Is Australia being marginalised in terms of rugby?
Is Australia just becoming a pool of talent to supply the wealthier northern hemisphere clubs?
Is Australia developing into just another Pacific Island nation where all the best talent moves overseas when the money offer is too good to refuse?
I think if one is looking at trend lines over the last 15 years, then the answer would be yes to all of the above.
So how does one protect the game do you create a tariff – a protectionist wall?
This is a natural reaction, but there are unintended consequences from adopting protectionist behaviour – namely weakening the Wallabies, who already cannot win the Bledisloe and are slipping down the world rankings.
The Wallabies win/loss ratio has crashed to below 50%. Australia are being beaten by the teams we used to easily defeat in the past, such as England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Fiji and Samoa.
The Wallabies will not get out of the quarter-finals at the World Cup. Let’s see what happens next month.
Protectionism will also ruin both the international and domestic reputation of rugby in Australia.
I suggested in March 2013 on The Roar that a Giteau Law style rule be implemented when a threshold of 60 Tests for Australia had been met. This recommendation was finally adopted by Michael Cheika in 2015.
This recommendation would help bring down the protectionist barriers that were appearing within Australia. It is time to relax those rules, or even drop them.
Some experts have said that relaxing the Giteau Law will result in Super Rugby looking like football’s A-League. Unfortunately – and I hate the idea of a weakening Australian Super Rugby – it is inevitable.
The weight of money in rugby union is not in Australia, but overseas. The difference between the amount a professional rugby player can earn in Australia versus what can be earned overseas is only going to widen.
Talent in Australia is more difficult to hang onto. Big-money contracts to Australian rugby players are sending Rugby Australia broke, and could send rugby in Australia to oblivion.
Australia is already starting to look like a very big Pacific Island. The Super Rugby sides domiciled in Australia are being hollowed out, with the average age of players dropping to the early 20s. It will start to look like a glorified colts system, with a sprinkling of mature players. The real talent will be playing overseas, just like Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. The new reality.
(AAP Image/Craig Golding)
If one now accepts what appears to be inevitable – that the best players need to be available for the Wallabies regardless of where they play – then there is an opportunity for Australia to have its best side on the park. No excuses. The selectors can have a smorgasbord of talent.
This will come at a cost: Super Rugby is going to be weakened and will eventually look like the A-League. This is happening anyway. This is unavoidable on the current trajectory. You can slow down the decline, but the decline is already lapping at our shores.
Then what plans do we need to make today to disrupt this trend of decline?
Australia needs allies. Who is the most powerful rugby country to Australia? It is New Zealand.
Australia needs New Zealand, and New Zealand needs Australia. New Zealand is also experiencing the same problem, but due to their very deep talent pool, they are not feeling it as severely as Australia. New Zealand are like the best horse-and-buggy maker when the motor car arrived. They will be the last man standing, when Australia will have retooled and gone a new path.
Australia needs the help of New Zealand to make it more of an open market, although this is easier said than done. New Zealand have very high walls of protection due to the pulling power of the All Blacks jersey.
Australian rugby needs to utilise the significant skill sets that New Zealand can provide, including coaches (already happening), administrators (already happening), training, players, and all the other resources of a rugby super power.
Australia has called upon the help of New Zealand before in the 1970s. When Australian rugby was on its knees, it was New Zealand that dragged Australia out of the gutter and created a world-beating rugby infrastructure.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Apart from New Zealand, RA should no longer offer multi-million dollar rugby contracts to Australian players to stay in Australia to play Super Rugby. This is unsustainable and will send rugby in Australian rugby broke.
RA should adopt a more ground-up approach, rather than top-down. RA should send out all of its rugby scouts to sign up all young rugby talent – as many as possible on long contracts. School boys and girls, anyone with talent up to the age of 19, with an odd exception for a late-blooming or offshore rugby player.
The promise is to train them, pay them a small amount, and give them opportunities, possibly making them famous if they’re good enough. They would play Super Rugby, play for the Wallabies if they’re good enough, when they get injured they’re offered the best medical care, allowing them to play rugby wherever they like for as much money they can earn.
They can even go and play another sport if they choose. They don’t even have to be available to play for Australia when they go overseas if that’s what they want. There is no restraint of trade.
Their only obligation is that if they do go and play rugby overseas or anywhere for money or some form of emolument, they have to pay out the unexpired term of their long contract.
The consequence of this set up will be that RA will have more control over the rugby talent. There will be about the same cost in contracts, but with a huge pool of young aspiring rugby talent. The pay day for RA will come when the long contracts are paid out when the maturing players are offered big contracts to play in the UK, Europe, Japan, and elsewhere. The USA will come into the mix in the next generation with the really large money contracts.
I also calculate there will eventually be more money for around for RA to fund everything, including signing up more young rugby players to be trained up and available to overseas clubs on large contracts. Not all players will be a success under this program, but the successes will outweigh the cost of those who do not succeed.
In the long term, Australia should have more players everywhere. There is an opportunity for Australia to flood the rugby market with top talent, or at the very least be one of the major sources of rugby talent in the world. Australia has the opportunity to give itself the reputation of the go-to location for rugby players to become better trained and improve their skills.
This will create the opportunity for Australia to maintain its world standing and reputation for both men and women.
Australia is a resource for overseas clubs. One needs to embrace it. Protection barriers and walls don’t work, they can’t be defended in the long term. It is a mistake.
Australia is used to being mined – rugby players are just another resource. Australia has the skills to bring this strategy off.
This plan is how you defend yourself when you’re under attack from overseas and from local competition like AFL, football and rugby league.
Emery Ambrose
Roar Rookie
I would prefer a model where those wealthy European owners are given incentive to invest around the world. Some spend 20 Million pounds or Euros and the return is 15. I reckon split it up and put like 5 mill here and 5 mill there, brings the salaries down to where they need to be with the returns that rugby brings.
Kashmir Pete
Roar Guru
Jed Great comment/insight, love it. Cheers KP
Zado
Guest
Can the European clubs take Robertson Hunt Foley Beale Simmons HJH AAC Kepu Dempsey Gordon and Hanigan now? Oh wait they want our decent players, not spuds.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
The problem is Simon’s proposal does not at all consider what’s in it for these players signing long and restrictive contracts for low value? Because if there’s very little in it for them, why will they sign? Their managers will just secure better overseas deals to begin with.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Currently there are international windows. Clubs pressure players to make themselves unavailable. Unions schedule additional tests outside this window. Coaches want their players in camp more than a week before test matches.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Brian Yes it is. The problem is the strength of the private school system hasn't been used. A local guy I knew shocked me: he told me he played rugby union locally in Perth. I asked why, and he explained his private school played it, and that's how he started and enjoyed the sport. The investment in rugby should be in the grassroots/ private school system, not silly, expensive plastic franchise teams like the Force and Rebels, and white elephant comps like the NPC that nobody cares about.
Micko
Roar Rookie
The answer is to drop the silly rules regarding banning foreign based players playing for the wallabies, and do that for every international team. Create international windows and obligate the clubs to release players and play your tournaments in the gap between professional seasons. Soccer sorted all this out decades ago!
jeznez
Roar Guru
So many drivers, lack of visibility for kids to watch, not that many parents following, not that many teachers in the public school system with a background in the game. Key to me is that Union has to learn to maximise it's greatest strength at the youth level, that it is a game for all shapes and sizes and is unmatched by any other sport for teaching teamwork. Just the selling point that if you have a: tall beanpole kid, we'll stick him in the lineout big beefy kid? tighthead lock big atheltic kid? 6 or 8 short barrel shaped? we won't just tolerate him, we'll treasure him in the FR small skilful? in the halves medium sized with a bit of pace? in the centres quick but no skills? on the wing quick with skills? at fullback not that big, not that fast, limited skill? if he's willing to work hard and get fit then he can play the greatest position of all as an openside flank Is a story that needs to be told to parents that don't have a background in the game.
Brian Westlake
Roar Rookie
Jeznez - Is it due to the public school system not playing Rugby? Not enough young male teachers to push the barrow? How far to we have to go? I'm with you
Micko
Roar Rookie
I dare say the majority of that Perth crowd were kiwis though Richard. Kiwis are all over Perth don't forget. It also probably made it a convenient holiday for a lot of kiwis from over east and NZ, who had a mate's/relative's place to stay in for free.
Richard
Guest
Apologies....I hit the wrong button on my previous post Continuing..... his starting point was was new leadership, central contracts, grassroots bottom up approach and tapping the wealth of rugby supporters from Mr Forrest and others. The states had to work out what they wanted to be but ideally a clean out of execs and a one approach as opposed to many different agendas. Again, he went into a little more detail but it was absolutely refreshing. There is absolute opportunity for Oz rugby, but alas unless we get a few high profile people leading the case for change it just won’t happen. Cheers
Richard
Guest
thx Simon for posting. Rugby in OZ is under attack from external and internal factors that combined are causing serious thoughts as to its future. I am a glass half full guy and will always think that the lure of a rugby test in OZ will cause the masses to turn up. I liked the fact that the recent Perth test saw a very healthy crowd. But alas I know this is wishful thinking. As an Australian based in London, I get to watch the English premier rugby and top 14 comps week in week out, overlayed with the wonderful European competition and the six nations and autumn tours. I really don’t watch any super rugby anymore and tape the Southern Hemisphere tests as opposed to getting up early and watching live. I recently was in a meeting in a plush hotel in London and had a very high profile Australian rugby identity seated at the table next to me. I won’t mention his name but I don’t think you can get any more high profile. When my guests had gone, I introduced myself and we discussed rugby for about 40minutes - with me asking all the questions. As a side note, I was pleasantly surprised at his openness and honesty considering my preconceived opinion of him. He articulately laid out what was wrong with rugby in Oz and what he would do to fix it, where the money would come from, what needed to be done and time frames. And this was from top to bottom and not just the wallabies. Obviously this is his opinion but it was the first time I had heard someone give a coherent view on a plan. Unfortunately this person is not in a position to enact change sadly. And yes there is money out there. His starting point
Micko
Roar Rookie
There's tribalism there but when rugby went professional it got ignored. The Shute Shield is the strong grassroots hub of rugby that exists, but it got ignored in the professional setup. The NRL and AFL started as grassroots comps (NSWRL & VFL), and naturally evolved overtime into the national leagues we see today. That's the lesson to be learnt: don't ignore your grassroots, work with them!
Brian Westlake
Roar Rookie
Can you please name those players that knocked backed 7 figure salaries?
Rhys
Roar Rookie
Here here Simon mate, now we just need some capable administrators. Personally, I also think if we can get Twiggy back and involved, even if it means bartering for the re-inclusion of the Force into SR, then there's some light ahead for us as money truely does talk.
Rugbyrah
Roar Rookie
Now that sounds like an excellent plan!
Markie362
Guest
But wouldnt these young kids just sign a league contract instead with no exit clause on it
Rob9
Roar Guru
It’s an odd comment because the list of AB’s that have flown the coop or are lining up to head north after the RWC isn’t too dissimilar in length to the Wallabies one. May be you mana is broken...
Rob9
Roar Guru
Of course the ‘player drain’ is an issue, but I think the threat is being overstated here. You’ve almost framed the European rugby landscape like it’s soccer equivalent (I’m sure unintentionally), even comparing our (Australian rugby’s) destiny to that of the A-League. There isn’t and there never will be anything like the money running through European rugby like there is in European soccer and the gap between ‘us’ and ‘them’ will always be much closer in rugby. Sure, the money available in the Premiership and Top 14 has broken away (still not all that much more) from what’s available in the SH but I don’t believe it will pull away at a rapid rate. There’s the very real debate about clubs living unsustainably and well beyond their means in European rugby at the moment. These conversations just don’t exist in soccer. I agree that there’s a threat and we’re well advised to work as closely as possible with NZ to present as large a united rugby market as possible. But I think we’ll always be in the same (or at least a nearby) ballpark when it comes to potential player destinations (if we’re smart).
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Reducing contracts is exactly what South African Rugby have now done. We had a situation where 70% of a Franchises salary budget was going to 3 or 4 players. Wasn't sustainable. Will lead to a post World Cup trek to Europe. Only solution is a soccer based transfer system and full private ownership of clubs.