamental, grass roots development structure.
In my opinion there is no more important agenda item than expanding the youth participation and supporter base outside of the “traditional” rugby heartlands- i.e .beyond the private school system.
This is a commonly held, “bottom-up” viewpoint. Support the clubs and grassroots level. Build the foundation and talent base from beneath, and the game and national team will prosper together into the future.
The ARU have typically been lambasted for a ‘top-down’ approach, more attuned with spending money on a rugby league convert to plug a hole of missing talent at the elite level, as opposed to addressing why that talent was missing from rugby in the first place.
Israel Folau tries to beat Irish players with the ball. (AAP Image/Craig Golding)
However, times like these call for some “out of the box” thinking. Maybe the ARU’s “top-down” philosophy has been the right one all along?
Maybe we do only need to focus on getting the Wallabies to win Test matches, thus bringing back the fans, the fans, in turn, have kids, these kids grow up to play rugby, and the cycle continues.
Culminating in the Wallabies again lifting the world cup in circa 2035. With this in mind, I have re-written the ARU’s previously top-secret 197-point action plan drafted in the early 2000’s boldly titled – “Top-down Management: How to decimate a previously popular and much-loved sport by ignoring grass-roots development in just 20 years”.
I have taken an ultra-simplified approach to ensure those at the ARU can execute the plan with a minimum of board meetings and long lunches. I have removed previously included action items such as:
Item 46. find out who is good at rugby league and then pay them a lot of money to play rugby union.
Item 98. work to increase the preferred “mix” percentage of contracted professional players coming from a GPS school up to the desired 90 per cent. For reference, the preferred player mix should consist of:
a. 8% Rugby League players
b. 2% miscellaneous
c. 90% GPS players (to keep the 10% in line)
I have replaced these 197 action points with just two:
Item 1. Bring back John Williamson and Waltzing Matilda
Item 2. Bring Back full-strength rum to the venues
The players and fans will take care of the rest.
Rugby Tragic
Guest
Agree and it seems everyone has a similar opinion except the powers to be. Also Ironic in a world cup year with super rugby weeks away theirs no media ?? Unless it's drugs or anti social Wheres the adds on telly touting our teams and the clubs building up to the RWC?? I know we aren't flavor of the month but which Aussie team is.
Vman2
Roar Rookie
One thing is clear. The board and CEO have no clue how to do it. I say change is needed at both ends. First a whole new board and keep working down from there. That's short term. Task them with making fundamental changes and make them accountable. That's med term. At the same time grow the game at grass roots. That's long term. In New Zealand the top rugby management are indirectly but for all practical purposes held to account by the rugby supporters. The result is a management far more focused on performance and results.
snowybaker
Guest
Let us not forget the Wallabies were banned from including Waltzing Matilda as part of the p[re-game. Apparently the Haka is so unique the ABs are the only tier 1 side allowed to have a pregame activity. Funny how following that sort of imposition the ABs went on their great run of dominance. The other big issue was when operations of the Wallabies was fashioned around a professional franchise. Contracting players to the Wallabies makes it one of those harder to get out than in clubs due to financial considerations. Add to this the increased wallabies playing schedule and you lose the 'event' factor to an extent.
Offside
Guest
Charlieville?
Andrew
Roar Guru
Probably because there has been a 'How to fix the Wallabies/Australian Rugby' article basically every week for the past 3-4 years on here, and there's only so many times people can repeat themselves.
Rugby First
Roar Rookie
Agree, spot on you have identified the problem, do you know where the money going? An independent published review of where AR money is going, including the distribution of fees that Parents pay needs to be made public. (Obviously there is insurance that is a necessity) I would suggest a review not controlled by the AR Board would be healthy and welcomed start. A review of AR contracted players would also be a positive start. One example. If you are not maintaining your skills, fitness, community role model standards and are dropped. (Injuries excluded) Why are you paid? If a player is unwanted for a reason by a Super Franchise and will not or can not find a Super franchise why would you pay out $100's K, better allocated to developing juniors. If there is a consequence the behaviour will change. Put the funds into developing a Coaching pool for juniors would deepen the National pool.
Bobby
Guest
So Train, how will that fix the Wallabies (although I agree with your view)
Bobby
Guest
To me, this topic is the most important one I've seen and read. It's interesting that there have been only 23 posts, some of which (with respect) don't even address the real, fixable problem areas with the Wallabies. Interesting the low level of participation in the problem !
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
I'm no financial expert but I can't help but feel if they stop taking fees from schoolboys there will be even less to invest back...
Rugby First
Roar Rookie
The old chestnut again "Private Schools" dominating Junior Rugby? Are you able to prove the problem exists with facts? Produce & publish the numbers of players from "The Elite Schools" in the Wallaby squad, the Premier Clubs Canberra, Sydney & Brisbane from the GPS private school systems? Not the every day Catholic & other religious Schools that offer education as an alternative to state Schools, who thankfully offer Rugby as a sport Choice. Why Le-Union is growing fast! AR are supporting the fast growing variation of Union at School boy level - Le-Union! The problem is there is NO RA support for grass root clubs who rely on "Dad & Mums" to coach doing their best with many never played Rugby. The end result is Le-Union copying the NRL stars. What is missing is investing in the willing Mums & Dads in Rugby Coaching skills. No grass root financial support from the RA at this level. For example in Brisbane after the GPS comp with a limited season there is around 35 clubs x 7 grades participating in age groups in a great Brisbane competition - many Private School Boys participate in both. It is time RA stopped taking fees from School Boys and not investing back into the starting level for many of our elite players, grass root Rugby Club players - Clubs, Mum & Dad selling raffle tickets, running the games and doing their best trying to Coach.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Needs to be well South when you consider how central Suncorp is. Closer to Logan.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Comparatively Metricon is out of the way.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Don't know about out of the way. It's right off the M1 and next to the train station.
Andrew Joseph
Roar Rookie
I thought the same.
Andrew Joseph
Roar Rookie
Next stadium built in QLD needs to be on southside brissie.
Andrew Joseph
Roar Rookie
CBUS at Robina is out of the way. Why a stadium wasn't built in a better locale beggars belief. WIN stadium prime example. Kurrawa beach would have been prime location. Now that is Gold Coast.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Yep so that's basically to make it a community facility rather than a commercial facility that the QRU owns and rents out at a profit. I believe it's a reduced capacity planned for the ground.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
Phil and Jock, I concur. I watched that game live with a Kiwi gentleman (and at least 50 thousand of his dearest countrymen). Recently I saw a replay, again with Kiwi mates. One of them quipped before the start, “ just remember who won”. My first though was ‘we won’. Such is the fond memory of that game, I forgot that we didn’t win it.
Andrew
Roar Guru
Off-topic but what's with the whole run it straight thing that keeps getting promoted on here? So many worries about concussion these days yet in every single video they promote someone is clearly getting a concussion. I know people are free to do what they want but I find it highly irresponsible.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Not if it has inferior broadcast facilities, corporate facilities and results in less income. It’s also a capacity of 12,000 with limited seating and therefore inability to sell as many premium seats.