Australian Rugby / RA

[KOB1987]

I would certainly put my hand up for that to help out a relocating rugby player if I lived in Sydney now that I have a couple of empty bedrooms. How many Rebels players actually did that though?

 

[Marce]

hope the Waratahs fanbase are as welcoming and tight knit as the rebels community was to make their players feel welcomed.

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So basically the Rebels players from other states lived for free in Victorian families houses? Like amateur rugby...

I'm sure one of the Waratahs benefactors could lease for free one of their dozens flats in Paddington for the new players

 

[KOB1987]

I would say in most cases it would have been to help out during the relocation process. It's more than having a free bedroom, its about having a home to come to rather than a lonely hotel room.

 

[hoggy]

I'll play devils advocate.

I reckon the model of a WC every 24 years, a Lions tour every 12, pretty good years when England and Ireland tour and losses in all other years actually probably is pretty sustainable, especially with the World League cash injection coming.

Status quo probably just about works out over the cycle (although I think scrapping Giteau rule is inevitable)

I think we probably don't get to the next (home) WC if we employ a lot more pro rugby players, coaches and admin, which is what would we be required for any domestic comps. We go broke quicker than we do currently

Of course its all gonna work out just dandy.

 

[Strewthcobber]

Unironically, in about 3 years RA will have more money than they have ever had, probably significantly more. The numbers that are being forecast make any reduction in annual broadcast rights (for example) look like a rounding error.

The big decision from then is how fast do they spend it, which really means how many professional players and coaches should they employ each year? The past decade shows it's probably 4 teams worth.

 

[KevinO]

I would certainly put my hand up for that to help out a relocating rugby player if I lived in Sydney now that I have a couple of empty bedrooms. How many Rebels players actually did that though?

From my understanding, this was used at the beginning of pre season while players were looking for rentals, or trying to make the squad and secure a contract. Your not going to accept a request to come down and train in hope of a spot on the squad and pay massive rental/hotel cost when you don't know your staying full time.

Most of the families from the Rebels inner circle and lived not too far from Richmond.

 

[Dctarget]

Close to Tarneit hey?

 

[KevinO]

Lol, I'm sure there would have been plenty of families with rooms in the Tarneit area, would have been cheaper rent for players to compared to Richmond and South Yarra.

 

[hoggy]

Unironically, in about 3 years RA will have more money than they have ever had, probably significantly more. The numbers that are being forecast make any reduction in annual broadcast rights (for example) look like a rounding error.

The big decision from then is how fast do they spend it, which really means how many professional players and coaches should they employ each year? The past decade shows it's probably 4 teams worth.

Yes the bridge to financial freedom is just around the corner.

 

[Marce]

Lol, I'm sure there would have been plenty of families with rooms in the Tarneit area, would have been cheaper rent for players to compared to Richmond and South Yarra.

I strongly recommend the Flinders Backpackers in CBD. Near of all public transports and the players can share a room in order to build that camaraderie spirit of rugby culture

 

[half]

I would argue the past decade illustrates the need to invest in developing rugby in the broader community.

Further developing a framework to invite new teams.

 

[Strewthcobber]

RA's main administrative rival the WRU announced a new 5 year plan today

WRU reveals five-year strategy to rescue national game

The governing body insists it wants to retain four regions as part of its mission to turn around Welsh rugby's fortunes.

www.bbc.com

This bit made me laugh. Their clubs can't survive on $9m of funding a year each.

Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets saw their funding slashed by £2m each last season and will see it cut further to £4.5m for 2024-25.

But the WRU anticipates each team requires a further £2m each year to be competitive.

"The level of investment required to make four regions competitive is significant and we have a significant gap to close," said Tierney.

 

[Wilson]

Real implications for the URC - as much as the fans seem to love it the Welsh sides don't look anywhere near competitive and are in dire straits financially. They must be getting closer and closer to bailing and ending up in the prem, or some sort of new anglo-welsh equivalent. Not sure the prem would have them all but I reckon they'd love two Welsh sides to bring in some extra markets and rivalries in a very convenient location for most of the existing sides.

 

[Strewthcobber]

It is interesting comparing Wales and Ireland. They generate pretty much the same revenue, but Wales gives a lot more to its "grassroots" clubs and administrators, and hence has less for the pro teams

 

[stoff]

I would say in most cases it would have been to help out during the relocation process. It's more than having a free bedroom, its about having a home to come to rather than a lonely hotel room.

It’s a very common model in the AFL here. New players get billeted with supporter families to aid their transition to Melbourne and pro sport

 

[Adam84]

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More evidence of PE being the fools gold of the rugby world

 

[Dctarget]

It is interesting comparing Wales and Ireland. They generate pretty much the same revenue, but Wales gives a lot more to its "grassroots" clubs and administrators, and hence has less for the pro teams

What's stopping them swapping to the Irish model?

 

[Strewthcobber]

Same story as us. How they are governed, and who makes the decisions.

Governance At this point it's worth talking about how the two unions are governed. In Ireland, clubs and schools nominate members to the provincial branches, and the branches nominate members of the IRFU committee.

In Wales, by contrast, the clubs feed into a regional district which — crucially — is distinct from the professional regions. The regional districts nominate members of the WRU board.

So in Ireland, the board is derived from the four provinces, which run the professional game. In Wales, the board is derived from the clubs, which are independent of the professional game.

So in Ireland, the top committee is dominated by representatives from professional clubs. In Wales, it's dominated by the amateur game.

 

[Highlander35]

My understanding is that In Ireland there was always some credence to the idea that the Provinces being a natural extension of Elite Rugby in Ireland: I believe at the point of professionalism taking place the 4 teams were in essence identical to the state unions over here in Australia. Resistance to the decision to go fully regional was token at best.

By contrast, Welsh power has always sat with the clubs: going back to the URC's origins, it started with what are now Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby (at the time I believe it was Glasgow and Caledonia district and Edinburgh and Borders district) joining the Welsh Premiership, and up until... I'm going to say 2004 Wales were still running 9 "professional" clubs in the Celtic League, before reducing to first 5, then 4 regions.

Many of the powers that be in Wales still feel that their place is running 10ish Clubs in the English Pyramid, not 4 "Franchises".

 

[Wilson]

The have a very similar governance structure to New Zealand and would have to convince the "grassroots" clubs to give up power - just look at how trying to take it off the provincial unions in NZ has gone.