Former Rugby Australia Geoff Stooke director calls for dramatic overhaul of domestic professional game
Nick Taylor - The West Australian - Tuesday, 7 April 2020
Former Rugby Australia director Geoff Stooke says a dramatic overhaul of the domestic professional game is needed if the game is going to survive.
It starts by scrapping Super Rugby, already on a death spiral long before the coronavirus crisis caused its suspension, and starting a new competition that would include Australia’s four Super sides, Western Force and a sixth Barbarians-style club.
They would then be joined by New Zealand sides, Global Rapid Rugby clubs and teams from Asia and the Pacific Islands in an expanded competition.
Stooke, who resigned in disgust after 51/2 years on the RA board when the Force was controversially axed from Super Rugby, made an unsuccessful bid to return at last month’s elections.
“It all starts with the realisation that Super Rugby is stuffed. If you don’t accept that you are kidding yourself,” he said.
“Super Rugby is a sham. It’s just rubbish. It’s been my view for a long time that the current model has done its dash, it has lost its appeal.
“I realise money is going to be tight but teams must be financially viable. A lot will depend on the appeal to a broadcaster and free-to-air is important.
“The Barbarians team would pick up players who are contracted but can’t get a run in other sides. It would not be a weak side. It could be like the Brumbies when they started — the rejects who became the strongest team.
“Having six teams means every team plays every week. That makes more sense.”
Stooke, who was also a long-standing chairman of Rugby WA, said the competition needed to adopt laws played by GRR that were designed to speed up the game.
“Blind Freddy could tell you that watching a game of GRR is far more enjoyable than the rolling mauls, scrum-after-scrum crap that is Super Rugby,” he said.