Broadcast options for Australian Rugby

[Dan54]

Dan, wait until the Wallabies team is announced...

Fair enough too. As I said was a bit lazy and just something I noticed in ROAR and hadn't checked Wallabies thread. But take it we will get it all in Match threads next week anyway, just almost all the talk we getting here is upcoming tour by Irish and guess I was thinking that all are as tragic as me and mates.
And by that at Golf yesterday, super final was discussed , then straight into who will be starting line ups etc for MABs and ABs next week.

 

[Pfitzy]

France aren't looking too scrappy right now and they never play NZ provincial teams. Amazing.

France don't have the bucket of arse that is the Shute Shield as a significant part of their second tier, either.

 

[Pfitzy]

If we bring this back to a broadcast perspective: what is your product to sell rugby to the masses with 5 provincial teams and maybe the Drua?

Oh yes, SRAu. Because *that* doesn't have a shelf life at all.

Face it, we're not going to get a decent domestic tier any time this decade, because:

1) Expanding SRAu into other teams isn't financially viable if we want to keep current player salaries, and it is generally not widespread in terms of appeal. So you need a much bigger broadcast pot which no Aussie broadcaster will put the money down for without international competition.

2) Generating a tier out of combined clubs/teams isn't going to work because SRU doesn't support it ala NRC.

3) Letting a few Premier Clubs form a top-level competition faces issues with tribalism as many people in rugby don't care about the clubs who think they're worthy. In fact you'll probably alienate them further unless a proper multi-tier enterprise is created with promotion and relegation - and we're seeing how *that* works with the English Premier competition, where the clubs in the tent right now are pissing out, and nobody else is likely to meet the commitments across a range of criteria.

The actual options are:
A) Get better
B) Die fast
C) Die slow

Maybe Lions or RWC money helps us get part of the way there, but until significant political factions are buried for the greater good, it is nopeland.

 

[dru]

Hamish has said he believes that there is talent for 10 teams - proviso being he includes overseas based players. He has also said that going forward only happens after discussion with the broadcaster and working through what they are looking for.

Whatever path you take going forward, there is no options that I can see that does not start with calling the Kiwi bluff - and being prepared to act on it.

 

[Derpus]

France don't have the bucket of arse that is the Shute Shield as a significant part of their second tier, either.

No they do not.

 

[Adam84]

Yep, I saw the posts there, but have been looking at ROAR etc, and seeing there about 3-4 articles on this and none on Pom tour. I take it that I hadn't noticed that most of the ones on here are in Wallabies in general and probaly laziness in just looking for thead on tour.

Ever heard of confirmation bias Dan?

 

[Pfitzy]

Hamish has said he believes that there is talent for 10 teams - proviso being he includes overseas based players. He has also said that going forward only happens after discussion with the broadcaster and working through what they are looking for.

Whatever path you take going forward, there is no options that I can see that does not start with calling the Kiwi bluff - and being prepared to act on it.

Which I think we needed to do from a financial point of view, anyway. I'm wondering what the average salaries are in each franchise at this point, in terms of what comes from the broadcast deal.

I think we have enough talent. Maybe start with 8 teams and work outwards. But it is the logistical challenge that threatens to undo all this, particularly if we start talking private entry into the market.

I'm thinking here of the Rams who, after several changes of ownership model, eventually disappeared under the 2018 NRC restructure.

 

[dru]

Which I think we needed to do from a financial point of view, anyway. I'm wondering what the average salaries are in each franchise at this point, in terms of what comes from the broadcast deal.

I think we have enough talent. Maybe start with 8 teams and work outwards. But it is the logistical challenge that threatens to undo all this, particularly if we start talking private entry into the market.

I'm thinking here of the Rams who, after several changes of ownership model, eventually disappeared under the 2018 NRC restructure.

Rams was part of the SRC interface to NRC debacle. None of that was edifying.

Look, even starting on 8, including say the Drua, it still would be interesting with regard to competitiveness. Think about the Brumby front row and second teams in Qld or NSW.

I'm all for it but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be very bumpy and engender plenty of criticism before things settled.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

no secrets for me, I love it and am happy for it to be public

‘Joined at the hip’: Why John O’Neill believes Australia should stick with Kiwis

The former Australian rugby boss earned his share of enemies in New Zealand but he doesn’t agree with ending a strong history of trans-Tasman competition.

www.smh.com.au

That absolutely seals it we have to go domestic now, John O'Neill reckons we should stick with the Kiwis.

The funny thing about it is Hamish only said will explore options. John O’Neil providing his point of view perhaps not helpful but I guess entitled. Obviously Hamish better to comment then me but yes from an armchair view if nzru really want super rugby pacific to be successful they need to imo be more prepared to be flexible as to what being to the table. I now expect a zillion posts from Dan54 but I actually think Hamish being on the fence on whether continue with super rugby pacific involvement post 2024 would require some further changes to be agreed including on revenue sharing, closed vs open borders policy (with quotas perhaps) amongst other things. Ok the last one is clearly my hobby horse…but do know has been something RA put on the table in the past.

 

[hoggy]

Rams was part of the SRC interface to NRC debacle. None of that was edifying.

Look, even starting on 8, including say the Drua, it still would be interesting with regard to competitiveness. Think about the Brumby front row and second teams in Qld or NSW.

I'm all for it but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be very bumpy and engender plenty of criticism before things settled.

Only having 5 teams is the issue, but that is a result of commiting 25 years to the Super Rugby structure that has returned you pretty much zero growth.
To me the difference this time is as McLennan has highlighted, there is no compelling financial reason to stay with Super Rugby anymore.

You will ultimately need 2-3 more teams in Australia to make this work and your right we don't have a lot of resources or cash to fund those teams, it will be a bumpy trip.
But what is the end game come 2028 you may have the makings of a structure much more able to give you growth within the Australian market.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Rams was part of the SRC interface to NRC debacle. None of that was edifying.

Look, even starting on 8, including say the Drua, it still would be interesting with regard to competitiveness. Think about the Brumby front row and second teams in Qld or NSW.

I'm all for it but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be very bumpy and engender plenty of criticism before things settled.

From a risk perspective still prefer something like super rugby au and then champions league with nz and possibly Japan teams. I still think super rugby pacific could work if changes prepared to be accommodated but skeptical would get required changes. Regardless Hamish will need broadcasters on board with whatever plans and potentially new PE investors.

 

[Pfitzy]

Rams was part of the SRC interface to NRC debacle. None of that was edifying.

But had a fair bit of private interest there. The fact that Eastwood were in then out when they didn't get what they wanted out of it (for better or worse) is the only part of the SRU involvement, really. Trying to tie 5 clubs together was always of limited value but it was something.

IMHO that's why a conglomeration never lasts long; too many competing interests.

I'd be happy for the top few clubs in Sydney to form a national comp with Brisbane, and couple from Canberra, Melbourne, and Perth to start with. The Sydney guys in particular have been vocal about their ability to produce Wallabies, so restructure the hell out of Premier Rugby down here and let's see them do it.

The QRU will no doubt be smarter, and put forward 2-3 teams much like they did in the NRC, in order to get what they need out of it. Acknowledging that the competition is going to generate benefits for the Reds first and foremost, then slowly build that tribalism everyone is after.

 

[Pfitzy]

You will ultimately need 2-3 more teams in Australia to make this work and your right we don't have a lot of resources or cash to fund those teams, it will be a bumpy trip.

If we just stand up another 2 teams then I think we need to look outside Sydney and Brisbane TBH. Adelaide anyone? There was strong local support for the Adelaide Rams back in SuperLeague days from memory, and there's enough people there to support a square pitch contact sport.

 

[Rebel man]

I don’t see us having a future locked into a comp with NZ.

They have to look after themselves and we have to look after ourselves and that doesn’t work when you have a dominant partner as they are

 

[Dan54]

From a risk perspective still prefer something like super rugby au and then champions league with nz and possibly Japan teams. I still think super rugby pacific could work if changes prepared to be accommodated but skeptical would get required changes. Regardless Hamish will need broadcasters on board with whatever plans and potentially new private equity investors.

Exactly as I said in earlier post, RA (or NZR etc) can say whatever much as they want, Stan (or Sky) will tell them what the comp will be, so it's all just background noise.
Old saying "the man who pays the fiddler calls the tune."

 

[qwerty51]

With private equity on board now would be the best time to say stuff the broadcasters and go out on your own. You could out source the production costs or keep it in house but sell your product on your own platform.

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

With private equity on board now would be the best time to say stuff the broadcasters and go out on your own. You could out source the production costs or keep it in house but sell your product on your own platform.

Profile is the issue. RA isn't the NBA or NFL. Sure myself and many other diehards would pay $300 (or whatever it is) for all the rugby I could consume annually but the casual viewer won't download and log into a specific app to see what is going on.

 

[hoggy]

Exactly as I said in earlier post, Rugby Australia (or NZR etc) can say whatever much as they want, Stan (or Sky) will tell them what the comp will be, so it's all just background noise.
Old saying "the man who pays the fiddler calls the tune."

Well this is pretty much McLennan's point, Super Rugby is no longer paying the fiddler all that much money.

 

[qwerty51]

Profile is the issue. Rugby Australia isn't the NBA or NFL. Sure myself and many other diehards would pay $300 (or whatever it is) for all the rugby I could consume annually but the casual viewer won't download and log into a specific app to see what is going on.

Yeah you couldn't do it yourself, just yet but maybe sell it to World Rugby who might be interested in being their own content distributor eventually and use this as trial run. World Rugby app. All rugby on it.

 

[PhilClinton]

On a bit more of a lighthearted note - popular kids program Bluey had its latest episode air today, it ends with the family all gathering around the television and watching the Wallabies beat the All Blacks in a test match.

Good to see the team getting some pop culture airtime! Especially considering the theme of the episode was to tie into the state of origin.