https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-...-shute-shield-match-live-20200204-p53xhf.html
Well this is going to be fun
- but Rugby Australia’s desire to bundle together club rugby, Super Rugby and Test matches into one package to sell to broadcasters has created a stalemate.
Realistically speaking, how big is there an audience to watch live Shute Shield in Australia? Most of the people that would watch their clubs play will by in large be at the games. You'll no doubt pick up some viewers who cant make the matches or want to watch the games, but, these games are for the Sydney market only. I have no affiliation to any Shute Shield club so why would I sign up for Kayo and watch these games? (I'd imagine most viewers outside of Sydney would have similar viewpoints).
Locking Shute Shield being a paywall seems like a great way to not introduce new viewers to the sport.
25 year old Sydney resident here. Attended a GPS school. Have friends that play first grade in the Shute Shield. Die hard Tahs fan.
Zero interest in it at all. Probably get along to a game every 2 years. The standard isn't great, and definitely isn't what it used to be.
My friends are considered star players in their teams and they're hungover for half the games. The club cultures annoy me. It's elitist and entitled and definitely not grassroots, despite the label it assigns itself.
The entire things living on a reputation it built in the 2000s.
Would be stoked if it got more TV representation, but I won't be watching.
Again, News Corp reporting on itself - what's not to love?DT reporting Fox Sports is officially walking away from rugby next year.