boyo
Mark Ella (57)
Short and sweet this morning boyo.
I prefer brevity rather than verbosity.
Short and sweet this morning boyo.
The 8 team model (Division 1) from the Under 16 National Comp could be worth a look at:
2 x QLD Team
3 x NSW (Schools, Club & Country)
1 x ACT
1 x VIC
1 x WA
It could be interesting to see progression etc
Glad to see you've come around to the view that the national body can prop up unprofitable franchises for the long term good of the game.The hide of them to fund the teams that assist in bringing in the major revenue source (broadcast agreements), whilst also growing the game, and not funding the clubs instead.
Glad to see you've come around to the view that the national body can prop up unprofitable franchises for the long term good of the game.
South-west Sydney would fall into the same category wouldn't it?
It isn't a great idea, but SW Sydney is.I'm sure between the South East private school toffs and the North West islander community you could have great catchment for 2 teams in Melbourne. Doesn't mean it's a great idea.
It isn't a great idea, but SW Sydney is.
The 8 team model (Division 1) from the Under 16 National Comp could be worth a look at:
2 x QLD Team
3 x NSW (Schools, Club & Country)
1 x ACT
1 x VIC
1 x WA
It could be interesting to see progression etc
It's based on rugby's need to expand beyond it's very narrow footprint in Sydney. They're not playing for local junior clubs out there because there aren't any - that is the problem, no rugby presence in a huge population area in the biggest rugby city in Australia.What is that based on other than potential athletic talent? If there's so much of it that is interested in rugby, why aren't they playing for local clubs at all out there?
I'm not too phased where 3rd tier teams are based in each city. I merely believe that less is more. I can understand why in setting up a national comp, so many people want to emulate the biggest issues in the NRL, and push for as many teams as possible in single cities. If one team is in SW Sydney great, have one more in NE Sydney and let's go from there. I could be wrong, but as far as I'm aware the Currie Cup doesn't have north, east and south west Pretoria teams.
I will admit logistically I think it would be easier to base teams in the region where most of the players would be. This isn't the AFL. The ARU doesn't have the money to hope a team will be supported by the kids born today when they are adults.
Regardless of the final makeup of the competition, at least the ARU have the blueprint of how not to do it. See ARC, they couldn't have got much more wrong if they tried.Watching some of the marketing and advertising around the T20 cricket that is starting soon is how the ARU need to market and advertise this new comp - as a fast, exciting, action packed comp - the aru marketing and advertising team/s are terrible..
QH, I just don't get where you are coming from and why Western Sydney is any different to anywhere.
You could argue that some of these young AFL recruits could be future locks, loosies and outside backs. Better set up multiple regions of WA, SA and Vic too just to catch them.
Bottom line is it all cannot be captured immediately. I would argue if there is no RU presence at all in Western Sydney then locating a 3rd tier team there filled with players who are travelling to train there and therefore adding further cost is not something that is the most cost effective way to kick the comp off.
Gold Coast has it's own rugby competition and both junior club and school rugby. Nobody is saying we should have a team there. Yet based on what you are saying, the support for the code is already stronger.
Wouldn't the wisest use of ARU's limited funds be to try and establish a presence through junior and senior clubs in the region, perhaps subsidising the cost of a subbies comp in order to boost the playing numbers and therefore interest? Kids aren't going to give a flying fuck about some new team playing a game they don't even have a local club or school to play for.
But ultimately, I'm not trying to discount the region of Western Sydney and the notion of trying to develop rugby further there. I don't think a team in this competition is going to do anything for it. Based on what you are saying the lack of local clubs is the issue, and that needs to be built up first. If you said the ARU should be directing some of their limited resources to addressing this. I wholeheartedly agree. It's a blight on the previous NSWRU and ARU administration that this area with a high islander population, which has an historic link with Rugby due to their heritage, has been left to be lead to other codes due to lack of any development presence from Rugby Union.
I know I'll get my arse kicked for some of the comments below but so be it.
......
So my PNRC (or should that be BNRC?) clubs would be:
Year One
Sydney Uni
Sunnybank
Western Sydney (Parra, Eastwood, West Harbour, Penriff)
North Harbour (Manly, Warringah, Norths, Gordon)
Sydney City (Easts, Randwick, Southern Districts)
Canberra Vikings
Year Two
Sydney Uni
Qld Uni
Western Sydney
North Harbour
Sydney City
Canberra Vikings
Qld Uni
NSW Country (Play at Newcastle Number 1)
Year Three
Sydney Uni
Qld Uni
Western Sydney
North Shore
Sydney City
Canberra Vikings
Qld Uni
NSW Country (Play at Newcastle Number 1)
Qld Country
Melbourne (if they can sustain it themselves)
And so on.
....
My two bob's anyway.
RE: The Gold Coast. I would discount it as an option. Not because it's not a valid location, support base for the game, lack of ground, etc. Just because we need to limit the spread of the team in specific regions to begin with at least, in order to exercise an appropriately cautious approach and the Gold Coast would be 1 hour down the road from the Brisbane team. The larger the catchment area, the more potential support for one team, but that's relying on the success of the competition from a supporter base point of view (which the ITM Cup is not).
Back to Western Sydney, I guess where we differ is you're taking the field of dreams approach (if we build it, they will come), and I'm probably being extremely pessimistic saying if there's no presence, there'll be no support. Let's just leave it and say you may be being naïve, and I definitely am being pessimistic and hope for the sake of the game I'm the one who ends up wrong.