How rugby can make ground on self-imploding NRL and AFL

In Brief If you are ignorant of something maybe you should not comment on it. The NRL distributes its funds to their clubs as well as other parts of the game. Could they do things better - of course but in the end they will be up and running by the end of next month while others are still talking about it. Not matter what code you follow we should hope that everybody can get back to playing/watching their favourite sport. The constant need to bring others down to deflect from the problems we have with our own chosen code is wearing a bit thin.

Correct me if I am wrong, but don't you need to have money, if you want to invest in anything?

BF - this is the comment to which my reply above was intended as a response.

Busted Fullback, in reply to your comment: I went to Camp Hill State School in Brisbane 1960 - 62. At the school RL, Aussie rules and Soccer were played, but no Union, and I didn't see a Union game until 1986. Union was played in Brisbane private schools in the 1960s (both catholic and protestant), but I don't think other codes were played there. This may seem like too long ago to be relevant, but I think the current problem for Rugby is based on that history of being an elite sport played in private schools. I think it's still a sport played by that elite, plus the minority immigrant groups from the Pacific, Sth Africa, etc. I want to see Rugby Union grow rather than disappear, because it's a more interesting sport than League (which I can't be bothered following). This means I want it to expand beyond its traditional Qld and NSW school and club competitions. I think Rugby needs a presence in each state of Australia, and also needs a national competition such as the NRC which is above clubs level, and into which clubs can inject their best players. This may have to be created top down, but it certainly has to be created somehow. It needs Rugby Australia or its replacement to promote the game and educate people about it. Rugby Union was a closely guarded secret to me and those of my class when I was growing up, but Rugby League was not. It's that long history that has to be overcome. I've got other things to occupy my time, but I hope some younger than me will be able to make it happen.

This article is the definition of Wishful Thinking, if not its damn close! How do you expect a sport that is daylight behind the AFL and NRL in Australia to suddenly leap ahead when it's previous position was so starkly behind the eight ball?

I’m not sure elite is the right word, but what do you call when people from working class backgrounds and low socio economic communities feel unwelcome? Look at an area like Penrith, huge Pacific Islander community it should be a Union stronghold, yet the Sydney Rugby Union cut them from the Shute Shield, so now the talented players from that area seek out League as a pathway. Yes the Waratahs play at BankWest, but look at the attendance there, the community aren’t buying in. I’m not sure what the story is in QLD, but in Sydney if you aren’t from the wealthy suburbs of Sydney you are overlooked.

Nothing the Ayatollah la Porte does surprises me. This is the guy who stole the All Blacks outfit in 1987.

rebel.I'm with you there,I feel for everyone, including people who play and follow sports other than my own. I am just damn filthy on the Chinese Govt's silence for a while, until it was finally announced, and by then the virus horse had bolted.

In Brief.I understand where you are coming from.But even the far wealthier AFL found the need to borrow $600m as a result of this pandemic. I can tell you, rugby league clubs can be the biggest money wasters around, with coaches lasting a short time, overpaid players etc.And Head Office has shown they can waste money also.Yet despite that they made a profit of $30m in 2019 and had $80m cash assets in the bank. Unfortunately rugby league being what is is on wastage, they had no physical assets such as buildings (like the AFL). You may not know but back in 1995 just before the Super Leage war,the ARL(then had $20m in the Bank and the AFL I understand had $6m).The Super League war expended all the ARL's money, and with News Ltd owning half the NRL post 1998 ,all profits were then shared. The money wasted makes a grown man cry.

And what is your suggestion to do this? I must have missed them. I’m not sure this will ever be possible as rugby only offers support to juniors in a few cities. I’ve never seen rugby played in my town.

Not sure, was just clarifying who went bust. Agree many organizations are having a tough time. I hope everyone gets through it.

IWho cares in casual fans watch up not. If you don't like the game or can't handle the losses then go somewhere else. It's not an "amateur" attitude it's just being a realist. Too many of the current playing group have an entitlement attitude. They are saying to the ARU "borrow the money" to pay us for not working. Others expect the taxpayers to front the cash. iThere are 10s of thousands of Aussies lining up for the dole and these blokes want full pay from a game on its knees. They are not indespensible.

I honestly am pretty ignorant about the current state of the NRL. Happy to admit it. I was genuinely surprised, even shocked that an organisation that had relatively recently signed a billion dollar tv deal was so exposed by the Coronavirus shut down. The issues rugby union face in Australia were not a shock to me as I follow that sport and knew them already.

“ the best rugby being played in Brisbane, available to the world. Where is the promotion?” Bloody good question. RA does need to connect games with audiences. If not FTA then anyway it can. But make it supper simple for punters. Links here on Roar and other rugby sites. Make is super simple and super shareable.

I’m with you Jimmy . 20 yrs ago I could tell you the majority of the Wallabies players names ,and tests were discussed at smoko and lunch , now they’re non existent in the circles I travel in . I’d be lucky to tell you five now , and I’d have to see their pictures. Perhaps that’s because they’ve been pretty average for a long time though.

I think Steve just admitted what he gets paid. Because, we all know for sure, Steve ain't rich. Just a battler making do.

Being stopped from paying players didn’t prevent the clubs from becoming strong. A lack of interest in them compared to NSWRL and AFL clubs is what stopped them becoming strong.

But the private school culture seems to be Australia wide. The only local I met here in Perth who played the sport locally did so because he attended a catholic private school which ran a program.

I see the "elite" comment has raised its ugly head again. If you define elite as being limited to a select portion of the community, then Rugby League was an elitist sport in Queensland. I'm led to believe by my father, that post WW2 the Brisbane or Queensland RL went to the Education Dept and offered to look after RL in the State School system provided that no other code of football was played. The Qld Ed Dept certainly did their part for many decades. Even in the '90s when there was a rugby course for Yr 11-12 students (including girls) at Kelvin Grove State High School, it was a hard sell to get any other State Schools in Brisbane interested. The elitist RL had done a fine job.

I don’t think it’s something to fight against, but it’s probably something that needs to be addressed if the sport wants to expand their market they will probably need to shake that elitist tag.