The National Rugby Championship (NRC) has a trophy dubbed the ‘toaster rack’ for its resemblance to the good old-fashioned humble kitchen appliance.
Since its inception, Queensland has dominated the National Rugby Championship (NRC) with Brisbane City and Queensland Country taking out three of the titles.
Western Australia has also won a title. More recently Fiji held the ‘rack’ aloft and are the reigning champions. The University of Canberra Vikings has twice been the bridesmaids, but never the bride. NSW Country made the final in 2016.
2014: Brisbane City defeated Perth Spirit.
2015: Brisbane City defeated University of Canberra Vikings.
2016: Perth Spirit (now Western Force) defeated NSW Country Eagles.
2017: Queensland Country defeated University of Canberra Vikings.
2018: Fijian Drua defeated Queensland Country.
Looking at these results, a question springs to mind.
What is a Drua?
A Drua is double-hull sailing board hailing from Fiji. Unlike other boats, Druas don’t tack, they shunt. Pretty good moniker for Fiji when you think about it. Creative. Powerful. Sails fully of heart and spirit.
With the tip bit out of the way, as a heartland state, what is happening in the land of the Waratahs? It is fair to say, there hasn’t been much success in the NRC for teams hailing from Sydney.
In the inaugural tournament, NSW went with four teams; NSW Country Eagles and three from Sydney; Greater Sydney Rams, North Harbour Rays, and the Sydney Stars. By comparison, Queensland concentrated talent into two teams; Brisbane City and Queensland Country.
(Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)
NSW now follows the successful Queensland Country v City approach and NSW team numbers have reduced from four (2014) to two teams, NSW Country Eagles and the Sydney Rays.
So down to two teams, how did Sydney fair in the NRC 2018 season?
Well, they didn’t exactly hold the ‘toaster rack’ aloft. Instead, they brought home another bit of kitchenware. One to help stirring scrambled eggs and mixing cakes. The kitchenware is a spoon and it is wooden.
Why last? There are a few things at play.
The introduction of Fiji in 2017 was a rightful hat tip to Fiji from Rugby Australia. Off the back of their NRC win, Fiji are now part of Twiggy Forrest’s Global Rapid Rugby. Fiji will also be a threat in Australia’s pool match at the upcoming Rugby World Cup.
In 2018, Fiji took the NRC title, that said in all fairness, the Pacific Nation does have a concentration of talent, making it more difficult for Australian teams such as Sydney to win the competition.
Another fact has worked against Sydney teams. Rightly or wrongly, NSW Waratahs dominate the Wallaby line up, and the Wallaby squad generally do not play NRC. It seems the worse a state performs in Super Rugby, the better they perform in the NRC. The logic is poorly performing Super Rugby teams have the next highest talent available for NRC.
Then there is the impact of the crowd. It took a bit of correlation work, but here it is. The best to worst supported NRC teams from the 2018 competition (source Wikipedia, 2018).
Fiji (average 5300 per game)
5000 – Fiji v Melbourne. Ratu Cakobau Park, Nausori
6000 – Fiji v Brisbane. Churchill Park, Lautoka.
5000 – Fiji v Canberra. Churchill Park, Lautoka.
5000 – Fiji v Canberra. Churchill Park, Lautoka. (Semi-Final)
5000 – Fiji v QLD Country. Churchill Park, Lautoka. (Final)
(Photo by Zak Kaczmarek/Getty Images)
Western Force (average 4000 per game)
5000 – Western Force v NSW Country Eagles. UWA Sports Park. Perth
2500 – Western Force v Sydney Rays. UWA Sports Park. Perth.
4500 – Western Force v Fiji. UWA Sports Park. Perth
Brisbane City (average 3300 per game)
4500 – Brisbane v Western Force. North Rugby Club.
3000 – Brisbane v QLD Country. Sci Fleet Stadium Brisbane.
2500 – Brisbane v Canberra. Bottomley Park, Brisbane.
Queensland Country (average 1700 per game)
2000 – QLD Country v Melbourne. Hugh St Rugby Grounds. Townsville.
1200 – QLD Country v Fiji. BB Print Stadium Mackay
2000 – QLD Country v Western Force. Bond Uni. Gold Coast
1000 – QLD Country v Sydney Rays. Bond Uni. Gold Coast
2000 – QLD Country v Western Force. Bond Uni. Gold Coast (Semi-Final)
NSW Country (average 1500 per game)
1700 – NSW Country v Melbourne. Glen Willow Stadium. Mudgee
2000 – NSW Country v Canberra. Bellevue Oval. Armidale.
1000 – NSW Country v Brisbane. Camden Rugby Club. Camden
1300 – NSW Country v QLD Country. Scully Park. Tamworth.
Melbourne Rising (average 1400 per game, with the best support in Adelaide)
2250 – Melbourne v Brisbane. AA Bailey Reserve. Adelaide.
1500 – Melbourne v Western Force. GMHBA Stadium. Geelong.
500 – Melbourne v Sydney Rays. St Partick’s Oval. Ballarat.
University of Canberra Vikings (average 1200 per game)
1000 – Canberra v QLD Country. Viking Park. Canberra
2000 – Canberra v Western Force. Viking Park. Canberra.
600 – Canberra v Melbourne. Viking Park. Canberra.
Sydney Rays (average 780 per game)
1100 – Sydney v NSW Country. Leichhardt Oval. Sydney
750 – Sydney v Canberra. Concord Oval. Sydney
500 – Sydney v Brisbane. Woollahra Oval. Sydney
3500 – Sydney v Fiji. Concord Oval. Sydney.
It is true, that if a team performs poorly, supporters drop off. People like to watch their teams win. It is far more fun to win than to lose. The reverse can also be true: if no-one supports the players, the players’ passion and energy can wane. The crowd factor is neutralised.
By comparison (if numbers are correct) Fiji are the crowd pullers and the most watched team in the NRC. They literally have their Drua sails full, shunting through all opponents.
(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
Before people get carried away about crowds, first consider the primary purpose of the NRC to date. To provide a tier two competition to provide the player pipeline bridge between Super Rugby and Club Rugby. A compliment to the competition is it has not forgotten the rugby towns around Australia, the game has been taken to the people.
That said surely the 2018 Round 1, Sydney City v Country fixture at the Leichhardt Oval should have drawn a greater crowd than 1,100. Now consider reports in 2017 of a crowd in the vicinity of 15,000 flocking to Manly Oval to see Manly take on the Warringah Rats, and reports suggest 20,000 grand final attendance for the Warringah Rats verse the North Suburbs of the Shute Shield.
Looking to 2019, many Rugby faithful from Sydney will travel to the World Cup. Historically the lowest crowds for the NRC were in the 2015 World Cup year, and 2019 is a World Cup year. Sydney crowds may drop even lower yet in 2019.
But what do you think, why is club rugby in Sydney attracting more fans than the NRC? Is it more about the connection with the grassroots community, the lack of success of the NSW NRC teams or are there other circumstances at play?
And what are the key factors for the Sydney Rays and NSW Country Eagles to finally hold the toaster rack aloft in 2019? The Rays did, after all, win the now-defunct Australian Rugby Championship in 2007 before a crowd of 1800 at Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium.
Leave comments below.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
I don't. Money needs to come from somewhere to fund them.
Andrew Joseph
Roar Rookie
check out these apples... https://www.theroar.com.au/2019/01/28/should-the-all-blacks-and-wallabies-play-in-the-mitre-10-cup-and-nrc-part-two/
Andrew Joseph
Roar Rookie
CH... maybe the love can be spread... https://www.theroar.com.au/2019/01/28/should-the-all-blacks-and-wallabies-play-in-the-mitre-10-cup-and-nrc-part-two/
Andrew Joseph
Roar Rookie
Here you go TWAS... https://www.theroar.com.au/2019/01/28/should-the-all-blacks-and-wallabies-play-in-the-mitre-10-cup-and-nrc-part-two/
Andrew Joseph
Roar Rookie
Hi Ray, hopefully a new NRC could change this... https://www.theroar.com.au/2019/01/28/should-the-all-blacks-and-wallabies-play-in-the-mitre-10-cup-and-nrc-part-two/
Andrew Joseph
Roar Rookie
Hi Anthony, enjoy mate. All Blacks and Wallabies in the M10 Cup and NRC.
Sterling
Guest
Line breaks didn't work sorry.
Sterling
Guest
Boomeranga, Firstly, this is what I consider to be within the organic nature of club and district unions; - The players that are selected for district representation are playing for a club that is affiliated with that district. So supporters that come to watch a game, are fimiliar with those players and the players when playing a home game are doing so in front of a crowd that they can relate to. - Home games are attended by those local crowds because rugby districts in Aust aren't so large as to make it too difficult. Now, historically for QLD and NSW the country districts would have their championship week, select a rep side (Healers and Cockertoos) and play each other as well as maybe a surburban rep side from Brisbane and Sydney respectively etc. This is great for the players, and now and then a disctrict may get a home game (i.e. Cockertoo's vs Healers at Newcastle or Townsville etc), but this is where the organic nature I discribed above is no longer present. The rep level above district in counrty QLD and NSW are for regions that are simply far too large to be considered relevant for the local supporters in an NRC style comp. Now days though, QLD Country has the 3 affiliated sub union of North, Central and South Queensland which, in my oppinion aren't too large to lose relevance to their local supporters and thus still clings to the organic nature of which I place so highly. So, when you ask if their was another way to achive groupings that would retain this organic nature and keep NRC teams and thus the comp relevant, this is what I would suggest; (Affiliated districts in brackets. Pricipal districts for administration purposes marked with an asterisk for regional provinces). NRC; Brisbane City (Norths, GPS, Brisbane Uni, Brothers) Brisbane South (West, Easts, Souths, Sunnybank) Sydney North Harbour (Warringa, Norths, Manly, Gordon) Sydney East (Randwick, Easts, Uni, Southern Districts) Sydney West (Eastwood, West Harbour, Parramatta, Penrith) ACT & Southern NSW (Canberra*, Illawarra, South Coast, Southern Inland) Victoria Western Australia Australian Rugby Shield; North Queensland (Townsville*, Cairns, Mackay, Mt Isa) Central Queensland (Rockhampton*, Bunderberg, Central Queenland) South Queensland (Gold Coast*, Sunshine Coast, Darling Downs) NSW North Coast (Newcastle & Hunter Valley*, Central Coast, North Coast, Far North Coast) NSW Central (New England*, Western Plains, Central West, Central North) Northern Territory South Australia Tasmania As you can see, the groupings don't leave any area/region out and form self styled provinces that aren't too large. So the geographical realities you speak of are well adressed. Each of them would be dirrectly affiliated to Rugby Australia, skipping QLD and NSW. So they would all follow a simple affiliation structure of club, district, provice (not state), national body, making it simple for everyone to understand and follow. Now, when it comes to the financial realities. I have no idea. But the article was asking why a NSW team hasn't won yet. And I think the answer is because they don't care.
Paul D
Roar Rookie
So, no GRR this year then?
Crazy Horse
Roar Pro
No salary cap in GRR. I expect some huge signings after the World Cup.
Andrew Joseph
Roar Rookie
Japan had some fire power of their own that day… Forwards Luke Thompson 196cm. Michael Broadhurst 196cm. Many Japan backs were 6ft+ as well. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Rugby_World_Cup_Pool_B
Andrew Joseph
Roar Rookie
That or could a height restriction be applied per team so they dont raid australias talent next?
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
When you are talking about less than 25% of games I’d agree. If it’s the majority of the competition you are compromising ratings for too many games.
piru
Roar Rookie
Because games are starting at 930-10PM. 8pm is prime time, obvious solution, kick off at 6 / 6.30 I think it's an opportunity, not a problem, you can televise live football back to back
piru
Roar Rookie
Problem I see, for expansion into Asia and success, what can be done when massive Fijians play against the smaller framed Asian teams? There were some massive Afrikaaners running against the Japanese a few years back, and they managed to come out on top!
piru
Roar Rookie
We have our own competitions to follow, mate
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
So you compromise the local TV market. Read the entire thread.
Crazy Horse
Roar Pro
NRC games in Perth are played at either 1:00 PM or 3:00 PM WST.
Crazy Horse
Roar Pro
WA is no longer involved in Super Rugby owing only to a very shonky process. It’s still the third largest and fastest growing Rugby state despite the best efforts of Rugby [East Coast] Australia to destroy rugby in the Western third of the country. BTW the last time the Force played the Tahs the result was Force 41 Tahs 11.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Because games are starting at 930-10PM. The Force had the worst TV ratings - this would be the primary factor (rather than the team being unattractive to watch).