Australian Rugby is in complete turmoil.
From what I can see Phil Waugh is doing everything he can to reach a common ground and then The Australian publicises an article with Super Rugby clubs requesting a payout.
This is the problem with rugby in Australia: it is supposed to be built for community and not for one’s own benefit.
When Super Rugby started in 1995, the clubs ‘allowed’ players to play for NSW, QLD and ACT.
If you recall, the Brumbies were the ‘not wanted’.
It drove them to beat all and sundry and as a result, they won a title, and have been the most successful franchise in Australia since.
Now the Brumbies are lucky to get 5000 people in attendance, however, they are demanding money without agreeing to a centralised policy.
(Photo by Jenny Evans/Getty Images)
Let’s put everything in perspective:
– Wallabies haven’t won the Bledisloe Cup for 23 years
– No Aussie team has won a Super Rugby competition for 7 years
– Only one Australian team has made the semi-finals (not top eight) every year for 6 years
– QLD Rugby got bailed out some years back and now have an asset (Ballymore)
– The Force are backed by one of the wealthiest individuals in Australia
– The Tahs have agreed to hand over
So let’s lay this out. The Brumbies, Rebels and QLD have initially said ”no” to a centralised model. Then they have the audacity to extend their cap to Rugby Australia for funding.
I understand QLD with Ballymore as an asset, however, aside from that, the rest is ridiculous. That was also government-funded.
There is too much self-interest in professional rugby in Australia and enough is enough.
Here’s a very quick summation for you.
If you don’t centralise (in some way) three clubs will remain, NSW, QLD and WA.
The Brumbies and Rebels don’t make any money; the ACT due to poor management and the Rebels because they never had a following and didn’t invest.
For the sake of the game, give a centralised model a chance.
Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
In three years we have had three Wallabies coaches, immense turnover from each province, and the lowest percentage win ratio in NZ, who are also concerned.
The solution? Stop asking for money. We have all endured years of turmoil trying to keep our kids involved in this great game, which gave us legends, memories and times of immense pleasure and pain.
Not to mention the other code, which is not only hindering Australia’s progression but is starting to gain traction overseas. Club rugby is doing fine. We are losing eyeballs on screen and in the media. Every reporter seems to engage in the demise of this great game.
Globally, the sport is flush, in Australia they keep digging a hole.
I beg, I plead, I crouch, please stop, this is a mess. I believe this is a result of RA, not questioning, but so are the provinces.
If you love the game, this should stop.
There is no money. And if that continues, we go back to amateur, which was truly ‘the game they play in heaven’.
Bliksem
Roar Rookie
The Rebels are also for financially backed by the Victorian government.
Bliksem
Roar Rookie
Totally agree with the Salary Cap comment. When the market distributes expensive players then every franchise needs to invest more in their pipeline of upcoming players. The teams that joined SR later started with a handicap and would need assistance to catch up.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
How much are broadcasters willing to pay for this new club competition filled with teams that needed to pay channel 7 to televise their games?
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Doesn’t many any old alternative proposed is a good idea. Like cricket, rugby in Aus is heavily dependent on the national team and the international game. So solutions need to not compromise that further.
Jack
Roar Rookie
The Matilda’s came fourth in a home World Cup. That would be a failure for the Wallabies.
Jack
Roar Rookie
We struggle now and the domestic crowds have tanked. Definition of madness….
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
How much debt did RA have under Raelene?
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Nothing to do with the woeful decisions and millions wasted under his watch?
LuckyPhil
Roar Rookie
I get that AA, but ACTRU (aka the Brumbies) are also responsible for pathways and player development. Maybe their real IP is in identifying players that others have brought through their systems.
Alli Anz
Roar Rookie
They’re not a rep team, they’re a professional rugby team. You get the best players. End of story
Alli Anz
Roar Rookie
1) The percentage of registered players to population for both NSW and ACT are the same. 2) Brumbies crowds were closer to 10k not 5k for 2023. Hard to manage money when you don’t have any. RA’s decision to convert a grant of $1.7m into an interest bearing loan after the fact would’ve been a key reason for the Brumbies losing trust in RA. I mean, why would you?
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
It's bizarre. Looking at the past 25 years, you have to wonder how many of the problems are self-inflicted. There's all this complaining that things are just tough, but a wrongly set-up operation may be what makes them so tough.
Footy Franks
Roar Rookie
100% agree there are 1000s of potential sponsors ,businessmen that love rugby but Ra just don’t engage them. There is a huge potential and underground of rugby supporters that is not tapped into as RA just want to hold the keys of a declining fortress.
piru
Roar Rookie
Well for Australian Rugby's sake they shouldn't have cut WA's legs off and forced (no pun intended) us to start again in 2017. Luckily it's not taking as long again to generate local talent at the required level, we are already producing players and we have managed to bring some prodigal sons home.
LuckyPhil
Roar Rookie
But for Australian Rugby's sake we can't keep the status quo while we wait the 5-10 years it takes for WA to start producing players. Things need to change everywhere to make improvements.
Ballymore Brumby
Roar Pro
We either prop the whole thing up or let the whole thing fail, to be honest. Centralisation equals control. It’s simple power dynamics. None of the actual financial analysis or business case for the centralisation model have ever actually been released beyond a light touch, nebulous one pager and media releases. This was the major sticking point for the Brumbies which RA at the time refused to provide any details, but demanded they sign on to it.
Ballymore Brumby
Roar Pro
Think you’ve been eating to many lead paint coated biscuits there mate.
Ballymore Brumby
Roar Pro
Please cite the source for crowd attendance figures. That aside, this is just the usual foaming at the mouth, anti Canberra, anti brumbies diatribe of garbage usually found in the Roar’s comment sections.
piru
Roar Rookie
If the tahs had to pay their way or any of the other SR teams they would go belly up like the Force. Excuse you, we never went belly up, we were killed off
piru
Roar Rookie
We're constantly updating and improving things, I'd be willing to bet our junior development processes and facilities are as good or better than any in Australia - what we need now is time - not upending the whole thing because NSW is having problems