Roar Rookie
Joined September 2020
1.9k
Views
1
Published
9
Comments
A Queenslander living in Singapore, I am an ardent Reds and Wallabies supporter, amateur poet and social rugby player.
Published
Comments
South Africa’s intention to join the European pro rugby competition is a gift to the Australian and New Zealand rugby unions. The two trans-Tasman…
Exactly. The time zone works nicely. I adjust my reverie from ‘lunch time’ to ‘afternoon.
South Africa have gifted the trans-Tasman cousins a golden opportunity
Fair enough. If we don’t dream big and optimistically, nothing will change for the better.
South Africa have gifted the trans-Tasman cousins a golden opportunity
Hi Laurence. I feel there is a grave need for some optimistic rugby articles/ opinion pieces at the moment. I agree that an islander team our Pacific brethren can get behind would help bring some of them back to the fold.
South Africa have gifted the trans-Tasman cousins a golden opportunity
Hi Dean. Perth isn’t too far removed from the East Coast and NZ. Imagine a lunch time test or Super Rugby match on Saturday or Sunday afternoon. While it’s lunchtime in the west, it’s a perfect time to watch a game over some sundowners in the east and a reasonable 7pm time slot for NZ. Just need to reimagine how to make it work so we can include the Force. WA Rugby have a strong fanbase that the ARU shouldn’t ignore.
South Africa have gifted the trans-Tasman cousins a golden opportunity
Hi LuckyPhil. Yes, now is the time for some adjustments and flexibility so that new partnerships can be made for the next couple of decades. Hopefully the people at the top can find it within themselves to bring rugby into a new, modern age.
South Africa have gifted the trans-Tasman cousins a golden opportunity
I would imagine that hosting a ‘mini’-tournament once every few years would definitely attract more of a crowd than currently attend. I guess my reasoning there is along the lines of ‘supply and demand’.
South Africa have gifted the trans-Tasman cousins a golden opportunity
Hi Spruce Moose. Without optimism, the future could be a lot more dire than it needs to be. Firstly, I will admit I have not done an audit of the financials… I will leave that to people with much more aptitude to such a task.
Yes, the TV dollars coming in from South Africa would be well received, but games scheduled late into the night aren’t ideal viewing and aren’t going to attract more viewers to grow the game’s fanbase. I would suspect that it is not financially attractive from a broadcaster’s perspective to pay for content that isn’t going to bring in more customers.
From the ARU’s perspective, the amount of money flying four teams across the ocean, putting the players, coaches, managers and support teams up for a tour to two countries could be more better spent on growing our game in Australia.
South Africa have gifted the trans-Tasman cousins a golden opportunity
Hi Blue. No, it definitely is a time of great tension around the world, and unfortunately it seems rugby isn’t immune to cracking under the pressure. While periods of change are stressful, they are also exciting times for growth and improvement. Lately, it seems all the news stories out and about are focusing on the tensions and negatives of such changes. I’d love to be reading more positive stories about how the leadership from all unions across SANZAAR are being open-minded and looking to make the game better instead of the seemingly closed-minded, tribalism coming out. Yes, they need to look after their own players and competitions, but they also need to realised their stewardship in this global game.
South Africa have gifted the trans-Tasman cousins a golden opportunity
It would be a grand move to develop some more professional teams in SA and around the country. Now is the time to dream big.
South Africa have gifted the trans-Tasman cousins a golden opportunity