IF these days it’s all about engagement – I’ve been reading today about the ‘outrage economy’ – then without a doubt my most successful column on this platform was the one about Israel Folau where I focused on the fact that God doesn’t exist.
But let’s say he/she/it does exist.
He/she/it has assigned a scriptwriter with a wicked sense of humour to chart the destiny of a relatively obscure sport called rugby league.
Consider this: exactly 100 years after the gentlemen of the Northern Rugby Football Union decided to break away from the parent game, rugby league subdivided again in the Super League war. And this prompted the parent game, rugby union, to turn professional, thus removing the primary reason for the breakaway in the first place!
But wait, there’s more.
(Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)
Another quarter-century passes. Rugby league can’t get its act together enough to stage a World Cup it has promised the UK government. Its UK broadcaster slashed its TV money by almost half, meaning some clubs copped an 80 per cent cut in funding, sending them out of business, so – wait for it – the parent code announces it is going one better than the Mungos did in 1907 by cutting the number of players on the field to 12! Who’s up there writing this stuff? The guys who did the Three Stooges?
I know, I know: it’s NRL finals time this weekend and you don’t care about what’s happening in England, like these rugby union World 12s set to be staged next August with players to be selected by auction like the IPL.
But if you care about the game and its general direction of travel – I realise that’s a big ‘if’ – then it should be of at least passing interest that other sports are trying alternative formats to keep younger people interested while rugby league simply is not.
As it turned 126, rugby league was still locked into selling itself to and being played by the descendants of the same butchers, bakers and candlestick makers who started it. It never escaped that demographic and is ill-equipped for the grand gestures of other sports who are trying desperately to sidestep the looming TV rights apocalypse.
Sky TV are in fact insisting on an alternative version of rugby league – not nines, apparently. And if you are to believe the comments of Hull FC owner Adam Pearson on a recent BBC podcast, the game in Britain is trying to give them one.
Obviously if you’re the sort of Australian who is happy for the borders to remain closed and who thinks it’s the fault of expats who want to come home that they left in the first place, none of this is a concern to you. Move right along.
The NRL is doing okay at selling itself to the same people it began winning back in 1998. Yes, rugby union is struggling in Australia. I know. That is of zero comfort for the League 1 clubs in Britain who are about to go out of business or for the people who put their lives on hold for a World Cup next month.
Anyway, outside the 16 teams in the NRL, the sport does seem to be at an inflection point and have an identity problem when its parent code first apes its ethos (1996) and then its aesthetics (2021).
If it’s not the professional rugby and it’s not the rugby with fewer players, what is it? How do you explain it to someone? The rugby you can play without having to deal with rugby union officials? The rugby they play in Wigan and Parramatta? You can’t definite it by rules that NRL keep fiddling with over dessert a few times a year, can you?
It will always have a reason to exist in eastern Australia – money – but elsewhere? You know what scriptwriters are like – they can kill off a character at a whim and make it seem like that character never existed.
That’s what the NRL’s scriptwriters did with the last Brisbane grand final in 1997 (shhh), isn’t it?
BeastieBoy
Roar Rookie
Steve Mascord NP, we are here to discuss and improve. Australia's Rugby Union is dying. The private school support has in the main switched to soccer and the game has slowed down and full of interruptions. Even in NZ there are indicators that this is happening too. The people playing the game are just too big. So I suggest in the next generation RU is not the threat. The question is how much better can League be. I think Australia its on the right track. I think League in Australia has won the audience battle with Union. Well and truely.
DAVEC
Roar Rookie
its just Steve Hanmsen nSteve Tew and their mates getting bored as they arenot wanted any more and theyforget we have had super 10 super 12 and super 15 not forgetting sevens and nines
Steve Mascord
Expert
Your comments are, with respect, entirely Australia-centric. Rugby league's relevance and popularity are under extreme threat in the UK. And it's a very marginal thing to try and sell people somewhere new when rugby union has usurped the game's USP by going professional and reducing the number of players. Why, in 2021, does rugby league exist except to service its existing audience? What is its point of difference to new customers?
Statler and Waldorf
Roar Guru
I'd be interested to know if all of these formats have increased the amount of players and fans. Or is it just just the same players and fans having more games to watch and play
BeastieBoy
Roar Rookie
Given its Covid Times League is doing OK. The New Rules are exactly what is needed. What it has shown up is a lack of quality and depth in the Coaching Ranks. Well now we know we can get about fixing it. The other thing is the style of player is changing back to someone not so huge but faster and more skilful. So their recruitment will need to change and it will. Expansion Teams are a good idea, but so too is a roving team of analysts to look at existing clubs that are not succeeding and how that may be overcome. For Example should the Tigers be relocated to Campbelltown. If yes bite the bullet and get it done.
Cam
Roar Rookie
Recently cricket seems roll out a new iteration of the sport every couple of seasons. We started with test cricket, moved to one day cricket, shortened again to T20, then 100 ball and if you can believe, T10 was a hit in our region earlier this year.
Tony
Roar Guru
Cheers Steve
Steve Mascord
Expert
Nothing. It is merely an attempt to place events in an historical perspective, highlighting some of the weird co-incidences regarding time frames, and illustrate to an audience steeped in the sport that it is actually becoming irrelevant outside a very small geographic area. If the sport disappeared now in the north of England there would be a terrible pain and uproar but in a generation it would be largely forgotten, particularly if the teams were playing 12-a-aide rugby union.
The PTA has disbanded
Guest
Rubbish 7's is the most relevant of ALL variants of rugby now. It's the one that is played at the Olympics, it's the one that has global exposure, and it's the ONLY one that can guarantee not just expansion, but equality in competitiveness outside the commonwealth + France. There will be a time inside 20 years where countries like the USA, and African countries, Asian countries etc will be highly competitive to the point where they win trophies...and will start commanding more TV dollars than traditional rugby which will NEVER ever, ever, ever grow outside traditional markets to a point where they can be competitive.
Diesel 2.0
Roar Rookie
I don't mind this 12's 3 week comp. It would be good to open the auction up to league players also so you get the best of both codes, if all parties allow it.
Hugh_96
Roar Pro
Sure timing and player welfare are the issue, what have the players said? I was looking at rugby from a product line perspective - you start to introduce too many products, are you increasing the audience or just moving from them one product to another, cannibalizing your products. Also you don’t want to start confusing your audience especially the casual rugby viewer. Whilst you say 7s is irrelevant it is part of the overall rugby package especially in terms of player & audience growth. One of the biggest issues rugby has is the continual focus on self interest rather than the sport.
dogs
Guest
But I think I agree with what *I think* the article is saying. Funnily, Andrew Johns used to often say he though league needed to lose 2 players, down to 11-a-side. Haven't heard him mention it recently. So taking of my fan hat... Currently the main difference (sport, not socio-whatever) between league and union is the contest for possession. In league possession is by the rules, I get tackled - I keep the ball, I put it out or knock it on - you get the ball. In union you only get the advantage in the next contest for the ball. But to an outsider these differences are very technical, it's still fundamentally the same line based game. which is why plenty of non-fans refer to both games as being "rugby". And if the focus on player welfare leads to a continued watering down of the ruck/mall in union (compare it now to 30 years ago!) there will be even less to distinguish them. To be honest I fear that in less than 100 years they will be merged to one code - just to compete with other sports (both in fans and kids playing) in what is increasingly a global year round market. I just hope that some form of rugby league (or union - better than nothing) is still around then.
Maximus Insight
Guest
The key difference between 12s and the 7s is it would be the actual professionals (at least those based in the northern hemisphere) playing. 7s are irrelevant. Timing issues seem to be more about availability and welfare of players.
dogs
Guest
I think the main reason 20-20 cricket was such a success was it fundamentally changed the offering. The fact it became something you could consume in 3 hours (as opposed 7 hours or 5 days) meant it then became a prime time product. The whole fiddling rules and bias towards 4s and 6s was just dressing. So I don't think changing rules or number of players is going to significantly shift the numbers much for any sport or football code. Not saying they're pointless, any improvement in viewers is still an improvement, but they're kidding themselves if they think they're getting a 20-20 cricket kind of shot in the arm.
Hugh_96
Roar Pro
Not sure whether the rugby 12s will actually take off & personally don't think rugby needs it. Currently rugby has apart from club rugby & various annual Tests, it has 15s World Cup, 7s World Cup, the 7s annual World Series, 7s Commonwealth Games, 7s Olympics, Wheelchair rugby in the Paralympics. Plus there are 10s tournaments here & there. They are also introducing in 2023 a global calendar of tournaments for women's international rugby. So really not sure how it will fit into the annual calendar. But will say it has some heavy hitters trying to get it off the ground and with most sport if there is enough money - who knows what will happen.
Adam
Roar Guru
I find it hard to follow Steve at times, but that might be my problem. I think it's implying that League needs to try new things to remain relevant, particularly in England (or anywhere outside NSW and QLD) and is using the 12s as an example that Union could very well be taking the market share of League even more with this idea
Adam
Roar Guru
That's a pretty easy comparison to make. Because 10s is played about once every 500 years
Statler and Waldorf
Roar Guru
“other sports are trying alternative formats to keep younger people interested while rugby league simply is not” NRL, due to rule changes, actually try a new format every year. They just haven’t found a suitable format to settle on yet.
Tony
Roar Guru
Yes, I read about that Steve, but what are you trying to say? What action are you recommending?
Steve Mascord
Expert
https://www.rugbyworld.com/news/new-world-12s-tournament-explained-130531