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Opinion
The key to improving Australian rugby is to treat it as the best niche sport in Australia. The days of competing with the AFL and NRL are gone and rugby must focus on what it does best.
You do not have to be the biggest to be the best, just ask hypercar maker Mate Rimac who started off in his garage and now makes arguably the best hypercar on the planet, the Rimac Nevera.
Competing with the likes of Ferrari, McLaren, Bugatti and Lamborghini has not intimidated Rimac. Laser like focusing on absolute excellence and keeping your customers happy, can have more benefits than trying to outdo the opposition.
Working to your strengths is a philosophy that can help Australian rugby become the best niche operator in Australian sport. Games of high quality with satisfied viewers, achieving excellent results against the top tier nations and an elite level of schoolboy rugby to provide the foundations of success are objectives.
To compare rugby to housing, you can have mass produced buildings or houses of excellence, Australian rugby should aim to be the rugby version of the niche operator producing stunning architecturally designed homes.
Former coach Alan Jones said in 2017 “we have to go back to the floor of the game.” Patience will be key however as the solution to raising the bar of Australian rugby is to start in the schools.
The quick fix methods of appointing a “saviour” as coach or recruiting rugby league stars will in my mind not improve rugby in Australia. Yes, I know we all have shorter attention spans these days but good things are worth waiting for.
Think of schools as being the “garage” of Australian sport, a passion ignited, experimentation, skills developed and an incubator where dreams come true.
I came across an article published by Rugby Australia in 2019 written by Stu Walmsley about Hutchins schoolboy Jack Weeding in Tasmania about his discovery of rugby and what it meant to him. His body shape did not fit the sports of AFL or basketball and as he says, “he was in sporting limbo.”
I will quote what he said as it is very pertinent to the point of this article, “I fell in love with it from the first moment I picked up a ball – I’d never felt anything like it before, says Weeding, “It was something completely different that I’d never got a taste for in any other sport, and I loved the mateship that came with it, I think you’re a lot closer to the guys on your team than in any other sport.
“In year seven I was one of the smallest guys going around, but there was still a position for me, and then as I grew and got older, I could change around and try other roles.”
“Rugby really boosted my confidence, helped me get to know a lot of guys in a welcoming and fun environment,” says Weeding. “I became more outgoing, and rugby is really where I first took on leadership.”
The ability to travel with rugby is also another characteristic having experienced it myself with travels from New Zealand to Australia and then on to the Esher Rugby Club in Surrey, England. It is a terrific way of connecting with a community and developing friendships.
Head coach at Hutchins School Tasmania, Shaun Killian confirms that the culture and values in rugby union distinguish it from other sports, “where the expectations of a player or teammate are in line with rugby values.” The All Blacks follow this with their “no dickheads” policy when selecting players.
Shannon Frizell of the All Blacks . (Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images)
Where rugby is a minority as in Tasmania, the lack of funding inhibits the progress of rugby in attracting fresh players and putting systems and administration in place.
Shaun confirms there are no salaried members of the Tasmanian Rugby Union with all help done on a voluntary basis. For rugby to survive in areas like Tasmania, grassroots rugby needs funding to find the people who will promote the game and benefits from playing it.
Killian says that “one or two people need to be found in schools who are knowledgeable about the game who can coach or find coaches willing to push rugby union.”
“Schools of different social standing but equal ability need to be playing each other more often to give players more opportunities and confidence.”
It is important at a grassroots level that players familiarise themselves with the physicality of the game and basic skills become second nature, confident players become smarter players.
An idea that Shaun Killian had was to bring Super Rugby matches to the smaller centres to connect the community with high profile players. “Full small stadiums bring fans closer to their idols and favourite teams,” said Shaun.
I asked Shaun if a young person was deciding between AFL or rugby what would be his selling point for rugby.
“I would try not to compete and make it possible for that person to play both sports if possible-play on different days, then point out the advantages of playing rugby, the opportunity to run with the ball, contact nature and a position for everyone, but do let kids play what they want.”
A factor that came up in our discussion was the fear of parents worried about injuries in union. Killian said that “there is up to date duty of care procedures in place to inform and educate players of potential injuries which sports such as AFL are only just implementing, there is also a surprising number of injuries in AFL that parents may not be aware of.”
The key point is for rugby union not attempt to compete with the big two and establish an excellent niche sport based on time spent at the grassroots level with greater emphasis on growing the game at schools.
The long-term objective is to be more competitive at international level, increase viewership numbers and be widely respected for the standards reached.
Go back to move forward, there is no other choice.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.