Everything will be on the table when rugby eventually returns

And in the real world, the dystopian one we inhabit, sport may become far less important than it is now, as folks struggle through a great depression and social upheaval. It may be that the days of huge pay for sports stars is over, and that most codes become semi professional at best. Lots of sports had almost become too expensive for many families already, and if the economic shut down we are currently experiencing continues for any length of time, how many people are going to be prepared to pay $80 for a seat at a rugby game, when there's not enough for food on the table...? And the reality of it is, the game was perhaps more enjoyable to watch when it was amateur, than it is today.

Good article Brett, I'm of the opinion that Super Rugby as it is is now doomed. I really am looking forward to some sort of competition that doesn't have a conference system and preferable I'd like to see a trans Tasman comp evolve. Whether that is sustainable is another thing that smarter people than me would know. Rugby to me has waned considerably over the last ten years or so, I should state I mean Super Rugby. I still go every week to club rugby to watch a great game of rugby. but nowdays Super Rugby is not my cup of tea. I put this down to the stupidity of the conference system. Why not just all teams in the comp play each other twice and then have a finals comp. at least then you will get a realistic competition not a manufactured one like it is at the moment. And I implore the heads of rugby to get the game on free to air, that's why rugby is dying, most of the population can't watch it so why follow something that is locked up behind a wall that you can't see. That's why league is so much more popular. It is accessible to the general public.

Can you ask Twiggy to put a mask or two aside for me....ohhh and also some toilet paper if he has some spare!

According to a couple of epidemiologist I heard on the radio today, you could be right about a local only competition or possibly just Australia and NZ. They say that if we and NZ contain the outbreak as we are currently doing, we will have to keep our borders closed until a vaccine is WIDELY available, likely to be 18 months to 2 years away, yet we will be moving more freely around our own countries in 3-6 months.

BeeMc! Whatever it is, I hope we invest in coaches and good coaching, and start getting into public schools. Sports will be a wasteland for a while. So its a good team to invest for the future now

Brett, That is sad news about Rugby USA - hopefully they have filed for protection and can get back on their feet, at the end of it. You are right in saying that everything is on the table. Right now, at HQ, I'm guessing that they are in survival mode and not really thinking outside the square. If Rugby is smart it can play on its tribalism, just as Rugby League and Aussie Rules have always done, but we are coming off a lower base and have a great opportunity. Whatever form it takes, we can fill grounds, Free to Air TV and even live streaming services can promote the game. Put the responsibility on the Clubs to get out there and really sell the game in the community. This may be forced on us, because, if the virus really stuffs everything up we could all go back to being amateur sports and if that was the case I would back Rugby and Soccer to emerge as winners. If there are no big stadium games for the League faithful, will those folks support grassroots Rugby League? My guess is not. That's where we step into the vacuum. We may also see a contraction of inbound and outbound Test tours, and maybe that's not a bad thing. We have gotten to a position that Tests are almost just a super club comp, whereas they should have "rare and special" status. So, I could see a structure where you have your club competition creating champions, then maybe a competition between States (maybe even State of Origin style), then annual Tests, but not too many of them, and then once the coffers start to fill up, some real Test Tours. Also a great opportunity to make Barbarians Rugby something special, ...... and of course Sevens - more grassroots comps, then a pyramid, leading to state champs, then National Champs. A few ideas to get peoples' creative juices flowing.

Ok, let’s wait and see. I can’t see any evidence whatsoever that this virus will stop being a huge issue for at least the next 18 months.

Bluesfan - what are your thoughts around a conference style system with the ITM Cup and NRC should these competitions still exist, and assuming again that Super Rugby continues in a somewhat similar form to its current state for the next broadcast period? I think a stand-alone ITM Cup and NRC is hugely important for rugby traditions in each country, hence the conference model, but I can't help but think there would be more public and broadcast interest in these individual and then combined competitions...perhaps competing for the Tran Tasman Trophy...? I also feel this would be a more attractive competition for young, developing players.

You keep bouncing between a 1 off game, and then saying week in week out is great. Which one is it? A one off game means nothing. It's the consistent attendance that sustains teams. There have only been 2 Grand finals in Australia in the last decade and both drew over 50k. 2011 was a sell out so hard to know what it could have drawn. I also think broadcaster pay very little attention to the attendance. The figures that determine the financial sustainability are the TV ratings and weekly attendances. Each of these have increase over the last decade. As has expenditure, exponentially, to the point where 11 out of 12 clubs run at a deficit annually. How do you expect to create a competitive competitive, in a smaller country, that's financially sustainable, if the English game requires the continually propping up by private owners to stay afloat? That's why PRL sold a stake to CVC giving up future revenue, because they need the money now.

:laughing: seriously.... ok.... here's JUST ONE example.... in ONE country... 1998 - 78,000 1999 - 78,000 2000 - 45,000 2001 - 78,000 2002 - 78,457 2003 - 78,000 2004 - 79,722 2005 - 79,475 2006 - 79,474 2007 - 79,654 2008 - 79,275 2009 - 79,205 2010 - 79,262 2011 - 77,000 2012 - 79,612 2013 - 80,033 2014 - 80,174 2015 - 79,000 2016 - 99,124 2017 - 79,771 2018 - 78,441 2019 - 79,786 That's around 20 years worth (not "built up in the last decade") of consistent bums on seats....and in numbers that Super Rugby would kill for.... in just one comp... yet you reckon those national comps aren't that strong? I'm thinking those broadcasters know a bit more about it than you do.....

I gave up watching rugby for Lent.

We can't financially support enough club teams. If we spread our salary money among 8 teams they'd get slaughtered in a HC finals scenario. That's before you consider you essentially have to double the spending on the rugby departments. Only real benefit is you can create some local derbies close enough for away fans to travel.

Yeah you are. You literally said when was the last time x amount turned up to the Grand Final. Anyway the most recent published TV numbers I can find are 3 years old, and they show the average ratings to be half of that.

I'm not picking one game.... nor have the broadcasters / advertisers who know that they get over 800,000 viewers for an evening match and over 700,000 for an afternoon match.... and you again miss the point...

I suspect testing, and the available of rapid test kits to be the real factor. If you have a surplus of tests and can test people before the depart their country, and when they arrive, and possibly even before the game, you can drastically reduce the risk. Sport should have to pay a premium for this but it starts to expand the possibilities.

I don't agree.... I think it will break and infection rates will drop off a cliff faster than most people realize. Anecdotal evidence of Hydroxychloroquine and it's effectiveness will begin to reach the public consciousness and although it will still be around will be mitigated by a reasonable treatment process.... politicians warning against using it recently are now clamoring for supplies of it in the US....