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Joined January 2019
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Sheek, perhaps it is time to find out why Australian players are playing overseas. They should be asked. Is it only about money? Or something else – they are past Wallaby selection (retired or otherwise), lifestyle, lack of opportunity in Australia, opportunities to play with (the best?) players from other countries. Perhaps it is a combination of issues. However, if the players are not asked, we are not going to know why they are not staying here. If there are really “70-90 players playing in Japan, France, England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland & Italy” as you say, then there should be more than enough players to support five Australian Super Rugby sides, if they can be convinced to stay here.
Too big to fail: Why Rugby Australia must not make the same mistake again
Ruben, you said, “The Waratahs are too disconnected from the rest of NSW.” That has often been said. Perhaps it is true. The more often it is said, does that make it truer or fact? Although it is interesting that I have not heard that comment about the Reds and the rest of Queensland. The Melbourne Rebels represent Melbourne – I really do not think they represent Victoria. While Western Force is really Perth, rather than the entire WA. The Brumbies are the ACT – well there is not much else to the ACT besides Canberra.
There are too many Super Rugby games. Thus the audience (game day attendees and/or TV/online) become game weary – you cannot attend all games in your city (cost and travel distance) and cannot watch all games on TV (competing options for scarce time). Before Super Rugby, NSW played Qld twice a year. These were big occasions because everyone knew these were the only opportunities to see potential Australian players in action before Wallaby selection. You made the effort to attend the game, thus crowds were big. Or, if you could not attend, at least you would make the effort to watch it on TV.
TV – now that it interesting. There are too many games, thus the potential audience is spread across the entire series – who will watch every game, even just watch your team each week. My previous comment about NSW vs Qld games prior to Super Rugby. Bringing the game back to free-to-air is surely going to engage more viewers. Additionally, rugby seems to be invisible in the main-stream media (perhaps this is just the case in Tassie), except when there is bad news to report (e.g. administration issues and staff being sacked).
How to save Australian rugby? Rekindle tribalism – and forget New Zealand
I agree with your comments on the atmosphere for Aust v Wales, although 28 degrees and close to 100% humidity in Tokyo was not much fun for someone wearing their 2001 long sleeved jersey!
Lower the ticket prices. I am sure players would prefer to play in stadiums full of people rather than half-full stadiums. Even as an enthusiast, I am not going to pay $100 plus (adult ticket) for a Test ticket more than once per year, even if I was living in Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane/Perth (which I am not). Perhaps free tickets for members of junior rugby clubs. Bring back the curtain-raiser. Having schoolboy rugby or premiership rugby before a Test is sure to improve crowds. People don’t see paying $100 plus to watch just one Test game as value for money, at least not on a regular basis.
The Wrap: Lazy thinking reinforces rugby’s negative narrative
It’s great to read positive rugby contributions. There is far too much negative contributions – too often the negative commentary does not provide solutions. Positive stories will generate positive stories.
I was one of the 35,000 Australians who visited Japan for RWC2019 – that is a positive rugby story. I saw the four Australian pool games, plus four other pool games. The atmosphere at each game was great and the Japanese were great hosts. I would highly recommending visiting Japan.
The Wrap: Lazy thinking reinforces rugby’s negative narrative
Perhaps it depends on where on the field the penalty is awarded and whether the kicker feels that it is kickable. If 30 to 40 metres and in front of the posts, presumably the kicker will feel he can kick it. If 40 to 50 metres out and towards the sideline, perhaps he will feel he cannot kick it and then the captain will opt for the lineout.
What impact could Super Rugby teams ignoring points have in a RWC year?
People will always complain about paying subs. Once, the breakdown of the subs is explained, most will understand and pay up. Some will continue to complain about the cost. While some think it is a big joke to play without paying. Today, even if the subs are $300 or $400, for what you get over the season (10 or 15 games), it is a small price to pay.
RA should be congratulated for encouraging people to play rugby and any of its derivatives. The more people playing and showing interest in the game, can only be good for the game in Australia.
Rugby AU announces new, extended approach to community engagement via clubs
Great article, Geoff
A few points:
I have been concussed four times (that I know of) playing rugby union, over 17 years. Some might say that is not many concussions, and thus I was lucky. However, many head knocks might not result in a concussion requiring treatment. However, a knock to the head is still a knock to the head. From my experience with concussion, I know that each subsequent concussion is worse than the previous.
Contact sport (rugby union, rugby league, AFL, soccer, basketball, netball etc) can result in concussion injuries. Fortunately, many of these sports are looking at ways of minimising head contact. However, in contact sports, contact with the head is not always avoidable. Most concussion injuries are not caused by deliberate acts. Most are accidental – poor tackling technique, a clash of heads, or a stray knee or elbow.
When I was playing subbies club rugby in Sydney (over 30 years ago), a concussion during a game, resulted in an automatic two-week away from the game for the concussed player. That was no training and no game-time. It seems strange to me that the automatic two-week break, even now, is not mandatory across rugby union and the other contact codes.
You mentioned that some AFL players “fudge baseline Tests in order to be passed fit after a later head knock”. This is happening in rugby union also. My nephew plays for a Sydney premiership club (not first grade) and mentioned recently to me that players at his club and other clubs had discussed fudging the baseline tests. It is crazy stuff. However, when you are young and fearless (and perhaps a little foolish), you take risks and do not think of the consequences.
The Wrap: Clear heads required to negotiate rugby’s concussion minefield