Roar Rookie
Joined May 2009
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Twenty six boys aged 17 and 18 represented their country in the world’s second biggest code of football at the recent Japanese Rugby Tournament.…
In terms of numbers of countries and numbers playing the game around the world rugby is far bigger than NFL. The superbowl is a one off. As for rugby V RL, rugby is about 40 times the size of league globally.
Eddie Jones joked about signing Nathan Cleary - but he might be the only man who can save the Wallabies
Nowhere near on its last legs. Club rugby is strong. The issue is building grassroots involvement and that’s where RA has got to put its money and resources. Not spending hundreds of thousands on overrated league with limited sets of skills when it comes to playing rugby.
Eddie Jones joked about signing Nathan Cleary - but he might be the only man who can save the Wallabies
Firstly, no such game as “union”. The game is Rugby.
While many of the Super Rugby and Wallaby players may not be known in the narrow silos of rugby league media, many of them are worldwide names through both Super Rugby competitions and the Wallabies test matches around the globe.
As for Cleary, if he was game enough to take on the challenge and step up to top line rugby, it would be as a centre or flyhalf – not half back. But he appears happy playing in the local suburban competition.
But rugby’s issues are not going to be solved by signing an RL player. Apart from anything else, there is no guarantee they could succeed. Fans have been screaming for more money, resources/development officers, local school involvement and support and smarter marketing. And that is exactly what is needed right now to build player participation from the ground up to reap rewards in future years.
Rugby is not going away. It’s the second biggest code of football on the planet. And growing by the day in both XV’s and 7’s. Just look at the massive crowds at every game of the World Cup in France.
Eddie Jones joked about signing Nathan Cleary - but he might be the only man who can save the Wallabies
Your Rugby community clearly needs to promote the game not only in the town but around local districts. Have your rugby committee and top players approached Rebel and asked if they’re interested in expanding/new business opportunities? Organise a local promotion day and talk to local media with a story and some good angles about the day and what’s on offer.
Take the blinkers off - Rugby League players can add great value to the Wallabies
And that’s what needs to change – Rugby came first, has been around the longest, is about 40 times the size of League on a global basis. Reporters, commentators and sports fans alike should call references to the Wallabies, Waratahs, other rugby competitions, players or issues, “rugby”. Someone League can continue to be referred to as “league”.
Take the blinkers off - Rugby League players can add great value to the Wallabies
Not so trivial! It goes to maintaining and building the profile of Rugby across the nation. I’m not interested or concerned about other codes. Rugby, for many reasons, has an uphill battle in Australia to get strong recognition. It diminishes the game in the eyes of supporters and wider public to have it constantly referred to as “union”! What is that? An industrial organisation, some kind of agreement, arrangement?? It’s not what the rest of the rugby world recognises as the correct title. The game is Rugby and deserves the recognition, respect and common usage.
Take the blinkers off - Rugby League players can add great value to the Wallabies
Some reasonable points in your article.
But, first, can we stop referring to the game of Rugby as Union. THERE IS NO SUCH GAME!!
Our game began at Rugby School in England in 1823 when William Webb Ellis picked up the ball and ran with it!
Hence, it’s called RUGBY!
Why does this matter? One major reason is to do with the marketing of the game. Our correct name is the flagship of our brand and it’s been diminished over the decades, only in Australia, by lazy sports reporters, claiming “it differentiates from League”.
Rugby supporters across the nation need to reclaim the correct name – Rugby.
As for the ability to attract the right athlete to Rugby, the first thing we/they need is to WANT to play the game. And that needs a more effective, attention grabbing marketing campaign to increase interest at the grassroots and school levels.
We need to create and market rugby heroes – at club, state and national level – and promote them through all competitions, online, radio and local news outlets.
So when our youngsters look around their communities they see people they can identify with, be inspired by and to follow them and their teams.
Yes, I know it’s difficult to be heard when the two of the major media organisations have vested interests in league and deliberately turn their back on rugby except to either knock rugby or provide negative coverage or, least likely, when a Super Rugby Club or the Wallabies must be covered to satisfy public interest.
So, as well as writing a piece for The Roar, email, phone, write or message those media outlets to let them know there’s a rugby audience.
Take the blinkers off - Rugby League players can add great value to the Wallabies
Mat Rogers played 6 years of Rugby in High School. Andrew Walker played for Randwick and some Rugby as a junior.
League and rugby will always hate each other but code-hopping anger dying out
Firstly, there is no such game as “union”. The game is Rugby.
Secondly, you’re broadly correct – World Rugby has to streamline the rules or watch the game stagnate or die. You’re correct that most of the growth statistics are from Sevens and Women’s Rugby.
At a professional level around the world, it’s the TV deals that sustain the game. Unless they streamline, or clean-up the game, viewing audiences (as in Australia) will start to drop everywhere. While player safety must be preserved, a number of technical rules could be stripped out of the game, tap kicks replace some scrum resets, kicking out on certain penalties be dropped and replaced with taps (defenders retire 5 or 10 metres).
Again at a professional level, rugby administrations cannot continue to charge $100+ for tickets to games that can only manage to feature 35-40 minutes out of 80 with ball-in-hand action.
As for investing in English league, RA would be better expanding the local professional competition (a revamped NRC) and promoting and marketing it properly.
The new teams should be anchored in large regional cities, dropping the notion of random games in other towns to focus on building tribal support in and around their home base (e.g Toowoomba or Newcastle).
A 10-12 team local professional competition would expand pathways for young players from league and rugby to step up to a pro level of playing.
And maybe that should involve a properly managed form of private equity stepping up with investment funds, inc conjunction with RA having oversight and management while issuing licenses for each club.
Why Rugby Australia should invest in English rugby league
The inclusion of Fiji and the Pasifika side will make television coverage of the new Super Rugby competition an interesting prospect for the Nine Network and its streaming Service Stan. More teams, more matches and an increased level of interest should mean big bucks for Nine/Stan.
They’re doing a great job covering Super AU already despite starting from scratch. Add their coverage of Sydney’s Shute Shield Club competition (covering all games each weekend). If the Fijian side uses Western Sydney as its base, even for some of its games, the positive impact on Rugby in the region will be spectacular and will put a significant dent in league and its following.
Two Pacific Island teams given green light to join Super Rugby in 2022
Yet another fantasy trip trying to stitch Rugby and league back together. Fact is, only fans in NSW and Queensland with an interest in both sports would be interested. Globally league is a tiddler of a sport. The Rugby fans in South Africa, France, Wales, Ireland , England, the US, Canada, Japan, Argentina and a number of other Rugby playing nations could care less. And yes, 7’s has taken off around the world and is one of the fastest growing team sports on the planet, aided considerably by its place in the OIympics. All of that said, any league player who wants to have a crack can cross over and have a go.
Imagine if the best rugby sevens teams included top league and union players
Good article Barry.
A couple of points – there is no such game as union. The game is Rugby, started at the Rugby School (in the town of Rugby, England) in 1823, by William Webb Ellis (whose name is engraved on the Rugby World Cup trophy). Rugby league has stripped so much out of the original game it should remove Rugby from its title and come up with a new name/brand.
Rugby today has a far wider array of skills demands (scrums, lineouts, rucks, tackle releases, kicking tactics, positional play) than league and from talking with league players it seems “too complex” for most to have learn.
On the other hand, league’s repetitive, predictable and ultimately monotonous 5/6 tackles and kick, repeat ad nauseum may be simpler but removes the richness in variations and unpredictabilities that Rugby players and fans worldwide appreciated.
Will there be more switches between the codes? Yep, if the money is good enough or a player seriously wants a new sporting challenge.
Will there ever be another Aussie dual code international?
Seriously?? Get a life.!!!
England coach's classy response as Ben O'Keeffe suffers ultimate insult from World Cup winner