Australian Rugby / RA

[PhilClinton]

The money men apparently getting cold feet now.

I wonder if big Hamish has said something to the effect “if I go, that deal is done” as the alleged powerbrokers stand with him.

Regardless the whole saga is a bit childish. Politis now claiming Suaallii has told him specifically he will come back in 2028 after the RWC…

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...s/news-story/13dd061a7f432b98e03abc399e767f40

 

[PhilClinton]

You’re probably right but it would be a nice change to have someone able to catch wind of what the community is doing/feeling. If he wants to take up the good fight then so be it. He didn’t say or repeat anything that wasn’t true.

We don’t need a Chairman’s footrest for CEO.

Yeh who knows, maybe it was Waugh’s ownership of the situation that convinced the state unions to strike whilst the iron was hot.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

The money men apparently getting cold feet now.

I wonder if big Hamish has said something to the effect “if I go, that deal is done” as the alleged powerbrokers stand with him.

Regardless the whole saga is a bit childish. Politis now claiming Suaallii has told him specifically he will come back in 2028 after the RWC…

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...s/news-story/13dd061a7f432b98e03abc399e767f40

Read that about JS and 2028. So much to happen before then it feels silly but if there’s any club that would prepare for it it’s them. NRL is more likely to offer him 2.5m/yr to play for PNG when they can’t anyone to sign for them.

 

[Adam84]

Is that like telling the girlfriend that you’re breaking up with that you still love here and want to come back, you just need a bit of time by yourself?

Honestly who gives a crap what is said about 2028, it’s so far out and so much can change between now and then in processional sporting market. JS would be pretty stupid to tell Politis that he has no intention of returning.

 

[RugbyReg]

I’m sure I’m not the only person to pickup on this but Waugh drawing a line earlier last week on a number issues and highlighting the importance of responsible spending etc was surely spurred from a tap on the shoulder by a couple of the state unions about what was about to go down, or he’s come across something downwind and didn’t want to get caught on the wrong side.

Seems too convenient.

I reckon there's a good chance there's a few on the board who are doing some tapping as well

 

[hoggy]

Can I ask what you would propose instead of SuperRugby? (or point me to your post if you've already discussed this)

I've seen a lot of hypothetically this or that models thrown around, but I really wonder if people have any sense to how much upfront capital you would need to shift to something other than SuperRugby.

Just look up (Where to for Super Rugby) not sure how many pages it got to before it got retired, something like 2000

And money, yep we've got none Super Rugby has bloody well made sure of that.

The game has been living on a Credit Card for years now, just shuffling debt and getting a shiny new one every time the accountants call, the whole thing is just slowly turning to shit.

The McLennan and Centralization saga is just a stupid side show while they frantically run around trying to sign up another C/C

The whole business model of the game here is like a big bloody Pyramid scheme, selling something you haven't got.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Seriously, who gives a fuck what John Coates thinks? I mean, if you ever want a worse example of the Emperor Syndrome than him, I'd love to see it.

One of the worst rent seeking fat cats in the history of Australian sport

 

[Kenny Powers]

I don’t hold out much hope the necessary people from outside the tent are going to come onboard to leed us to the promised land.

Rugby Australia is easying pickings for AFR Rear Window once again.

Hamish McLennan and rugby’s conflicts and coincidences

The Rugby Australia chairman has apologised, but all will hinge on a review being conducted by a panel with ties to the game.

www.afr.com

Use this website to read cutting and pasting address.

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[noscrumnolife]

You don’t think these members deserve a vote?

I personally think it is dumb we have a constitution where Tasmania, NT & the SA - who between the three of them combined still have less player numbers than WA - will have more votes as a bloc then NSW from next year. Not commenting on how the constitutional makeup affects the McLennan vote whatsoever. Nor am I saying they shouldn't have a vote at all. They absolutely should.

But I think it is reasonable to question whether the structure in Rugby Australia's constitution is really to the game's benefit, and whether it distributes influence in accordance with where the games resources are drawn from and distributed to, and where the national (key word, not state!) interest lies.

 

[RugbyReg]

I personally think it is dumb we have a constitution where Tasmania, NT & the SA - who between the three of them combined still have less player numbers than WA - will have more votes as a bloc then NSW from next year. Not commenting on how the constitutional makeup affects the McLennan vote whatsoever. Nor am I saying they shouldn't have a vote at all. They absolutely should.

But I think it is reasonable to question whether the structure in Rugby Australia's constitution is really to the game's benefit, and whether it distributes influence in accordance with where the games resources are drawn from and distributed to, and where the national (key word, not state!) interest lies.

They won’t get more votes. NSW Rugby will have twice as many votes as each of them.

 

[noscrumnolife]

They won’t get more votes. NSW Rugby will have twice as many votes as each of them.

NSW now have two votes. Tasmania, SA & the NT will have three votes between them. My comment was about their power as a voting bloc. Can talk about NSW bias all you like but I just don't think that makes sense where the state that contributes the most $, player base and fan interest has less influence than three minnow states that don't really contribute to the national game.

 

[RugbyReg]

NSW now have two votes. Tasmania, SA & the NT will have three votes between them. My comment was about their power as a voting bloc. Can talk about NSW bias all you like but I just don't think that makes sense where the state that contributes the most $, player base and fan interest has less influence than three minnow states that don't really contribute to the national game.

if this was the case, they wouldn't have needed RA to come in and save the day

 

[noscrumnolife]

if this was the case, they wouldn't have needed Rugby Australia to come in and save the day

Contribute the most $ in the sense they are the biggest customer base in the country.

 

[LeCheese]

Contribute the most $ in the sense they are the biggest customer base in the country.

Do you have the stats to back this up? Or are you purely going off population?

 

[noscrumnolife]

Do you have the stats to back this up? Or are you purely going off population?

Given it is obviously a shootout between QLD & NSW (don't think that should be controversial) here are comparisons between them.

From the 2022 Annual Reports:
NSW generated $37,266,947 total income. QLD generated $33,967,164.
Matchday/stadium revenues were NSW $4,476,254 & QLD $3,618,117.
QLD are in a stronger total financial position, but that is primarily due to the fact the gov't funded the Ballymore redevelopment and NSW funded the Centre of Excellence out of their own pocket. QLD also much more effective at generating sponsorship revenue ($2,416,830 v $5,488,521).

I would do a crowd based analysis for attendance figures also but the only source I can find is this https://www.austadiums.com/sport/rugby-union/crowds and it is very incomplete with many games a year not recorded. Making any comparisons incomplete and unreliable, especially because some stadiums average includes Super + Wallabies, some only Super, some only Wallabies.

Throw in population numbers and rugby participation numbers (as proxy figures for geographic distribution of broadcast revenue) which are both tilted in NSW favour, and it paints a picture that NSW is the state which produces the most $ in the total pot generated by rugby in the country.

 

[KiwiM]

Extraordinary General Meeting it is.

Hamish dragging the game through more fighting.

‘I won’t back down’: McLennan rejects resign deadline but board vote looms

Embattled Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan is planning to fight for his future after a group of rebel state unions joined forces to oust him.

www.smh.com.au

 

[noscrumnolife]

Extraordinary General Meeting it is.

Hamish dragging the game through more fighting.

‘I won’t back down’: McLennan rejects resign deadline but board vote looms

Embattled Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan is planning to fight for his future after a group of rebel state unions joined forces to oust him.

www.smh.com.au

First I'd contend it is the states who have dragged the game into the fight. They have publicly called for his resignation without having total confidence they can win a vote at an EGM. Key stakeholders in the game - the biggest sponsor, the biggest private donor - are out in favour of McLennan. If they expected him to resign without total confidence of winning the vote, they clearly don't have the measure of the man - he is incredibly belligerent.

The article does a good job of describing why it is not necessarily an open and shut case that the anti-Mclennan brigade have the votes to bring him down.

"McLennan believes the Waratahs, Rebels and Force will vote for him and if Rugby Victoria, NSW Rugby and RUPA all side with the chairman, too, McLennan must flip one of the rebel state unions to survive. But that may depend on how quickly an EGM is called, given the Waratahs deed of ownership is due to be transferred to Rugby Australia on January 1, 2024. After that, the Waratahs vote has to be voided under the RA constitution, and that could increase the rebel unions’ majority from 9-7 to 9-6."

The vote must surely occur before 1 January. This cannot hang over the game for a month and a half. It is highly likely Rugby VIC and NSW Rugby will vote pro McLennan given public statements. RUPA is currently unknown according to the article they meet today to determine their position. Given Twiggy - a central figure in WA rugby who provides funding to Rugby WA - is pro McLennan, is it that hard to envision a scenario where the WA vote is flipped? And suddenly the votes are 8-8 and he stays. Or he manages to cut a deal with one of the minnows and they flip also? Give SA/Tassie a test match each perhaps? Certainly not a done deal.

 

[RugbyReg]

? Give SA/Tassie a test match each perhaps? Certainly not a done deal.

Hamish doesn’t award the test match venues. That would be very much overplaying his hand as Chair. Plus I don’t think it would get the support of the Board.

I reckon some of the board, and the states, will be working just as hard to get the numbers as Hamish will.

 

[noscrumnolife]

Hamish doesn’t award the test match venues. That would be very much overplaying his hand as Chair. Plus I don’t think it would get the support of the Board.

I reckon some of the board, and the states, will be working just as hard to get the numbers as Hamish will.

Something he is very prone to doing. Look maybe the test match comment can't occur. But the total point of my comment is that if it does go to the vote, the outcome is very much not a done deal and there will be a lot of politicking going on till then.

 

[KiwiM]

First I'd contend it is the states who have dragged the game into the fight. They have publicly called for his resignation without having total confidence they can win a vote at an EGM.

How do you know they don't have total confidence they can win the vote?