Club Season Length

[grievous]

Why is it so short?Just the WA and Subbies Div 1 left next week then all club rugby nationwide is wrapped up in a week over 5 months. When I played it was a 6 month season plus finals, there was always an overlap with my summer sport.
I attended a Shute Shield final in October earlier last decade. Its been moved around many times since to now ending before winter is finished.
Most state club comps have been reduced to 16 rounds plus finals. Seems there is some national directive or agreement to finish up earlier in the ARC states for the tournament that is held over the Oct long weekend but thats a small amount of players affected.
Why does rugby clear the decks so other sports get attention? League and AFL run another month.
Some lower graders would get less than 5 months rugby, maybe they feel they want to play another sport to get more out of the season.
Maybe rugby is accounting for global warming?
Maybe to save club overheads?
Anyone got a better answer?

 

[Strewthcobber]

NRL and AFL are playing a different game obviously, but around me it's a ground hire thing.

End of August is when the changeover happens, and winter sport leases ends

Winter Sports facilities have been pulled down and cricket has started

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Rugby has a very clear International season which causes the Super Rugby season to wrap up when it does.

Subbies is perfect in that 12-16 round comp. Players now don't want to be tied up longer than that and we need people to stay involved. Shute Shield at 18 rounds seems ok but could probably push to 20 or to at least play everyone H/A.

Funny, we would be able to keep as is and have a nice little Super Rugby A comp which is what I have endlessly wanted over the idea of new sides. Place for Wallabies to fall back to and the best of Clubland to push for pre-season offers. Have all the U16, 19 & A comp run through to the end of the year.

 

[Pfitzy]

Super Rugby is probably on its last legs. Time to sack up and make a proper national comp, starting with Sydney, Brisbane, and Canboring.

Take the top clubs in each of QRU, SRU, and ACTRU, slice off the top 25 players in each to play NCC, leaving the rest as ready reserves in the local comp. Promotion and Relegation of some sort if required. Allows the clubs outside NCC to be more competitive in their local comp in the first instance.

Run it from March to September. Ensure it doesn't clash with other competitions e.g. as Hoiles said:

Schools play midweek.
Juniors play Friday nights, Saturday and Sunday AM.
Subbies / Premier play Saturday arvo.
NCC plays Saturday night and Sunday arvo except for Test weeks.

Big money deals for NCC, streaming services like NSWRugbyTV for the rest. Stops us competing for air time and resources. Helps get the game out there.

 

[Rob42]

I think the shortening of the Shute Shield season has been a good thing. Pre-NRC, when it ran into late Sept, it felt like the middle part of the season really dragged - weeks of slogging games in the cold and wet, that didn't really feel like they were meaningful, so far away from the finals. Now the season does feel a bit tighter. But it does mean the comp misses out on some glorious footy weather in September.

 

[The Honey Badger]

Be nice if SS was a full Home and away comp. Surely those clubs impeded by cricket could be scheduled as away games to the clubs that aren't.

But the current season end, does work well for those players heading North to play. All Ireland Rugby comp started last weekend

 

[Pfitzy]

Be nice if SS was a full Home and away comp. Surely those clubs impeded by cricket could be scheduled as away games to the clubs that aren't.

Give it enough time, and maybe you'll get your wish; Two Blues are putting up a valiant fight and things clearly aren't improving in terms of results or participation. Wildfires are doing some hard yards to stay in the comp and are unlikely to ever field all sides.

I'm not disparaging those clubs in any way, just pointing out the obvious.

And, should the competition have 10 clubs, full home and away = 18 rounds.

Perhaps another question should be around the size of the competition in terms of numer of teams each club is required to field.

 

[Pfitzy]

Surely those clubs impeded by cricket could be scheduled as away games to the clubs that aren't.

That's a good plan IMHO if each end of the season gets tight.

By my reckoning only 4 clubs have cricket issues? Marlins, Gordon, Randwick, Norths. All the others have access to rectangular facilities.

 

[The Honey Badger]

That's a good plan IMHO if each end of the season gets tight.

By my reckoning only 4 clubs have cricket issues? Marlins, Gordon, Randwick, Norths. All the others have access to rectangular facilities.

2 Blues would be a cricket ground? Not sure about Newcastle And FK's what Eastwood will have

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Give it enough time, and maybe you'll get your wish; Two Blues are putting up a valiant fight and things clearly aren't improving in terms of results or participation. Wildfires are doing some hard yards to stay in the comp and are unlikely to ever field all sides.

I'm not disparaging those clubs in any way, just pointing out the obvious.

And, should the competition have 10 clubs, full home and away = 18 rounds.

Perhaps another question should be around the size of the competition in terms of numer of teams each club is required to field.

I reckon Hunter will remain competitive in the top grade with DC going up there. It's hopefully an investment in the long term future of the Club.

Will they run out 4 grades and 3 Colts? Highly unlikely but I could see a realistic goal being 3 Grades, 2 Colts every year.

18 rounds is the sweet spot IMO. In regard to the grounds, surely if it needed to happen clubs can play at others like Liechardt, Concord or even Redfern but surely it's easier to stack the draws to avoid this

 

[Pfitzy]

2 Blues would be a cricket ground? Not sure about Newcastle And FK's what Eastwood will have

Eric Tweedale doesn't support cricket on the main oval.

Wildfires have No2 sports ground which is rectangular. Might have to fight the soccer club for it

Eastwood? Well, they'll have a rectangular facility of some kind. Just not sure where yet.

 

[JRugby2]

Super Rugby is probably on its last legs. Time to sack up and make a proper national comp, starting with Sydney, Brisbane, and Canboring.

Take the top clubs in each of QRU, SRU, and ACTRU, slice off the top 25 players in each to play NCC, leaving the rest as ready reserves in the local comp. Promotion and Relegation of some sort if required. Allows the clubs outside NCC to be more competitive in their local comp in the first instance.

Run it from March to September. Ensure it doesn't clash with other competitions e.g. as Hoiles said:

Schools play midweek.
Juniors play Friday nights, Saturday and Sunday AM.
Subbies / Premier play Saturday arvo.
NCC plays Saturday night and Sunday arvo except for Test weeks.

Big money deals for NCC, streaming services like NSWRugbyTV for the rest. Stops us competing for air time and resources. Helps get the game out there.

Hey, broadcasters! We killed super rugby and replaced it with a lower standard of rugby played out of council parks - pay us big money for it!

 

[Pfitzy]

As in millions, not tens of millions.

Clubs are going to need to realise they can't just wait around for handouts in a future deal like this. We don't have the poker machine money that AFL and NRL can fall back on.

Time for the wealthy Rugby cognoscenti to step up and stick their hands in their pockets.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Your'e not wrong but isn't telling people with the means to stick their hands in their pockets essentially waiting for a handout?

 

[Pfitzy]

Your'e not wrong but isn't telling people with the means to stick their hands in their pockets essentially waiting for a handout?

Yes, but that's from within the club structure, not from the national body which should be funding junior development pathways etc.

 

[Crashy]

I dont get the sway that the Sydney cricket clubs have. I like club cricket, but there is literally 20 people there sometimes watching a club game - and they are the ones determining that a Shute Shield club with 7 teams plus, has to find another location for the start of the season - when it always started then... Who are the power brokers in Sydney club cricket?

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Is it the Clubs or the Councils that spend extra cash on getting the Pitch ready for the Cricket? Bit of circular argument.

I can completely get places like North Sydney that host international fixtures for the Women and WBBL.

 

[Pfitzy]

I dont get the sway that the Sydney cricket clubs have. I like club cricket, but there is literally 20 people there sometimes watching a club game - and they are the ones determining that a Shute Shield club with 7 teams plus, has to find another location for the start of the season - when it always started then... Who are the power brokers in Sydney club cricket?

Can often depend on the Council officials and/or ground managers as to who holds sway.

You'd also have to take into account that cricket is our national sport.

 

[wamberal99]

Eastwood? Well, they'll have a rectangular facility of some kind. Just not sure where yet.

The preferred location is known, the local council is on-side, but there is a bit of
resistance from the locals because we want to use artificial turf on the pitch. I am a bit of a greenie, but I hope sanity prevails.

 

[Strewthcobber]

I dont get the sway that the Sydney cricket clubs have. I like club cricket, but there is literally 20 people there sometimes watching a club game - and they are the ones determining that a Shute Shield club with 7 teams plus, has to find another location for the start of the season - when it always started then... Who are the power brokers in Sydney club cricket?

A former premier holds sway in many of the local districts near me.