Australian Rugby / RA

[hifflepiff]

As an RA chair recently found out, RA operates in accordance to how their voting members want, and the potential for losing control of the Super Rugby teams is not what enough of the members currently want

This is Rugby Australia's original sin.

From the start parochial state administrators have had too much influence over the national direction of the game.

There's no no way to change this unless an entirely 3rd party pops up to create a professional league outside the constraints of the NSWRU and QLDRU.

 

[dru]

No other rugby nation has to fight with its country love for a 2bit code like the NRL.

take away the fact our population prefers 5 tackles and a kick…. Imagine where the game would be if there was one rugby code fighting against AFL.

Incorporation of RA into a single code would add approximately two diddlesquats to what capacity that NRL has now in competing with AFL.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

That's going to happen regardless.

Rugby Union needs some radical overhauls to not be dead in the water inside 15 yrs.

So what do you recommend?

 

[John S]

Rugby Australia has dropped the ball entirely when it’s come to the management of the franchises; how have the Waratahs been allowed to become so irrelevant in the Sydney sporting market?

As a rusted on Tahs supporter, this is a Tahs problem surely

 

[SouthernX]

Haven't heard that about the Super League. But essentially yes. I was actually talking about the US with a co-worker who is obsessed with League recently. Kept harping on about the Vegas event. Until I told him that there are only 21 League teams in the US total.

did you catch the news this week where the NRL got caught out fudging the attendance stats for their Vegas event.

said there was 40k but it was only 30k

 

[hifflepiff]

So what do you recommend?

There's nothing to recommend, it's fucked. Professional rugby in Aus is a terminally ill patient dying a slow, slow death.

If forced I would suggest going to everyone on the AFR rich list and literally begging them for a 10 yr investment in a domestic league.

I would have this league be completely managed by the team/league owners - no input from the state or national unions beyond release for Wallabies duty during international periods.

The above won't happen so *shrug*.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

did you catch the news this week where the NRL got caught out fudging the attendance stats for their Vegas event.

said there was 40k but it was only 30k

No. Where did you see it.

 

[SouthernX]

No. Where did you see it.

Funny numbers mean success for the NRL

The NRL inflated crowd figures for its Las Vegas showcase, highlighting that official numbers are art and science.

www.afr.com

 

[KOB1987]

did you catch the news this week where the NRL got caught out fudging the attendance stats for their Vegas event.

said there was 40k but it was only 30k

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

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

There's nothing to recommend, it's fucked. Professional rugby in Aus is a terminally ill patient dying a slow, slow death.

If forced I would suggest going to everyone on the AFR rich list and literally begging them for a 10 yr investment in a domestic league.

I would have this league be completely managed by the team/league owners - no input from the state or national unions beyond release for Wallabies duty during international periods.

The above won't happen so *shrug*.

Ah right, nothing useful then. So why are you here commenting if it's all so fucked? Is it some kind of masochism?

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Funny numbers mean success for the NRL

The NRL inflated crowd figures for its Las Vegas showcase, highlighting that official numbers are art and science.

www.afr.com

I had an argument with a few League fans after the event about the figure. I'm an American Football fan as well and have seen various sized crowds at Allegiant. 30k was my top end estimate. It definitely wasn't 2/3rds full. The bottom bowl holds 28k and from wide angle photos of the crowd you could see it wasn't full.

 

[KevinO]

No other rugby nation has to fight with its country love for a 2bit code like the NRL.

take away the fact our population prefers 5 tackles and a kick…. Imagine where the game would be if there was one rugby code fighting against AFL.

Yeah, but it's not like Union is the number 1 sport in any of the nations that are making money.

Ireland has Football, Hurling and Soccer ahead of rugby, smaller population and still doing a lot better financially.

All the other 6N teams have soccer miles ahead of rugby for numbers.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Only Ireland is in the same situation as us though, with four winter codes. Rugby league is a non-entity in France, Italy, Wales and Scotland and not a massive thing in England any more. None of this means we shouldn't be doing better, however.

 

[Bullrush]

No they don't.

Only kiwis expats and a quickly aging group of boomer blazers from Randwick care about NZ super teams.

The rest of Australia wouldn't be able to point at Christchurch on a map.

And yet games against NZ teams are bigger draws in the gate than games against the Rebels and Force...

 

[Dan54]

Only Ireland is in the same situation as us though, with four winter codes. Rugby league is a non-entity in France, Italy, Wales and Scotland and not a massive thing in England any more. None of this means we shouldn't be doing better, however.

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.

 

[kiap]

Ireland has Football, Hurling and Soccer ahead of rugby, smaller population and still doing a lot better financially.

Are these strictly amateur or more "shamateur" these days?

Of the two, I always thought hurling was the better game to watch on TV. Gaelic football ...take it or leave it .. But if you put a big stick in everyone's hands, it gets more interesting!

 

[KevinO]

Are these strictly amateur or more "shamateur" these days?

Of the two, I always thought hurling was the better game to watch on TV. Gaelic football ...take it or leave it .. But if you put a big stick in everyone's hands, it gets more interesting!

The only people who still believe it's amateur are the old original fans, anyone who is good enough to play at county level works a cushy job that allows them to train like they are professionals. Even all the local clubs treat there players like professionals and the receive a lot of perks in the local parish.

 

[Highlander35]

Very much the Shamatuerism of the 80s then. Always interesting to hear about in retrospect. Wow, the star player joining us this season has a job lined up with the clubs major sponsor that has indeterminate duties and work hours? Nothing shady about that!

 

[KevinO]

Very much the Shamatuerism of the 80s then. Always interesting to hear about in retrospect. Wow, the star player joining us this season has a job lined up with the clubs major sponsor that has indeterminate duties and work hours? Nothing shady about that!

The only thing that's strange, players don't change counties, they might work in a neighboring county but they would be hung if they played for someone else.

 

[Rebel man]

As a rusted on Tahs supporter, this is a Tahs problem surely

It’s because there is one team, where is the instate rivalry? When the Tahs go bad who will the bandwagon fans jump on?