I read the article from Spiro Zavos on Monday on The Roar and it really hit a nerve for me.
If felt as it was the old guard trying hard to enforce their beliefs on the new world order of rugby.
When as a fan-base are we going to stop attacking and destroying our beloved sport and start to embrace the successes?
Okay before I start, let me put a few qualifiers out there to try and remove the vitriol that will come.
1. The Wallabies are sinking. They are not playing to the golden era we have grown to expect. But so are the Socceroos, the Kangaroos and the Boomers (who have never reached the level they should). And let’s not talk about swimming.
2. Rugby Australia has stuffed up. They have made some crappy decisions. Their ability to manage the political landscape that is Australian rugby with a whole lot of new players (board) entering a fully entrenched system that has 100 years of power plays and vested interest would be a challenge.
3. Super Rugby needs a changeup. Its not dying but it’s changes have led to a drop off in viewer numbers etc. Has anyone thought the injection of Twiggy into rugby with the drop off that is the Western Force as being a positive? Could we end up with a better competition in the long run.
Matt Toomua (AAP Image/NZN/SNPA, David Rowland)
Now I have got this out of the way. Let’s talk positives:
1. The NRC is finally gaining legs. Great crowds, great games and a breeding comp for Super Rugby. I will say please embrace this and push the players this way.
2. Women’s rugby. Like basketball and football our teams punch well above our weight, especially in the 7s. Our players numbers have grown in the past year purely on the back of this. Let’s celebrate the diversity we brought to the board and the outcome.
3. Fresh coaching blood. None of our head coaches have “old school” allegiances to their clubs at Super Rugby level, they are out to prove themselves. They are looking at the culture, position of their teams and desired outcome and acting accordingly.
The example of James Slipper, Karmichael Hunt and Quade Cooper illustrates this. Moving them on was good for both the Reds and helped the other teams. In the long run the Reds will benefit, as will Australian rugby generally.
I then see the comments posted. We are shouting down the Rugby AU (yes Cam Clyne should look at his performance and maybe isn’t the right person), but he did bring in Raelene Castle, Scott Johnson and the word is Michael O’Connor.
They announce changes with Johnson and O’Connor (not official) and one comment was “they are both backs, how do they understand forwards?”
Change takes time. The paradigm is that so many people expect instant change.
As a rugby tragic I feel as though we have been wallowing in a period of instability and decline.
Some hard decisions have been made, starting with Castle, let’s let them fully evolve.
We need to realise the challenge is breaking away from the old world, a traditional, nepotistic, retro belief in what has led to our success. Old clubs with money and power dictate the direction of the union.
My message, as fans we need to embrace the new future. Let’s park tribalism, let’s park politics and let’s look at how the future can play out.
Living in the past if a foolish thing, looking to the future will lead to success.
Let’s be constructive in our feedback, let’s be honest on our allegiances. Let’s respect the sport we love.
As for the Rugby Australia leaks that feed the journalists and live in the old world, please stop.
Let’s not recognise them, let’s call them from what they are. Stop politicking. Start being journalists who uncover stories.
Back to my opening statement.
Spiro, your call on payments to Dave Pocock and Israel Folau, can you please provide one article where you questioned the boots payments of the late 80s to players?
This directly stripped the ability of teams to compete in Sydney Premier Rugby. It slowly strangled country rugby and other states.
These were illegal, present payments are legal.
In rugby league the same type of payments led to the State of Origin.
Waxhead
Roar Rookie
MJ They'll have to change far more than your insignificant few items before I change my tune. I've been preaching a full revolution for past 2 years and Aust Rugby will only continue to sink while people support the status quo. Stop being part of the problem and join the solution for a better future. That mean ditching your rose coloured glasses :)
Marlin
Roar Rookie
Hi RF Mate the nail that, for mine, was struck firmly on the bead with the sweet spot is Grassroots of rugby ignored. That's the one that kills me. . My local club was decimated by AFL and the powers that be - I do t k own if it was the NSW RU or the ARU's responsibility (but both are and will continue to pay the price). They just let them walk into the schools and take over. NO response se that I could discern except put up the subs in the juniors. So then the Super teams start being uncompetitive because their skills are not what they should be and that translates to the National Team. Coach picks players out if position, over-paid show-ponies who cant even pass or tackle. It starts to get very hard to engage. Unless you have pay TV you cant even watch it!!!! So I. Sorry if I'm a bit negative but...what is the plan RA? (Even that is annoying - how much did it cost to re-name the ARU?) I for one don't think they have one for grassroots- to me that means from the U6s -U16s
Stu
Roar Rookie
So Michael Hooper being an average 7 and captain but getting paid $6m for 5 seasons which means he can’t be unselected anymore and me not liking any of that means I’m just a cranky pants? Fair call.. I’ll go work on my ‘personal development’.
Clash
Roar Pro
Have I missed your point mjseesred? I thought some of the point of the article was the constant whinging and personal comments from people, although you were too nice to actually say it. The personal crap from TWAS and sheek attacking each other proves that. It’s the reason I think twice before I come in here now as I detest the nastiness. There are a lot of folk on here who are worth reading (including sheek and TWAS) but one has to wade through the sniping to get there. Or have a missed the point?
Ex force fan
Guest
And then they sell out a test in Perth, 60,000 tickets in 3 days because WA wants to see the All Blacks play.... just after the Force was axed because there are "not enough rugby supporters". Just to proof you wrong TWAS. The interest is there, the product is not.
CJ
Guest
The early 2000s
CJ
Guest
The reason the rhetoric is harsh is because things are not improving.
Jock the sock
Guest
80s and especially the 90s rugby jerseys were worn in immense pride up there with test cricket for international sports. Rugby was on the cusp of being bigger than league and then the Aru and ra squandered alll the resources on themselves and leagues. It was criminal. JON , Pulver, Hawker and Clyne should be in prison.
Ex force fan
Guest
Clyne decided not to meet with Twiggy to understand what support Twiggy is prepared to offer the Force - he was just not interested. Clyne flew to Victoria to broken the deal to save the Rebels - so he is not just a figure head that got voted out. He was an active chairman deeply involved not only during press releases but right through the latter parts of the process to axe the Force. Clyne personally championed the dumping of the Force and especially the way it was done. The only Board member that voted against axing a team was from WA. Everyone else including Clyne voted to axe the Force! So no, Clyne championed this loose-loose situation when people like Eales was looking for a compromise. Eales and Pulver have resigned from the Board - Clyne is the last one on the execution team that still have blood on his hands on the way he handled this whole situation. As leader of the Board (Chairperson) he cannot escape accountability.
Jock the sock
Guest
Well said, how Twas thinks the nrc is a success is a joke but then again he thinks the rebels and the billions thrown at them was a success, even though all the players are from Sydney and Brisbane.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
My post says all but 1 team name has history. How does RA disagree with that?
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
I didn’t say there wasn’t a decline. The game has gone through degrees on minimal popularity. The best periods generally correlate with on field success.
Rugby First
Roar Rookie
Same old song. Your adding your "Twist" again! My reference is to declining numbers not what the history has been to the Australian percentage of people following Rugby! "The depth of disenchantment is deep within the Rugby community as demonstrated by the lack of attendance at Wallaby games." If there is not a drop off who fudged the past attendance figures? You do keep the forum lively with your left field statements of your version of fact! Good fun making people think twice -- sometimes?
concerned supporter
Guest
This comment has been removed for breaching The Roar's comments policy.
concerned supporter
Guest
TWAS, didn't you read this recent RA release? ''Also under discussion at RA boardroom and Fox Sports levels is the NRC competition and whether it will be persevered with or whether RA should, after a slightly abridged Shute Shield and Hospitals Cup premierships, swap over to an Australian club championship-style contest in which the top five sides in Sydney and Brisbane and the competition premiers in other states compete. A club championship would certainly solve one of the NRC’s main problems, the lack of tribalism, but at the cost of creating “haves” and “have not” clubs in Sydney and Brisbane.'' Your people at the RA don't seem to be convinced that the NRC is that great. They agree with Sheek, not you.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
It’s not that there’s nothing to complain about. I constantly criticise Cheika’s coaching. But this week we’ve had 2 articles; one trying to paint sponsorships as a bad thing somehow, and another about programs to include participation where people going on a WA whinge on no basis, only to be shown that WA is included as much as all other states. These are cases of people trying to find something more to complain about.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
When was Rugby popular in Australia?
Ryan
Roar Rookie
Enlighten me..
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
I’m not at all. Your points are completely true. What many criticisms of RA ignore is their limited control of the product being produced. Obviously the Wallabies could play better. I think there’s a limit to how good when Europe and Japan recruits many good players, but there would be improvement. But the question is, would that be enough to generate widespread appeal? I question whether it would.
Frewy
Roar Rookie
Truly! A nonsense report.