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Andrew Blades made some very good points in a recent article on this very website. If you have not read it, I would encourage you to do so.
It is a positive tonic from recent traumatic times (and I know that you know what I am referring to).
This article and namely the following comments from Blades had me casting my mind back to the 1980s and 90s rugby landscape and when I first started playing as a six-year-old in 1984.
Blades’ comments made a very good point about the majority of rugby being played on subscription television or streaming services, denying access to some people. They could very well be the people needed to become involved in the sport and help the game grow.
“We just got very reliant on thinking that it was just going to keep happening and it was OK to be behind a paywall of TV and it’d all tick along,” he said in Christy Doran’s article.
“What we’ve found out now is that almost 30 years down the track we’ve had a whole couple of generations of kids grow up not seeing rugby on telly and you can’t sell a secret. If kids are not seeing it, they’re not becoming engaged or welded onto a team.”
In those grand old days, I remember Test matches were usually played at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon and televised on free-to-air (Channel Ten if my memory serves me right).
What was also custom in my neck of the woods was that if the Wallabies were playing on a Saturday our local club rugby was played on the Sunday so that everyone had an opportunity to watch the game live, whether that be on the TV or at the actual Test match venue.
This allowed us as a family to watch the game live, I was fortunate that my siblings and I were taken to a few Test matches in Sydney which made for such enjoyable experiences (we travelled 2 hours to get there too).
All Blacks Will Jordan is tackled. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
I remember getting up at 5am early to watch the 1991 World Cup final that we had taped, then going and having a glorious surf with a massive spring in my step – the good old days.
In my opinion, having Test rugby on free-to-air would be fantastic but I do not profess to have the ideas on how that could become a reality. But with the multitude of channels available to each network, surely they could fit it into a Saturday or Sunday afternoon somewhere.
What I am more passionate about as a starting point, is to get Test matches in Australia played at 2pm or 3pm on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.
This is both a family, children and adult-friendly time and would surely result in more eyes on the game. Why not go a step further and not disrupt local Saturday Rugby competitions by asserting that Test Rugby is played on a Sunday afternoon?
A time-friendly kick-off has many benefits, and in my view, will make watching Test Rugby live a more attractive proposition for the vast majority of the rugby community.
I put the following to you and welcome thoughts; firstly more families will be able to watch Tests together. For some young children, 7.30pm or 8pm is too late for them to stay up and be actively engaged in it.
It will be easier for adults/friends to organise to watch Tests together as organising to attend Test matches with family and friends will appear to be an easier proposition rather than at night. Social gatherings and events based on Test Rugby will be also boosted.
There will be better playing conditions (more often than not), leading to a better spectacle. I still get excited when Tests in Australia and New Zealand are played in the afternoon.
Usual evening social activities, arrangements and events will not be interrupted or prevent one from watching Tests live. Sometimes it is a hard choice and difficult to avoid spoiler alerts when you have to record the game.
I appreciate there are challenges surrounding having all Australian-based Tests played at 3pm on a weekend, but for me, there are so many benefits to the Rugby community that surely the Rugby Australia Board and Executive team could navigate these. Food for thought, let me know what you think in the comments.
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.