Declining participation and ARU plans for the future

[Aussie D]

I was thinking about the problem of declining rugby participation the other day (my old club has dropped down to 1 grade only). I saw a comment on the facebook page saying that it was not the CCRU's (district board) responsibility to assist struggling clubs, other than to advise the club to drop its 2 senior grades. I would have thought it would be in the best interests of the local competition to see that any struggling club gets every bit of help available (not really talking about financial handouts as they are only a temporary fix) in developing better recruitment and retention strategies.

IMHO, the ARU should look at creating 2 new positions in its ranks (if it can find the funds to do so). The first position would be Director of Coaching and be responsible for improving the standard of coaching and managing all of the DOs in the country. From what I can understand now people can do their SMART rugby course (have heard it can take as little as 20 min online) and then not need to do any further development. Development needs to be ongoing and targeted (different age groups need a different focus). The second position would be a Director of Rugby and be focussed on helping all clubs improve their management. This would include budgeting, recruitment and retention strategies, marketing, getting into local schools.

 

[Quick Hands]

This question will grow in significance over the next 10-20 years- what is rugby?

The ARU will doubtless make huge strides in 7s, especially with women. Rio will give it a huge boost, and this will continue every four years.

Viva7s will also grow as people look more and more for non-contact options.

15s will continue to fall away at a senior level, and I can't really see how this problem can be solved.

So do we shift the goalposts here? Should we be happy that 7s grows at the expense of 15s, especially amongst people who will never be playing pro rugby anyway?

Some of our best Wallabies have come through the 7s system, so it may actually help in developing players.

No-one is arguing that we shift away from having 15s at the heart of our game, but outside the professional level it may be something that we have to consider more and more in the longer term.
.

The expansion of 7s is to be applauded. It's a game which can be introduced into a non-traditional rugby environment reasonably easily. Much easier to play, coach and referee than 15s.

 

[Quick Hands]

I was thinking about the problem of declining rugby participation the other day (my old club has dropped down to 1 grade only). I saw a comment on the facebook page saying that it was not the CCRU's (district board) responsibility to assist struggling clubs, other than to advise the club to drop its 2 senior grades. I would have thought it would be in the best interests of the local competition to see that any struggling club gets every bit of help available (not really talking about financial handouts as they are only a temporary fix) in developing better recruitment and retention strategies.

IMHO, the ARU should look at creating 2 new positions in its ranks (if it can find the funds to do so). The first position would be Director of Coaching and be responsible for improving the standard of coaching and managing all of the DOs in the country. From what I can understand now people can do their SMART rugby course (have heard it can take as little as 20 min online) and then not need to do any further development. Development needs to be ongoing and targeted (different age groups need a different focus). The second position would be a Director of Rugby and be focussed on helping all clubs improve their management. This would include budgeting, recruitment and retention strategies, marketing, getting into local schools.

I think that one of the major issues that the game faces is that in many areas we have gone beyond the tipping point.

Even with the best will in the world, the ARU doesn't have the money to do everything which NEEDS to be done, let alone things which should be done.

One of the reasons that I'm so critical of poorly allocated resources and funding is that we don't have a cent to waste.

 

[Brendan Hume]

disappointing that the pdf contains a typo in the title - austalian - wtf?

 

[barbarian]

In terms of overtaking rugby in the private schools, soccer already has - whether or not AFL will, I'm not so sure.

Has it? Can you back that up?

Don't think that would be true at Shore, Riverview, Joeys, Kings, Scots and possibly Newington.......
.

 

[Strewthcobber]

What are senior male participation numbers like for League, Aussie rules and soccer?

Have they held up? Is this purely a problem for union?

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

What are senior male participation numbers like for League, Aussie rules and soccer?

Have they held up? Is this purely a problem for union?

That's the question I would like answered. Playing numbers in rugby have more meaning when they are benchmarked against other codes, especially the trend.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

there really is a lot to go over in this document and I encourage all of you to take the time to read it. I got mention lots of stuff, but one I will is around the new pathway chart (p31 of the doc) has a few new comps IDed:

- a University competition
- NRC U19s
- NAtional U20s
- National 7s champs (open and youth)
- NAtional 7s series

I find these quite interesting. Particularly on how they end up being structured. I'd have it as NRC U19s, Super U20s and then Uni Comp. I think this will create a really competitive pathway.

Hopefully we see a move to make 7s a summer sport particularly in schools.

 

[kiap]

Interesting chart on the possible new comps (click pic to embiggen):

 

[dru]

Why should there be mention of premier clubs? Engagement and recognition and development of club rugby is a big part of the strategy.

Why should premier clubs be singled out?


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Sorry Reg, I dont think the Premier clubs should be singled out at all. If anything I am fast reaching a conclusion that the Shute Shield is something of a centre to politics and expectation of special deals. I dont like it at all.

But I suspect that THEY might not be happy about it.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

A 7% drop in club XV numbers and an 8% increase in club 7's numbers.

I work with numbers, and will often revert to quoting percentage increases/decreases to obfuscate otherwise unpalatable numbers. This is a standard spin doctor technique.

I wonder how many club XV numbers have been lost due to game as a consequence of the new registration and insurance strategy that requires a levy to be paid "up front" and the insurance bill based on individual player registrations rather than on a team basis.

I have heard of a few "casual" players losing interest in pulling the boots on for a game or two at subbies level (are the roots any grassier than here?) when informed about the big new tax.

 

[dru]

QH, look I get the issue of dwindling involvement from schools. But it seems that you are argumentatively agreeing with Bill. The ARU actually seems to have a firm grasp on this, ditto with the importance of clubs.

My reading of the 5 year plan (in part)
Game On programme at schools. 5 week (?) rugby basics.
DOs to encourage these kids to joins clubs.
Viva7 non contact at clubs to remove parant concerns. Major growth area.
Clubs build from this base to include 7's and 15's

Its very logical and working from the growth areas in order to (hopefully) build numbers in 15's.

 

[wamberal]

I have done some strategic planning in my time, including for a very large sporting organisation.


A starting point always has to be to set achievable objectives.


The code is in a tough place because of the momentum and competitive advantages our main opposition have, allied with a concomitant decline in our natural intakes, particularly the state schools; this decline will accelerate as the "generational inheritance"' factor also declines. (I just invented this term: it names the son - or daughter - loving the game because their parents do).

It appears that we are one tv broadcasting rights deal away from oblivion. Apart from anything else that causes sleepless nights, the fact is that the future of the media landscape is as fluid as any other factor.


Our competitors have more freedom to act than we do, in terms of the complexion of their games, and of course they have war chests that will allow them to exploit new media.


Bugger me. I hope somebody is doing a whole lot of creative thinking, and if they are they would be stupid to publish anything that might be of value to our competitors and enemies. Not that these parties appear to be too bothered about us.

 

[barbarian]

I wonder how many club XV numbers have been lost due to game as a consequence of the new registration and insurance strategy that requires a levy to be paid "up front" and the insurance bill based on individual player registrations rather than on a team basis.

I have heard of a few "casual" players losing interest in pulling the boots on for a game or two at subbies level (are the roots any grassier than here?) when informed about the big new tax.

I think it might be a convenient excuse, but ultimately no-one has stopped playing because it costs $50 more for the season.

From my time on the committee of a Sydney subbies club, having low fees was a non-factor when it came to attracting players - we were proud to be the lowest in Subbies ($250 a season) but it didn't help. They either wanted to be out on the field or they didn't.

Our club is dying now, and there is no singular reason why, just that it's harder every year to get blokes to come down on a Saturday and lace up the boots.
.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Perhaps ARU should do an exit survey on players who were 2014 "participants" that did not sign up for 2015.

One of the benefits of owning the national regustration database is that they can send out a personalized email to all of those who decide to hang up their boots from year to year (provided it is covered in the privacy disclosure statement on the rego form).

Even if they only get a hit rate of 30-40% replying to the email survey, some information about the reasons they no longer participate in rugby is better than none

 

[Hugh Jarse]

<snip>
In terms of overtaking rugby in the private schools, soccer already has - whether or not AFL will, I'm not so sure.

Diveball is making inroads and may have more teams, but based on realible information from last year, they may have less players in the big Private School Sporting Association schools. It is close and the gap is getting narrower. The CCC, AICES and non aligned private schools probably have a swag of soccer players compared to rugby players. Private schools are more than just the AAGPS, CAS, & ISA schools.

Using assumed team sizes of 18 for Rugby, and 14 for Soccer (to accommodate for injured, rehab and bench) then the comparison is as follows:

The numbers are Total Teams (Opens, U16, U15, U14, U13):


ISA Rugby Teams = 143 (37,25,25,28,28) @ 18 per team is approximately 2574 Rugby participants
ISA Soccer Teams = 112 (28,19,19,22,24) @ 14 per team is approximately 1568 Soccer participants

CAS Rugby Teams = 125 (33,20,22,23,27) @ 18 players per team is approximately 2250 Rugby participants
CAS Soccer Teams = 170 (43,29,30,35,33) @ 14 players per team is approximately 2380 Soccer participants

AAGPS Rugby Teams = 223 (61,36,40,41,45) @ 18 players per team is approximately 4014 Rugby participants
AAGPS Soccer Teams = 245 (69,40,42,46,48) @ 14 players per team is approximately 3430 Soccer participants

All up across AAGPS, CAS and ISA
Rugby = 491 (131,81,87,92,100) Teams @ 18 players per team is approximately 8838 Rugby participants
Soccer = 527 (140,88,91,103,105) Teams @ 14 players per team is approximately 7378 Soccer participants

 

[p.Tah]

What are senior male participation numbers like for League, Aussie rules and soccer?

Have they held up? Is this purely a problem for union?

Not specifically on senior make participants. Article from last year but Soccer, AFL and Cricket numbers are all down. It's a symptom of people having less time to commit to sporting competitions.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/vi...s/news-story/598fee7c6d726ae2a9f45726665cadda

 

[Quick Hands]

Has it? Can you back that up?

Don't think that would be true at Shore, Riverview, Joeys, Kings, Scots and possibly Newington...
.

2015 numbers:

Legend: open/16/15/14/13

Joeys
Rugby 41(13/7/7/6/8)
Soccer 16 (5/3/3/3/2)

Riverview
Rugby 35 (9/6/7/6/7)
Soccer 27 (8/5/5/4/5)
Aust Rules 2

Scots
Rugby 30(7/6/3/8/6)
Soccer 24 (9/3/2/5/5)

Kings
Rugby 29(10/4/5/4/6)
Soccer 37 (9/6/7/6/9)

Shore
Rugby 30(8/5/5/5/7)
Soccer 27(8/4/5/5/5)

Newington
Rugby 22(6/2/4/5/5)
Soccer 36(9/6/6/7/8)

Grammar
Rugby 13(3/2/2/3/3)
Soccer 36(8/6/6/8/8)

High
Rugby 10(2/2/2/2/2)
Soccer 33(10/5/6/6/6)

Armidale
unable to find accurate numbers, but Jim Belshaw tells me more soccer than rugby.

 

[Quick Hands]

Diveball is making inroads and may have more teams, but based on realible information from last year, they may have less players in the big Private School Sporting Association schools. It is close and the gap is getting narrower. The CCC, AICES and non aligned private schools probably have a swag of soccer players compared to rugby players. Private schools are more than just the AAGPS, CAS, & ISA schools.

Your ISA figures aren't altogether accurate HJ.

Not all ISA schools play all their teams in ISA sport. St Augustine's for example don't have any soccer teams in ISA soccer, they all play in the Manly-Warringah Soccer Association competition. Almost double the number of soccer teams there than rugby teams though.

15 rugby teams and 28 or 29 soccer teams.

 

[half]

Wamberal

My fear is we have all our eggs in the SANDZAR basket and the ARU essentially reports and wishes to please SANDZAR requirements.

We are kinda locked into a pay TV deal with little promotion which has an ageing audience from what I have read.

Rugby needs to take control and somehow keep the revenue delivered by SANDZAR.

Super Rugby is a slow death. While we talk a big talk Touch Football continues to grow. Touch has a huge female player base as does Soccer.

I just don't see how to met the growth plans put forward while we still are hidden away on Fox .

I have a mate who went to Perth roughly two to three years ago. He tells me after a few years on the outer because of some stuff ups by FFA that Perth Glory are on the way back to their former status which can only be bad for Rugby because many of the fans that left Glory went to follow the Force.

I don't see in these plans the desire to determine how to break from SANDZAR or find other forms of revenue.