Since 2013, the Australian Super Rugby audience has dropped by 43 per cent. That is according to the Gemba Group, a leading sports consultancy, as reported in the Sydney Morning Herald.
And that’s not even the bad news.
Within the 16 to 39-year-old demographic, the Super Rugby audience has deteriorated to the tune of 73 per cent. Talk about a fall from grace.
In Georgina Robinson’s Sydney Morning Herald article, Gemba recommended a “national club competition culminating in a state-based representative season should replace a ‘broken’ Super Rugby model in Australia”.
On Rugby Ruckus, Eddie Jones stated that “To me, Australia’s been a rugby community based on strong clubs, the strong clubs then fit into a provincial system that collects the best players and then those provincial teams play against each other to represent the Wallabies.”
It seems clear in some corners what Rugby Australia needs to do to reengage fans.
The problem is if RA waits too long, or gets the next model wrong, the game may never recover.
Take for instance reports Super Rugby is thinking of bringing the two top Japan Top League teams into a Super Rugby finals system. There would be some serious down side to this manoeuvre.
Instead, there is another path we could take: one that aligns Australian rugby with the Japan Top League and the lucrative Japanese market.
(Photo by Toru Hanai/Getty Images)
Currently, the Japan Top League is in direct competition with Australian Super Rugby. Many of our players have chosen to play in the Japan Top League at one time or another, including Adam Ashley-Cooper, Berrick Barnes, Matt Cockbain, Bernard Foley, Mark Gerrard, Matt Giteau, George Gregan, Nathan Grey, Digby Ioane, Toutai Kefu, Stephen Larkham, Ben McCalman, Sean McMahon, David Pocock, Joe Roff, George Smith and Craig Wing. It’s not just Australian talent either.
Us versus them does not necessarily have to be the case. We need to seek a Japan-Australian win-win scenario. For us, it is about raising our NRC and domestic rugby. For Japan, it is about international Test matches.
Consider this scheduling of competitions.
March 14 to May 9
Revamped National Rugby Championship involving Australia and Japan, with a top-five finals format
In addition to the franchises from Brisbane City (Reds), Sydney (Waratahs), the Brumbies, Western Force and Melbourne Rebels, the NRC would feature qualifiers from the Shute Shield and Queensland Premier Rugby. To bolster talent and better enable player payments, the competition would also feature qualifiers from the previous season’s Japan Top League.
The Japan Top League’s best players would therefore play both NRC (March-May) and Japan Top League (June-August), and vice versa when it does not conflict with Super Rugby.
Teams and pairing with Japan Top League talent would be as follows:
1. Brisbane City (current Reds franchise)
2. Sydney (current NSW Waratahs franchise)
3. Brumbies
4. Queensland Premier Rugby champion plus JTL team (rotates between first and second ranked team)
5. Shute Shield champion plus JTL team (rotates between second and first ranked team)
6. Shute Shield finalist plus JLT team (rotates between third, fourth, and fifth ranked team)
7. Melbourne Rebels plus JTL team (rotates between fourth, fifth and third ranked team)
8. Western Force plus JTL team (rotates between fifth, third, and fourth ranked team)
End of May to end of August
State of Origin between the Reds and the Waratahs
To assist in delivering on Super Rugby broadcast content, the best NRC players would be collected into three Australian teams: Queensland Reds, NSW Waratahs (also including the ACT), and a third Australia team termed the Swagmen (from the remaining states and territory).
(Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
The Sunwolves would also field a team. With greater success, Australia may once again prefer four teams, but for now, let us stick with three.
Immediately after the grand final, a lone State of Origin game would be held between the Reds and Waratahs.
Super Rugby home-and-away season
New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina would not be disrupted during the regular home-and-away series. Prior to the Super Rugby finals, the Reds, Waratahs, Swagmen and Sunwolves Super Rugby teams would aim to complete seven regular-season Super Rugby games.
Super Rugby world championship finals
The finals involve two teams from each of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and PRO14.
Ideally the Super Rugby finals should kick off with derbies and also field annual wildcard teams. As South African teams are in the PRO14, their grand finalists would be invited to compete in the first Super Rugby world championship.
In Week 1, the two finalists from each zone face off, with the loser eliminated. In Week 2, the Aussie and Kiwi winners face off, as do the South African and PRO14 victors. Week 3 is a bye for travel, before the decider in Week 4.
June to the end of August
Players not involved in the Super Rugby finals would return to play for their clubs in Japan, the Shute Shield or Queensland Premier Rugby.
And there it is folks.
It would be prudent for now to stow the pistols around the Japan Top League directly entering the Super Rugby finals.
Instead, offer them something they would truly cherish: international Tests against the big nations. As part of an Australia-Japan NRC alliance, Australia would offer a best-of-three Wallabies versus Japan Test series. But this is a series with a difference.
(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Rugby is 100 years behind boxing. Heavyweights like Mike Tyson are powerful and ferocious. But the light middleweights light up the world also, such as Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor. The money speaks for itself.
Imagine a a cruiserweight division where height and body weight restrictions are put in place to provide a more competitive playing field for the smaller-bodied Japanese players.
What would the games look like? Faster and zippier like the World Cup, where Japan were a pleasure to watch?
What would the height and weight look like? Who knows. I will leave that one to the scientists. Perhaps average team height limit of 175 centimetres, and weight of 85 kilos?
Now that would be fan engagement in both the Australian and Japanese marketplaces.
Aiden
Guest
Do the Japanese need weight restrictions to beat us though? On most recent form, you'd back Japan. We should handicap them for speed and basic catch/pass skills to give ourselves a chance.
Jaeger
Roar Rookie
Change name Swagman to Provincial team Brumbies Rebel Force. Job done. And Reds v Waratahs with SOO rules in a decider to reach the Super Rugby semi against NZ Champ. Sell out for sure.
The Ferret
Roar Rookie
Yep... Shute sheild should replace the super rugby sides. Because as a reds fan I really want to have no other option but to support a Sydney team
Beni Iniesta
Guest
Lolwut? What would the height and weight look like? Who knows. I will leave that one to the scientists. Perhaps average team height limit of 175 centimetres, and weight of 85 kilos? The average height of an Australian 18 year old male is above 180cm. You are advocating creating a team of midgets? Crazy.
Muglair
Roar Rookie
Obviously I don't know. I was not specifically across numbers in SA and NZ although that does not surprise me. I would not think it is a huge issue as to actual numbers. It would be enormously frustrating for the supporters of the club forced to play an away final instead of a home game, or a perceived tougher team. However that is just one finals qualifier, it does not force a team to miss the finals. It may be a structure that irritates some anally retentive accountant who cannot manage the illogical outcome of a lower points team finishing higher on the table. I can't see that driving away large numbers of subscribers. I do not think Australia is the only country with problems regarding the Super Rugby structure. It is a shame nothing has been done about it, just flogging this dying horse to death. I still prefer an internationally organised provincial competition though, not canning it because the current competition structure is not putting bums on seats.
Bobby
Roar Rookie
A SOO will only work if it is genuine and based on where a player played his first senior match after school. Otherwise it's just another rugby match without the tribal passion .
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Cheslin Kolbe and Faf De Klerk amongst others will disagree. Nboth weigh in the 75kg bracket..
Markie362
Guest
Do u think super rugby viewing numbers in nz and s.a have dropped off due to the farcical situatiin where australia are gifted a finals spot despite fininshing down the ladder behind other teams who have earned it
Mungbean74
Roar Rookie
Well actually I think the Japanese are keen as to play other nations smack bang in summer! Strategies, speed whatever... they train through the hottest of conditions. I’ve learned the hard way after 10 years in Japan rugby. Now I’m watching my son. I’ll stick to surfing/foiling these days.
ScottD
Roar Guru
There's nothing too arguable with an Australian domestic competition. However the more complexity the less deliverable. And, the weight limited concept is pointless. Japan has demonstrated it doesn't need any favours. They are a well coached, drilled and motivated team and deserve their place in the worlds top ten. The Australian team would have been hard pressed to beat them at the 2019 RWC and were lucky they didn't have to.
Muglair
Roar Rookie
Thanks Jaeger I just refreshed myself on the article. I said at the time it was rubbish and gives consultants a bad name. The data may be accurate, but I do not think too many people would have expected much different. My explanation for the dramatic decline is more basic than the analysis might suggest. The value of the game in Australia is in dramatic decline and I put it down to poor administration over a very long period. It is hardly surprising that derbies attract better numbers. Australian sides have been consistently losing games against overseas sides and you need to be a hard core fan to stay up at night or forgo a night out to watch your team lose, again. A Tahs perspective :crying: There is at least a chance you can win a derby, winning the conference gets you a finals berth and there are individual contests for Wallaby spots. The conclusions are farcical. Invest money in traditional clubs, promotion and relegation, private equity investment. These suggestions are poison and I am deadly serious that someone needs to find out who funded this report, or is promoting it within RA. When consultants produce recommendations like this, they should be forced by law to put a substantial amount of their own money behind it.
Jaeger
Roar Rookie
Here is the full article btw... https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/forget-the-kiwis-australian-rugby-s-future-is-local-20200508-p54r97.html To be honest, my jaw literally dropped when I saw the 73% decline in the 19-39 year old age bracket. I'm pretty happy this was reported. Can be difficult to find solid statistical information online and find out the true state of affairs.
Jaeger
Roar Rookie
Have been thinking about the finals systems. Still a strong advocate for Champion team from Aus, NZ, SA and Pro14 advancing to Semis. Reasons... 1. Geography, flight costs. Makes no sense for players having to jetset back and forth across the world to play finals. 2. Fan engagement, time zones & revenue. Derbies rate better and are higher value content than finals against teams not really known. Time zones are also an issue and not fair on fans. 3. Champions. With Champions from each country advancing to semis, it becomes a genuine Super Rugby Champions Final series. Far easier to sell concept to broadcasters and expand fan base. 4. Three Aussie teams. SA and NZR will accept we will be much tougher opponents when we go back to three teams. The risk of the finals system being undermined is far lower.
Busted Fullback
Roar Rookie
Don't tell that to Os du Randt (134kg) who started his career in 1994. A man who was born when meat was cheap. I don't think you'd rate Andy McIntyre or Cameron Lillicrap , Fran Cotton or Graham Price lightweights, even by today's standards. I will agree that backs have grown bigger than in the past but Paul Carozza didn't have to be.
Jaeger
Roar Rookie
There are three objectives for QLD & NSW... 1. QLD v NSW to be an actual SOO players. 2. QLD & NSW to be competitive in Super Rugby. 3. Wallabies Coach able to request players move between states so best three players in each position have a provincial team in which they play for. Was thinking 80% SOO for 2 and 3 above. But with more consideration, really needs to be 100% for 1. Which by default means 100% for all three. If NSW & QLD are not getting raided to support other Australian Super Rugby teams, QLD and NSW should each be able to field genuine SOO teams. Imagine a sell out SOO to determine whether QLD or NSW makes a semi final against the NZ champion.
Jaeger
Roar Rookie
You got me chuckling. :stoked:
Busted Fullback
Roar Rookie
True but helped out by those players with residency qualification and a growing history of üpset "wins" over the years and last two WC's. And with higher protein and calcium diets, their own size is increasing.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Have noticed That Japan have been particularly aggressive in recruiting South African players.. It could either be the window afforded SA players to opt out of their contracts afforded them during Covid 19….. Or…. It can be Top League Clubs beefing up their teams with other objectives on the horizon. Or both… Malcolm Marx is packing his bags.. Pieter Steff Du Toit rumored to be taking up either a Japanese contract or a French one… Coach Johan Ackerman asked to be released from Gloucester to take up a position in Japan.. Stormers flyhald Du Plessis also going and Mapimpi rumored to have been approached with a huge offer.. .. Something seems to be brewing and it’s not beer.. Our breweries shut down by the govt to save us from the virus. :crying:
Bludger
Guest
Gemba are stating the bleeding obvious. I think it is a real shame World Rugby bailed out RA. They will now use this money to pay all the usual suspects their fat wad and take the sport further in the mire. The code should be built on a bedrock of strong Sydney traditional clubs. The governing body needs to worry about the national teams and grassroots. The clubs do the rest.
The Late News
Roar Rookie
Yep. makes you question their professionalism sometimes.