Australian Rugby / RA

[eastman]

You’re not going to like this but the next team that Rugby Australia should add to Super Rugby (not for a while as Aus rugby needs things to stabilize for a while) is a Western Sydney team and not the Rebels.
Provides a local rivalry in NSW, a large market and a there’s a pipeline of players with all the failed Eels/ Panthers.

 

[KevinO]

You’re not going to like this but the next team that Rugby Australia should add to Super Rugby (not for a while as Aus rugby needs things to stabilize for a while) is a Western Sydney team and not the Rebels.
Provides a local rivalry in NSW, a large market and a there’s a pipeline of players with all the failed Eels/ Panthers.

Well RA debt is going to mean they will be relocating the Brumbies to Western Sydney (Sorry, Brumbies fans. I hope that never happens) before adding a 5th team. Honestly looking over RA documents from AGM they need to be shut down by the government and taken over by a whole new board with some experience that's relevant to running a sports organization.

How are they going to service 10 million a year interest with a reduced TV deal?

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Well RA debt is going to mean they will be relocating the Brumbies to Western Sydney (Sorry, Brumbies fans. I hope that never happens) before adding a 5th team. Honestly looking over RA documents from AGM they need to be shut down by the government and taken over by a whole new board with some experience that's relevant to running a sports organization.

How are they going to service 10 million a year interest with a reduced TV deal?

They're talking about the Lions tour generating as much as $100m for RA. Probably at least double that for the RWC. Then at the moment it's likely an extra $40m every second just from the mooted Qatar deal from 2026 onwards. There's the broadcast end of that as well. Which should be multiples of the sponsorship deal. Or at least you'd hope. And then there's the local broadcasting deal. They should be able to cover their commitments regarding the loan and then some.

 

[Pfitzy]

They're talking about the Lions tour generating as much as $100m for RA.

I'm keen to see how they piss it away this time.

 

[Derpus]

I'm keen to see how they piss it away this time.

How many League wingers can you sign for 100m?

 

[Highlander35]

I reckon this time they'll "put money into grassroots" (primarily going to the premier competitions) without any conditions attached re: high performance restructuring.

 

[SouthernX]

I'm keen to see how they piss it away this time.

it’s called the Waratahs

 

[LeCheese]

Well RA debt is going to mean they will be relocating the Brumbies to Western Sydney (Sorry, Brumbies fans. I hope that never happens) before adding a 5th team.

In all honesty I can't see this happening, nor a Western Sydney team more generally for some time. Relocating the Brums would be a costly exercise for bugger all benefit, and moving them into what is now an NRL stronghold would make the bean counters nervous about recouping those costs.

The crowd numbers in Canberra have been disappointing recently despite their moderate success, but RA would be better off channelling funds into boosting the Brums' profile in the area.

 

[Strewthcobber]

I'm keen to see how they piss it away this time.

Lions tour $$$ is pre-pissed. It's just going straight to repay the loan.

It'll be the WC $$$ that they piss away

 

[SouthernX]

The crowd numbers in Canberra have been disappointing recently despite their moderate success, but RA would be better off channelling funds into boosting the Brums' profile in the area.

Canberra is a lost cause… it’s a bad sports market.

A new stadium won’t fix the fact that are a regional sports town who will play second fiddle to the Canberra raiders!

 

[Slim 293]

 

[LeCheese]

Speaking of bait

Super Rugby's failure was letting Rebels exist for 14 pitiful years - one less also-ran is a blessing

So we’re all meant to be lamenting the loss of a Super Rugby Pacific franchise that made precisely one playoff appearance in its pitiful…

www.theroar.com.au

 

[stillmissit]

Yep bang on TBH, either all these other unions are doing a bloody sight better job of promoting their game, or the people have a shall we say more perceptive??
But seriously it is about how game is run, I think. I have seen the difference in grassroots in both NZ and Aus and do think at times I was very disappointed with how easily NRL/AFL are used as excuse in the rugby community for things not being done better.

Dan, I am not arguing that RA has done a great job, we all know they haven't but:

When you have a media who, over the last 20 years have run nothing but, to paraphrase it all "Rugby is too dangerous" from scrummaging will break your neck, to brain damage today and all the other issues that come up in between, it is no surprise that schools have dumped rugby and are playing soccer et al. The reduction in rugby playing stocks and the skill standard coming out of the remaining schools leaves much to be desired.
Yet the media doesn't appear to do the same hatchet job on RL.

If rugby union is too dangerous then ban it or allow it only at an amateur level after players sign a contract that stops them from suing (if such a thing is possible). That would be better than the death by a thousand cuts we are putting up with.

 

[stillmissit]

You’re not going to like this but the next team that Rugby Australia should add to Super Rugby (not for a while as Aus rugby needs things to stabilize for a while) is a Western Sydney team and not the Rebels.
Provides a local rivalry in NSW, a large market and a there’s a pipeline of players with all the failed Eels/ Panthers.

OMG this is madness, that is an idea from a different lifetime and it didn't work then and it definitely won't work now. That would be Melbourne V2.

 

[Omar Comin']

If you were to ever have 2 pro teams in Sydney you'd potentially have North Harbour (Northern Beaches, North Shore and North West) and South Harbour (Eastern suburbs and Inner West) before a Western Sydney team. At least from the sense of 'fishing where the fish are' in terms of fans and corporate support.

 

[Bullrush]

I’m also still yet to find one of the 2.2m people that watched the women’s origin game on Thursday night.

My family did as did a number of my friends. It was good game too....

 

[Slim 293]

Speaking of bait

Super Rugby's failure was letting Rebels exist for 14 pitiful years - one less also-ran is a blessing

So we’re all meant to be lamenting the loss of a Super Rugby Pacific franchise that made precisely one playoff appearance in its pitiful…

www.theroar.com.au

Oh yeah, I didn't get far into that... rancid.

 

[Micheal]

I’m also still yet to find one of the 2.2m people that watched the women’s origin game on Thursday night.

To be fair - as a 29 year old Sydney sider - I honestly don't know many people that didn't watch it. Not sure where you're based (or your demographic) but it was a huge talking point in my circles / at work.

 

[KiwiM]

Speaking of bait

Super Rugby's failure was letting Rebels exist for 14 pitiful years - one less also-ran is a blessing

So we’re all meant to be lamenting the loss of a Super Rugby Pacific franchise that made precisely one playoff appearance in its pitiful…

www.theroar.com.au

Bidwell is an absolute muppet. Just avoid entirely. Joke of a 'journalist'.

 

[Bullrush]

Speaking of bait

Super Rugby's failure was letting Rebels exist for 14 pitiful years - one less also-ran is a blessing

So we’re all meant to be lamenting the loss of a Super Rugby Pacific franchise that made precisely one playoff appearance in its pitiful…

www.theroar.com.au

To be fair, in the article, Bidwell actually proposes what a lot of posters here advocate for. The demise of Super Rugby and replacing it with stronger national competitions with champion cross-over games.