Australian Rugby / RA

[Pfitzy]

I get that but 4 score tabs for soccer?

Fish where the fish are. Whoever has "web traffic" as their KPI is doing the smart thing for their career. The ABC is also a long-time supporter of W-League and the Matildas and women's soccer in general.

And, let's face it, rugby can't even agree with itself most days, so even if ABC made it more prominent, fans would bitch about how it was done - including not a few on here.

 

[Set piece magic]

ABC viewership sits at an all time low in television and has been out of step with mainstream Australia for years, our focus should be firmly on having mainstream appeal, not the ABC, which is watched by fewer and fewer people every year and by a lot of people who don't even like sport.

 

[PhilClinton]

ABC viewership sits at an all time low in television and has been out of step with mainstream Australia for years, our focus should be firmly on having mainstream appeal, not the ABC, which is watched by fewer and fewer people every year and by a lot of people who don't even like sport.

Yep and on that - rugby has featured in 4 front page articles on Fox Sports in the past week. I imagine that is the most heavily visited sports related page in Australia. Keep that relationship afloat long enough to get us to 2027 RWC and we'll be fine!

 

[Braveheart81]

ABC viewership sits at an all time low in television and has been out of step with mainstream Australia for years, our focus should be firmly on having mainstream appeal, not the ABC, which is watched by fewer and fewer people every year and by a lot of people who don't even like sport.

Seems pretty stable to me.

I think FTA tv ratings overall are declining as there is more competition from DVOD etc.

 

[Set piece magic]

To avoid turning this into a culture war that will just get political, I might just bring this back to the ABC's coverage of Rugby. You can clearly see that the ABC has gone massively downhill in its sporting coverage since the days when Gordon Bray was around. There aren't a lot of people involved in the organisation that would be described as bona fide sport enthusiasts, and it really shows when they cover sport and particularly rugby. For example, there is no match report on the Reds win v the Rebels, at all.

You can see this from events like when they covered a random Sydney FC v Liverpool game a few years back which was widely panned as a desultory effort. Here's the SMH write up on it:

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/ffa-disappointed-with-abcs-game-coverage-20170525-gwctpj.html

I also think that the offsiders program is way too AFL heavy. As a taxpayer in Queensland, I don't want to pay for the national broadcaster to discuss a foreign sport like AFL in my state - yet that's what they serve up.

One other point is on the ABC lifestyle section (ABC Everyday). You will find endless dumb articles in there about how people love dogs or love brunch or love hiking or love plants, but you'll never hear about the Queensland blokes who became far closer as mates after they joined a footy club. Culturally, the organisation just doesn't speak for people like that or bother telling their stories - why? It's supposed to speak for everyone, allegedly anyway.

 

[RugbyReg]

enough now. Waaaaaayyy off topic

 

[Rebel man]

The ABC use to do a radio broadcast of the super rugby on the radio. When I was a kid and I couldn’t afford Fox or to go to games I would tune in and listen on ABC grandstand. It was the only way I could follow my Rebels back then

 

[KOB1987]

The ABC use to do a radio broadcast of the super rugby on the radio. When I was a kid and I couldn’t afford Fox or to go to games I would tune in and listen on ABC grandstand. It was the only way I could follow my Rebels back then

That wasn't actually all that long ago, it used to be very handy if I was on the road while a game was on. I distinctly remember listening to a Waratahs game on the radio while I was following an ambulance with my son in it over to Dubbo one Saturday night (nothing too major).

The only reason I ever have the ABC on TV nowadays is because I have never been able to shake my 30 year habit of having to have Rage on in the background on a Saturday morning!

 

[Rebel man]

That wasn't actually all that long ago, it used to be very handy if I was on the road while a game was on. I distinctly remember listening to a Waratahs game on the radio while I was following an ambulance with my son in it over to Dubbo one Saturday night (nothing too major).

The only reason I ever have the ABC on TV nowadays is because I have never been able to shake my 30 year habit of having to have Rage on in the background on a Saturday morning!

As soon as I could afford Fox and a membership I gave up on grandstand so I am not sure how long it went for

 

[MarkJ]

According to the rugby.com.au website:
"Can I listen on the radio?
ABC Radio will be covering select games of Harvey Norman Super Rugby and Wallabies (also available on the ABC Listen app)"

 

[Adam84]

Aus Rugby politics?
Apparently linked to conflicting interests over 7s and XVs. Priority for access to training fields and funding.

 

[dru]

^ Adam, is this Aus Rugby politics, or continuation of the usual Sydney SRU club horseshit?

 

[Dan54]

RA and NZR have come to senses (a bit) Bledisloe is down 2 tests a year!! Great news!

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

 

[Derpus]

RA and NZR have come to senses (a bit) Bledisloe is down 2 tests a year!! Great news!

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

Thank fucking god. Only two to go.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

RA and NZR have come to senses (a bit) Bledisloe is down 2 tests a year!! Great news!

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

Still one too many in my opinion. One game with winner takes all would be my preference.

 

[Dan54]

Still one too many in my opinion. One game with winner takes all would be my preference.

Mate couldn't agree more, should be only the test played in the country that holds it, bit like Ranfurley Shield type thing, make it f***en hard to win etc.

 

[RugbyReg]

you get a real sense that the Australia New Zealand relationship is fading. Or at least becoming purely transactional.

There was a terrible article written by Christy Doran the other day about McLennan and Kearns traipsing around Europe to secure a game v France.

The real story was the underlying strategy of forming closer allegiances with France and, more specifically, Bernard Laporte. He saved our bacon last year by basically ensuring the French toured when it looked for all money that the tour would be cancelled, which could have been horrendous for RA financially.

With Laporte expected to take over from Bill Beaumont as Chair of WR (World Rugby), it's a handy ally to have

 

[Adam84]

RA and NZR have come to senses (a bit) Bledisloe is down 2 tests a year!! Great news!

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

Oh jeez what a surprise they decide to cancel it the year it’s Australia’s window to host two home test matches..

 

[Derpus]

Mate couldn't agree more, should be only the test played in the country that holds it, bit like Ranfurley Shield type thing, make it f***en hard to win etc.

Oh that's a really good point. We should make it harder to win. Yep.

 

[Dan54]

Oh jeez what a surprise they decide to cancel it the year it’s Australia’s window to host two home test matches..

Geez you like playing the victim don't you, it hasn't been cancelled, the agreement ran out in 2021, and wasn't renewed! They have both had the same number of 2 home games you realise don't you?