Get in your DeLorean, hot tub or a phone box. It’s time to go back in time to 1995 and rugby union is about to turn professional.
For years there has been the unspoken truth that some players were being paid boot money. All of that is about to be consigned to history and rugby union across the globe is to become an open game, where the best players (and some of the lucky) can commit to the sport on a full-time basis and earn a living while pushing the limits of the sport’s boundaries.
There’s a scrabble by the southern hemisphere unions to sign up their best players or best potential players that will put those countries in a strong position for the turn of the century. The Australian Rugby Union, along with its friends in New Zealand and South Africa, have a look at how they are going to shape the game.
Super Rugby is born.
The ARU, with some clarity, identifies that it has two potential sustainable markets: Queensland and New South Wales, the rugby union lifeblood. And this works pretty well for a while. Both teams are competitive against their SANZAAR counterparts, but there is a growing clamour for a third team to be introduced, and there happens to be a pretty handy group playing out of the ACT. As such, the ACT Brumbies are introduced and they hit the ground at a gallop.
Things are rosy in the Australian rugby garden. The Super Rugby teams are competitive, money is coming in for the 2003 World Cup and the Wallabies are fighting it out to be known as the best team in the world.
Then things start to change. Much like the Garden of Eden, darkness starts to encroach and what was once a bright and sunny future becomes more changeable and eventually dark.
Solutions are sought to help re-energise rugby in Australia and help sustain the sport’s foothold in the public psyche. Expansion out to Western Australia to give the game a more national footprint sees the creation of the Western Force, and later down the line the great sporting market of Melbourne and the state of Victoria is hit with the introduction of the Rebels.
Unfortunately, at the same time as this, there is an ongoing exodus of players to Europe and Japan, mismanagement of funding from the ARU (now Rugby Australia) and a disconnect between grassroots, schoolboy rugby and the professional game resulting in an ever-increasing number of once-promising future Wallabies signing contracts with NRL clubs and committing their futures to becoming Kangaroos.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
A more in-depth look at this has been covered well by The Australian and The Gold Digger podcast series, both of which identify key opportunities where lessons could and should have been learnt.
So going back to the introduction of professionalism in rugby union. Knowing what we know now, would you do anything different?
When explaining to my other half the landscape of professional rugby in Australia, her response was: “why is there only one team in each area?” Given her lack of interest, bordering on distain, for rugby, or in fact professional sport, this really got me thinking.
Given the recent news that the Penrith Emus are to be removed from the Shute Shield and the ongoing outcry for Rugby Australia to grow the game outside of the traditional areas, if rugby union was to start again, how would I implement professional rugby in Australia?
Being a Pom, I accept that I don’t necessarily have a full understanding or appreciation of the Australian sporting landscape’s intricacies or history.
But given that the global game needs a strong Australia and that rugby union in most countries (New Zealand and France being exceptions) is either fairly niche or the less than ideal business to get in to if you want to make money, my concept for professional rugby in Australia could have worked.
There has been and always will be a rivalry between NSW and Queensland, and then between NSW and Victoria. In fact, NSW, Queensland, Victoria and even ACT all have some form of rivalry.
(Photo by Jono Searle/Getty Images)
There is even now a rivalry between Victoria and Western Australia rugby communities since the expulsion of the Force from Super Rugby, or the retention of the Melbourne Rebels depending on your perspective.
In my new model, rugby union would almost be a combination of the existing Super Rugby AU and the National Rugby Championship (NRC).
The competition would primarily be domestic, meaning that there will always be Australian teams winning each week. If Super Rugby AU taught us anything, it is that winning helps generate interest.
However, the competition also showed that two games a weekend is not enough. On this basis my competition would include the following core teams:
• Sydney
• NSW Country
• Brisbane
• Queensland Country
• ACT Brumbies
• Melbourne Rebels
• Western Force
I would also be keen to get one over the NZRU and include Fiji Drua and either a Moana Pasifika-type team or a Samoan franchise and a Tongan franchise, giving a potential ten-team tournament.
This would mean five games a weekend with some huge derby games such as Country versus City and NSW versus Queensland, plus it would be likely to gain World Rugby backing, and hopefully funding, as it provides potential pathways for Pacific Island players that don’t involve tying themselves to New Zealand or moving across the world to France or the UK.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Now clearly the model is not perfect and there would be an issue with potential strength in depth, but that leads me to my next bit.
Much like the Premier League, NFL and NBA, I would be looking for each team to have third-party ownership, at least in part. This would potentially increase the money available in the game and could lead to greater retention of junior talent and Wallabies talent in Australia and even attract some NRL players who want to play a global sport.
There would be stipulations on the governance of the teams. For example, 80 per cent of match-day squads must be eligible for the country that the team is based, i.e. 80 per cent of Drua players must be eligible to play for Fiji, the same for the Western Force and Australian players. This would lead to at most four or five of a match-day squad being eligible for another nation.
Also, similar to the Irish model, the Australian teams would need to negotiate with Rugby Australia as to which positions these foreign players could primarily play in. This would prevent a situation where all seven Australian teams have New Zealander, English, French or Irish number tens meaning no Aussies get a look in.
I would also include a regulation that any players not involved in match-day squads need to be involved in grassroots clubs, either in a playing, coaching or an admin role. I know it is difficult to enforce, but the idea is that a connection would be grown between the local club game and the professional ranks.
(Photo by Richard Heathcote – World Rugby via Getty Images)
There would be further conditions relating to player development to support post-playing careers, player pathways, coaching standards, minimum and maximum salary caps, minimum facility standards and finally a remit to help grow rugby union participation.
Now, all of this is somewhat fantasy and would be difficult to enforce. But this is my utopian vision and when I come to power, this will be the way it goes.
The final point would be a recognition of those over the Tasman. Unlike the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman competition that happened this year, my tournament would lead to the winner entering into a further competition with the winners of New Zealand and Japanese domestic competitions.
The fourth team in this tournament would be the previous year’s winners. There would then be a draw for semi-finals and an overall final. This would provide a mini Pacific Champions Cup and could be expanded should South Africa rejoin the southern hemisphere club rugby scene and the Super Liga de America Rugby continues to grow, creating a complete southern hemisphere tournament.
Imagine if there was such foresight back in 1995. Imagine where the Wallabies would be now. Probably still losing to New Zealand but at least there would be more rugby!
sheek
Roar Guru
AndyS, That's mostly correct. In 1996, Oz rugby was ready for a 3rd team. It had to fight for it. I might argue they are now suitable for 5 teams. But losing the equivalent of about another 3 teams n players overseas wasn't something too many people envisioned a decade ago. The problem with Super Rugby was SANZAAR thinking they could plonk teams wherever as if they had some God given right. Another problem I think, is that people's perceptions changed. At some point, it was no longer okay for fans to watch their Oz teams playing in the middle of the night in South Africa or Argentina. They wanted to see their teams at home, just like the AFL & NRL. There are many more reasons but here's a simple playlist - international teams travel overseas playing other international teams. National teams travel domestically playing other national teams. Break that caveat & you invite disaster.
Big Dave
Guest
That is the model to go for. As a country person from NSW I wouldn't go with NSW or Qld country. Run with the Waratahs and Reds plus a team in Newcastle/Gosford and one in SE Qld. Maybe the Sunshine coast as the Gold Coast is pretty saturated. In my honest opinion, this competition would require a draft like the AFL. If you can run 8/10 even teams, Australia will improve immensely.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Any decent sports comp has to have some openness in terms of player recruiting to be exciting and unpredictable to raise interest levels.
Jack Stricko
Roar Rookie
The only way to save the game here is to expand. We need to generate interest to stop the NRL and the AFL stealing our talent. However, I don't think a NSW country or QLD country team would work, as you need a decent population base to support teams. I would try to establish a team Newcastle rather than NSW country and one in the Gold Coast, QLD's second biggest city.
Walter Black
Guest
If RU had not turned professional when it did, it would be an after thought by now. In this day and age, the idea that you can have a major sport that is also amateur is laughable.
AndyS
Guest
The reason SR failed for Australia is that, right at the start, they locked in three professional teams as all they needed or wanted. Everything then evolved around that, providing support adequate for only three teams because any more would have been wasted effort. Then they tried to add teams without even thinking about modifying that underlying structure - what a shock it didn't work...
sheek
Roar Guru
Please stop promoting NSW Country & Qld Country as part of any national comp in Australia. They have a place in a 2nd division development comp, but not in a primary 1st division comp. Imagine if England still had Northern Division & Midland Division, each comprising many powerful metropolitan clubs. It just doesn't work. Period. In Australia, these two regions cover too vast an area, meaning it is not central to anyone. i like the idea of provinces. They can be smaller & work very well in NZ & SA rugby. NSW Country should become Eastern Australia based in Newcastle. Qld Country should become North Qld based in Townsville. That will work. In some parallel universe somewhere, I would have a permanent 1st division of NSW, Qld, ACT, Vic, WA, SA, EA & NQ. And a permanent 2nd division of NSW Country, Qld Country, ACT Country, Vic Country, Tasmania, WA Country, EA Country & NT. Historically, the North, except for Ireland & Scotland, follow national clubs while the South follow Provinces. It works for each. The reason why super rugby failed is because it stopped being true to itself. That's the stupidity of humanity. When we put greed before good sense, we unravel. Pretty simple really.
jeznez
Roar Guru
I think the likes of UQ, Brothers, Vikings, Sydney Uni and others still have that dream. My issue with it remains I support none of those teams and never will. A tier made up of those sides will always have limited support. And we’d have to backfill their roles in the comps they get lifted from. It only makes sense if you are inside one of those clubs and your ego is in control.
Kashmir Pete
Roar Guru
Afternoon NP Thanks for article, concur with sentiments. My cut for nascent tribalism (perhaps an oxymoron, but doable in Sydney!) plus overall balance: 1. 'Sydney' for people south of the Harbour Bridge (bounded in west by A6 (eg Silverwater Bridge) 2. 'Norths' for people of Northern Sydney (bounded in west by Lane Cove River catchment) 3. 'Wests' for people of Western Suburbs of Sydney (includes Eastwood, Joeys, Kings, Hills area!) 4. 'South Queensland' for Qlders south of Brisbane River (east of its Bremer River confluence*); 5. 'Carpentaria' for NT + Qlders north of Brisbane River (or west of its Bremer River confluence*); * thereby includes Ipswich and Toowoomba within 'Carpentaria' cathcment 6. 'Western Force' for people of WA 7. 'Southern Rebels' for peoples of Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania 8. 'Brumbies' for peoples of ACT and all regional NSW. Team 1 based at Moore Park; Team 2 based at Brookvale Oval with 50% of home games played at North Sydney Oval; Team 3 based at Parramatta Stadium with occasional games at Penrith and Cambelltown; Team 4 based at Suncorp with good sprinkling of games throughout catchment; Team 5 based at Gold Coast Stadium with 50% of games at Suncorp; Team 6 based in Perth; Team 7 based in Melbourne with occasional games in Adelaide; Team 8 based in Canberra with good sprinkling of games throughout catchment. Introduce team 9 'Fiji Drua' and team 10 'Moana' as succes of initial comp permits. Cheers KP
CPM
Roar Rookie
Yes, the FFR and RFU allowing the clubs to take control What was the alternative. Leave it to the lazy RUs who for 100 years before the game going professional abdicated their responsibilities so that clubs could do all the hard work while they stood there with their arms folded.
2 Bobs Worth
Guest
Yes, I agree
ethan
Guest
If we were to go down this path I would not have 'state' teams nor 'country' teams, but each team with a home in its respective city. That way you can get season long fans, and a home base for players.
2 Bobs Worth
Guest
An eight to ten team competition would be great. I thought selecting representative teams; NSW, QLD, and remaining States combined team, to play the NZ teams would be the way to go. It will build combinations etc. and lays a great platform to select the Wallabies.
HiKa
Roar Rookie
Another aspect of the BBL development was the deliberate movement of players around so the new clubs weren't provincial sides in all but name. They might have a few more from the locals but also include plenty of other Australian players and also internationals.
HiKa
Roar Rookie
https://www.lexico.com/definition/scrabble Verb: Scratch or grope around with one's fingers to find, collect, or hold on to something. Noun: An act of scratching or scrambling for something. The word 'scrabble' has been around longer than the game.
HiKa
Roar Rookie
Post-script: RA would need some central coordination of roster management so you have some Australian-eligible players in each position across the competition, too.
HiKa
Roar Rookie
The current SR-AU has been good from a local interest point of view, but with just five teams the novelty will wear off in a year or two. If RA wants to develop a sustainable domestic competition (Want? It's need.) they will need to ditch Super Rugby (too few teams = too few matches) and go down this path of expanding to a 10 team competition with teams from Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and doubling up Qld and NSW, then they should also allow those teams to pilfer talent (playing and coaching - perhaps especially coaching) from NZ to a great degree to maximise the quality at the same time as boosting the quantity of matches. Australian players who are not good enough to already have secured a SR contract really should struggle to win any of the extra spots to fill out the rosters of this expanded competition. Those spots should go to the best available talent wherever in the world they come from. Realistically, most will likely be Kiwis who are either older elite players who've been usurped at home (thinking of guys like Kahui and Thrush) or younger players who are very good by Australian standards but aren't likely to crack elite level in NZ (thinking of guys like Mike Harris). If it means no real increase in the number of Australian-born pro rugby players, so be it. Having a sustainable competition means having enough matches with enough quality that it earns itself enough viewers to make a viable product for broadcasters. There would be twice as many pro rugby players based in Australia and lots more matches on TV/streaming and lots more opportunities to win hearts and minds to give rugby a bigger base in Australia. That's my 0.0000003 bitcoins worth (AUD 0.02).
The Ferret
Roar Rookie
Back in the late 90’s I was poached from a subbies colts team along with a two others to go one of the bigger teams in the Brisbane comp. this was right before the start of the “premier” comp and 1st grade was still 1st grade. We were told there was about to be a national club comp and it was starting with the introduction of the Canberra Vikings into the Qld club comp and 1st grade being re named premier grade. They sold us that the rich clubs up north would break away in a couple of years and join up with some rich clubs from Sydney and the Vikings and this would be the 3rd tier to super rugby. Within a couple of years the Vikings went back to the ACT and we were all still playing in our separate comps. I have no idea why it did not materialize, but somehow the thought was there within the clubs in Qld that this would materialize. I wish it did as we would have been able to keep the club tribalism we all have and have that 3rd tier comp to build off of and the Qld clubs would have proved their superiority over the NSW clubs. End of the day I don’t know how serious this idea was or if it was all smoke and mirrors by clubs, but I always wondered why it never came to fruition.
jeznez
Roar Guru
G’day Clem. And then what happens to the grassroots comps in Sydney and Brissie? They continue on their way with the strong clubs removed? We just don’t have Premier rugby any more? Of do we found new clubs to take the promoted club’s spots in the old competition? The top Shute teams back then were Randwick, Gordon. Warringah and Eastwood. I guess East’s and Manly could have picked up the players that didn’t make the cut from Randwick and Warringah. Eastwood and Gordon harder to fill the gaps they’d leave in the geographic spread of rugby in Sydney. Would you promote Lindfield and Dundas Valley?
Pedro
Roar Rookie
I enjoyed the article till "I would also be keen to get one over the NZRU and include Fiji Drua". With the Perth fiasco currently playing out both countries need to mend fences.