Broadcast options for Australian Rugby

[PhilClinton]

If the two QLD teams thing was to go ahead, I wonder if a model like the below would work:

2 teams - QRU have 49% ownership stake in each team and provide funding to get them off the ground. Both teams use the currently established QRU pathways as feeders for players.

The other 51% ownership can be whomever, but preference given to collectives of clubs who form a joint venture. Doesn't have to be region based. For example GPS, Bond and Souths might have a good management relationship and choose to form the venture. I know this type of club merger was floated during the NRC, but I think something like this would be far more appealing for investors because it would be playing in the primary Australian rugby competition, not a semi-amateur feeder comp.

Both teams play 80% of games at Suncorp during the season and the other 20% at whatever regional venues they choose. That way, you aren't making it more difficult for the current Reds supporters to get down and support the teams, but it also provides teams their own opportunity to go into regions they see as good markets.

The idea of the joint club venture would be to engage with the grassroots more, but it could be focussed. So one team which is backed by GPS, Souths and Bond would do rotating training sessions at those clubs, giving them a broad spectrum of fans as well, North and South. Each team would obviously need their own home base still, Ballymore would work for one, no idea for the other.

Anyway, I know it's a pipedream to think anything like that would happen or could financially make sense at the moment. But I like it.

 

[Adam84]

If the two QLD teams thing was to go ahead, I wonder if a model like the below would work:

2 teams - QRU have 49% ownership stake in each team and provide funding to get them off the ground. Both teams use the currently established QRU pathways as feeders for players.

The other 51% ownership can be whomever, but preference given to collectives of clubs who form a joint venture. Doesn't have to be region based. For example GPS, Bond and Souths might have a good management relationship and choose to form the venture. I know this type of club merger was floated during the NRC, but I think something like this would be far more appealing for investors because it would be playing in the primary Australian rugby competition, not a semi-amateur feeder comp.

Both teams play 80% of games at Suncorp during the season and the other 20% at whatever regional venues they choose. That way, you aren't making it more difficult for the current Reds supporters to get down and support the teams, but it also provides teams their own opportunity to go into regions they see as good markets.

The idea of the joint club venture would be to engage with the grassroots more, but it could be focussed. So one team which is backed by GPS, Souths and Bond would do rotating training sessions at those clubs, giving them a broad spectrum of fans as well, North and South. Each team would obviously need their own home base still, Ballymore would work for one, no idea for the other.

Anyway, I know it's a pipedream to think anything like that would happen or could financially make sense at the moment. But I like it.

I dont think the socialist approach is practical in this scenario. Joint venture and community ownership is a fragile ownership model and competing interests can quickly destroy good work.

If this competition is to be established, there will be a significant transition period, in the initial instance i‘d say the license to run both teams should be issued directly to the QRU with exclusivity rights for the region, with the plan to privatise the licenses over a 2-4 year period. Unless a single wealthy benefactor wants to take ownership from the start, (i.e. Nine or Twiggy Forrest).

Once the licenses are sold/privatised, the QRU could then shift to a model similar to the QRL whereby their focus is on grassroots and the representative teams, and the Queensland Reds brand could morph to a purely representative team.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

No mate. It's a mini Super Rugby. A competition between semi-professional teams from Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Brazil, Paraguay and Colombia. Only 6 teams, one per country.

The only team 100% professional is the Argie, the others are 80/70% professional. The Chilenean players went 6 months wihout receiving their salaries.

The stadiums are empty in most of the cases. No properly sponsorship, it's something like the Pacific Nations tournament or Pacific Super Rugby franchises. Without the money from World Rugby this is gonna dissapear in 2 seconds

Actually you're thinking of the Colombians in terms of missing salaries. The stadiums have been mostly empty due to them operating in bubbles due to Covid.

The Jags XV aren't the only professional squad. Penarol and Selknam definitely are. Olimpia mostly is and so is Brazil.

There is sponsorship and broadcast. The quality is actually quite good. As for WR (World Rugby) funding that was for importing talent from overseas. They've not done that since the beginning of the pandemic. So it's not reliant on WR (World Rugby) funding. Having said that it's still very much in it's establishment phase and needs to properly bed down l. But there is interest in entering more teams in the wings.

 

[PhilClinton]

If this competition is to be established, there will be a significant transition period, in the initial instance i‘d say the license to run both teams should be issued directly to the QRU with exclusivity rights for the region, with the plan to privatise the licenses over a 2-4 year period. Unless a single wealthy benefactor wants to take ownership from the start, (i.e. Nine or Twiggy Forrest).

From a risk point of view, I am worried the QRU don't have the funds to keep two professional teams afloat on their own, especially if the process of getting them sold drags out whilst the new competition finds its feet.

I take your point on the socialist approach, the club joint ventures could get messy.

I think things could work if the QRU have majority ownership over the two teams at inception with the other private party purchasing say 20% in year 1, 40% in year 2 etc. My main concern is making sure both teams have some type of private backing from the start.

It would mean the QRU aren't left holding a half cooked meal after a number of years with no bites and no option but to fold one of the teams.

 

[Marce]

Sydney has ~2.5x population of Brisbane - with Brisbane (and surrounds) soon to have 3 NRL teams (Broncos, Titans, Dolphins), along with a number who have allegiances to the Cowboys and interstate teams. It's a far more competitive environment than you're suggesting.

Townsville is 1,300 kilometers away. Who is the moron who travels from Brisbane to Townsville to watch a countryside team??? Not even Jhonathan Thurston would do it and you can be bitten by one of the hundreds poisonous snakes living there!

Goald Coast is a city alive only in summer, the rest of the year is dead. They play in an empty stadium, is the least popular NRL team by far.

Come on! For some reason Broncos is the most popular club in the NRL. In Sydney CBD you have two traditionals teams supported by millonaires and famous people like Roosters and Rabbitohs. In the north you have Manly, a posh team. In the south you have Sharks. Further south you have Illawara. In the west you have traditionals teams like Parramatta, West Tigers and Bulldogs. And in the far west you have the team of the moment.

 

[Marce]

Actually you're thinking of the Colombians in terms of missing salaries. The stadiums have been mostly empty due to them operating in bubbles due to Covid.

The Jags XV aren't the only professional squad. Penarol and Selknam definitely are. Olimpia mostly is and so is Brazil.

There is sponsorship and broadcast. The quality is actually quite good. As for WR (World Rugby) funding that was for importing talent from overseas. They've not done that since the beginning of the pandemic. So it's not reliant on WR (World Rugby) funding. Having said that it's still very much in it's establishment phase and needs to properly bed down l. But there is interest in entering more teams in the wings.

No, I was talking about the Chilenean team. I know a Chilean who played for the national team and now is a reconigzed personality in their rugby community. Maybe the Colombian team has had the same issues, it's probably.

I know the investitors who put money in one team and I can assure you that they lose money everywhere. If Chile hadn't qualified to the WC it would have been the death of the franchise. Now they think that can bring better sponsorship.

After the pandemic the attendances still have been poor. Maybe Montevideo has got the best attendances, just there

 

[Ignoto]

I wonder what Reds fans did with the previous NRC?

I know for me I supported both QLD teams equally except, when they played each other I favoured Country by a small amount.

If they can be seen as both being Reds teams and others support both like me then there will be a home game each week. The Reds could sell season tickets that cover both teams at once and promote the teams as the first step to being a Red.

Yeah - I'm in a similar boat. I have no problems with a 'Country' team being based in Toowomba. But, I have no rivarly between those out west, so its a tad forced.

If they want to invoke some kind of tribalism inside of Queensland, they probably need to look at what drives it from the School boy or club level. Nudgee vs Terrace is always a huge spectacle, everyone hates the filth same with Uni.

So do you lean into the Catholics vs the world or is it the three inner city clubs; Brothers, Wests, Uni vs the rest?

 

[Brumby Runner]

Along with ACT Vikings and ACT Foals

Or Wild Bush Brumbies and National Park Brumbies.

 

[dru]

Or Wild Bush Brumbies and National Park Brumbies.

Bit tough on the second - or perhaps just VERY controversial?

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

No, I was talking about the Chilenean team. I know a Chilean who played for the national team and now is a reconigzed personality in their rugby community. Maybe the Colombian team has had the same issues, it's probably.

I know the investitors who put money in one team and I can assure you that they lose money everywhere. If Chile hadn't qualified to the WC it would have been the death of the franchise. Now they think that can bring better sponsorship.

After the pandemic the attendances still have been poor. Maybe Montevideo has got the best attendances, just there

Investors? These are all Union backed franchises. There aren't any investors. At least not since season one with Los Ceibos. Even the likes of Penarol and Olimipia who are linked to Soccer clubs are almost entirely Union funded. And losing money in professional sports isn't exactly new. Most of the professional clubs here lose money.

 

[RebelYell]

Yeah - I'm in a similar boat. I have no problems with a 'Country' team being based in Toowomba. But, I have no rivarly between those out west, so its a tad forced.

If they want to invoke some kind of tribalism inside of Queensland, they probably need to look at what drives it from the School boy or club level. Nudgee vs Terrace is always a huge spectacle, everyone hates the filth same with Uni.

So do you lean into the Catholics vs the world or is it the three inner city clubs; Brothers, Wests, Uni vs the rest?

This model did not work well in NSW during the NRC...

 

[Marce]

Investors? These are all Union backed franchises. There aren't any investors. At least not since season one with Los Ceibos. Even the likes of Penarol and Olimipia who are linked to Soccer clubs are almost entirely Union funded. And losing money in professional sports isn't exactly new. Most of the professional clubs here lose money.

Yes, they are. In Chile and Paraguay, most of them are wealthy rugby supporters, some are directors or managers of rugby clubs. Even some parents of players are putting money.

Jaguares is 100% funded by their Union, Cafeteros is 70% funded by the Colombian goverment and 30% by Argentinian Rugby Union. Lions is funded 50% by a soccer club and 50% by private investors, some of them are parenfs of Paraguayan players. Chile is funded by their Union and private investors too.

 

[RugbyReg]

Yeah - I'm in a similar boat. I have no problems with a 'Country' team being based in Toowomba. But, I have no rivarly between those out west, so its a tad forced.

If they want to invoke some kind of tribalism inside of Queensland, they probably need to look at what drives it from the School boy or club level. Nudgee vs Terrace is always a huge spectacle, everyone hates the filth same with Uni.

So do you lean into the Catholics vs the world or is it the three inner city clubs; Brothers, Wests, Uni vs the rest?

I don't think NSW had a rivalry with QLD in interstate rugby league series at least initially. QLD certainly had one with them. Likewise I reckon true country boys would have a strong rivalry with a city team.

 

[qwerty51]

Exclusive: Rugby Club World Cup format agreed with tournament to start in 2025

Eight northern hemisphere clubs and seven from southern hemisphere, plus a Japanese side, will compete to be named world's best

www.telegraph.co.uk

This would destroy any deviation from Super Rugby possibly. I got to say it seems totally unfair that Super Rugby gets 7 teams in and the NH (incl. SA?) only get 8. 5th-7th ranked Super Rugby clubs would get absolutely destroyed against the NH clubs.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Yeah if we're talking about the top 6-8 NH club teams across the URC, Prem and T14 I'd agree. There are some seriously good sides in those comps.

 

[Ignoto]

I don't think NSW had a rivalry with QLD in interstate rugby league series at least initially. QLD certainly had one with them. Likewise I reckon true country boys would have a strong rivalry with a city team.

Yeah, I can see the country boys having a chip on their shoulder against the city slickers. But with more city-folk moving out west over the last couple of years, its surely breaking down that stigma?

Only reason I hated playing against Downlands and TGS was, that red dirt/clay was rock bloody hard in the middle of July at 10am!

 

[Sword of Justice]

I don't think NSW had a rivalry with QLD in interstate rugby league series at least initially. QLD certainly had one with them. Likewise I reckon true country boys would have a strong rivalry with a city team.

Definitely there is alienation from the city for many out west and north, undisputedly.

However I see two issues in this specific scenario. One being that the Reds have always (as far as I know) represented the state and actually have done pretty well at outreach, especially recently, and two that the population is spread too thinly for commercial viability if the model is based on everyone else vs the city, whilst ironically Tba is close enough for many of the Rugby fans to have a connection to the Reds and come down to Suncorp.

 

[RugbyReg]

Definitely there is alienation from the city for many out west and north, undisputedly.

However I see two issues in this specific scenario. One being that the Reds have always (as far as I know) represented the state and actually have done pretty well at outreach, especially recently, and two that the population is spread too thinly for commercial viability if the model is based on everyone else vs the city, whilst ironically Tba is close enough for many of the Rugby fans to have a connection to the Reds and come down to Suncorp.

yeah, I have said it before, I hate the idea of two QLD teams if one is the QLD Reds. It doesn't make sense.

I am happy for a Brisbane team and a Sunny Coast team or a Western QLD team. But we need to have room in the program for a QLD team at some stage too.

 

[Sword of Justice]

yeah, I have said it before, I hate the idea of two QLD teams if one is the QLD Reds. It doesn't make sense.

I am happy for a Brisbane team and a Sunny Coast team or a Western QLD team. But we need to have room in the program for a QLD team at some stage too.

Yes, that would be the challenge to create two teams with no remnants of a previous identity assuming one is based out of Ballymore and uses Suncorp, and then to quickly endear the teams to supporters so that the lights stay on.

 

[Adam84]

‘Queensland Reds’ should shift to a representative team selecting players from the professional teams below If additional pro teams are to be based in Queensland.

Similar to the Maroons and QRL model