The future of rugby union in Australia and New Zealand brings up lots of different emotions for people. Sadness, anger, worry, optimism, scepticism, and even a twinge of regret.
What rugby in both Australia and New Zealand is going to look like in two, five or 10 years has to be vastly different to what it looks like now, otherwise I doubt it will be alive.
Rugby has so many issues facing it that it isn’t a simple task to come up with a solution. There is the lure of big money from France, UK and Japan.
There are more opportunities for young athletes through NRL and AFL. The rule changes. The lowering of the tackle height to be between the knee and the bottom of the shorts.
Razor Robertson recently opened a can of worms when he said New Zealand should look at the selection policy in terms of overseas players. Shock horror, how could he blaspheme like that?
Below is my broad-brush attempts of trying to layout the issues and how the new world should look. I don’t pretend I’ve got all the answers, but willing to stick my neck out anyway.
Issue 1 – Should the national team take preference over everything else?
Up until now Super Rugby has been used as a training ground for the national team. I believe this has come at the expense of growing Super Rugby into a truly elite competition.
Given the national teams play somewhere between about eight and 10 games at home and another four or five on their spring tour, I really question whether these games should be the focus or if the focus should be on the 100s of games of tier one or tier two rugby that are played during the year.
Issue 2 – Super Rugby is harming player development
Like it or not Super Rugby is not an elite competition. Time after time we see players, especially Australians, go overseas for a year or two and come back a much better player.
In Australia we can barely put together a 30-man squad that makes the Wallabies competitive. We could if there were no injuries, but hey it’s a contact sport.
I don’t know whether it’s facilities, coaching, or the number of games people are playing, but it seems that whatever Super Rugby is doing now, especially in Australia, is not doing its job in terms of player development.
Will Skelton of Australia. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
Issue 3 – The season is too short
Super Rugby goes for 15 rounds plus the finals.
The Gallagher premiership goes for 24 rounds plus the finals.
The Top 14 goes for 24 rounds plus the finals.
The URC goes for 18 rounds plus the finals.
Oh, and then many of the overseas teams compete in the Champions cup.
The Japan League One is the outlier, with only 16 games plus the finals.
Issue 4 – There is no tribalism
Most teams were made up in 1996 when Super Rugby first started. Sure they were made up from existing structures, but they were still made up teams.
A kid from Narrabri doesn’t really have anything in common with the Waratahs who spend most of their time in Coogee. They need to go back to grassroots and revive the tribalism.
My vision
1. Both New Zealand and Australia should have stand-alone 12 team competitions that play a full home and away series. In NZ this could just be an expansion on the current NPC, and in Australia it could be a new competition called the National Rugby Championship.
2. The top five New Zealand and Australian teams from the NRC/NPC should play in a cross Tasman Super Rugby competition.
3. The top six teams from this competition should then play against the top two or three from Japan in a Champions Cup type league.
These competitions could be managed by a new entity called Anzac Rugby incorporated which would have a board made up from representatives from the 20-24 clubs, a commercial director – and importantly very little input from RA or NZRU (I know this will be the stumbling block!)
RA and NZRU could then focus on what they should do best. Use the money they make from the wildly successful national teams to develop pathways into these competitions, train coaches, lobby for more sporting infrastructure, and run academies and centres of excellence.
Peter Darrow
Roar Guru
I read the reactions to Wayne Smiths comments, all agreeing with him. Make it better to watch, the people will come back. Those who believe they are "true rugby fans" because they are watching today are in denial.
Micko
Roar Rookie
It's certainly a function of the competition too Peter!
Peter Darrow
Roar Guru
Maybe it is not the competitions fault people are losing interest in rugby, I believe if the standard of rugby and the officiating was improved those who had given up on the game would return. I read with interest what Wayne Smith said today and I totally agree with him. He turned a game off at half time because he was appalled and frustrated at the referees performance with the advantage rule. The arm goes out all the time even when some form of advantage has been reached, “You just know we’re going to go seven, eight phases and if it goes nowhere, we’re going to come back [for] a penalty," Smith. He also criticised the driving maul which I personally believe is a black spot in the game. How anyone can enjoy that is beyond me. I watched the Reds vs Waratahs match and was disappointed in the school boy errors made by leading players, aimless kicking a feature. The skill level is disappointing. As I said improve the game, the rules and the people will return.
sheek
Roar Guru
TJforcefan, These days everyone wants instant gratification. Anything worthwhile takes time. Time which governing bodies can't be bothered with, so they chase their tails continually. If you don't get it right first time, you're obliged to change continually. Where's the cleverness in that? When our forefathers designed & built the SHB they had the good sense to install 8 traffic lanes, 2 railways, a walk lane & one other general purpose lan, anticipating future growth. Today they would have built just 4 lanes & then decided they needed another 3 bridges!!! Ditto Oz & southern hemisphere rugby, they just keep chasing their tails with short-sighted stuff. Sometimes you just gotta take a short-term hit for long-term benefit. But modern folk don't get that.
TJ-Go Force!
Roar Rookie
ABs won’t be strong in 2 years when SR goes under and their best players have to choose between NPC or going to Europe and they all go to Europe.
TJ-Go Force!
Roar Rookie
What’s your solution then mate? Very keen to learn. Because what you’ve proposed previously will take 5-10 years before we get any results and probably cost annually another 5 million a year as a minimum. Where does that 5 million each year come from to Improve pathways and development for the next generation of players if Super rugby dies in the next 2 years because the competition is rubbish? SR used to be the premier comp in rugby, now it’s probably third. It needs to balance out and become more competitive to create ‘tribalism’ you yearn for.
LuckyPhil
Roar Rookie
Anything that gives us more rugby is going to result in better players and better games. TBH I don't know which ideas would be better than others, but the status quo aint the answer.
LuckyPhil
Roar Rookie
It's OK TJ, as long as the ABs are strong all is good.
Micko
Roar Rookie
It was an amateur era carry-over turned into a professional one with no long term thought about the adjustments to a new professional landscape for the sport.
Micko
Roar Rookie
NRL teams are full of kiwis/PI's and who complains? It's a highly competitive professional league with it's tribalism intact and growing. The problem with super rugby is it's never been serious about being a proper professional league.
Aiden
Roar Rookie
Great ideas, love em.
Lazza
Roar Rookie
I like watching them too but I also like watching my local Football team with local players mainly. Over 10,000 of us turn up for every home game in our nice little boutique football stadium. I watch AFL as well since that's the major sport here. The only Rugby I watch is the World Cup. Test matches, mini tournaments, provincial rugby just won't interest general sports fans.
sheek
Roar Guru
Lazza, No, I'm not a toff. My point is, if money is your only motivation, that's sad. You say it's great to see all the world's best players in the EPL. The fans can also watch them on TV in France, Italy, Germany, Spain, etc, no? I think it kinda sad most of the leading English clubs, & very famous English clubs, have so few English starting players in their XIs. It's kinda like selling your soul for more moola. But that's not my problem either.
sheek
Roar Guru
TJforcefan, No, I'm not missing the point. I understand perfectly about "freedom of movement". I just don't agree with a free-for-all. Folk talk about tribalism on one hand, then having mercenaries from somewhere else playing for their team. Logic????? Sorry, I mean entertainment!!! But since money is God to many people, what I think is irrelevant. But I can still express my opinion. I'm not obliged to hop on the populist bandwagon. Thanks for dropping by.
Old Bugger
Roar Rookie
Damn right......
Lazza
Roar Rookie
Football clubs have to release their players for international duty now, There's a global calendar so there's no conflict between international and domestic competitions. Rugby could learn from that.
Lazza
Roar Rookie
Which professional sport isn't interested in increasing their revenues? Rugby could just go back to being an amateur sport if you think that's superior. I remember English Football fans having this debate 30 years ago when all the foreigners started arriving in the EPL. No one complains about it now, they love seeing the world's best footballers in their league and so does the rest of the world.
TJ-Go Force!
Roar Rookie
Serious investment in Coaches and good academy programs, but also professional contracts for the best u/20s and using 7s as a pathway program. That’s where I’d start.
fiwiboy7042
Roar Rookie
First tip: eyes on the ball.
TJ-Go Force!
Roar Rookie
Do you know how long that will take old mate? And how much money? Minimum 5-10 years. Super rugby will be dead in 2 years if the comp doesn’t get more competitive.