There are reasons. Of course there are. Hundreds of them, at least.
Eddie Jones? He’s a reason, for sure. Say what you like about Eddie Jones, and you’ll probably be right.
Hamish McLennan? He’s a reason too. In fact, anyone involved in the top echelons of Australian rugby is likely to be a reason.
There are big-picture reasons in planning and structure and grassroots, and narrow-focus reasons in training and preparation and strategy. Reasons, reasons everywhere, and not a drop of consolation in any of them.
It feels devastating to see the Wallabies knocked out of the World Cup in the group rounds, but almost more upsetting than the elimination is the fact that, after nursing the raw hurt for a few hours, a thought actually occurred to me that in my 35 years following the Australian rugby team, has never occurred to me before.
That thought was: maybe it’s good. Maybe it’s good they lost. Maybe it’s good they got humiliated.
Maybe it’s good because frankly, they got what they deserved, and so often in sport you can’t realistically address what’s going wrong until you get hit with the full consequences of your failings. It could be a wake-up call for all levels of the game.
That was the positive side of my pessimism.
The other side was a much more depressing thought: maybe it’s good that they lost because it means the agony of watching this team this year will end sooner.
After 20 years of trying to maintain optimism in the face of increasingly grim tidings, I think I might have reached the point when I am finally wondering just what is the point of being an Australian rugby fan?
What is Australian rugby for? It’s a game with a dwindling fanbase, a shrinking playing population, ever-weakening domestic competition, and a flagship national team going backwards on rollerskates.
The people who run the game seem to either not care whether it thrives, or be so bad at decision-making they give the impression of not caring. They are apparently concerned only with the success of the national team, ignoring any issues below that level, and yet they have driven that national team into the ground.
If they can’t make a go of improving their number one priority, what chance does any other part of the game have? Then again, maybe being ignored by Rugby Australia is a blessing: who’d want that stench of death lingering around them?
Dejection for Australia players and staff after the Rugby World Cup France 2023 match between Wales and Australia at Parc Olympique on September 24, 2023 in Lyon, France. (Photo by Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images)
What does rugby union offer Australia? And what is the point of any Australian getting behind it?
It was a sobering experience going on social media after the Wallabies’ humiliation. There was plenty of grief and frustration and anger, but what really hit hard was the number of Australians who were perfectly happy with the result. These are Australians who want to see the Wallabies fail. Many of them go further and are hoping for the demise of the entire sport.
What do you do as a supporter of a sport that is not just dying, but dying to the enthusiastic cheers of your compatriots who see it as just desserts for a game that has for many years been arrogant, smug, elitist and incompetent? What do you do when the pain of losing is coupled not only with the pain of systemic decay, but the pain of knowing so many other sports-lovers are gloating over your game’s corpse?
I belong to a suburban rugby club. I know the popular perception of rugby as existing only for wealthy private school boys and networks of plutocrats is not the true story of rugby in Australia. I know that all around this country there are clubs full of good, committed people who love rugby, love their clubmates, and have gained enormous joy from the game.
But I also know that the rulers of rugby have given everyone excellent reason to believe in that popular perception, and that I see no evidence they’re interested in changing that. I know that the way the game is organised means all those clubs full of good, committed people are at ever-growing risk of extinction, that kids who love the game of rugby are ever-more likely to be lost to it because nobody in a position of power bothers to think seriously about how to keep them within the rugby family.
I know that rugby, which can be the best of all sports when it comes to community spirit and camaraderie, is being killed in Australia because it’s run by men who make it the worst of all sports when it comes to putting the people who love it first.
I’m devastated by the rock bottom the Wallabies seem to have hit, but I’m even more devastated by the fact that below the Wallabies, there doesn’t seem to be anything else giving cause for hope. If the national team was losing, but the provincial teams were strong, that would be something. If the professional game was at a low ebb but the grassroots were thriving, that would be something. If there were struggles everywhere, but there was a widespread passion for the sport, or a big next generation of rugby devotees coming through.
There’s nothing. In every way, at every level, as far as I can see, Australian rugby is contracting.
Maybe if Eddie Jones had not been hired, the pain would’ve been postponed a little. Maybe if the World Cup squad had had more experience, it wouldn’t have been so disastrous – even though what experienced Australian rugby players are mostly experienced at is losing. Maybe, maybe, maybe.
(Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
But I think it’d be foolish to think that anything as superficial as a different coach or a few different players would’ve halted the malaise that infects not just the Wallabies, but all of Australian rugby.
And so here we are. No heroes to cheer for, no rescue on the horizon, no reason to believe that this slump is anything but terminal.
And so I ask, sincerely, and genuinely, what is the point of being an Australian rugby lover anymore? If there’s any chance that continuing with this game I’ve loved almost my whole life is going to bring me anything in the future but more sadness, please show me. I’m desperate.
jimmy jones
Roar Rookie
at least you admitted you're unlikely to have knowledge of local athletes being an overseas person
vonManstein
Roar Rookie
Oi oi oi
damo
Roar Rookie
Lol- sounds like you're a real wizard at being an Ozzy then...
1eye
Roar Rookie
What skills exactly does a board member bring to the party from being on the rugby field 20 years ago anyways..... aside Private old school boy contacts.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
What Simon says is close to true. So congratulations Simon. You win the riddle prize. Your next challenge is to put Eddie, Hamish, Wallaby and success into a coherent sentence.
Simon Robinson
Roar Rookie
I was perplexed too but I believe the solution is 3 x 20 years (trying to maintain optimism) = 60
vonManstein
Roar Rookie
Pretty sure Damo yeah. Born in Charleville many moons ago. Onto my 5th 10 year passport now. Never travel without Vegemite. Love a curry pie washed down with a Bundy ginger beer. I refer to homeland as Oz rather than Aus. Guess it's one of my many quirks, but not so uncommon I don't think??
Baz
Roar Rookie
Well written Ben and believe me you are not on your own. The scale of loss to Wales was actually a positive for Australia. A loss by a few points would have pacified most resulting in minimal reaction from a weary press and fan base. I can see Rugby in Australia is currently operating at 2 levels. The first is the club (or local) scene where the game is played in most parts of Australia. It represents the best of people and community involved in the game and provides plenty of enjoyment and fulfilment to the local rugby community. It is organic and provides a genuine sense of community and equality (think Shute Shield and Hospital Cup). Then there is Super Rugby and National level effectively managed by Rugby Australia which is characterized by entitlement and elitism...a corporate entity out of touch with grass roots rugby. I think the 'rusted on' fans will still participate at the local level because it gives something back. The Super Rugby and National fans will simply cease to go through the turnstiles until there is a product worth watching. The one positive is that the fan base is still there. They have just chosen not to patronize teams that are not competitive.
Ozrugbynut
Roar Rookie
Steve, that is profoundly ignorant..AFL players can run 20-25kms a game, execute a high degree of skill under pressure from 360 degrees. NFL poach AFL players for Special Teams for these reasons, and AFL coaches like Mick Byrne work with ABs, Wallabies and Fiji on skills development. AFL broadcast rjghts were last worth around $680m (Rugby in Oz were around $27m) - I don't think fans are keen to watch a bunch of second rate slobs. How about you watch the AFL Grand final or State of Origin.
Vlad
Roar Rookie
How do you deal with a board that rejects the help of a billionaire? AFL would give Twiggy 24 hour silver service. NRL would appreciate a WA expansion. But not the RA. Consider all "white" sports (Union, AFL) are shrinking because all white people have under replaced. Immigration is the only supporter growth avenue and NRL and football have that hand s down. AFL is at least trying. How Union lost all its SA and Pacific Islander supporters to NRL shows the insane approach of the RA.. I honestly think they sit there pretending nothing else exists, remembering old schoolboy matches.
damo
Roar Rookie
Are you sure you're Australian? Ozzy?!?
Muglair
Roar Rookie
It would make sense for a number of clubs, each for their own reasons. Sadly a lot of deaf ears in the district. It is very important to keep doing the same things.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Thanks Mirt, you saved me from counting them up! 38% sounds about right, actually a bit more than I would have expected from a skim through, as we played the ABs so often in the early years for meagre returns.
Toulouse Lautrec
Roar Rookie
Now your thinking Ben! NBL players! we could do some sort of Zone defense. lots of high balls and let the big fellas go up and get it! Just so crazy it may work.
FunBus
Roar Rookie
I’ve played football (soccer) at a relatively high level and lived in the States for a number of years and can quote you stats for NFL and MLB going back decades, along with College basketball. I now watch sports from all over the world from home in England. If there’s nothing else on the 10 sports channels I’ve got access to I can watch rugby league for about 30 minutes until I get bored (can just about make the full 80 of an international if England/GB are playing), but I’d rather watch Mongolian throat warbling than Aussie Rules - as would the rest of the planet.
Norton66
Roar Rookie
The reality is the talent pool in Rugby is tiny and untill that is fixed the Wallabies have no chance. Half of Sydney is ignored by Rugby Union.
Brian Westlake
Roar Rookie
nothing like throwing scholarships at every lad that shows half an ability. mate is a VP at a prestige league school out that way. If the kid doesn't make the riff/parra/tiges cut they have nothing as they are all hoping to be the next big thing. has beens before their time
piru
Roar Rookie
the important thing is to start somewhere. 100% with you on that A bad plan now is better than a good one tomorrow, you can always edit a bad manuscript, a blank page is nothing etc etc
sheek
Roar Guru
Piru, Thanks for that. As I said above, for a long time I preferred the provincial model. But it simply doesn't work in this modern world. The truth is, we have to structurally mimic AFL, NRL & A-League. As scrum accused me above, where will the players come from? Well, they will come from existing comps & the talent won't be much good, but the important thing is to start somewhere. And that somewhere is to have a working model national comp that hopefully will be fleshed out over time as the talent improves. Assuming we get to work on tendering the grassroots garden. The game is broke, & unfortunately it is today's players (& coaches & administrators') responsibility to lay the foundations for future players to benefit.
sheek
Roar Guru
Robert deHoy, Thanks for responding. Two problems immediately. 1. Sydney & Brisbane should not have same amount of teams simply because Sydney has more rugby players. A 4/2 split acknowledges this. 2. NSW Country & Qld Country, as much as I love them, simply don't work in a major national comp. The problem is, they represent too vast an area, & if you centralise them, them voila, they become Newcastle & NQ (Townsville). I would reprise the ARS where the NSW Country, Qld Country, Tasmania & NT, etc can do most good in developing talent for the ARC. I trust this helps.