It’s that time of the year again, where 50 or 60 up and coming Australian rugby players leave their Super Rugby franchise and go back to play with their club.
While these players will continue to train and play, they would be much better served by training and playing in a professional environment. Zoom meetings with your S&C coach isn’t quite the same as having them stand over you while you want to quit.
The news that Phil Waugh will become CEO of RA. Good luck Phil, there is a mountain of work ahead of you (assuming Hamish lets you take control), but not much money to throw around.
There has been a lot of talk about improving the pathways in Australia. This is always easier said than done. I myself have previously thought ‘what if’ about a National Rugby Championship.
We aren’t New Zealand or South Africa where rugby is the national sport, so we need to stop pretending that if only we had a competition like the NPC or Currie Cup the world would be better.
The NPC has been around for nearly 50 years, and the Currie Cup has been around since before rugby was invented. It is not realistic to think that replicating these two competitions would be financially viable and/or reap any rewards inside the next 10 years.
There are lots of different possibilities, but this article explores two. They may not be the best two, but then as a former front rower I am not known for my depth of thinking. That’s ok, I’ve got a thick skin.
Before I go into the two different options, the overarching factors I considered were how to get more players playing higher level rugby; how to generate more money (to pay more players); and how to keep the fans engaged for longer.
Option 1
Expand the current 12 team SRP to a full home and away series and then split the finals two groups of 6. The Cup and the Plate.
There would be 22 regular season games plus 3 weeks of finals. It could start in Feb/March, with the finals played in August.
The downside is the AB and Wallaby players wouldn’t be available from mid-June onwards. That’s ok, as I don’t think the purpose of SRP is to be a training ground for the Wallabies or ABs. I also understand this may not suit those wanting the Kiwi players to go back to the NPC at the end of SRP.
(Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)
The upside is that more players would get more games at a higher level and there would be more broadcast content.
This will be difficult to implement as the different stakeholders (ie NZR and RA) have differing needs – i.e NZR don’t need to do anything different, but RA do.
Option 2
Keep the SRP in its current format. Run from Feb to June. Following the SRP final, have the 5 Australian franchises play a domestic competition.
This could be a full home and away series with the top two playing a final.
This would tick lots of boxes:
• Keeps players engaged with their SRP franchise
• Allow clubs to bring through more junior talent
• Spread the players with RA top up payments across more franchises
• Fringe Wallabies get to continue playing and pressing their claims
• It doesn’t require any new teams to be set up
• Provides another 8 weeks of rugby for Stan to broadcast
The big advantage of this though is it could be setup without needing to get NZR agreement. RA could start it next year without too much effort and assuming Stan would pay for more content it should be cost neutral.
Je Geniko
Roar Rookie
This is the way.
Danny McGowan
Roar Rookie
Yep LP, I just saying I not saying they should join, just it wouldn't worry me. But as well as Aus standing on own feet etc, as I say the timing wouldn't work anyway.
Wizz
Roar Rookie
Kiwis do it better so not surprised..yeah super Rugby selection playing 4 games in two odd countries would be great on so many levels..guys like Canham Kemmeny Van no Nek Walton nongarr etc would gain so much.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
SA have Currie Cup and URC at the same time. Canan Moodie played a month of CC and was then playing URC. Young players need games but most SRP spots are taken up by the better players who only have 14 professional games anyway.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
That is what NZ is doing, each year there will now be a AB squad and a XV squad so about 70 players touring (nearly every starter).
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
I don’t see why SS and HC can’t be given the choice to add in teams too, let them fight themselves to fill the squad. Allows more players show their skills against SRP players.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
Sounds like a good plan. Teams like the Force are already doing extra games and NZR have done a plan with Japan so both countries recognise more games needed. Its madness to be that every SR coach is about to go on a 6 month holiday while worse coaches look after their players. There are currently about 3 games of Professional rugby left that RA has organised in Oz. Even on a normal year it would be 6-7. League and AFL still have half a season to go. Play half the time get paid half the wage.
LuckyPhil
Roar Rookie
I love the thinking.
Frankly
Roar Rookie
I've been a supporter of the No. 2 option for a while. What I think would work well is to have a reserve grade playing simultaneously with SRP. This will strength the depth in the Super Rugby squad as you have players still getting a game each week at a level greater the club rugby, and these players can be indoctrinated into the Super Rugby teams’ culture, DNA, and principles of play. As another option, I have an idea to evolve club rugby. It is basically like the European Rugby Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup concept. There are 45 teams across Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, and Perth rugby competitions. Perhaps the top 8 teams of the 45 can compete in the Australian Champions Cup, the next best 8 teams compete in the Australian Challenge Cup, and perhaps the next 8 teams plays the Australian Challenge Plate. This could be played concurrently with the regular club competition games. Initially, the Australian Champions Cup would be contested predominately by Sydney and Brisbane teams, with a team or 2 from Canberra, Melbourne, or Perth. Overtime, with Melbourne, and Perth rugby competitions maturing, their representation could increase. The performance of teams in the respective home competitions and the performance in the cup competitions each year will dictate what cup they the following year. The end game of all this would be to create a national competition. Overtime, rivalries would build across clubs in different cities. Then perhaps a 2-tier national competition could be created off the back of it.
LuckyPhil
Roar Rookie
No issues with inviting the Drua, and they could even invite all the PI national teams - ie include the teams Australia A played against last year.
LuckyPhil
Roar Rookie
I don't see there being any value in Australian teams joining the NPC. :rugby: It would cost too much with the extra travel :rugby: the Australian teams would be playing against NPC teams that Aussies have no care for :rugby: the games would be mostly played at a time when Aussies are not watching, so couldn't see it being of much value to broadcasters We are much better doing something not reliant on NZ.
Danny McGowan
Roar Rookie
Big A, regardless of your sarcastic remarks about NPC, I am another who wouldn't want it stuffed up. I find super is long enough for me, mainly because I have got NPC to follow, but I personally would have no problems if there was some way of putting a few Aussie teams in the comp. I suspect the finances would kill idea though, as there extra travel. And maybe timing as NPC starts while your clubs comps are still on in Aus. NZ club scene starts and finishes earlier than Aus, we are probably only 3 weeks away from finals starting. I think option 2 is great idea also.
PaddyBoy
Roar Rookie
Great article man, Option 2 all the way! I'd even go for inviting the Drua and just having a 5 week comp plus a final between the top 2. NZ players would be free to head back to the NPC allowing more spots in the 23 for Aus rookies. There's so many painful gaps in the year where Rugby loses people's attention, this would go a long way to fixing that.
SDRedsFan
Roar Rookie
Good article Phil - Option 2 all the way for me. I love watching the Aussie Derbies. Do the Drua get invited to join as well so there's 3 games each weekend and the season can be extended a further week?
Wizz
Roar Rookie
I'm happy enough for most players to go back to competitive rugby comp..where I'd like to see RA step in is grab those fringe players and have a tour set up with hard games organised and the travelling the gelling with new faces ..Close to a wallaby tour as you can get.Im sure t.v rights and splitting gate revenues in that country would cover costs but the experience for these young men is irreplaceable.Tour N.Z Argentina finish South Africa in 4 or 5 week period.
alex gordon
Roar Rookie
Nice Article Phil - option 2 sounds like the way to go in my mind, I wonder if they could overcome the resistance from the clubs to make it happen?
LuckyPhil
Roar Rookie
The good thing about option 2 is RA can just do it. Politically the Hospital Cup and SS wouldn't be happy, but if RA sold it properly, it could be great. Someone else mentioned earlier that the SR Au games could be played at Club grounds (generating more $ for the clubs) and the Hospital Cup/SS games as the curtain raiser.
Big A
Roar Rookie
hey Phil – nice one – option one doesn’t work because of the precious NPC – option 2 is a no brainer and should already be in place – but then we have the precious Schute and Hosp comps – there is no appetite to break these monopolies – it all starts and stops with the Shute Shield and probably two or three clubs like Sydney Uni and randwick wanting to maintain their relevance – i just wish that someone like Hamish would come out and call them for they are. There is one other option and that is that the NPC gets expanded to include for half a dozen Aussie sides – why not? – i’m sure if the kiwis had three or four NRL standard teams they would be welcomed into the NRL- why cant it happen in Union? – i’ll tell you why – because Sydney Uni and Randwick want the SRP players for the second half of the year for their comps – and there you have it – a race to irrelevancy – like a lunatics running the assylum – you wouldnt feed the lot of ’em