The much anticipated Super Rugby Pacific has been announced with five Australian teams, five from New Zealand, Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika.
This is great news for Australian rugby fans with fast, skilful rugby in convenient time zones all while adding in the best Pacific Island players.
And yet, Australian Super Rugby sides continue to under-deliver. There has been a lot of chatter about the Waratahs’ woes and whether Australian rugby has the depth for five teams. Steve Hansen kindly suggested Australia drop back to three teams, and others have voiced similar sentiments.
So if Australian rugby does not have the depth, why not and what can we do about it?
There is a code which is growing exponentially and poses a threat to both rugby union and rugby league. AFL continues to expand with GPS schools throwing up AFL posts and junior clubs proliferating across the rugby heartlands of Sydney and Brisbane.
AFL have known for many years that to get future fans and viewers, you must have local people playing the game.
Rugby league junior Isaac Heeney. (James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
If AFL is a threat to both rugby union and rugby league, what can the two codes do about it? I’m suggesting something akin to treason, burn in hell kind of blasphemy – they need to join forces!
Whoa, hang on, these two codes have gone hammer and tong for a century ever since Dally Messenger decided to get paid for his troubles and step across to rugby league.
The two rugby codes need each other. Junior participation rates are on the slide, junior clubs are folding and the number of schools playing either rugby code is on the decline as well. Despite all those challenges, there are nine NRL teams in Sydney plus eleven Shute Shield teams (sorry Penrith).
There are dozens of lower level rugby and rugby league clubs participating in competitions as well.
Joseph Suaalii created controversy this year debuting for the Roosters after a tussle between Souths, the Roosters and Australian rugby. Suaalii is the latest in a long list of players who have played at the highest levels of school boy rugby and converted to rugby league.
Angus Crichton, Adam Douehii, Luke Keary, Cooper Cronk, Tyson Frizzell, Jared Warea-Hargreaves, Kalyn Ponga.. the list goes on and on.
Joseph Suaalii of the Roosters (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
There is an opportunity for these once sworn enemies to find common ground. They play on the same sized pitch, and there is a combined history.
What is the ARL Commission and Rugby Australia teamed up? Fostered the development of junior players, provided opportunities for skill development and clear pathways.
Pooled junior scouts and development officers, encouraged kids to play both codes in junior clubs and schools, recognised local junior rugby and league clubs who team up. There are countless opportunities and as you harvest the opportunities you also find cash savings for both games.
Each code is spending on many common areas so why not join forces and spend less for a greater impact?
There are on-field opportunities of course. By coming together, rugby could field the best possible squads leading into tournaments including the Rugby World Cup and Olympic Games. The benefits for players would be flexibility across codes to play and opportunities for international paydays in the twilight of their careers.
There is another major reason this is important. Rugby Australia needs five competitive Super Rugby teams. The NRL is poised to expand by one team in Brisbane. There will be 22 professional teams across rugby and rugby league by 2022. By comparison the AFL has 18 teams.
The rugby codes need to attract, retain and grow their foundations. They need to focus on skill development and engagement at junior level.
By working together, the two rugby codes have a chance to stem the losses to AFL. They can build a stronger foundation, greater skills and a viewing base with appreciation for both codes so they can cheer for teams competing in the rugby competitions locally and internationally. This is a left field idea but the more you think about it the more it could work.
I hope Hamish McLennan and Peter V’landys take the time to consider it. Both seem focused on growing their games but may find that growth sometimes comes from partnerships and shared value.
The AFL is spending big on junior participation and rugby and rugby league are being left behind. The time for is ripe for the rugby codes to come together.
RB
Guest
Not sure AFL is the weapon- rugby still steals players as the bigger heavy slower players dont get a touch or selected for the better teams - being used to contact rugby is a viable option - Perhaps look at soccer as the greatest player drain- Numbers non existent 15 years ago - now most popular playing sport - little to no contact issue for concerned parents to worry about either- stolen and don’t return - even before you get your hands on them
TW
Guest
A couple league players that would make great rugby Union forwards: Payne Haas - Number 8 Victor Radley - openside flanker Isaah Yeo - blindside flanker Shaun Lane - second row Dylan Napa - second row Junior Paulo - tighthead prop
Humey
Guest
Exactly, New Zealand don`t produce any tope end league players anymore and none would certainly get anywhere near a 60 man ab squad, gone are the days of very good league players from NZ. Olsen Filipaina,Dean Bell Darrell Williams,Gary Freeman, Kevin Iro, Reuben Wiki, Mark Graham, Stacy Jones, Tawera Nikau, Manu Vatuvei Adam Blair, Simon Mannering and RTS.
Waxhead
Roar Rookie
@Michael I think some NRL halves have the potential talent to learn how to throw 30m bullet passes off the ground from the base of scrums/rucks but they never have to do that in league. And it would take them at least 2-3 years to learn. League halves never kick bombs from base of rucks/scrums either. Many never kick at all. Ditto with 5/8s. There's a wide range of kicking and strategic skills NRL players need in Rugby they never use in League. 5/8s in NRL are not the major general/play maker either. Look at the B Marshall experience. They best one's could learn all that but it would take years. And in NRL there are no players with physiques suitable for rugby hookers, props, no 8's and probably not 6's either. NRL players are mostly all clones now in the 85-100 kg range. Their hookers look the same as wingers and fullbacks. More like fast Football players than Rugby types :thumbup:
Dale
Guest
I’d go the other way. RA should approach the AFL to go into partnership, and use the AFL dollars to support rugby union development to eat away at Rugby League. So AFL gets a piece of the ‘rugby’ market, and is able to eat away at its biggest rival in rugby league, and then would have an international element in Wallabies that all AFL supporters could get behind ????????♂️
Nathan
Guest
I’ve been saying this for years, both sports have reached their peak in Australia but combining them would eliminate their huge weak spots. Everyone’s starting to realise that you can’t play rugby league without serious head injuries, the guys are just getting too big and fast. Rugby league has the best athletes, but rugby union is the better international game. I have a similar theory about Australia having the best women’s basketball team if it wasn’t for netball.
wahwah100
Roar Rookie
I am not sure how some of the NRL diehards would feel about it.
wahwah100
Roar Rookie
I suspect that Matt might retire if firstly he isn't the selection mix next season which would probably finish any RWC aspirations and secondly his body might be up to it, retire early or try for a contract in a lower division of Japanese rugby.
Clemenza
Guest
Last I looked there were about 200 Australians plying their trade as union pros overseas. Mainly in Europe in the various leagues of the UK, Ireland and France. They have multiple divisions over there, so you are sure to pick up a team especially if you are large and bring your own boots to run about in.
piru
Roar Rookie
There'd be no point, there are no NZ Rugby League players who'd be selected ahead of the incumbent All Blacks
Clemenza
Guest
Apparently you don't need to actually be a citizen of Australia to play for Australia. The Wallabies are a bit like playing for a football club. If you get selected they give you a jersey and the team just happens to have the name 'Australia'.
Geoff
Guest
The kiwi and pommy national league teams have no talent. Apart from Tom Burgess for the poms and the kiwis have Taumololo who is very good, but he is Tongan now. Other than that not a single player of Kangaroos standard.
Observer
Roar Rookie
Great idea if you wish to have two big fish in a tiny pool as Rugby League and AFL are essentially domestic competitions with little hope of expanding globally. Therein lies the rub … the structure of Rugby Union is evolving and the money men will soon change the format with private equity investors monetising the game internationally. Streaming services will grow and global competitions such as a world club championship will happen when the calendar is settled to sit next to the international windows. Money speaks all languages and the incompetence of RA will not stop the inevitable expansion of the code when the “business suits” take over. They will drive changes to make the game simpler and more entertaining thereby growing player participation and supporters. Both the AFL and NRL heirarchy know this and the clock is ticking. Rugby Union toffs are holding the game back but the game will grow in the next decade driven by the $$$ on offer. Hold on for the ride.
Simon
Guest
"And I made the comment yesterday if NRL players were eligible for the Wallabies we’d never lose a game." You sure about that? That means that NZ and GB could combine Union and League players too. Since both the Wallabies and Kangaroos (although less often) lose games on their own I'm not so certain your combined team would 'never lose a game'.
JP
Guest
When RA Re-signed Matt Toomua till the end of 2023 you knew the game was struggling big time in Australia. He is so far gone as a player it is not funny. His best years were 2012-2016.
Backrower
Guest
Agreed Monorchid. The brains holding the 2003 purse stuffed it up, but even still, the product on offer from our teams today is second rate compared to other options. And that’s just what it is - a product in the entertainment industry. Peter - that may be so but I can’t remember seeing anything in league resembling the winding down of the clock like Wales did to Oz in the RWC in Japan. It must have been 2.5-3 mins of scrum resets which the referee just allowed to happen. It is a blight on the game an no wonder it is difficult to attract supporters.
Cheika_Mate
Roar Rookie
I think that is the only short term feasible option with clauses in there to protect your own back yard. Depth is king and NZ hold all the cards.
fiwiboy7042
Roar Rookie
NZ Rugby has NOT ruled out a player draft in Super Pacific next season. That’s another option.
Chully Bun
Guest
You obviously no nothing about rugby league, the best half would be eligible, the rest would be kiwi also rans.
ethan
Guest
Unfortunately, it is a pipe dream.