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Too late to the game to have the technique to play defensive back. Too tall and light to play running back. I doubt he has the route tree understanding or hands to play receiver. Best case scenario like you said is being an athletic body teams put out as a kick returner or punt returner...

I think you'd have to combine this idea with a more relaxed fit supporters jersey for it to work. I'd consider myself to be in decent shape and I feel ridiculous wearing my rugby game kit anywhere other than the gym with how tight they are nowadays. Not saying you have to go full early 2000s...

At the risk of courting controversy, is there a consensus on whether Brisbane/Sydney GPS schools taking league prospects on scholarship to play rugby union for a few years is a net positive or net negative? Pros: exposure, puts eyes and exposure on union, could potentially put the thought of...

Pay $500-600 in reg fee for a season (at least for QPR clubs) or receive match payments in league. Would be a tough call if I were fresh out of school and wanted beer money to pick rugby over league if all else were equal. I wasn't delighted to pay my reg for grades this upcoming season despite...

how much is something like Q cup paying their lower end guys?

It's a bit of a tricky problem because of the financial situation I imagine. Not resourced well enough to compete monetarily with the NRL who will throw money at juniors and pay their way at Nudgee, but also stretched enough that we can't afford to take on a broader range of promising but...

Scouting and talent identification has become almost too good as different sports have become more lucrative. If you are an elite athlete someone will find you and offer a place in a development pathway or a contract. For example AFL teams will scout US college basketball for uncommonly tall...

You've put my thoughts into writing better than I could. It's difficult to produce 23 elite players for a test rugby if you aren't willing to support a critical mass of good to great players in the tier beneath playing a large volume of competitive, high-stakes games. I'd prefer for rugby not...

My feeling is that building the engaging domestic competition or at least changing Super Rugby has to be the priority. The Wallabies struggle because domestic rugby struggles. Building an entertaining, tribal competition that brings in revenue/engagement and all the advantages that buys...

For the sake of discussion, I'll put the English soccer model out there for consideration as an alternative to the top-down approach currently being advocated for by RA. Each squad is required to have a certain number of English players that have spent 3 years before their 21st birthday...

Thanks for looking into it. I've heard UQ has elite athlete scholarships that also give you additional flexibility with course planning and exam schedules. Was interested in the relationship between Bond University & Bond Rugby from the angle of those flights and player payments not being a...

For those who might know more, how involved is Bond University in the finances of Bond rugby? I'm not from the area but was under the impression that the university has deep pockets from those private tuition fees and a willingness to spend. I know a Bond med degree runs around $400k these days.

Today's guys are a different breed. The amount you can perfectly dial in training load while minimizing injury risk with tracking software is amazing stuff. Was having a chat with my physio about it since he works with a team and it's genuinely fascinating how much thought and data goes into...

It's a more peripheral issue but I think rugby also lacks any sort of cultural grip for guys under 30 as well. I've seen more NRL, basketball, or soccer jerseys at training than I've seen Super Rugby kit. Can't tell you how many people I know that play rugby but follow the Broncos or South...

"Man with brain cooked by CTE has terrible foreign policy opinions, more at 6"

If those attendance numbers are being pumped up by Kiwis (or saffas or samoans, pick any nationality), then it becomes hard to separate the signal from the noise in determining if RA is successfully making inroads in AFL-dominated Melbourne or if issues are being papered over and we're just the...

How many of those in the crowds are emigrants from New Zealand there to support the All Blacks though? I realize it doesn't matter in terms of revenue, but it does if we wish to use Bledisloe crowd as a proxy for interest in Australian rugby in Melbourne.

I don't think an actual rule change would be required, but a greater emphasis on the 9 quickly digging the ball out and a crackdown on delays after the official calls "use it" would be nice. Pest control for the caterpillar ruck seems more difficult to sort out though.

Funny enough I've heard more about MLR in Australia than I ever did while working in the US. It receives zero coverage and might struggle to stick around.

I think you gents are right about the gambling market, but it will be tough to cultivate genuine interest beyond sports betting. It's a combination of the awkward time zone difference putting most NRL games around 3 am EST and a crowded market. The NBA, NHL, MLB in addition to NFL are the...