Bledisloe Cup Festival

[rugbyisfun]

In other news, the Bledisloe Cup Festival has been a huge success.

Lisa Wilkinson and all the chicks are making a big difference in the game...We beat the AB's at the Golf Day...300 wankers got pissed at another one of those shit Friday gigs in town...

http://www.rugby.com.au/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1699/ArticleID/7444/Default.aspx

How about we just win a fucking game!!

 

[matty_k]

Oh boo hoo.
I had a great time as a part of the BC Festival.
The Rivals in Rugby, Brothers in War exhibition was inspiring.
I didn't realise how big the Bledisloe Cup is until last Wednesday.
I had the chance to have a chat with Barnes, Dennis, Simmons, Alexander, Ioane and Phipps at two separate events.
If I could have made it to the golf day I would have.
Reading the tweets from Emma Pocock and Rebecca Tavo about the UN Womens partnership launch it seemed to be a great event.

Yes the game was shit and we all would have loved to have seen a better result but the festival was about advertising the game around Sydney. So yes it was a success.

 

[rugbyisfun]

Oh boo hoo.
I had a great time as a part of the BC Festival.
The Rivals in Rugby, Brothers in War exhibition was inspiring.
I didn't realise how big the Bledisloe Cup is until last Wednesday.
I had the chance to have a chat with Barnes, Dennis, Simmons, Alexander, Ioane and Phipps at two separate events.
If I could have made it to the golf day I would have.
Reading the tweets from Emma Pocock and Rebecca Tavo about the UN Womens partnership launch it seemed to be a great event.

Yes the game was shit and we all would have loved to have seen a better result but the festival was about advertising the game around Sydney. So yes it was a success.

You had no idea how big the Bledisloe Cup is?? And you just LOVED all of the events...

Point proven...

 

[matty_k]

I'd seen the trophy on tv (like most people I am guessing). I'd never had a chance to get up close to it until last week. It was bigger than I thought.
And I didn't say "I just LOVED all the events" you did (I'm assuming you are saying this in tone similar to a teenage girl would say "I just love Justin Beiber"). I said I had a great time at the festival on a whole.

I'm sorry if you think that diminishes my point of view on something but that's your problem.

 

[Braveheart81]

There is such a contradiction in what people are wanting from Australian Rugby.

So many are calling for the ARU to do more to promote the game and engage the community. Then when they do, they're criticised for fluffing about and not being serious enough about winning rugby games.

What is the ARU meant to do? Not engage fans until we have a dominant team?

Not promote events and then talk about them when they are successful if we don't win the match?

 

[RugbyReg]

I'm with Matty and BH. The Bled should always remain the biggest event on the Oz rugby schedule (outside Lions and RWC years) and I think its great to build events around it. Its a real positive of the ARU. .

 

[TOCC]

I think it's a great concept, not sure why people would have a negative attitude towards it?

 

[Badger]

The Festival is a positive move by the ARU to generate interest in the Bledisloe Cup and rugby.

It was great to have the Bledisloe Cup make its way around various parts of Sydney for people to get up close and personal with it. Combine this with player appearances at various events and you raise the awareness of the Wallabies, rugby and what they are playing for. Perhaps next year, the Cup could make an appearance at Martin Place during lunch as well.

The Fan Day at Darling Harbour was a good opportunity for kids to meet up with the Wallabies and participate in various rugby drills. Towards the end of the Day when the autographs were done, some of the Wallabies kicked the footy with the kids. These are the experiences which kids will remember and parents will appreciate, generating goodwill for the Wallabies and rugby.

Sure the ball and golf may not be for everyone, but there were enough events for the general public to get involved.

Hope the ARU keeps at it next year after a good inaugural Festival.

 

[TOCC]

​

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An extraordinary 53,900 New Zealanders moved to Australia in the year to July - around the entire population of New Plymouth, New Zealand's 11th biggest city.​

The number dwarfs the 9607 asylum seekers who arrived in Australian waters by boat.​

The record emigration of 53,900 is a dramatic increase from the same period a year before when 46,450 New Zealanders moved to Australia - itself a record at the time.​

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"These are economic refugees," New Zealand Council of Trade Unions secretary Peter Conway told The Age.​

New Zealand's unemployment rate is 6.8 per cent, little changed since the economic crisis. Australia's is 5.2 per cent, down on the GFC peak of 5.9 per cent. "New Zealand was hit much harder than Australia," Mr Conway said. "We didn't have the big boost in government spending you had that pushed unemployment back down. Before the crisis our unemployment rate was briefly the best in the OECD. It is now mid-range, much worse than yours."​

New Zealand wages are around 20 per cent lower than Australia's when measured in terms of purchasing power.​

The Closer Economic Relations agreement with New Zealand means Australia is unable to control its trans-Tasman border. It is required to accept as permanent or long-term residents as many of New Zealand's 4.4 million residents as want to move here. If present trends continue Australia's annual intake from New Zealand will exceed 100,000 within five years.​

The statistician says New Zealand has had no net arrivals over the past year. It has taken in 14,000 migrants from the United Kingdom, its biggest source of arrivals, and 14,000 from Australia, almost all of them returning New Zealanders.​

New Zealand's Immigration Minister was himself in Australia yesterday. Nathan Guy said he didn't normally comment on external migration as his role was looking after people coming to the country.​

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/political-news/54000-refugees-no-questions-asked-20120821-24kpb.html#ixzz24FJ7ykuZ​

Even if Australia continues to suck at the Bledisloe, i think we will continue to see big crowds and a lot of interest on Australian shores..... May not necessarily be Wallaby fans though..

 

[rugbyisfun]

All well and good, I did go off a bit half cocked I spose.... However , you reckon 70,000 people will turn up next year and we will all run around hugging each other at functions if Australian rugby continues down this current path of mediocrity??

 

[TOCC]

Yes i think 70'000 people will turn up next year..

Im not sure who you are referring to when you say "we will all run around hugging each other"..

 

[Braveheart81]

I think he's saying that Australian rugby fans should only ever be depressed and angry unless we have the best side in the world.

 

[kronic]

Wonder if they'll do a similar thing in Brisbane?

 

[Badger]

The first Bledisloe Cup game for ten years (beginning 2012) will be in Sydney so it can be an annual event. The second will be in NZ and the third will alternate between Aus and NZ.

So if they stage a Festival in Brisbane, it may not be a regular event as Melbourne might make a play for the third game when it is Australia's turn to host it again. IIRR, the NSW government is involved in backing the Festival in Sydney hoping for a payoff in tourism $$$. The Qld government may not be as keen for a one off in 2012 with not guarantee the BC will be back in 2014.

 

[rugbyisfun]

It has nothing to do with having the best side in the World. Rugby in Australia is in crisis. It is a complete mess . The provinces are struggling, the National body is running out of cash. The two premiership club competitions are not sustainable .....it's ok though, throwing a 'festival' every year to celebrate one game that we have struggled to win in recent times and will continue to struggle to win will keep the fans coming back....as long as the kids get to kick a footy around with Drew Mitchell at Darling Harbour all is well with the World

 

[Dan54]

I think you a bit harsh, do you stop promoting game because the Wallabies aren't winning? Although I think it a great concept to have festival even though I wasn't in Sydney long enough to go to any events, I saw some NZRU had in Wellington a couple of years back, and getting kids etc chucking a ball around and meeting players I think works well, certainly does in NZ anyway.

 

[Braveheart81]

The problems in rugby also have nothing to do with the people who are promoting and running events like these.

If the boards for the ARU and the NSWRU etc. were at all these events running the barbeque and kicking footballs to kids then yes, you could probably say they should be focusing on more important issues, but the issues of governance and the long term direction and strategy of rugby in Australia are so far removed from an event for fans it isn't funny.

 

[kronic]

The first Bledisloe Cup game for ten years (beginning 2012) will be in Sydney so it can be an annual event. The second will be in NZ and the third will alternate between Aus and NZ.

So if they stage a Festival in Brisbane, it may not be a regular event as Melbourne might make a play for the third game when it is Australia's turn to host it again. IIRR, the NSW government is involved in backing the Festival in Sydney hoping for a payoff in tourism $$$. The Qld government may not be as keen for a one off in 2012 with not guarantee the BC will be back in 2014.

Brisbane has a 10 year deal also. We are not getting one for a while.

Our deal is: 2013 Lions (Tour/Test), 2014 France, 2016 England

We managed to get the Lions Tour & Test games in the same week. The VIC government will use that.

 

[TOCC]

It has nothing to do with having the best side in the World. Rugby in Australia is in crisis. It is a complete mess . The provinces are struggling, the National body is running out of cash. The two premiership club competitions are not sustainable ...it's ok though, throwing a 'festival' every year to celebrate one game that we have struggled to win in recent times and will continue to struggle to win will keep the fans coming back..as long as the kids get to kick a footy around with Drew Mitchell at Darling Harbour all is well with the World

The provinces are struggling? No they arent..
NSW and WA are struggling.. Rebels, Reds and Brumbies are rolling along..

Im not sure what you are trying to say? Are you advocating that we shouldn't host a 'festival' because NSW and the Wallabies are performing badly?
The Festival grows the game in a different way, should we not look at growing the game until the on field performances improve?

 

[rugbyisfun]

The point I am trying to make is the most substantial effort these fuckwits at the ARU have made in recent times has been a campaign for NSW tourism! You can bet your bottom dollar none of this hoo haa would have gone on if it wasn't for the NSW Gov tipping cash in to try to re-establish itself as a major events destination. This has nothing to do with growing/promoting rugby.

I can name 100 initiatives that would be more worthwhile to growing and promoting rugby before a 'Bledisloe Cup Festival'.