Australian Rugby's Market Share/Popularity

[Gnostic]

The NRL make a lot from the FTA part of the deal - FTA Super 14/15/16 will not happen in my lifetime, unfortunately. Do you really think that the ARU would not have gone down this road, if the road was open? Sorry. The road is closed.

Especially while the major shareholder in the NRL is also the major broadcaster of the FTA product. Of course they aren't going to promote a brand rivalling one they have a massive financial stake in. Pay is the only way available for Rugby and we are lucky there that the market is so huge in NZ, SA and to a lesser extent Europe or we wouldn't even have got the level of pay support enjoyed.

 

[Lindommer]

I don't know if it's strictly accurate to refer to Peter Ryan and Andrew Walker as "league converts"; they were both rugby players first, Ryan at Downlands and Australian Schoolboys and Walker at Randwick. Shouldn't they be referrred to as "union converts"?

 

[Brumby Jack]

Shouldn't they be referrred to as "union converts"?

What about 'Union journeyman' which sums up Walker really...

 

[RedsHappy]

How much do the NRL make from there FTA agreement? FTA Super 14 games would eventually lead to an increased attendance, possibly.

Don't despair totally re FTA and S15...I am sure that part of this April's announced deal re C9 taking over Tris Tests etc is that C9 will include a weekly S15 highlights program, FTA!!

Quote from a write-up on roar.com.au around the time of JO'Ns announcement re C9:

Channel 9 will also broadcast a one-hour weekly Super Rugby highlights program featuring the five Australian teams. This is a terrific break-through for rugby. It provides a free-to-air view of the Australian Super Rugby team each week for the first time.

 

[RedsHappy]

Mmmmmm. The high point for rugby in Australia was precisely the years during which several outstanding league players were attracted to the game, and turned into fixtures in the national team. The last Lions tour, and of course the RWC - which drew a tv audience of over 4 million. I don't follow your logic. There are other reasons for not recruiting league players now, but I fail to see how the recruitment of players like Tuqiri, Sailor, and Rogers damaged the game. Quite the contrary, IMHO.

I think that in a funny way both you and LT are right. The league imports drew media and everyday fans attention to elements of rugby weakness or lack of a complete talent base (and made league look good indirectly), but, at the same time, there's no doubt these guys coming in drew in further watchers or part-time fans (from league and elsewhere), whatever the purists thought of this importation. And it's not as if they were playing flops, in their first few years of coming over, they contributed, sometimes impressively and consolidated (some) fans interest in rugby. For example, for most of Lote's time in the game, there's no doubt he pulled fans to games, or to TV.

It's just a (possibly v important) fact that in today's Wallabies there's not many players that are individual stars or charismatic icons that actively pull in fans just to see them. That's not true in league or AFL today. (One exception - I sense in QLD that a good part of the 40,000+ fans who came to the Ireland Test did so post-glorious-Reds-year to see Cooper, now adored up here.).

Like it or not, having a few charismatic icons just beloved by fans can be very good for the game's economics and popularity and can really consolidate younger players pull to the game as well.

 

[wamberal]

Don't despair totally re FTA and S15...I am sure that part of this April's announced deal re C9 taking over Tris Tests etc is that C9 will include a weekly S15 highlights program, FTA!!

Quote from a write-up on roar.com.au around the time of JO'Ns announcement re C9:

To be scrupulously accurate, the ABC does usually show some highlights of the previous week's matches during half-time of the Shute Shield match of the day. Unfortunately, this programme is limited to viewers in NSW and ACT. But, still, the ABC deserves our support for putting rugby on FTA!!!

 

[RedsHappy]

To be scrupulously accurate, the ABC does usually show some highlights of the previous week's matches during half-time of the Shute Shield match of the day. Unfortunately, this programme is limited to viewers in NSW and ACT. But, still, the ABC deserves our support for putting rugby on FTA!!!

Yeah, OK, but the viewership of the ABC as above and generally is small and 'niche'. C9 paid quite a bit to the ARU for these new rights, you can be assured they'll actively promote their new rugby shows and live games, all the good of the code one hopes. And IMO, C7's whole treatment of rugby was getting very tired and stale.

 

[Gnostic]

To be scrupulously accurate, the ABC does usually show some highlights of the previous week's matches during half-time of the Shute Shield match of the day. Unfortunately, this programme is limited to viewers in NSW and ACT. But, still, the ABC deserves our support for putting rugby on FTA!!!

Living in Country NSW I used to live for my weekly Shute Shield Fix. At one time the ABC was the only channel I could get. I would love to see more from the ABC, they could certainly teach the commercial channels about broadcasting Rugby. Pappy is an excellent Rugby commentator.

Regarding the C9 highlights program, I hope that it is a success but it can only be if they broadcast it at a sensible time. Remember Channel 7 did a 1 hour highlights package of the S12 but they had it on on Saturday/Sunday morning when everyone is out either doing family stuff or at a game. Then because it rated poorly in that time slot it went to a late night slot which failed as well. If it doesn't get a decent slot it will also be doomed.

 

[RedsHappy]

Regarding the C9 highlights program, I hope that it is a success but it can only be if they broadcast it at a sensible time. Remember Channel 7 did a 1 hour highlights package of the S12 but they had it on on Saturday/Sunday morning when everyone is out either doing family stuff or at a game. Then because it rated poorly in that time slot it went to a late night slot which failed as well. If it doesn't get a decent slot it will also be doomed.

Good point Gnostic, of course you are right. Let's hope! A bit more on the C9 deal below:

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/rugby/nines-450m-rugby-buyout/story-e6frey4i-1225856584052

 

[Gnostic]

RH why do you torture yourself with that constant reminder of the Tah's most awesome and deserved win over the also rans from the north? Did you lose a particularly nasty bet?

 

[DPK]

RH why do you torture yourself with that constant reminder of the Tah's most awesome and deserved win over the also rans from the north? Did you lose a particularly nasty bet?

He broke Rule 2, now has to suffer the consequences.

Although, really he should have Cliffy scoring the winner this year...

 

[RedsHappy]

RH why do you torture yourself with that constant reminder of the Tah's most awesome and deserved win over the also rans from the north? Did you lose a particularly nasty bet?

No, it's down to Moses. The fiend. That avatar is his attempt at surreptitious humiliation. Plus, I have so many arguments with Gagger re Deans, I fear that if I offend Moses and attempt a new avatar of my own Reds-loving choice, I will be expelled forthwith and never to return. It's something I worry about all the time, as a matter of fact.

 

[Gnostic]

No, it's down to Moses. The fiend. That avatar is his attempt at surreptitious humiliation. Plus, I have so many arguments with Gagger re Deans, I fear that if I offend Moses and attempt a new avatar of my own Reds-loving choice, I will be expelled forthwith and never to return. It's something I worry about all the time, as a matter of fact.

I thought that may be the case. Just think the constant exposure to images of a superior team may convert you. Consider a new name of Tahshappy as a suggestion.



:lmao:

 

[RugbyReg]

reports from Masterchef should remind us of what an opportunity we had 7 years ago:

The ratings are in for the grand finale of MasterChef and, as expected, Ten's cooking show did even better than last year, attracting a five-city average audience of 3.96 million people for the last half hour, in which the winner was announced. That's up by 230,000 people on last year's 3.73 million.

The main part of last night's episode, the 90 minutes of cooking and food knowledge challenges faced by 20-year-old engineering student Callum Hann and 31-year-old media lawyer Adam Liaw, was watched by an average 3.54 million, up from 3.29 million last year.

Channel Ten is claiming a peak audience of 5.75 million across the country, and 4.35 million across the five mainland capitals, making it the most-watched non-sporting event on Australian television.

The audience in Melbourne was especially strong, as has been the case throughout the season. The main program attracted 1.19 million viewers in the southern capital, and the verdict a massive 1.33 million, meaning about one-in-three people in the city watched last night.

The result means last night's show has overtaken last year's to become the third-most-watched program in Australia since OzTAM began collecting ratings figures in 2001, and the most-watched non-sporting event. Only the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final (4.01 million) and the 2005 Australian Open Men's tennis final (4.04 million) have been seen by more people.

While a long way short of the 5 million-plus figure some excitable pundits had predicted, last night's figures all but guarantee a third season of the cooking show next year.

 

[RedsHappy]

reports from Masterchef should remind us of what an opportunity we had 7 years ago:

Excellent pick up, and general point you made. That post-2003 period right through, what, 2006-7?, were the great periods of poor strategic leadership by the ARU IMO, in terms of both failing to deepen the game's penetration of its core markets, failing to initiate the right investments to really build player depth where it was needed, and in failing to sack coaches all over the place and bring better, deeper coaching skills into the S14 and Wallabies.

 

[DPK]

What's the point of all this? I realise those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it, but lamenting past mistakes by the ARU on this forum wont have any impact on our current situation.

 

[daz]

failing to initiate the right investments to really build player depth where it was needed, and in failing to sack coaches all over the place and bring better, deeper coaching skills into the S14 and Wallabies.

Who? You assume we had the player depth and the coaching talent to do this. Knuckles and Jones did squat in this area. Yet now that Deans (a coaching talent and massively rated by his peers) is actually doing something about depth, that still isn't good enough?

 

[RedsHappy]

Who? You assume we had the player depth and the coaching talent to do this. Knuckles and Jones did squat in this area. Yet now that Deans (a coaching talent and massively rated by his peers) is actually doing something about depth, that still isn't good enough?

Please read my post again. I said nothing at all above specifically about the then Wallaby coaches per se, in the referenced period of 2003 to 2006-7 I mentioned. I said the ARU, in its leadership role, should have done more about a range of things post that RWC 2003 (fans and viewers) high point (including coaches). My comments had nothing whatsoever to do with Deans and the post-2008 period, I made no mention of that, either way.

 

[RedsHappy]

What's the point of all this? I realise those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it, but lamenting past mistakes by the ARU on this forum wont have any impact on our current situation.

The point?

Looking back, I remain infuriated over elements of poor leadership shown by the ARU in that crucial post-2003 period. RugbyReg's thoughtful post highlighting the kind of fan/viewer high point we had then, and how IMO (perhaps not his) that key moment was wasted, stimulated my few thoughts. Obviously, I know full well that my remarks would do nothing re the current situation. But are we only supposed to comment upon today?

I do think that keeping in mind the key leadership role the ARU has in the game, and its responsibilities to all players and fans to grow and develop it through damn good leadership and policies, in not an unreasonable item to occasionally bring up, in varying ways. (Btw, I often don't think the ARU has been critically evaluated enough as an institution, and that is part of rugby's problem in Aus, by that's another story.)

 

[daz]

. I said the ARU, in its leadership role, should have done more about a range of things post that RWC 2003 (fans and viewers) high point (including coaches).

Fair enough. But even so, I still challenge you to provide details on who the ARU could have brought in to provide "better, deeper coaching skills into the S14 and Wallabies"?

I trust others will correct me, but my memory is that post 2003 RWC we had very limited stock of top shelf coaches available to pick from, and the ARU was too busy in-fighting during the 2004-2006 period between JON. To that end I agree the ARU dropped the ball.

Having said all that, the argument is as relevent as talking about the last time we held the RWC; it is all backwards looking. Tomorrow is far more important, and unlike the dark days of 2004-2008, the forecast tomorrow is for fine weather...!