As the dawn of the new era of Super rugby comes closer, I’ve been listening to what other Roarer’s have been debating over what SANZAR, or more specifically the ARU, should be doing to improve the great game.
While I believe the new conference system is a great addition to the Super season and applaud SANZAR for this, I still believe more could be done to add some spice to the local game. Here is a list of things that I and and fellow Roarer’s have been asking for:
1. Australian Conference Championship (ACC)
The ACC could be one of the easiest additions to add to the Australian season and yet could be one of the most successful. A emphasis of a Australian national competition within the Super 15 could be a key marketing and crowd drawing factor for the ARU.
The idea is that the ACC would be ‘a competition within a competition’, much like the Bledisloe Cup in the Tri Nations. The top two teams in the conference at the end of the home and away season could play in a grand final or it could be the team finishing first wins (as well as gaining automatic qualification for finals).
There are pros and cons for both formats issue as having a grand final would likely increase media coverage, however there is no time between Super 15 finals and the home and away season for a game of this significance, so it would be postponed to a point where it is no longer relevant in the public’s eyes.
The issue with first past the post is that most Australian sporting fans aren’t especially fond of this concept and the ACC might just end up looking like a minor premiership.
2. Open Market Between SANZAR Nations.
A fully open market would bring something unique to the Australian sporting landscape as apart from the HAL, the other codes have been unable to truly embrace nearby overseas talent. This would allow players to be able to sign for a total of 15 teams rather than just restricted to the five local ones, allowing them to live and play overseas while still being able to represent their home country. South Africa, for example, has a large pool of talent that is simply too large for the amount of teams there.
Allowing an open market would mean Australian teams would be able to bid for these players without forcing them to change their nationality. This new pool of talent would help increase the playing standard by increasing competitiveness for positions. Eventually Argentinians could be added to this agreement as they will be part of the Four Nations and possibly the Pacific Islands, which would be great for them as they would no longer have to play in Europe or change their nationality simply to play close to home.
3. More Marketing!
The key to a successful competition is high public awareness. I live in Melbourne and there has been next to zero publicity regarding the Rebels, except when they released their jersey for next year. The ARU and the five teams should focus on a strong marketing campaign from the start of the year to get people excited about the new season. A strong start to a season attention wise is key as a good start will attract people back the next week. Super 15 starts when cricket, tennis and football is finishing up so attracting proper media attention isn’t too hard a goal.
4. ARC.
Obvious one to list for anyone who has been on this site long enough. Aussie rugby fans are screaming out for a national competition similar to NZ’s ITM cup. A competition is desperately needed to provide that link between club and Super 15 to expose more talent to a higher standard of playing.
The same money issues with a national competition, however, hasn’t changed so some trimming would be needed to make this competition financially viable. This would mean starting as an East Coast competition with one team Melbourne, two or three around Sydney/Gosford, one in Canberra and two in Brisbane. An aim for crowds to be between 2000-5000 could be realistically achieved.
5. TV Coverage.
One of the most moaned about faults of Australian rugby is the complete lack of FTA coverage, which is crippling its growth. Super rugby is exclusively on FOX Sports, which although does a fantastic job of broadcasting it compared to some FTA channels (cough, cough, Channel 7), FTA TV is where the masses are.
Selling one or two local games and a highlights package to a FTA broadcaster would increase awareness across the nation (assuming it was showed outside of NSW/QLD). The ARU should also ensure that Wallabies games also should be broadcast into every state as something like a Bledisloe Cup can be huge here in Melbourne, but not everyone is going to be keen enough to stay up till 1am for the Channel 7 replay.
With the new format, Super rugby is capable of becoming huge especially in Australia, I just hope that it’s administrators are willing to help it get there.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
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