Australian Rugby / RA

[Wallaby Man]

I don't have any numbers to support my claim, just anecdotal evidence that suggests some of the big private schools are building up their playing numbers all at the expense of rugby. They might not be making any inroads vs league but they are eating away at rugby's heartland.

I have moved back to the Gold Coast after living in Melbourne for a decade. A decade ago I would say rugby was on par maybe a little bigger than AFL here, growing up rugby was definitely larger. Since returning Aussie Rules is considerably more popular than rugby. In fact I don’t have anyone in my wider friendship circle that has children playing it, despite us all been rugby supporters. We do however have a number of kids that play Aussie rules.

The clubs are a shadow of what they were with numbers at senior level struggling and then some junior ranks are combined across two age grades to provide enough participants.

It’s why it pisses me off when people say grassroots is in good health, it might not be needing a defibrillator but it’s not close to the health it was. Was also why the QRU media release on centralization annoyed me when they were talking up their achievements. As far as I’m concerned they have provided very little and deteriorated the game on the Gold Coast. But it might be performing well at QPrem…..

 

[LeCheese]

Aussie Rules has definitely increased it's presence and teams. Even running rep sides now from the GPS, CAS etc

Soccer not so much from what I've seen. Demographics of areas have changed which has resulted in more Soccer teams over a push from the national body.

Yep, the success of non-Vic teams over recent years has really lit a fire under the game's following - feels a bit more than just the usual bandwagoners too, at least up here in BNE

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Same for the Swans. Use to be a when winning they get crowds but even if they are on a down period they still seem to get 25,000 and you see a lot of people wearing their merch and members gear.

 

[Members Section]

Yep, the success of non-Vic teams over recent years has really lit a fire under the game's following - feels a bit more than just the usual bandwagoners too, at least up here in BNE

Brisbane & Sydney are kind of in a different situation to gws & gc as in they are relocated teams so they still do have next generational support from Melbourne still. A couple of my mates are swans & lions supporters & the swans were in syd before he was born.

I went to a gc game recently & there were 4 to 1 carlton supporters their.

My original point re grass roots was more around we really struggling to capture the u/20's they are all going to league but Hoiles thinks we should create less spots for them

 

[HooperPocockSmith]

All the more reason to focus resources into areas of Western Sydney and Southern(?) Brisbane. Without trying to generalise too much, the PI communities don't have a great appetite for Aussie Rules. There's a good chance we've already lost a generation from Pymble and Mosman. The best way to keep them engaged is ensure that it doesn't die in the private schools. The focus must therefore be on club footy in Western and Southern Sydney.

(Sorry for making this very Sydney-centric but that's all I'm really qualified to speak about and I'm sure the same tactics can be used in Brisbane, Melbourne etc)

 

[The Phoenix]

Whatever happens in the future with a national competition, it should be a no brainer that they base a team in Toowoomba. I'm sick of driving back from Suncorp late at night after only having two beers. I can have a belly full of beers at Toowoomba's 14,000 seat stadium and walk home. Who cares about whether it makes economic sense - why won't anyone think of punters like me? Plus, rugby's always been strong on the Downs and there are players from this area in every Super Rugby team now - you all know it makes sense.

 

[hoggy]

I go back to Paul Cully's article about the whole "competition from league" being a distraction. He's right, and I'll stick my hand up and say that I've been one to use that stick occasionally.

The players we need won't ever go to league: props, hookers, locks. We have to value them, though.

I think where we fall down is in two areas of development:

1) Skills, because our base isn't big enough to raise the bar. Can only change that via participation uplift.

2) Coaching, which on the back of a small base, can't grow and place pressure on to perform.

This is the crux of the matter, how do you grow the base, what is the strategy to do that, since rugby went professional it has been through the promotion of the Wallabies, international success will grow the game.

Rugby Union has neglected or pretty much ignored the domestic market because it didn't think it needed one.

It believed growth comes through a successful Wallabies and an underlying belief that Rugby Unions so called Global market will provide.

The problem rugby has (and its a bloody big one) is how do you create the interest in rugby to grow the base, when 99% of resources are not designed to do that, when self interest/preservation, and not to mention being utterly broke will make it hard to change that.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Since I was introduced to Super Rugby, mid-season 1996, I have always been an avid fan and proud supporter of the Brumbies and the competition itself. Even through times of quite serious illness to myself and other family members, I've gone to as many games as I could manage and have held Brumbies membership in one form or another. It has been a rewarding time.

I am now very firmly in the camp that sees a domestic only competition as the way forward. The couple of years of Super Au kindled more interest in the game here than Super as an international competition has generated in many years. The success of AFL expanding into NSW and Qld highlights the interest a local competition between local rivals can generate.

There is a concern that a local competition will cause our standards to deteriorate and cause the Wallabies to drop even further down the world pecking order. Done properly, I don't believe that is necessarily so. It is arguably likely to be a more attractive spectacle for local people and as the Au years showed, would probably lead to substantially increased crowds at games and more TV viewer interest. The absolute top players would be able to play overseas and earn the big money their skills demand. We would need to pick our Wallabies side from wherever the best players are. That would keep them in the game and have them available for test match duty, and would also act as incentive for the next level of players to stay in the game here to play at the highest domestic level in front of larger and more passionate crowds. And if they prove good enough, to earn overseas contracts themselves.

I will always have a soft spot for the previous and current Super Rugby formats as they introduced us to many of the world's top players on a regular basis. We became familiar with stars of the game from NZ, SA and more recently Argentina. But that form of competition no longer holds as much interest here, and I fear has become irrelevant to the majority of rugby fans in this country.

 

[LeCheese]

I am now very firmly in the camp that sees a domestic only competition as the way forward. The couple of years of Super Au kindled more interest in the game here than Super as an international competition has generated in many years. The success of AFL expanding into NSW and Qld highlights the interest a local competition between local rivals can generate.

Whilst I agree that a domestic comp likely has benefit, we need to be careful pointing to Super AU as a yardstick for its likely success. Given the world at the time, people were actively looking for reasons to get out and about and for activities to engage in - sports obviously being the #1 thing people turned to. That's not to say Super AU's engagement was artificial, but it was likely a bit inflated.

 

[Derpus]

"Begun"? I have been pushing this for years... I need better PR, clearly.

Yeah you've been pushing it. However, the movement has only just begun.

 

[Rebel man]

Yep, the success of non-Vic teams over recent years has really lit a fire under the game's following - feels a bit more than just the usual bandwagoners too, at least up here in BNE

What success lol? 15 of the last 17 flags have been won by a Victorian side. With Sydney in 2012 the last in an expansion market to win. The West Coast being the other side to win in 18 but Perth is in a heartland state.

 

[Ignoto]

greedy administration who thought five tests in five weeks was a reasonable undertaking - something not even done at a World Cup.

I'm confused here.

We've had arguments that we don't play enough rugbh, but when we play more rugby it's deemed to be too unreasonable?

5 tests in 5 weeks is a perfect way to mirror the demands of the WC. There are no freebie weeks anymore and the most recent WC showed you have to back up, week in and out for the entire campaign.

 

[LeCheese]

What success lol? 15 of the last 17 flags have been won by a Victorian side. With Sydney in 2012 the last in an expansion market to win. The West Coast being the other side to win in 18 but Perth is in a heartland state.

10 of the last 12 GFs have included a non-Victorian team - assuming 'success' is purely who walks away with the trophy is an extremely narrow view.

 

[Rebel man]

I'm confused here.

We've had arguments that we don't play enough rugbh, but when we play more rugby it's deemed to be too unreasonable?

5 tests in 5 weeks is a perfect way to mirror the demands of the WC. There are no freebie weeks anymore and the most recent WC showed you have to back up, week in and out for the entire campaign.

Yeah playing 5 weeks in a row is not an issue at all

 

[Slim 293]

What success lol? 15 of the last 17 flags have been won by a Victorian side. With Sydney in 2012 the last in an expansion market to win. The West Coast being the other side to win in 18 but Perth is in a heartland state.

Sure, but Sydney, Brisbane, GWS and Port Adelaide have all featured in the grand final or prelim in recent years...

 

[Tomthumb]

I'm confused here.

We've had arguments that we don't play enough rugbh, but when we play more rugby it's deemed to be too unreasonable?

5 tests in 5 weeks is a perfect way to mirror the demands of the WC. There are no freebie weeks anymore and the most recent WC showed you have to back up, week in and out for the entire campaign.

It's just an empty excuse for the Italy debacle

 

[HooperPocockSmith]

From what I can see, any new AFL fans in Sydney begin by supporting the Swans. This is partly due to their success but also the proximity of the SCG to the North Shore and Eastern Suburbs where AFL is thriving. I think the branding and location of GWS doesn't lend itself to the support of the trust funds in Sydney's leafy suburbs.

 

[Rebel man]

Sure, but Sydney, Brisbane, GWS and Port Adelaide have all featured in the grand final or prelim in recent years...

Ports last GF was in 07 and Adelaide is the most one eyed Aussie rules town in the nation.

GWS is a basket case off the field

Sydney got embarrassed last year and it was only an inaccurate Collingwood that kept it close this year. The dominance of Victorian sides isn’t good for the code

Put it simply interstate dominance was from 1997-2006 where they won 8 of 10 flags and were runners up 3 times. But the empire has well and truly struck back

 

[Members Section]

It's just an empty excuse for the Italy debacle

ironically it was Donaldon's missed pen that was the final nail

 

[John S]

don’t let him get to you

Yep, don't feed the trolls...