Australian Rugby / RA

[The Phoenix]

If we can't get people to align with something as simple as Brisbane City, and not-Brisbane City (ie Queensland Country), does a new comp that doesn't just contain the Queensland Reds have any hope at all?

I really related to Queensland Country in the NPC. I went to see them whenever they played in Toowoomba and there was always a decent crowd and great atmosphere. The main issue was they needed a semi-permanent base, but sponsorship (and probably broadcasting) requirements had them play most of their home games at Bond Uni on the Gold Coast, which although technically Queensland Country, didn't really feel like it.
Most of the team had their origins in the country, which made it more relatable, although if it ever got going again I would love to see them choose a couple of promising lads still playing in regional areas to have in their squad, opening up another pathway.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I do like the idea of NSW and QLD country being involved. There have been a lot of players at the top level come from the bush and connecting with country people should be a goal here. As a former country boy myself I think people would love it.

 

[Dan54]

If we can't get people to align with something as simple as Brisbane City, and not-Brisbane City (ie Queensland Country), does a new comp that doesn't just contain the Queensland Reds have any hope at all?

I thought perhaps the weakness of the Brisbane City/Qld country, the teams never really seemed that. I recall Sef Faagase playing for Qld Country, because as a kid he had played for a team in Gold Coast, but that was only when he got to an age group that needed him to go there to not play Sunday He was a City player really. I actually at that stage wondered if it should of been North/South and use Brisbane river as the marker. And wherever your present club played was where you played, I just think we could of identified with teams. But Pfitzy's ideas ofr Clubs I think would work better in end.

 

[Pfitzy]

Country teams are a great idea but But BUT where do you base them that **someone** in those Country areas isn't complaining?

Maybe subsequent years you have smaller centres buying in, but the top level has to work first or we'll make perfect the enemy of good.

 

[Strewthcobber]

I thought perhaps the weakness of the Brisbane City/Qld country, the teams never really seemed that. I recall Sef Faagase playing for Qld Country, because as a kid he had played for a team in Gold Coast, but that was only when he got to an age group that needed him to go there to not play Sunday He was a City player really. I actually at that stage wondered if it should of been North/South and use Brisbane river as the marker. And wherever your present club played was where you played, I just think we could of identified with teams. But Pfitzy's ideas ofr Clubs I think would work better in end.

Isn't this the problem with trying to use representative teams as pro teams? Any way that they tried to equalise the teams was going to end up as a bit skewed. The problem was trying to make the teams representative in the first place

He was a City player really

Aren't all of the Reds "city players really" as they all align with a QPR club.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Country teams are a great idea but But BUT where do you base them that **someone** in those Country areas isn't complaining?

Maybe subsequent years you have smaller centres buying in, but the top level has to work first or we'll make perfect the enemy of good.

This is Australian sport's biggest issue - the tyranny of distance.

A team in Toowoomba would be great, but it's just not big enough to support a pro sports team.

 

[The Phoenix]

Isn't this the problem with trying to use representative teams as pro teams? Any way that they tried to equalise the teams was going to end up as a bit skewed. The problem was trying to make the teams representative in the first place


Aren't all of the Reds "city players really" as they all align with a QPR club.

But the Qld Country team had players like Hamish Stewart and Harry Hockings playing for them because they were from from Toowoomba and I think Theodore. Most of them had come from the country and gone to boarding school in Brisbane or Toowoomba. It was only in positions like the front row that they got Brisbane players in because there weren't enough from country.

 

[Goosestep]

The ARC concept was better aligned for that in Brisbane club comp.

north of the river clubs were the Tornados
South of the river were the aces.

I found it very difficult in the nrc model as a wests man to figure out who I should cheer for in the city or country rivalry because the bulldogs were alllocated to both teams.

Exactly

 

[Tomikin]

Just rename the QLD Reds to Reds and make them north of the river being that Suncorps North and then call the other team Maroons and make it South of the River.

In Canberra have the Brumbies as the North and the Vikings as the South teams lol (I joke partly)

 

[dru]

This is Australian sport's biggest issue - the tyranny of distance.

A team in Toowoomba would be great, but it's just not big enough to support a pro sports team.

Toowoomba has a pop of roughly 150,000. About the same as Cairns and not much smaller than Townsville. It isn't much but are Manly or Randwick drawing from seriously much more?

Could Ipswich be a possible country base?

 

[PhilClinton]

Toowoomba has a pop of roughly 150,000. About the same as Cairns and not much smaller than Townsville. It isn't much but are Manly or Randwick drawing from seriously much more?

Could Ipswich be a possible country base?

Can't just roll into league territory and setup shop.

I think we underestimate how hard it would be to gain a foothold in some of these areas.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Could Ipswich be a possible country base?

If we compare centres of similar size, Ipswich might be hardest spot to setup a pro rugby team in Queensland I could think of

 

[wamberal99]

If we compare centres of similar size, Ipswich might be hardest spot to setup a pro rugby team in Queensland I could think of

Red hot league territory for sure.

 

[KOB1987]

With my limited knowledge of Queensland I would say Toowoomba would be a better base if they wanted to set up a pro team outside of Brisbane. There are a couple of rugby playing independent schools and a university, and it’s a good fit geographically, so it’s an easier sell. For similar reasons I reckon Bathurst/Orange would be a good location in NSW. I don’t know about Toowoomba but the problem with Bathurst/Orange is there isn’t a stadium that could handle a pro team.

 

[SouthernX]

One of the pressing issues for a new national comp (IMO) is finding suitable rectangular stadiums so that RA can make a small profit on admissions.

idea of Melbourne team playing out of AAMI Park… would need to win and engage the community to get anywhere near the storm crowd.

as for Ipswich. Qld premier just gave the jets a bunch of money for a significant clubhouse upgrade… unsure where they’d play?

 

[Strewthcobber]

With my limited knowledge of Queensland I would say Toowoomba would be a better base if they wanted to set up a pro team outside of Brisbane. There are a couple of rugby playing independent schools and a university, and it’s a good fit geographically, so it’s an easier sell. For similar reasons I reckon Bathurst/Orange would be a good location in NSW. I don’t know about Toowoomba but the problem with Bathurst/Orange is there isn’t a stadium that could handle a pro team.

Same deal in Toowoomba. https://www.austadiums.com/stadiums/toowoomba-sports-ground

A proposal to upgrade the stadium for the Olympics was recently not supported by the government

 

[Dan54]

Isn't this the problem with trying to use representative teams as pro teams? Any way that they tried to equalise the teams was going to end up as a bit skewed. The problem was trying to make the teams representative in the first place


Aren't all of the Reds "city players really" as they all align with a QPR club.

Yep mate, just was suggesting what I found in NRC. I think rep teams are still where it easiest to get support (or tribal or whatever trendy words are), I give you Wallabies who are rep team of Aus. I certainly see what you mean at lower levels etc, but it's best to have teams representative of our area I think to get support? Probably not explaining that as well as I mean too.

 

[MungoMan]

One of the pressing issues for a new national comp (IMO) is finding suitable rectangular stadiums so that RA can make a small profit on admissions.

idea of Melbourne team playing out of AAMI Park… would need to win and engage the community to get anywhere near the storm crowd.

as for Ipswich. Qld premier just gave the jets a bunch of money for a significant clubhouse upgrade… unsure where they’d play?

The money is for the North Ipswich Reserve. Jets also used to play out of their own ground at Briggs Road, where the clubhouse is. It's quite a while since I've been to a Jets game, but I've watched 'em play at both.

Even better, IMO, was trundling along to an NRC game at North Ippie a few years back. It was good fun watching the teams play on the ground where I spent five or six years playing school RL*.

*Yes, I repeated grade 7 three times.

 

[MungoMan]

If we can't get people to align with something as simple as Brisbane City, and not-Brisbane City (ie Queensland Country), does a new comp that doesn't just contain the Queensland Reds have any hope at all?

I might have been part of the problem here. I'd align with (i.e. attend games of) whichever of those NRC teams was playing closest to me on a given weekend.

 

[Strewthcobber]

I might have been part of the problem here. I'd align with (i.e. attend games of) whichever of those NRC teams was playing closest to me on a given weekend.

I don't think it's a problem. I just find it interesting.

Queensland Country was playing at the Gold Coast and regionally, and Brisbane City was mostly playing at Ballymore or QPR clubs around Brisbane.

I would have thought those who live in Brisbane would go for Brisbane, and those who didn't would go for the Country team. But evidently, it's more complicated than that