Rugby has strengths and weaknesses. We hear about the weaknesses all the time. So I would like to lay out a strengths-based analysis of the rugby environment in this country – our natural endowments that have nothing to do with exceptional individuals or nebulous ideas of culture.
The goal is to outline a plan that makes the most of, and builds on, what we have.
1. Rugby is a thriving global game
Rugby as a global game is only getting stronger. Two of its biggest Australian competitors in the winter sports market do not, and will never have, the kind of global exposure that rugby has. If you’re under any delusions about rugby league’s prospects for global growth, do attempt the mission impossible that is explaining to a foreigner – or even someone from Melbourne – that league is in fact a separate sport. International rules struggles to transcend novelty status.
How to take advantage of this?
In many ways we already do. So much of the money currently in the game comes from international matches and global TV rights. This is of course why getting the national coaching set-up right is so important. We need a successful Wallabies team. But I want to advocate for creating a structure that leans into the global nature of rugby, by allowing overseas-based players to be selected for the Wallabies.
We have seen many players come back to Australia much improved, not to mention coaches. It is to our advantage to allow other countries to contribute to our player development. The reason why this has so far been resisted so sternly is protecting Super Rugby, but what if there was no Super Rugby to protect? Do read on.
2. Pacific Islander community
I do get the sensitivity around certain players whose citizenship came down in the last shower, but plenty of Islanders are born here, or move here as children. They are just as worthy of the gold jersey as anyone else. They may play league instead of rugby when those are the only professional contracts available, but rugby is a true cultural passion. If rugby can get its act together, that talent pool is ever ready and waiting to propel us to glory.
(Photo by David Ramos – World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)
How to take advantage of this?
We need to consider those areas and schools with high Islander populations to be the absolute priority for junior player development. This is leaning in to a strength.
On the flip side though, I am a strong advocate for going back to weight classes in rugby all the way up to premier grade. There are many skinny runts with ability, who if placed in a professional weights program could put on the requisite bulk and size to be professional players. We need to see them in action in high-level competition to make that assessment. We also need their parents to let them keep playing during that crucial period where some boys are turning into men before everyone else.
3. National footprint
Melbourne and Perth are genuine international cities, with huge communities of people from rugby-playing nations like South Africa, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, and the UK. As rugby grows globally, this will help it further improve its national footprint in Australia, too. Increasing numbers of locals will want to be involved.
How to take advantage of this?
Get teams from Perth, Melbourne and Canberra playing at the right level of competition, which is the NRC. Super Rugby expansion into these cities was never the right thing to do. The money would have been better spent closer to the ground.
The biggest challenge of the NRC is NSW and Queensland. The NRC would need two teams each from those places, and thus far administrators have failed to get the model right. I certainly don’t have the answer. Quite simply, they need to keep trying. City-country is not a bad place to start. To truly take advantage of rugby’s national footprint, we need the NRC to work, and replace Super Rugby for player development.
4. The Waratahs and Reds
If the Wallabies are the golden egg of Australian rugby, the Waratahs and Reds should be next. Look only to the crowds and interest they have drawn at certain points in their history to see their potential. It should never have been be OK for them to be anything other than a tier unto themselves.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
How to take advantage of this?
Super Rugby has and is slowly but surely killing the Waratahs and Reds through overexposure, and diluted player quality. This needs to be reversed. They are potentially massive brands and revenue-earners in Sydney and Brisbane if used correctly.
For their potential to be fully realised, the Waratahs and Reds need to once again be true representative teams sitting above a fully professional NRC. They need to play only limited number of matches against other well recognised teams designed to be showpiece events filling stadiums and generating free-to-air TV revenue. These matches would also help select the Wallabies from a mix of NRC and overseas-based players.
5. Parochial local support
I can’t speak with the same authority about Brisbane, but when it comes to Sydney, there exists a passionate rugby fan base as committed to the game as any around the world, confined though it may be to certain limited areas and demographics. You only need to look at fixtures like Manly versus Warringah in the Shute Shield to see the potential.
How to take advantage of this?
Someway, somehow, and with patience that has thus far eluded us, try and feed some of this parochial, grassroots energy into the NRC. This is clearly a challenge that nevertheless must be persevered with.
6. The contrast and variety
Rugby is the most multifaceted and as has the most variety in terms of game play of the four winter codes in Australia. Goal scores in AFL do net get truly exciting until the end. Football has too few scores. Rugby league is more fluid, but so often lacks variety in terms of its shape, both of game play and of bodies. Rugby is at its best when it strikes a wonderful balance of dynamism, variety, contrast, athleticism, and strategy.
How to take advantage of this?
Rugby needs to keep its eye on this wonderful balance in every rule change it makes. Rugby does not need massive scorelines to be riveting, but if games are dominated by penalties, it will struggle outside of the home nations. Stoppages need to be reduced, but rugby is not rugby league, and should ensure it stays that way. We need the big scrumming guys on the field because they are spectacular. And so on and so forth. The point being that rugby must at all times lean into its uniqueness.
7. Sevens and the women’s game
Honourable mention. But on these matters, I know a lot less.
Craigo
Guest
The elitist self aggrandizement that is so repulsive to the majority of the population are the only people still watching RU anymore. It's the core. Everyone else got off the train 10 years ago. I was one of them.
Craigo
Guest
I've been hearing the Death calls on the Storm for 20 years (Much like we heard on the Swans Sydney back in the day) The Storm survived hard times of the salary cap dramas back in 2010. I remember, John O'Neill said the Storm would lose all their support to the Rebels when they entered the SR comp that same year. Only to have egg all over his face. Again. Growth comes over time and organically. The NRL with the Vic Government is pumping time and money into junior development. Much like the AFL has done in NSW and QLD. It's not easy, but what we have seen over the last 20 years for Rugby league in Melbourne is incredible. Money is what the NRL & AFL have lots of. On the other hand, RA is insolvent and will be forced to only having teams in NSW & Qld over next 5 years. The Storm only needs a niche market in the AFL Centric Melbourne and they have proven they can achieve that all day long. We all know LR’s views above will never come true. Not if RA has anything to do with it.
Maximus Insight
Guest
Actually both games averaged 889K in total but that's not the point. The point is that Melbourne viewers were a larger portion of the Wallabies game than the League test. More broadly, as a Melbournian, I am suggesting LR's view is closer to the mark. Obviously business as usual is bad news for rugby union in this country. It has a pro rugby competition that is a carcass swinging from a tree waiting to be cut down. If it was to be able to hit the reset button and set something up like LR has proposed (i.e. a genuine pro club competition) than I would suggest there is a much bigger scope for rugby union than League In terms of League, I think it is hard to see how it grows much from where it is. It gets as good as numbers as it can expect for the GF and SoO after 15 years of having the Storm every other year in it and its spine making up one of the SoO teams. the government might have kicked in for a centre of excellence in broady, but its not like there is any base of players to draw from to make it worthwhile. There are 6 or 7 teams in each teenage boys year level . Melbourne has had massive interstate migration for decades which is where the sprinkling of clubs in the outer growth suburbs have popped up from. Ultimately though, as a Melbournian, I can't see where the confidence of future growth in popularity is coming from. The fact that Smith and Slater (and Cronk to a lessor extent) established decent profiles in Melbourne should make you think twice that it is going to be onwards and upwards from here.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Ok. What teams are gonna pay to join the Shute Shield? I don’t get it? Are they a potential pro comp or grassroots? Make your mind up.
Micko
Roar Rookie
TWAS Because rugby union is a minnow game in Australia...even more reason not to ignore your ONLY grassroots stronghold! The West Coast Eagles had to pay for every VFL team to play in Perth, so the VFL didn't really do anything to help them. It was a miracle the Eagles survived and thrived!
Micko
Roar Rookie
To be fair, they had to create completely new entities in Perth to enter the VFL/AFL due to the T&C the VFL laid out due to Australia being a huge nation-continent! Huge rivals East Perth & West Perth were going to merge to enter the VFL, but that fell through, and the other huge rivals East Fremantle & South Fremantle were considering merging but that fell through as well. You need to realise that it wasn't easy at the start with those T&C: the West Coast Eagles had to cover the costs of the VFL teams travelling over to play whilst having to fund themselves! Have you heard the kiwis whinge and moan when we let them enter our sports comps and they don't win? Imagine telling them they have to pay for every single Aussie team that travels to play them in NZ, and then pay for their own travel over to Australia, and then try to recruit players to form a team...that's what the West Coast Eagles had to do starting in 1987! The point is Luke is that you need to engage with the grassroots and not dictate to them who and what they need to support. The EPL is based off the same grassroots clubs that are all over 100 years old...would you tell them they should've stopped that and started again with brand new franchises? Nobody cares about the NRC, and the Waratahs and Reds are meant to be representative sides to reward the players who play well in a high profile very limited contest...like the league SOO. They were never meant to be franchises who play week in/week out. It's no surprise Luke that a lot of those grassroots fans in Sydney have turned away from the arrogant elites, and have gone back to their proud historic grassroots comp: the Shute Shield. Do you blame them?
Dunning Kruger
Roar Rookie
The private school system is the only thing keeping Rugby alive in Australia. Without it, the game is dead. As the (distant) 4th ranked football code in Australia you need to do more than rely on the private schools and luring good young League talent into your schools. You need a cultural change. Move away from the elitist self aggrandizement that is so repulsive to the majority of the population.
Craigo
Guest
"Will the interest in the Storm remain if they ever drop off?" The only Drop off is going to be the Rebels. Thats guaranteed.
Craigo
Guest
As I said above, Union has had 100 year on League in Melbourne. Union was miles ahead of League back in 1998 when the Storm came in. League was non-existent and look how far it's come in only 20 years. Union is going going backwards fast and even if Union has the edge now in Melbourne it wont in 5 to 10 years time. The Rebels will fold in the next TV deal for lack of money and has already cost RA 10s of Million. Ok if you're the NRL or AFL who have money. But RA is broke. The Storm on the other hand now make money with a positive cashflow. 79K in Melbourne was live on channel 10 main channel around the country and the biggest game of Rugby Union this year for the Wallabies in a WC. Which is pretty pathetic TV rating for Union. Take a look at what Rugby League Rates in Melbourne for NRL GF and SoO. 58K Last nights Kangaroos game in Melbourne was play on channels 9s extra channels in Mel, Perth and Adelaide which will always bring numbers down. But League still won easily. Fri N Rugby League Aus v NZ (Men) National: 889,000 (peak: 1.162m) Nine/GEM: 675,000 (5 City: 422,000 / Regional: 253,000) FoxLeague: 214,000 #TVratings Saturday #RWC2019 Australia v England #10sport 595k (Metro 396k Regional 199k) #FoxSports 294k
Maximus Insight
Guest
Rugby Union is more popular than League in Melbourne, however League is doing much better over the last decade as it actually has "product" with some gravitas in State of Origin and the Storm/NRL The average AFL fan can relate better to Union because the game makes more sense to us. The absence of any contested ball in League and the very predictable and repetitive game play makes league hard to stomach. I'm sure it is the same in the other direction with League fans finding Australian football messy and chaotic. Also, I don't think the international stuff has much to do with it. The State of Origin sells out the MCG without any skin in the game for the locals whereas the first game of the RLWC they couldn't give away tickets. Just looking at the ratings last nights test got 58K in Melbourne compared to 203K in Sydney and 136K in Brisbane. The world cup QF got 79K in Melbourne on a saturday arvo which was almost as much as Brisbane (85K) and half as much as Sydney (163K) The problem is that nobody is going to get on board the Rebels playing in an imbalanced competition with low cred playing teams they've no connection to. The Storm are playing in a coherent and relevant competition and have had several "once in a generation" type players over the last decade and a half. If rugby was able to establish a credible, balanced national or trans tasman competition things would change.
The Late News
Roar Rookie
ok...now I get it
Whatwasthatforsir?
Roar Rookie
Your article criticises other codes and you promote Sydney over the nation.
Gee
Roar Rookie
How about spending some money on advertising. I have heard rumours of a team in Melbourne but have yet to see proof it exists. Like most Victorian's if asked to name a rugby player I would say that banned Bible guy or Billy Slater. It is just a minor sport in the football states but promote what you have, basketball has learnt that lesson.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
You’ve gone the wrong way. NSWRL and VFL grew off their own back. You’re advocating something totally different. If Shute Shield had that potential, why did it not grow on its own?
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Grassroots Rugby Union in Victoria is much bigger than League. Will the interest in the Storm remain if they ever drop off?
Lukas
Roar Pro
Yeah, exactly, something like this. I'm open to a rest of Aus third rep team if a viable model could be established. But to me, one of the main points of this between NRC and Wallabies tier is to try and fill stadiums, and basically be a cash cow, and show piece for the game.
Lukas
Roar Pro
Based on, or built upon? But this is perhaps where we differ. I see rugby as more analogous to the regional AFL teams like the Crows and the Eagles. These are built ON the grassroots strength of the game in those cities, but there was recognition of the value of coming together for a national comp, which required some consolidation.
Lukas
Roar Pro
Please help me understand what elitism are you talking about.
Lukas
Roar Pro
Not sure I understand what you mean. I'm talking about leaning into the national footprint of the game by making the NRC the heart of rugby in this country. What we need is for the Shute Shield and it's equivalent in Brisbane to really get behind it instead of clinging to the past. So I think we agree...
Craig
Guest
You'd assume that a policy allowing players to return from overseas clubs, in-season, to represent the country would lower their potential value to those clubs that sign them up and thus make overseas offers commensurately less attractive. Probably too early to tell yet but it will be interesting to see if this is the eventual experience of the South African players.