I know this is a topic that often stirs up emotions, however, we are in desperate need of a solution for a national third-tier competition.
The key is trying to embrace existing tribalism and somehow incorporate existing clubs from grassroots into the proposed competition and gain greater exposure.
I know this topic is fraught with danger, given more prolific clubs may prosper over the lesser-known clubs, but I believe there is a carrot.
The idea is to link the outcomes of the various competitions to qualification for a national competition. This would be based on the fact that the bulk of players are sourced from NSW and Queensland, but also keeping in mind that ACT, WA and Victoria are all doing well to promote their Super Rugby players into the local competitions.
The competition could look something like this:
•Top six teams from the Shute Shield qualify
•Top six teams from the Hospital Cup qualify
•Top four teams from John Dent Cup qualify
•Top two teams from Fortescue Premiership qualify
•Top two teams from Dewar Shield qualify
Those who don’t qualify play a similar program for division 2, giving a total of 20 teams. Each team is seeded and set into four pools of five.
Each pool plays four rounds, with the top two progressing to the playoff competition, where the final eight play each other once for seven weeks with a final four, semi-finals running over two weeks.
This would supply 13 weeks of rugby and content for television while giving loyal club supporters, such as myself, some fantastic battles.
Players and eligibility
This is always tough, however, there could be some appeal to the following:
Each Super Rugby player pledges and allegiance to their respective clubs prior to the season commencing.
Each club who qualified can choose up to five players who have an allegiance to their club. Any surplus will go into a draft pool as will any players whose team did not make the national competition for the pool stages.
It would make for great theatre as players jostle for a place.
Obviously Wallabies ‘on duty’ are exempt.
The carrot I mentioned would be teams who are jostling for sixth place in the Shute shield, for example.
There is usually a cluster around that area of the table and could prove important for West Harbour, two blues or even a Gordon (my club) a few years ago.
I know there have been many options put forward for a competition like this, so I’m sure there will be more negative comments than positive, but I’m throwing it out there.
P2R2
Roar Rookie
you got it mate...
P2R2
Roar Rookie
"...Oz rugby has as many players as NZ..." questionable
P2R2
Roar Rookie
well - how about that...an Aussie who has nous and intelligence - at the mo Aus doesnt have the cattle for another level of rugby.....
P2R2
Roar Rookie
so ungrateful.....she did as good as the 'old boys and tie network' would allow her.....she is well rid of RA ....
Tom G
Roar Rookie
Use the money the ARU tip into the NPC
Tom G
Roar Rookie
I’ve said for years that a competition using teams from the existing club competitions is a no brainer. It beats the hell out of a fabricated bunch of teams cobbled together as a national championship
Igor Oligarchov
Guest
They mention this idea on here every once and while. As an outsider to union looking in, and living in a rugby region of England I just don't understand the model we use in Oz to be completely honest. You would assume the top club teams out of Sydney and Brisbane would have created a new 'national league of rugby' like the VFL/AFL did in 1982 over a couple of decades to what we have today. I just fail to understand why we have only one club/franchise in all of Sydney which is where the bulk of interest and players come from in union. I would get the top half dozen clubs out of Sydney and a few from Brisbane and play all winter long in a proper season. A breakaway competition of the biggest clubs and most followers.
TJ-Go Force!
Roar Rookie
I'd add that existing club teams in every state don't have the finances for a national club comp.
TJ-Go Force!
Roar Rookie
My preference would be like what the English Premiership Rugby does with the Premiership Rugby Cup during Autumn Internationals and 6N etc. and have a Super Rugby Cup competition. So after the super rugby season finishes and a small break and then the wallabies go away, squads expand with top up players and the 6 domestic sides (including Fiji) play each other once in a mini tournament with top 2 in final and 3 v 4 playoff for third and 5 v 6 play off too. This gives pros an extra 6 games. Also provides clubs with a chance for a minimum of 2 more home games to pick up some gate receipts too. They could also take games on the road to regional areas and use it as a chance to grow rugby. You could do 2 games bye week 2 games bye week 2 games so it spreads out over 8 weeks too. That adds an extra 2months of rugby and keeps everyone happy.
Kashmir Pete
Roar Guru
Good go Nick. My pref is to turn 5 super teams into say 8, and go alone in our own competition. And coordinate so begins at end of club season. Mix of 3, 2 and 1 year contracts to half the players, with other half playing for love and experience and infamy of selection. At end of season, revisit/update player contracts for the following season. If means more rotation of blokes offshore, leave out the welcome mat for their return. Cheers KP PS. 3 teams Sydney. 3 QLd. Brumbies are ACT/NSW ex Sydney. VIC. WA. SA baa baas. Include draft picks for equality, but with rules maximising players turning out for their ‘home region’.
JC
Roar Rookie
Mostly a well-kept secret, sadly. I try to keep an eye on team social media but even that’s not always very illuminating!
LBJ
Roar Rookie
The problem you have is that your problem statement is incorrect. We are NOT desperate for another 3rd tier competition. The only people who want one are professional coaches who understandably want more professional players to choose from, plus a loud handful of people who feel distanced from existing structures. The general rugby public couldn't care less, are glad to see the back of the NRC, and really just want a tiny bit of support for the existing club competitions.
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
So just imagine if the NRL got its act together
Rob9
Roar Guru
Who’s talking about club rugby becoming the 2nd tier and being adequate for preparing Wallabies? Agree to disagree.
AndyS
Guest
"Last time I checked Prem Rugby and the Shute Shield are not national competitions" They are not adequate third tiers either. If RA got rid of SR those comps would sit second, doesn't mean they would be able to prepare Wallabies...position isn't function. They are amateurs, and the reason the players got SR contracts was they already stood out against amateur players. Add all that additional professional development under their belt and they aren't going to learn anything at all running around with the same bunch of players they left behind who have no idea what the player is going to do, can't support him in doing it, and from his perspective are both unpredictable and imprecise. How old do you think Tupou was before he had to tone it down in a club scrum just to keep it all safe and together? How much pressure is a SR ten, even a learner one, really going to be put under by an amateur defense? He might still look average surrounded by players who don't have a clue what he is doing, but that's only likely to teach him mistrust and bad habits anyway. Players need time with peers to improve, doing things at a higher standard. That is true in most every walk of life, and why we don't train doctors in high school even with extra homework and night classes. But that's where Australian rugby is at, still trying to create its next crop of surgeons through apprenticeship while everyone else has gone for universities.
Chufortah
Guest
NRL…. Lol…. Huge comp played on the east coast of Australia. Talk about dressing up a pig with lipstick. AFL is the only sport that gets it right. I would watch NRL but it’s just boring without my Bears. A good rugby match will destroy a good loig game… an average league game trumps an average union game - hence why NRL does better - it’s more appealing because most games are average and many NRL fans can’t count past 6 - perhaps like comparing 20:20 to Test Matches. Leave the big game to the big boys ;)
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
You Rah Rah boys are hilarious. Always looking to put lipstick on the proverbial pig. Just face it, your product sucks nuts in comparison to the NRL or AFL. Rugby Yawnion in this country is on permanent life support.
Rebel334
Roar Rookie
The biggest issue is bridging the gap between club and SR level. I used to play Prem rugby in QLD, the issue is players like myself up against pros when they drop to the level doesn’t challenge them at a level that’s remotely close to SR. For starters club rugby is very loose in nature versus the very stoic and over analysed professional SR level. Players just don’t learn how to cope with the different styles. Although premier grade has plenty of talented and physically gifted players it’s just not the same. In a strange way the club players get more out of playing against and with the pros, than the pros get from playing with the amateurs. If there was a gain, it would be marginal to their high performance. We need something inbetween both levels so that our talented players have had 15-20 high performance games before they have their first SR game, just like they offer in NZ with the NPC. A competition where they have learnt to do their video prep and analyze opposition on a Monday, have some media scrutiny, where tactics are largely pragmatic and players are largely punished for making silly onfield decisions because everyone around them is elite. When I was playing, to my mates I was a great player, I trained almost daily in a semi-professional way but the gulf between me and a genuine SR player was large. It’s that gap that needs to be addressed, I personally don’t think more club rugby will achieve that, I also fear it will create more haves and have nots at club level. Plus the tribalism is grossly overrated in QLD anyway. Was at plenty of matches where if you removed the previous grades hanging around and girl friends, there would only be a handful of supporters there.
Phil
Roar Rookie
I agree. Expect some opposition on here as many do not have tolerance for anything but the apparent consensus view on the need for third tier. And you’re right about results. The third tier didn’t improve our Super rugby and Wallabies results like many said it would.
Rob9
Roar Guru
For starters- our 2nd tier isn’t the multi-timezoned, global beast that it was and the mistake made with the Force was reversed. These are strategies that demonstrate RA’s commitment to engage and grow our local rugby market, in contrast to the compromises to embed the game internationally that the last 15 years was defined by.