Phil and Hamish,
I am a passionate supporter of Australian Rugby. I am an ex-player, current junior coach, go to most Brumbies home games (even though I’m a Waratahs supporter!), and subscribe to Stan to watch the other games.
Bar going to the Waratahs win over the Crusaders nearly ten years ago, the last 15 or 20 years have been hard going. Things need to change, because as the saying goes, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
Changing coaches in the Wallaby team does nothing to paper over the cracks. Recruiting NRL players won’t either.
Having a short crossover comp between a few Shute Shield and Hospital Cup teams might be good for a few fans who can justify a trip to Brisbane or Sydney, but does nothing to make any difference to the quality of Australian Rugby.
Like the Government’s budget, there are much bigger structural issues that need to be fixed to make everlasting change for the better. The fact the SRP sides and the Wallabies aren’t competitive is a symptom of the underlying issues, not the actual problem itself.
What we need:
- More opportunities for top level coaches to develop.
- Across the country there needs to be more meaningful pathways for the players coming out of school.
- More high-quality games for our professional players.
Address these things and the SRP teams will become competitive again, as will the Wallabies.
What we don’t need:
- SRP coaches only having their players for 6 months a year.
- Losing more great young prospects only to poach them back from the NRL when they are worth more.
- Artificially strengthened Super Rugby franchises by parachuting in New Zealanders.
- Randwick or Sydney Uni playing against Bond Uni.
I certainly don’t pretend that I have all the answers, and in more likelihood my plan raises more questions than not.
What I thought was needed 12 months ago has evolved over time thanks to the wisdom gained from speaking to others about it.
(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images for Rugby Australia)
So here is my broad plan:
- Leave SRP alone. Appoint an independent commissioner to run and market it better but tinkering with it (through things like a draft) is not going to fix Australian Rugby. Let the independent commissioner focus on whether there is a crossover comp with Japan or if there should be super rounds in Melbourne, but that should not be Rugby Australia’s focus.
- Work with the five Australian franchises to develop an academy, where the players play in a genuine competition that runs alongside SRP (ie from Feb to June). The squads for these teams wouldn’t need to be made up of all academy players but could also include Super Rugby players that don’t make the main team. Most franchises already have an academy, it is just formalising it. Ideally you would want a 7-team competition, so you could either have a representative team from the Shute Shield and Hospital Cup, or you could have the Waratahs and Reds fielding two teams each. Maybe treat the academy players like apprentices, where they are signed on for 3 years – if another franchise wants to recruit that player there could also be a transfer fee.
- From July onwards, run a home and away series for the five Australian franchises. SRP franchises already pay their players for 12 months, so there shouldn’t be any significant additional costs to running SRAU. I would be highly surprised if Stan, as the home of Rugby, wouldn’t cover the costs of this. Hell, let’s call it the Stan Cup.
As I see it, the benefits from this plan would be:
- SRP coaches get to have their players for the whole year. They will be able to teach them more, but more importantly the coaches will have more chances to learn and expand their own skills.
- There would be a genuine professional pathway for players to learn and grow.
- If this was adopted from next year, players from the up and comers to the almost there would have more game time heading into the Lions tour and the 2027 RWC.
Clearly the big impediment is money and how to fund it. I have no doubt both corporate Australia and fans would get behind it if there is a vision.
Over to you to realise the vision.
Regards,
Lucky Phil
LuckyPhil
Roar Rookie
TWAS, if this was adopted I imagine it would be different to what I have outlined, to manage commercial realities and because of things I have overlooked. When I mean the SRP coaches don't have access to players I meant more from a coaching and playing scenario. Not continualy playing with their teammates does nothing to build partnerships. Another SRAU comp could be mickey mouse, but better than what we have now where we wait for 2 or 3 weeks to watch a Wallaby game. I'm sure smarter people than me could create it into a meaningful product.
LuckyPhil
Roar Rookie
Catching up with him and Phil Waugh on Saturday. Will post a follow up article.
Broken Shoulder
Roar Rookie
Nicely put together mate, can't say I disagree with any of that. And a massive plus to see Hamish has actually responded. Would love an update as to how your further conversations progress.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Phil I don't fully agree with your plan because I think it's driven by some misconceptions (e.g. Super Rugby coaches have access to their players year round save for annual leave - it's just more high level games to use that access in that's lacking) and there are some aspects that I think we need to be clear about how successful they can be (ie. will another SR AU round robin seem mickey mouse). But I can't see how its complicated at all. The fact that it's all aligned around existing SR franchises if anything surely simplifies things. the only questions are about refining it to work best in a similar model to this.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Let me guess. You'd have no issues spending lots of other people's money on trying to strengthen club rugby, a project that has no clarify of success, right?
southcoastboy
Roar Rookie
Good plan. But, you forgot to add in a way overdue investment in regional/country/junior rugby. There are a lot of young kids outside the big cities who are missed due to lack of regional development and support - in schools, especially. Great to see RA has read/replied, however. Nice work!
PaddyBoy
Roar Rookie
On the MNC myself mate and it's funny, all you hear about is league but there's two decent teams out of Coffs alone playing Union. Absolutely need more promotion in regional areas. NSW Country has always had remarkably strong Rugby clubs, lots of talent, lots of passion.... no exposure. NRL and AFL are throwing tidbits to regional areas and getting a pat on the back. It's a market RA would do well to focus on I reckon.
Rugbynutter
Roar Rookie
I like the ‘Stan cup’ naming idea for SRAU post super rugby competition…
Kashmir Pete
Roar Guru
Nice Phil Maybe NSW could develop over time to 3 academy teams: Norths (Sydney north of harbour)) Souths (Sydney south of harbour) Wests (NSW from Parramatta West, share base with Penrith Panthers, with optiona to feed in NRL youth not making NRL cut). Cheers KP
AndyS
Roar Rookie
Nothing highlights that more than even the second Bledisloe not being shown free to air. A Bledisloe game, FFS!
Knocka
Roar Rookie
Agree entirely, although I would make a slight change to the SRAU competition to be played after SRP. Certainly keep the Melbourne Rebels, Western Force and ACT Brumbies, but I would change the Waratahs and Reds to be teams representing Sydney and Brisbane respectively, rather than NSW and Qld. This allows for future expansion in these states if/when, the competition is successful and grows. For example, a team from western Sydney or Newcastle might enter at some time in the future, and that would be difficult to name if there is a team representing the whole state. I am all for the names of teams being representative of a region rather than simply a brand name. That's one of the things that holds back SRP when trying to sell it to non-rugby people. Where are the Crusaders from? So its important that there is thought about how RA might want to see the SRAU competition look in the future and what regions it might want to expand to, assuming they believe the competition will succeed.
Rogue Estate
Roar Rookie
I have great respect for Phil Waugh. Loved him as a player even as a kiwi!
Wig
Roar Rookie
yes priority Australian rugby,but be open to copy things that work even if they need tweaking ...im talking possible nz practices that work its free to copy. You just don't hear anything about what's happening and what's in t he pipeline a bit like the West Australian newspaper about rugby union.
Ankle-tapped Waterboy
Roar Rookie
It’s straightforward, Phil. Sensible enough to look at wet-finger on the $ aspects. Credit to Hamish for responding, not just lurking. EEdited to add, having read further: I agree with the people who are posting that the lack of free to air broadcasting is crippling Rugby.
NotKev
Roar Rookie
Rohan great response. Phil I still like the ideas and great that results of comms have occurred. I do want to agree even more with this comment from above "Rugby supporters in Oz have been bemoaning a lack of grass roots support, lack of free to air coverage and a lack of leadership for decades. Nowhere is this more evident than wrt to engagement to our juniors." It took a mum in our junior u/8's to highlight to a number of us dads as to the confusion of no matter how much coaching was done about cleaning out after a tackle etc and how well they practiced it at training come game days they would make a tackle on opposition and whilst a kind of ruck formed they would all stand there just looking at the player on the ground and let him place ball back and then proceed to be removed by opposition. Her point was that all that they watch on TV is league cos its free to air - we live on mind north coast of NSW. There is no rugby at times that kids that young or even as old as 10/11 can watch for free or at times that dont interfere with bed times. Anyway her point was they just copy what they see ...... and they dont see enough rugby on TV. Why there hell there isnt some kind of rugby team or Super W team on the mid north coast confounds me.
Badjack
Roar Rookie
First job. Get a Chairman who understands Leadership and has the qualties to actually LEAD. 2nd job. Understand the difference between Player Power and player Input. 3rd job. Get rid of PLAYER POWER. 4th job. Reintroduce PLAYER INPUT Then go ahead and fix the Wallabies and the game in general.
Elvis
Roar Rookie
The death of Australian Rugby has coincided with these two factors. Pay per view on all games except Bledisloe and home tests....no access for majority of households. Remember when RWC pool games were available. No Gordon Bray. The voice of rugby used to have the back story to every Wallaby debutante...his knowledge and genuine love of the game shone throughout every telecast. We now have a guy who orgasms every time he says Koirebete...and Sonny Bill Williams...who...with all due respect should be nowhere near a microphone. Lately...Confusing rule changes and Over officiating have made the game a hard watch....but this is where we are at Go back 20 years...the answers are all there.
LuckyPhil
Roar Rookie
I have emailed it to RA. Great news that Hamish has responded both here and to the email. Look forward to chatting to him and Phil about it some more.
LuckyPhil
Roar Rookie
I hate criticism for criticism sake, especially when it is about individuals and doesn't offer any insights or potential solutions. It would have been easy to say there is no pathways, but there are lots of different ways it could be done. The one I have put forward is just my version. Fingers crossed.
LuckyPhil
Roar Rookie
Is the plan complicated though? I thought it was pretty simple to follow. Agree, I am not sure of the costs to implement it, but doing nothing is not an option. My concern with starting at Club level is that the professional players don't play enough high quality games. I'm not saying not to do things like a crossover comp between SS and HC, but this isn't going to engage more fans (outside the ones that are already engaged), it is not going to improve the quality of coaching, and it won't give players more exposure to higher quality games.