Back in the day, my wife and I went to all of the Force games, as high-level members. We happily flew to Brisbane and Sydney to watch the Wallabies play All Blacks or South Africa, went to Hong Kong to watch the Bledisloe, had an absolute blast talking to John Mitchell after the game… even flew to Twickenham to watch the Poms get beaten.
One night in Brisbane was huge fun, upon returning to our hotel well after the game and pub crawl celebrating a Wallabies win, the wife and I still in our gold jerseys, thought we’d have a last drink at the bar/lounge only to realise we shared our hotel with the All Blacks, who were relaxing in the bar after the game.
Having lost to the Wallabies (and seeing how kiwis hate losing) we were feeling a little self conscious that night as the only ones wearing gold in the bar. But the entire team were absolute gentlemen and we had a good old chat with a couple of players. We had a blast (and I’m 6 foot and boy, some of them are HUGE).
We bought new Western Force Super Rugby jerseys and shirts each year, new Wallabies jerseys, scarves, spray jackets, all of it. We bought a couple of Wallabies framed jersey with signatures, a framed and signed pic of the Force’s first win at home… We were all in.
Now, we rarely watch rugby.
Max Burey of the Western Force. (Photo by James Worsfold/Getty Images)
I say all of the above because undoubtedly there will be some types who’d say ‘if you were a true fan you’d still watch’, but after many years of lack of engagement by Rugby, we walked away.
So, Rugby Australia – do you want to know what happened?
It started at the Force. We were paying big bucks for membership (and also with the AFL’s West Coast Eagles at the time), year after year, had really poor seats, and one day I watched Matt Giteau just going through the motions on the field, again, and again. I have no issue losing week after week, but not when players are obviously treating it as just a job.
Meanwhile, we got excellent seats and got to hear from and meet several West Coast players each week at the Eagles’ after game ‘Captains club’.
I’d played Rugby and encouraged my young son to join our local club. The club itself were amazing with the kids and they all looked up to the coaches with awe as they were either ex Australian 7’s representatives, or still playing in the WA local comp.
Yet my son also got to see, hear from and meet West Coast Eagles players at each home game… It didn’t happen at the Force. No one came to his rugby club.
‘Grass roots’ is often cited as the solution for engagement with Rugby’s problems. But although we were hardcore rugby followers with a son playing, traveling all over Australia and around the world to watch our teams, buying all the merch, it was the disconnect between grass roots rugby and seeing the reality of Wallabies players in Western Australia clearly treating games as just a job that brought home the fact that there was no passion, no ‘die for the jersey’ attitude, they were just marking time.
Both the Force and the then ARU (despite my efforts encouraging our son) had no idea how to connect with young players or enthusiastic supporters.
Western Force Hooker Folau Fainga’a celebrates a try. (Photo by James Worsfold/Getty Images)
My son kept talking about the Eagles, and they connected with him. They made themselves available and I’m sure it was a chore for them, but they did it regardless. Although we continued to encourage him with Rugby, he was all about the Eagles.
And the ARU? Nowhere to be seen. One Wallabies visit to the club in several years. No player engagement through the Force and all the while, Eagles players were here for this or that every week.
Eventually, we gave up. My son started following the Eagles week in and week out, played Aussie rules (despite his size and skills being more suited to rugby) and then gave it away once reality set in for him.
After watching the Robbie Deans/ Ewen McKenzie debacle, then the train wreck of Michael Cheika, it became obvious that Rugby in Australia was so engrossed in its own politics that us, the fans were an afterthought.
So I gave it away too. The wife and I now watch NFL and College football now, we even fly to watch games live, and buy all the merch.
Jordan Petaia, Mark Nawaqanitawase and Andrew Kellaway after going down to Wales at the Rugby World Cup. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
There’s no TMO changing the course of a World Cup final (with World Rugby later admitting the TMO overstepped their boundaries) to destroy the showpiece. We watch on average five games per week – that’s 3 hours a game, 5 times each and every week. Think of the Rugby broadcast partners getting a hold of that?
So Rugby Australia, in my opinion, you don’t just need a high performance manager and central contracting. You need to headhunt the best AFL grass roots executive, the best NRL schools executive, identify the people behind what both the AFL and NRL do so well and spend the money on that – not players like Joseph Sua’ali’i.
Get the people cleaning you up out there in the market place with kids like mine inside your tent, regardless of the cost!
Spend the time and money on finding out at a grass roots level how you are being decimated, who is doing it then pull out all stops to get a hold of those people and get them involved in growing Rugby. Sell it to them as a part in making Australian rugby great again on the world stage, whatever it takes.
We, the Rugby fans, even less engaged as I am, would support the expenditure at any price for the good of the game. Stop writing reviews and get out there to fight for kids like mine, who were captured by the AFL.
Dionysus
Roar Rookie
Sorry to hear that you are now forced to watch that horrible game. I take on board your reasons and agree with much that you say. RA is sick, sick from top to bottom and we have to get back to good old grass roots principles. Forget the RWC. If we cannot get the foundations of our game in good order then the rest is always going to be a bit suspect.
Vlad
Roar Rookie
No. Target who NFL consultants turned a university game into a $9bn a year TV deal. They relentlessly market they have the biggest, strongest and fastest players of any sport. Just like Rugby Union and League here. How? Tackles. Rugby(s) are the only tackling games in Australia. In the 1960s a US fan who worked in films started making a half hour show a week on an NFL player, a team, college, anything each week. As his own thing. Cheap TV full of slow motion tackles andslow mo sprinting that filled the otherwise boring Sunday afternoon slot in pre internet days. Relentlessly highlighting 2 things boys, and men, ask. Who's toughest? That's it. Teenage boys are after nothing else but being tough, watching tough and talking tough. VFL does coward punches and clotheslines from behind because it does not have tackling. Some unfortunate coward punched someone lying down looking the other way and was pronounced "boxer" by the likes of Racist Eddie. I love how he first eluded proving himself, by running way to Stawell, because a month before the fight he forgot he had signed to play for an amateur remote team, in another state. Yet later you all watched SBW knock down that Melbourne person in 9 seconds. He wasn't even punching hard and SBW is have never been the best boxer in any Australian Rugby let alone Rugby in general. The Australian Heavyweight champion is almost always a rugby player at some point. I know of an ex player now struggling for opponents in a VFL state because he hits so hard. NFL consultants would recognise that is what boys go for. Who's fastest? Just like boxing, look at the list of fastest Australian 100m runners. Almost all NSW and Queensland because Rugby(s) are the only team ball sports where sprinting is part of the game. Others let players cover 50m with a kick instead. Rugby players have to sprint that 50m while battering through opponents. The fastest active pro Rugby player officially set the 4th fastest time in Oz athletics. Our current 100m international hopeful was recruited because of his on field Rugby performances. That is what teenage boys come like. It's that easy but where is relentless NFL style bragging? The player bench press and 40 yard sprint times being compared like trump cards in the school yards? Concrete numbers boys can marvel and argue over on an otherwise boring bus ride to school. That is the beauty of the NFL Combine. Better for advertising than recruitment. Did you know Taniela Tupou has to withstand 2 tonnes of weight alone in a scrum, not including the force that 2 tonnes then pushes into him? Those exerting that force easily be be in the "bench 4 and squat 5" range of "gym bros". That he shoulder push presses more than most other gym bros can bench press? His Irish equivalent squat 800lbs. Does anyone realise Rugby Union is the only sport that directly rewards heavy squatters outside the gym? That is free advertising in internet Gym Bro culture. If you want cash money to pay players you need those kids. Instead we alway hear about Dermot Melbourne McCoward-Puncher pretending to be tough... But we are dealing with RA who said Folau would play Union over League because he where else could he play in exotic place like France, while militantly banned anyone playing professionally in France from playing for the Wallabies. Imagine if Argentina or Brazil refused to allow overseas professional footballers to play World Cups?
Kashmir Pete
Roar Guru
Great article Keith. Many thanks. Cheers KP
high horse
Roar Rookie
they dont visit those schools either. if they turned up at most schools in australia, no kids would know who they are
LuckyPhil
Roar Rookie
Thanks for the article Keith. Clubs and RA need to get more of a connection with players, especially young ones as they are the future. We frequently go to the Brumbies home games and the kids are like chirping seagulls trying to get the players to give them their boots or socks. Some get fed a few scraps, and they end up with a few autographs. Compare this to the Raiders, where the players hang around, frequently invite kids into the dressing rooms, give them socks, boots, shorts..... Which games do you think the kids want to go to?? Really not that hard to give out some cheap merch to proudly wear around town. Then I have watched an NRL affiliated trainer hold free sessions at the local primary school. Rugby want to charge high schools to send an academy player to run a few drills.
Rohan
Roar Rookie
Great article Keith, but sadly and eerily reminiscent of our family experience in Canberra. Here's a comment I made months ago on the Roar in response to another article and post: "KCOL, I read that article and was struck by the comment “They don’t know how good they’ve got it,…”. So true. I’ve just spent the day in Boorowa at a Grade 6 country touch footy competition. Coached a mixed team of girls and boys, who variously also play netball, soccer, AFL and basketball. They managed 2 wins, 2 losses and a draw, improving and growing each game. The kids appeared to have a ball (and one of the right shape). There were hundreds, maybe a thousand plus kids, along with fantastic teachers and many committed parents. Relaxing now, while I know it’s not rugby per se, I’m trying to imagine how much it future worth and value there might have had been in an RA and/or Brumbies and/or Waratahs presence on the ground – surely they could’ve managed to put together a marquee and sausage sizzle between the three of them!" RA's version of community reminds me of cannibalistic Wombats - it seems they eat the grassroots and leave.
Billy Boy
Roar Rookie
Thanks for responding Ken In your case I think the issue is with the club organisation, not the players or RA. In my case I have taken my boys to several fan days for WBs players were completely engaged as well as my SR side. I did check the records M Giteau is the 3rd highest point scorer overall at the Force NFL still has a stoppage after every play
TahMansCape
Roar Rookie
Good piece. However, I’ll still continue to support my local Super team and buy their membership and merch annually. They’re visibly working hard and trying to pull things together for their fans. If the game drags on, I just pop in my headphones and switch Kayo on my phone and watch some NRL.
Don
Roar Rookie
In season fan engagement outside of game day in Super Rugby historically was hard to schedule for the main squad players. A business I was involved with was a minor Reds sponsor and conditions and timing around player off field promotions was very restricted. Unlike NRL and AFL, SR (previously) saw your team’s away for a couple of weeks on 2 or 3 match tours to SA, Argentina and NZ. The players association would have some requirements that clubs provide some consecutive “personal days” when back. Along with training, it made it difficult to schedule promotional activity. Without SA and Arg it should now be better. And with the state of Rugby they should be doing whatever they can to engage fans. Hopefully the Force today are a significantly more fan friendly and commercially astute operation.
Brian Westlake
Roar Rookie
How are you going to help change it JD? This isn't me being a smart arse, but asking a genuine question. I'm going back onto my old clubs board even though both the Westlake lads are retired. I've also put my hand up to help with the Walla rugby next season. (Don't forget your working with kids paperwork!!!). The world does exist outside where you mentioned. Its just that they're doing it better than my area at the moment
Nick Maguire
Roar Rookie
Keith, I presume you are disengaged from the Force still, do you know what is happening now? Not to be critical because it's your experience but it may not be what the reality is there now. Or it may still be. :laughing: Some good points.
MattTheContrarian
Roar Rookie
Thanks for writing this. The mark of a good article is when someone puts to paper (in much better wording) , what a lot of people are thinking and experiencing. Ties in with my experience at grass roots, where we havent seen RA/professionals really ever. Intellectual capital is what RA needs, not to reinvent the wheel. Its the same as any good organisation, if you want change, go get the people who have done it before and get them to action the lessons that have worked elsewhere.
Keith (no longer) of WA
Roar Rookie
hey billy.... the 'platinum' club or whatever it was called at the time (I'm getting old) had a whole section at Subi Oval that we were placed in... we were paying quite a bit for the seats and yes I contacted the Force about changing seats, but if you looked up where we were all placed it wasn't any better.... I'm sure many force fans have not so fond memories of Subi.... so yes we persisted until we'd had enough.... RE the Wallabies in Perth at the time, well I named one in the article and you can look up the others if you must.... No, back then there was no after match function for the 'platinum' club or whatever it was called... In fact part of my article was removed and it related to the fact that one day the Force emailed all of the members advertising a corporate box with prime seats, meet the players, food and drinks at a price significantly cheaper than what we were already paying, (without any after match functions or meeting the players) so yes... it surprised us too... And re the TMO.... the on field umpire IS the TMO.... he only reviews if there is a challenge and even challenges are limited....
Billy Boy
Roar Rookie
Interesting piece Ken and thanks for writing. There are a couple of things I’m confused about. You were paying big bucks for a Force membership but had crap seats, did you take it up with the club and why keep renewing if things didn’t change. The access to the Eagles was probably due to them being based in Perth, how many WBs were playing for the Force during this time and I’d be surprised if the Force didn’t have an after match function where supporters weren’t able to mingle with players. Agree the fan base for NFL is growing in Oz as well as globally but your TMO comment puzzles me as the TMO would have 5 or 6 involvements per game whereas in NFL there is a stoppage every play Anyway I still think the game is great, the WBs are only a couple of good players off being back on top and EJ shouldn’t be let anywhere near an Oz rugby field again
hog
Roar Rookie
Exactly You see the difference with West Coast AFL team who see you as a valuable customer, an asset, part of the clubs existence. With Super Rugby its all just basically trial games preparing players for the real stuff that is Test rugby. And then we wonder why fans are all a bit indifferent about the whole thing.
Arcturus
Roar Rookie
What a great read, and no arguement from me about lack of grassroot's engagement being one of, if not THE major problem with Rugby Australia. You've also jogged a memory in me, because when I played junior rugby (many, many years ago), I don't remember seeing any Wallabies either. But one afternoon at training, Ron Coote turned up. Not to tell us to play league, but to work on our tackling skills. I assume he was a friend of a friend of the coach, but he still made the effort to turn up and run a few U16's schoolkids through some drills. I wonder if that sort of thing still happens, in any code.
Frank Heaven
Roar Rookie
<> And there you have problem with domestic rugby competitions the world over. The national union treats the domestic comp as a feeder to the national team, the players treat the games as warm ups for the internationals and just go through the motions, as you put it. So if the results of these games don’t really matter, then you can forgive the fans for walking away. It’s only really in France that the domestic rugby competition is treated seriously, and guess what - France is the richest rugby country on earth.
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
Excellent article. Unfortunately RA thinks that the grassroots are Sydney east of the CBD.