Australian Rugby / RA

[dru]

What is it with these goons? I have seen it at club level where the coach and management decide to buy success and it didn't (doesn't) work. They have no fiscal responsibility or ability to count from the look of it. They believe their own BS and hope - not a great way to run anything.
As for the media, they all love a good screw up more than a success story.
What a huge mistake dumping WA, who have some rugby support, for a lousy dream in Melbourne?

Without commenting on anything else in your post, and certainly not in disagreement, BUT the dream of a team in Melbourne is far from "lousy". It is a requirement for any professional sport that has pretensions of "National".

 

[Derpus]

Without commenting on anything else in your post, and certainly not in disagreement, BUT the dream of a team in Melbourne is far from "lousy". It is a requirement for any professional sport that has pretensions of "National".

Why? It's not rugby's fault the stupid fluffybunnys in Melbourne like a dumb sport for idiots.

 

[Members Section]

Why? It's not rugby's fault the stupid fluffybunnys in Melbourne like a dumb sport for idiots.

yeah the same ones that produced the biggest crowd the wobs have played in front of

 

[Derpus]

yeah the same ones that produced the biggest crowd the wobs have played in front of

They can be tricked on the rare occasion but they mostly revert to watching their dumb sport for idiots.

 

[Members Section]

They can be tricked on the rare occasion but they mostly revert to watching their dumb sport for idiots.

Id look at my own backyard if I were you. Maybe get your own fans to games before you try to shit can a state that is producing more wallabies per player registration & the only city that is not bleeding ra dry by putting tests on

 

[Adam84]

Whilst there are a myriad of benefits to having a local Super Rugby team, I’d be interested to see whether the Rebels have had any significant influence on Test crowds there.

 

[dru]

Wow.

Aus pop 25m, Melbourne 5m, Victoria close to 7m. It's about 20% of Australia in the city itself. It's pretty much Australia's largest city. It is also a sporting hub that is unrivalled on this continent. I'm not at all bothered by the dominance of AFL but I very much would be bothered by the absence of a professional team.

Edit: that Melbourne population is roughly equivalent to the population of Brisbane, Canberra and Perth combined - or alternatively the entire population of New Zealand.

Surely my claim that the game is not national without Melbourne is not silly.

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

I fear we are getting into the territory of that great Aussie tv show “The Games” and the need to remove a row of seats from the stadium and whether you take them from the front or back.

I was just pointing out that reducing players is silly and results in a completely different game. If you want more space there’s an easier solution.
My points re speeding up stoppages and stopping clock where appropriate I think are complete common sense - occurs in every other sport

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

I think bledisloe crowds in Melbourne have increased to the point of 90k from circa 60k which is the inverse of Sydney isn’t it?
See what comes of this news but this would be a management issue mostly. I mean can you argue with the logic of having a team in the largest city that has generally excellent public transport infrastructure and great centralized stadiums? Also one of the faster growing cities with a growing PI, NZ presence.
Don’t take this as me making a recommendation, but you run the rule over all the super clubs and RA and the conclusion from an independent board would be too many teams. The one getting cut ain’t the one in Melbourne, nor the one funded by a billionaire…

 

[Ignoto]

Surely my claim that the game is not national without Melbourne is not silly.

We played Internationals in Melbourne before the Rebels existed though.

 

[dru]

We played Internationals in Melbourne before the Rebels existed though.

Good enough and part of the discussion. But not really where I was coming from. Melbourne imo is a must do for a rugby professional rugby team.

 

[LevitatingSocks]

I think bledisloe crowds in Melbourne have increased to the point of 90k from circa 60k which is the inverse of Sydney isn’t it?
See what comes of this news but this would be a management issue mostly. I mean can you argue with the logic of having a team in the largest city that has generally excellent public transport infrastructure and great centralized stadiums? Also one of the faster growing cities with a growing PI, NZ presence.
Don’t take this as me making a recommendation, but you run the rule over all the super clubs and RA and the conclusion from an independent board would be too many teams. The one getting cut ain’t the one in Melbourne, nor the one funded by a billionaire…

How many of those in the crowds are emigrants from New Zealand there to support the All Blacks though? I realize it doesn't matter in terms of revenue, but it does if we wish to use Bledisloe crowd as a proxy for interest in Australian rugby in Melbourne.

 

[Adam84]

Wow.

Aus pop 25m, Melbourne 5m, Victoria close to 7m. It's about 20% of Australia in the city itself. It's pretty much Australia's largest city. It is also a sporting hub that is unrivalled on this continent. I'm not at all bothered by the dominance of AFL but I very much would be bothered by the absence of a professional team.

Edit: that Melbourne population is roughly equivalent to the population of Brisbane, Canberra and Perth combined - or alternatively the entire population of New Zealand.

Surely my claim that the game is not national without Melbourne is not silly.

Who are you replying to?

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

How many of those in the crowds are emigrants from New Zealand there to support the All Blacks though? I realize it doesn't matter in terms of revenue, but it does if we wish to use Bledisloe crowd as a proxy for interest in Australian rugby in Melbourne.

A fair few would be emigrants but they are living in Melbourne and supporting rugby in Melbourne…..kind of a weird question. Let’s carve out the islander supporters at a Gold Coast game….

 

[LevitatingSocks]

A fair few would be emigrants but they are living in Melbourne and supporting rugby in Melbourne…..kind of a weird question. Let’s carve out the islander supporters at a Gold Coast game….

If those attendance numbers are being pumped up by Kiwis (or saffas or samoans, pick any nationality), then it becomes hard to separate the signal from the noise in determining if RA is successfully making inroads in AFL-dominated Melbourne or if issues are being papered over and we're just the lucky beneficiaries of the combination of healthier rugby ecosystems elsewhere and better jobs in Australia.

It's only a weird line of inquiry if you miss the point of my comment.

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

I understand your point I just don’t see how it’s valid. If there is a rugby loving population in a city that supports 90k attendance figures why do we care where they immigrated from? They like rugby and now they can view rugby. This likely also sees them participate in and support local rugby.
If they were all tourists flying in for the game or 2 year workers, sure but I’d be reasonably confident that’s not the case.

 

[dru]

Who are you replying to?

General comment, Adam. I'm befuddled by what seems a generic discussion dismissive of rugby in Melbourne.

 

[Adam84]

General comment, Adam. I'm befuddled by what seems a generic discussion dismissive of rugby in Melbourne.

Where this discussion stemmed from was the significant financial issues at the Rebels and what were to happen if they can’t sort out that mess and turned to RA for a rescue and RA cant fund them, and what the grim reality and implications would be.

Maybe it’s a bit premature to be talking about that, but from all accounts there’s some significant financial pressure across all Super Rugby teams and RA over the next 2 years and there absolutely no guarantee all teams will survive, and we need to be discussing this Issue. It’s another reason centralisation was so critical, and frustrating that the model was shot down by QLD and ACT powerbrokers.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

One thing that has improved since the Rebels have existed is the locals coming through the U18s, 20s and Super Rugby.

Might be wrong but it seems a lot more than pre 2010.

Even Scotland are thankful.

 

[hoggy]

Where this discussion stemmed from was the significant financial issues at the Rebels and what were to happen if they can’t sort out that mess and turned to RA for a rescue and RA cant fund them, and what the grim reality and implications would be.

Maybe it’s a bit premature to be talking about that, but from all accounts there’s some significant financial pressure across all Super Rugby teams and RA over the next 2 years and there absolutely no guarantee all teams will survive, and we need to be discussing this Issue. It’s another reason centralisation was so critical, and frustrating that the model was shot down by QLD and ACT powerbrokers.

Then we should be discussing the whole point of Super rugby, exactly what has this competition achieved for the code in this country over the last 25 years.
Until the game here actually deals with the fundamental issues of why it is stoned cold broke, then you are simply kicking the can down the road while your waiting on you next Credit card application to get approved, which is exactly what they have done.

The whole financial set up of the game here is unsustainable, talking about reducing Super teams or the latest buzz word "centralization"
is just pissing in the wind, until you actually deal with why we are are $40 million in debt and need another $80 million to operate over the next few years.

The Rebels are a symptom of a disease the game here just keeps on ignoring all the while it slowly becomes more sicker by the day.