Sometimes I have this dream where after you die, you go to heaven. When you arrive they have edited together your life’s highlights.
They’ve clipped up all the best things you’ve ever done. The things that brought you the most enjoyment. In those highlights, I’m quite sure watching footage of Australian rugby from 2003-present day would not be prominent.
I grow in frustration just watching it. Every time my patient wife asks me after a rugby game why I watch the sport, I am sadly unable to give her a reason.
I am a diehard rugby fan. I went to a private rugby school, one considered a grassroots nursery. Yet only about five per cent of my social group still follows the game. Rugby league has the lion’s share of support, even though we didn’t even have a league team at school! This undeniably small sample group is symbolic of rugby’s current social footprint.
No one cares about rugby anymore. But why?
- The Players
Rugby has too many laws. One of the reasons rugby has so many laws is the players. This win at all costs mentality means coaches and players are constantly trying to wrestle the system. Watching Richie McCaw consistently roll out of breakdowns the wrong way to “accidentally” be in the way gave me diabetes. The first mention of speeding up set piece with time clocks to make the game more appealing was met with Andrew Kellaway arguing against it in the name of player safety.
Richie McCaw(Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
A pet hate of mine is when a player gets injured on the far side of the field and rather than just stepping off and walking around, they would rather slowly hobble across the playing surface forcing the game to wait on them. For the sake of all of the fans watching at home and at the game, leave via the nearest exit.
2. The Officials
The monstrosity of laws has paralysed the game. It’s too convoluted. I don’t think the referees and law-makers care about rugby at all. They fixate on ensuring the right decision is made and lose sight of the big picture. They conduct TMO conferences mid game with multiple replays whilst we all fall asleep at home. In such a competitive sporting market in a convenience-focused and society of instant gratification, we cannot afford these stoppages.
Referees are like Australian idol judges, in that as facilitators of proceedings they became bigger than the contestants. I don’t want to see the referees on screen. I once had a job at a rubbish tip picking up the loose stuff that had escaped the heap…that was more stimulating than watching the TMO talk us through which part of the arm made initial contact.
(Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images)
3. The Broadcast
I’ve seen minimal advertising for the current Super Rugby season. The promotional clips are underwhelming. They have all the flair of a low budget Blumhouse production. The current arrangement is one game a week on free to air television.
The game relies on the fans. Where the fans go, the commercial dollars follow. At the moment, we are trying to win at all costs, hoping that winning attracts sponsors and fans but I believe it is the other way around. The concept is dependant on Australian rugby teams winning but I think “Bill” has forgotten who the Wallabies are.
I accept there are green shoots. The new law changes reflect this changing sentiment. I really hope they inspire positive change. However, I feel like the regular fans who support rugby will turn up in spite of these changes rather than because of them.
Making the game great again requires a collective effort between all parties. You can only control the controllable. All I can control is to vote with my feet and turn up to games. I hope everyone else feels the same way.
Blinky Bill
Roar Rookie
I can only assume that the FTA channels have considered and made a commercial decision not to have Rugby on their channels. Maybe RA needs to have discussions with the FTA crowd, laying out all the wonderful benefits for them broadcasting Rugby. My sense at the moment is that RA expects Eddie to do it all.
John Duncan
Guest
Australian Rugby has lost the plot. No free to air......no fans. Look at RWC 2000 rugby all over free to air, rugby support thru the roof. Put rugby back on free to air and watch it grow. Who can afford STAN in these tough times? John
Kai Levuka
Guest
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… my biggest beef is with the advantage rule. Refs will see a toenail sneaking over the offside line then proceed to play 5 mins of advantage where the attacking player will drop the ball over the try line then they will bring it back 40 metres and blow the penalty. I’m sick of it. Refs now think that unless points are scored then no advantage has accrued and so we have to go back for the penalty!
Khun Phil
Roar Rookie
Quite good comment,Luke,and obviously you are a rugby supporter.Agree the TMO has had way too much influence,but the signs so far show this may be changing for the better.I certainly hope so. You mention the 6 Nations doesn't have to compete with NRL/AFL,but I beg to differ there,they have football,which is even a bigger juggernaut than our rival codes.I also think the 6 Nations is more of a stand alone event,which everyone just enjoys going to as much for the socialising as the rugby.There was a lot of comments after the recent Wales/England game as to how the fans enjoyed the drink much more than the game! Also agree about having Super round in Melbourne,but it has been well documented how this was a financial decision and Melbourne was the highest bidder.
Malotru
Roar Rookie
I presume you're referencing George Smith and David Pocock. Let me guess, they both played for the Brumbies. No bias in your case is there T Bradley?
Doctordbx
Roar Rookie
There's a huge lawsuit that dropped last year in the UK. They'll be working on it here.
The Ferret
Roar Rookie
Not enough content in Australian rugby right now. Buying in all the other leagues would be far to expensive.
The Ferret
Roar Rookie
Hi John. You must not be a tahs fan. According to them Gamble and Gleason are tied for best loose forward ever.
The Ferret
Roar Rookie
I know they are in the same boat when it comes to ex players having the same issues but i do not see the headlines of the lawsuits. I also do not see the game of league making drastic steps to prevent future issues. Am i missing something or is media just better at sweeping this under the rug?
Ehhh
Roar Rookie
So I have two big issues with this type of article. Firstly, my problem with complaints about the TMO and refereeing is it always ignores the biggest factor, and the reason they were implemented in the first place: the spectators and the media, most of whom are the very same as those complaining now. You have more faith in people than I do if you think that if we binned all technology and went back to "The ref is the sole arbiter and it's whatever their judgement at the time happens to be is correct" people would be happy. Look at social media, Rassie, media channels like TAS,
professional whinerspundits, etc, and how they react now when there's even one incident over 80 minutes, and imagine the furore if there was 10 incidents in a game. For example, look at how many people whinged about Foley being penalised in the RC and that was the correct decision, imagine the meltdown if a ref missed an English forward knocking it on at the base of a ruck before bundling over for the decisive try that directly lead to Australia getting knocked out of the WC! I don't really think everyone will just go "Yeah, fair enough, that's great, good luck to the English in the SF" My other big issue is articles with the premise that rugby is in a terrible state are always myopic and biased imo, it may be in a terrible state in Australia/NZ/England (the three who always seem to produce those articles, but that doesn't fairly reflect the global standings overall. Wales is a basket case but that's entirely unrelated to anything WR have done, England has a few issues but aren't nearly as bad as the above, and Canada is in freefall, but elsewhere things are a lot more rosy. France are doing great and has more professional clubs than ever (I believe they now have three fully pro tiers in their competition structure?), Ireland speaks for itself, Scotland are in a better state than ever financially and doing ok on the pitch, SA seem to have embraced the URC, Italy are starting to see real results at youth level and that translating to the mens team, the USA may have missed out on the WC but the MLR is growing every year, the rise of Portugal and Spain mean the T2 in Europe is now more than Georgia + some others, speaking of Georgia they've gone from never winning to beating 2 different T1 countries in the past year, either themselves of Fiji should be looking to make the QF later this year, Japanese club rugby is gaining more and more top players, T3 is growing in Europe too in the likes of Poland and Germany, and the perfomances in WC qualification of Uruguay and Chile is showing South American Rugby is fine too. Yes there's definitely issues surrounding the game as a whole (player welfare, for example), but it's never as bad as what the article implies.T Bradley
Roar Rookie
Mirt, love the passion. Id actually prefer rugby to have its own subscription like the NBA
T Bradley
Roar Rookie
just having a laff
T Bradley
Roar Rookie
:laughing:
Mirt
Roar Rookie
I fully don’t understand this negative hoohaa about how unpopular rugby in Australia is. Just about everywhere I’ve worked in Aus I’m the only one at the smoko table interested in rugby. So, hey guys, we’re a niche sport, always have been in Aus. Maybe the decade (‘95 - ‘05) I spent in Hong Kong and Taipei was the time you’re all comparing now to, to come up with your defeatist attitudes. Rugby is still the best game out there. So go and get your Stan subscription now, best $29 a month I ever spend.
Wizz
Roar Rookie
Lost me in private school part.lol
John
Guest
Pocock and Smith were very good, but nowhere in the class of McCaw. I have watched a lot of great loose forwards over the years but McCaw is the greatest of the lot
John
Guest
I think you need to go and comment on a different sport, seeing how you dislike rugby so much You obviously don't watch the game with both eyes open. Your comment re Richie McCaw shows that. Head over to Fox 1 then you will have all your dreams come true
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
Only in your dreams TB even as far as captaining they weren’t in the race, as proven with Richie doing a few things they never could like, especially holding aloft two RWC’s!
Riggers
Roar Rookie
NRL will come first mate. IRB already has a suit against them and have enough to get out of it, NRL will not survive with a lawsuit, no where else plays it. One player commits and the domino’s will fall dr
Riggers
Roar Rookie
I like this comment Luke, Spot on. I think the IRB did give 2027 and 2031 to Australia because they finally saw this demise. But since 2003, France have had 2 and UK, I believe 3. It’s ludicrous to wait this long. All other comments I completely agree with