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In his excellent article on September 3, ‘The Wrap: A way forward for Australian rugby – how hard can it be?’, Geoff Parkes astutely…
Thanks so much for your very detailed response, Geoff. Devising a package to suit the traditions and predilections of supporters in the four (or five) countries – not to mention the preferences of pay TV subscribers in Europe and elsewhere – is indeed challenging.
Reflections on the way forward for Australian rugby
Fair observations, Melburnian. Neither match takings nor pay TV subscriptions in the Pacific Islands would be significant. Viewers paying and spectators purchasing tickets in other countries to see the Pacific Islanders play would be the revenue generator.
Reflections on the way forward for Australian rugby
Cheers, Geoff. What’s your view on the relative valuing of the Super Rugby competition in NZ and SA versus enthusiasm in those countries for the wholly domestic Mitre 10 and Currie Cup competitions?
Reflections on the way forward for Australian rugby
Nick – Any potential to develop Lukhan Tui as a Wallaby 6, or even 8, given his size, speed and abrasiveness?
Can Michael Cheika transform himself as Wallabies coach?
Nick – Any potential to develop Lukhan Tui as a Wallaby 6, or even 8, given his size, speed and abrasiveness?
Can Michael Cheika transform himself as Wallabies coach?
This strikes me as an important point, Soapit. In my view, SuperRugby has lost much of its appeal for Australians over recent years because of our teams’ relative lack of success in a competition that’s already seen as remote from tribal sentiments. Having just 3 or 4 Australian teams in a TransTasman competition that is numerically and competitively dominated by New Zealand sides would not appreciably lift interest in this country. While accepting that average skill levels would drop a notch I, and I fancy a majority of rugby followers in Australia, would rather follow a, say, 8 or 10 team, domestic competition – perhaps with the existing NRC teams as a starting point but with explicit links to (feeder) clubs around the country. The winner of our annual competition could play the winner of the Mitre 10 Cup (if that’s the competition our Kiwi brethren choose to promote in lieu of SuperRugby). Of course there’s the issue of broadcast revenue to be resolved, but ultimately domestic competitions that excite and sustain viewer interest in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa separately ought to be considered favourably over an international provincial competition that is shedding viewers and stultifying the game’s growth. Under the parochial model, player payments may take a hit, with the attendant risk of local talent leaking to Europe and Japan; but I suspect the post-Covid financial rebound, and hence the bargaining strength, in those markets is also being overestimated.
Momentum clearly building behind trans-Tasman solution