The rugby calendar of the future

Fair point. I only know the Brisbane scene... Id suggest the reason for 'lack' of support at UQ is the consistent success it achieves. Whilst you do want as many followers as possible, ultimately quality rugby games are what people do and will watch. Would you rather a game 22-20 or 45-20? The Brisbane teams will initially struggle against the NSW teams so anything that makes the competition closer would be favorable right?

qingdao16 it was pleasing to read your article, because of its grass roots connections. it took me back. I just wanted to throw in one option and its about professional rugby only. I suspect when this is done, we are down the hole by many millions. Cant see how or why the government should bale out RA again. To me the only solution left is to find some wealthy people and companies who are willing to take up franchises in a professional competition and who are willing to burn some money for a while. Assuming that can be done, the optimum starting number for me is 8 teams in Australia only, playing home and away. 4 teams semis etc. I don't think NSW or Qld should participate. I think those states should be broken down into regions and those regions/cities should field teams. The states should be representative matches only. Maybe its own version of a state of origin eventually starting with one match only. Force would be there. if there are punters willing to field teams, then they will do their home work and put forward propositions for teams they want to back and for the Franchisor to examine. there would be minimal funding criteria put in place in order to retain the best Australian players and there would be limits on overseas player numbers for each team and a salary cap and a cap for the overseas players. Now this is the bug bear. In the Australian market to attract viewers, I believe the owners will require some modification of the rules to maximise the ball in play and the viewers enjoyment. I believe that could be done and enhance the spirit of what we understand and/or want rugby to be. I also believe those changes could enhance the fitness and performance of our players playing representative rugby under the standard rules. But that is another discussion as to what they should be, mid at all.

Provacative suggestions here but it does look like a reversal to where we used to be before the pro days. We need to regularly play NZ and SA teams - so I am a fan of Super Rugby and want it to survive. I think the ARU will not survive the current crisis so we now need Twiggy more than ever - this will shape the Super teams format.

Good Concept!

As a kiwi living in Aus, I don't think the National Club Comp would work. Too much politics. I reckon try get Twiggy Forest on as the major sponsor for all Aussie rugby, create a Trans-Tasman/ Pacific Comp and give Japan a big welcome back hug (Cause they play good footy and they have a ton of cash) and then set up a comp which isnt over long and complicated, so no conferences and the best make the finals. Make the comp start like it did this year (Late Jan/Early Feb), this would make make pre season shorter (Thank God). As for International Rugby, keep the November Tests and Tours but no idea when, probably after the club comp has finished, not smack bang in the middle. This is pretty vague but I'm not on the committee's of each country.

We need to give up this whole back to the future BS. Club Rugby will never be what many wish it to be. It just isn’t oriented in the manner needed. Simple. I do agree that we need an alternative to SR. But I disagree with scrappign the NRC or at least the concept of it. If we were to cut ties with SANZAAR at this level (I think SANZAAR needs to re-evaluate how it competes within itself. And I tend to lean more towards independence at the domestic level and continuing with the RC at the Test level). What I would like to see is the NRC become a single entity administered league that calls for bids from interested parties much in the same vain as Major League Rugby in the USA. In order to be awarded a licence bids would need to meet the financial criteria in order to even considered as well as demonstrate the ability to meet the annual cash calls the league would make in order to maintain operations. A single entity league would mean that the successful bids would as part of the awarding of a licence receive an ownership stake in the league while not directly adminisitering it. They’ll get to vote on matters of course but day to day their only operational inout would be directed toward their own clubs. The central office would control things like player payments held within a set salary cap (which would be determined according to several factors) for each team. They would also manage the operational costs of the league via funds raised by the initial licence fee and annual cash call. Major League Rugby also has a revenue sharing arrangement in relation to gate takings. That could or could not be implemented depending on a vote. Note.RA would automatically have a seat on the board of the league and as such would have a right to vote alongside the bids but like the bids that vote would only represent 1 in the overall total. Not like not where some states have mulitple votes. One seat. One vote. I tend to think putting things like sponsorship and gate revenue in the hands of the bids would drive them to push harder to market their club in order to see greater returns. In terms of this structure I’d aim for no more than 8-10 teams playing a double round robin format. Plus finals. So roughly 20 weeks. As above. While RA would have a seat and a vote they won’t be adminitering the league and would be left to instead focus on the Wallabies and the community game. No more player top ups either when it comes to the Wallabies. Just match payments. This could very well lead to some players looking offshore. Well, then so be it. An amendment to the Giteau law could be made with a requirement for players to have played X number of games in SR or this new structure to remain eligible. Either way, they’d still only receive match payments to turn out for the Wallabies. And that would involve a winning bonus. In regards to the community game. There would be a streamlining of the various bodies that compete among one another at that level. More more fiefdoms. All that would remain would be RA, the State Unions and that’s it. RA would run the Wallabies and provide funding to the state unions and those unions would then directly fund community rugby with the bulk of the fundign going to junior development and clubs. This could be done with the district clubs involved in the process. Monies provided would be used to employ community development managers at each of 16 (yes, 16) club/zones. Based around the respective city and larger regional zones in each state. So in the case of NSW that would the 11 current Shute Shield clubs plus selected zones in the City including Penrith and the Macarthur regions alongside the Illawarra, Hunter/Newcastle and Central Coast. The goal would be for each of the clubs/zones to build toward having 12 active junior clubs with at least 1 boys and 1 girls team operating at every age group at each clubs from ages 6-18. The Sydney clubs could either look to foster clubs (and form self contained district based competitions) or unite them all under their banner (so instead of say Eastwood having 12 individual clubs they’d just Eastwood but with as many as 12 boys and girls teams at each age group) and compete in a far more expanded Sydney based competition.Which would also include Penrith and Macathur at the junior ranks all the way up to the seniors as those areas develop. A key element of this is that in terms of registration fee’s the clubs/zones will be able to keep everything but the insurance fee’s. This will be done in order to manage the junior competition as well as work toward the ultimate goal of each club having two boys and girls teams at each age level from 6-18. It’s very ambitious. I know. But we should be ambitious. Fro there. A post season National Club Championship could be formed with the Top 4 from each competition split into pools.

I like aspects of it. I like the fact that you are keeping clubs and their current supporter base instead of trying to create something from nothing and then telling the Australian rugby public that they need to support that entity. What I don’t like is that there are too many teams. What if you divided NSW and QLD into conferences with 4 teams from QLD and 5 from NSW (or the other way around). The other teams from each state would go into a 2nd division and would play for promotion each year. You then add a team from Canberra, Melbourne and Perth, and now you have a 12 team competition. Everyone plays home and away. Top 6 make the playoffs.

Of course! Replays .... sorry I didn't interpret that the right way. I'd be keen to see them as well. I think there are replays on the Interwebs somewhere, but it tends to be just excerpts, not the games in toto.

Thanks for your reply. I was not suggesting a repeat of these types of games The codes have grown too far apart eg scrumtime so the whole thing would be meaningless. I remember watching these games at the time and was curious to see them again. ..call it nostalgia if you like but to me it would be interesting to see how RU has developed since it went professional.

Exactly and would help them out alot if they were allowed to field players of heritage who have represented a tier nation eg Nz, Oz after a stand down period of say 2 years. But if nothing changes bar Covid19 I'd like to see The Rugby Cup replace the Rugby Championship once evry 4 years in the middle of the RWC cycle eg Lions Tour years. This comp would see Nz, Oz and 4 other nations from and Asia and the Pacific in one of two "conferences". With a guarenteed spot for the best from both (for example Japan in Asia And Fiji in P.I) and the next best overall from either (eg Samoa and Tonga). The would feature SA, Arg and one side each from North America (USA), South America (Uruguay) and Africa (Namibia) and the next beat overall from either continent (Canada). Play each in other nation in your conference once for a round of 5 games. Plus finals starting from either a quarter, wild card (week 1: 3v6 and 4v5) or semi finals format. Each side would host 2-3 games with possibly the finals being played in a single country to cut down the long hauls and give evryone bar the host even footing. I think this would be very viable once every four years and would should bring in corporate, sponsorship and broadcast $$$. It would also give the tier 2 nations a major competition every 2 years and on the P.I's case help to retain and attract players aswell as bring in sponsors. It will also give every participant a mini RWC style run in for the real WC 2 years later. Heck if it takes off it could possibly replace the 6 nations as the second best International Rugby Comp. What do you think?

Aussiepaul, the first match was won in a comprehensive thrashing by Wigan playing Rugby League rules. The following match was played under Rugby Union laws and won well by Bath. Two things to note, however: (1) after the second or third scrum of the second match (rugger laws) they switched to uncontested scrums for safety's sake; and (2) the Wigan team was fully professional and about 1/3 of the players had previously played Rugby Union. Just a guess, but a pair of equivalent matches between (eg) Roosters and 'Saders would probably result in the same outcomes. But who would do it? The risks of injuries to players who are much bigger than 25 years ago and also much more valuable (current crises both pandemic and financial notwithstanding) would make it unviable.

I would like to see replays of the games in 1994/5 between English RU champs and R League champs Wigan. I know Wigan thrashed Bath in one of the games but I would like to see whether RU has improved in defence and fitness since they became professional. I know this is a bit off the subject but it would be interesting.ijh

All these discussion about the future of Rugby in Australia and nothing mentioned about Rugby Sevens. What is the domestic competition like? Perhaps the 24 clubs which where mentioned could participate in an Aussie Sevens Series. It could have a similar format to the World Series Sevens. It could be played in the off season and a leg played in all the capital cities. Think Big Bash but for Sevens Rugby. Does any one have any ideas how this could work?