Ideas for Australian Rugby Union

[grievous]

Brad Hunt moved into Brisbane premier rugby from playing for the Darwin Mozzies. Chris Ratai also. I don't know where he is these days but he was playing for Wests.

I played with those guys in the Mozzi squad in 2001, were you?

 

[Hugh Jarse]

.....

Take a leaf from the WWF and develop some real bad arse dudes that we can all love to hate. If there are none on the current playing roster, then direct one to become one. I am the boss of the ARU and I am your paymaster. You will do what you are told!!!
...

From the SMH (albeit the mungoball section)
Red faces all round as JT is cleared
Danny Weidler
October 17, 2010
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/red-faces-all-round-as-jt-is-cleared-20101016-16o8c.html

.....
WALLABIES' NEW DIRECTION
DAVID NUCIFORA is moving closer to the top job at the Wallabies - one he has always wanted. He will coach the forwards during the midweek matches on their spring tour. And it seems the Wallabies are about to go in a different direction when it comes to marketing their players. They are going to abandon the role-model angle, which has led to the sports image becoming too bland for words. Instead they are going to push a ''heroes and villains'' angle - promoting players in those roles. I'm not sure who will jump at the opportunity of being marketed as a villain, but those things usually take care of themselves
.....

Someone in the ARU St Leonards Bunker may be reading gaggerland material.

 

[CHS 72]

Build your pyramid base at the school level.

Part of appealing to the masses is to have a connection with them. Currently most schoolboys play RL, Soccer and AFL. As has been said previously Rugby is viewed as an elite persons sport, played by schoolboys at expensive private schools.
The ARU needs to support the grassroots at public and catholic schools. Also when you see the number of outstanding Aboriginal kids playing both AFL and RL, we need to embrace the indigenous population to really get involved. I know Joeys has their "leadership" program for the Aboriginal boys, but they should all be encouraged at their respective schools. Once the kids start playing, their parents/families will also start to be educated.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

leave GPS, CAS and ISA to their own devices.

Focus on developing rugby in state schools.

Run schools sevens tournaments. Like a big mac, once you work out the recipe, it is very easy to produce them in bulk.

Kids enjoying this experience should be directed towards junior village clubs.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

leave GPS, CAS and ISA to their own devices.

Focus on developing rugby in state schools.

Run schools sevens tournaments. Like a big mac, once you work out the recipe, it is very easy to produce them in bulk.

Kids enjoying this experience should be directed towards junior village clubs.

It just seems so simple doesn't it. You really have to wonder why (apart from the old 'lack of funds' argument) this isn't happening. Our game has a possible gamebreaker in 7s and the Olympics but we neglect to use it where it would be most effective.

 

[Set piece magic]

Some advertising for kids to actually play rugby might help. A lot of you here are probably too young / weren't born in the early '90s when they had the "hit and run" rugby ads featuring Tim Horan. I think at the time (coupled with Wallaby success) their was a rise in player numbers - don't quote me on that though as my memory is getting foggy as I age!

personally too young but put it this way. I go to a private school, play rugby obviously, but it was always on the side of things in early life. Watching the state of origin and the brisbane lions get premierships was cool, and i never really got to go to the rugby. But then I saw these cool ads on TV - show your true colours. I was interested. I went to a saturday arvo world cup game in brisbane - was drawn in even more. Watched the 2003 semifinal - and my mind was made up.

Your still living off people that we're drawn in 2003.

Oh and I haven't watched an AFL game since 2003 for that matter either. Can't stand it.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

If sookball can con $45m out of the feds for an abortive tilt at the Diveball World Cup, what will ARU get from them for a genuine chance at Olympic gold in 7's for 2016?

Memo to ARU, the boys who will bring home the Olympic gold in 2016 are 14-18 years old now.

Forget about Bieber boy, QC (Quade Cooper), gilbert, Schmoo, Turner and todays stars. Look to the future.

The GPS schools will not produce these kids for you. You have to get off your arse and MAKE IT HAPPEN. l

 

[TOCC]

If sookball can con $45m out of the feds for an abortive tilt at the Diveball World Cup, what will ARU get from them for a genuine chance at Olympic gold in 7's for 2016?

Memo to ARU, the boys who will bring home the Olympic gold in 2016 are 14-18 years old now.

Forget about Bieber boy, QC (Quade Cooper), gilbert, Schmoo, Turner and todays stars. Look to the future.

The GPS schools will not produce these kids for you. You have to get off your arse and MAKE IT HAPPEN. l

Olympic funding runs in 4 year cycles, rugby won't receive any for 7's until 2012

 

[jay-c]

Wallabies Men's Short Sleeve Replica Pro Jersey 2010 from rebel sport= $170
fuck off aru
and another thing: its short sleeve! im not running around keepin the body warm, or comfortable in a box- im sittin up with the birds at homebush freezin my arse off in the middle of sydney winter- so if i do wanna be patriotic and wear the new get up i have to wear a jacket over the top which is gunna be black- often to a bledisloe- brilliant!

 

[Moses]

I'm sure there are also long sleeved versions available... but I prefer the short sleeve ones.

As for the price, I agree that's a hell of a lot for a replica... but at least now it's a good jersey to be replicating. Can you imagine paying $150 for the Bro edition?
[image]Wallabies Jersey - 2008.jpg|thumb[/image]

What I do when it's cold is wear a long sleeved yellow T-Shirt underneath, the colour match is so good people generally don't realise it's separate. A long sleeved green T-Shirt could also work.

 

[TOCC]

Wallabies Men's Short Sleeve Replica Pro Jersey 2010 from rebel sport= $170
fuck off aru
and another thing: its short sleeve! im not running around keepin the body warm, or comfortable in a box- im sittin up with the birds at homebush freezin my arse off in the middle of sydney winter- so if i do wanna be patriotic and wear the new get up i have to wear a jacket over the top which is gunna be black- often to a bledisloe- brilliant!

There are long sleeve alternatives available in mens, womens and childrens

i agree, the price of replica jerseys is ludicrous

 

[dobduff11]

Do the ARU not supply those cheap yellow jacket things to supporters at rainy or cold matches.

keeps up the colour and means your not wearing black.

What I do when I go to Twickers (usually bloody freezing due to wind) is chuck on all kinds of layers underneath and then chuck my test shirt over the top.

Thats the good thing about the strechy ones

 

[Proud Pig]

There have been many interesting issues brought up in this discussion but one I have to take issue with is the thought that the AFL is targeting Rugby. The two new expansion clubs that the AFL is bringing in are on the Gold Coast and in Greater Western Sydney. These are the two fastest growing population centres in Australia that are not currently an AFL stronghold. If the fastest growing area had been Darwin that is where the AFL would have placed a club but its not. As proof to this is the constant talk about an AFL team in Tassie. AFL already has the lions share of interest in that market but they won't put a permanent team there because it is a contracting market and not a growing one. This is all about the television market as that is where the money is. If AFL can show a significant presence in these two areas they can demand more for the next television license.

What Rugby needs to do is firstly throw away "the silver spoon". The elitist nature of Rugby is an immediate put off to many people.
To do this they need to try and attract the general public through the turnstiles and not just the old boys network. The cost of a ticket to a Super 15s game is not competitive with the other sports on offer. I have taken up a Rebels membership for next year and spent a number of years while living in Sydney with a Tahs membership. For many years however I have always kept my AFL club membership. It was significantly cheaper than my Tahs membership and got me into twice the number of games. My Rebels membership is a reasonable cost because I chose the cheapest membership on offer. Anything other than that cheap membership again makes it significantly more expensive than an AFL club membership for again less matches.
As stated by others in this thread merchandise costs for Rugby products are dramatically higher than for the opposition codes.

They also need to grab the kids hearts very young. They need the kids and particularly the mums to consider Rugby a choice for them to play as they grow up. The AFL has Ozkick as a great way to introduce kids to the game. It is skills based with small competitive but importantly minor contact games for the kids to enjoy. One of the big turnoffs for parents is that Rugby is often considered a rough game with a large degree of contact which while the kids are still growing is not what the parents want.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Well Rugby has EdRugby and TryRugby. Both solid programs but not excellent, I would like to see them combined into one uniform program under the banner PlayRugby or something like that. Base it on 7s as its good general introduction to the game's required skills and when compared to the 15 man game it has less overt contact situations. Importantly, link local clubs to the program to catch any interested kids. Someone has already made this point but the ARU, State Unions and Super Rugby franchises should be using their players as development officers getting out to schools to run programs. I was once told by a someone in marketing that it takes 6 visits or viewing to alter someone opinion or perception. Split them up into pairs and give them 10 schools a pair that they have to visit 6 times in a year. Considering that the Rebels and to a lesser extent the Waratahs are now indepent enterprises seperate from their respective Unions it would be wise to approach it in a similar manner as now more than ever the bottom line is vital to survival.

 

[jay-c]

correction: long sleeve available rugby.com.au= $180
how many years of christmass presents to kids have to bargin in order to get one jersey?
no wonder seein fans with thejerseys is about as rare as a pregnant nun
im with u on the layers thou lads-

 

[ntrugby10]

To be honest, I never realised rugby was viewed as an elitist sport down in the southern states till recently.. Up here in the NT, union is played more by lower/middle-class pacific islanders, and league is played by middle and upper class caucasians.

 

[dobduff11]

importantly minor contact games for the kids to enjoy

Proud pig I remember watching an interview with JOC (James O'Connor) and him saying that he went along to an AFL kids thing when he was younger but stopped going and looked to league because there was no contact in AFL.

I know some kids don't like the contact but a fair few love it. Maybe touch rugby until they get to 6. Then full contact

 

[Proud Pig]

Proud pig I remember watching an interview with JOC (James O'Connor) and him saying that he went along to an AFL kids thing when he was younger but stopped going and looked to league because there was no contact in AFL.

I know some kids don't like the contact but a fair few love it. Maybe touch rugby until they get to 6. Then full contact

The kids may well love the contact but it is the Mums you need to win over and they hate the contact.

 

[dobduff11]

Screw the mums, if they get funny chuck some headgear and a mouthguard on the kid and they are ready to go.

I broke my leg and collarbone playing Rugby when I was 6 and 7 respectively, Mum wasn't too happy but I kept on playing. She also got a bit angry when I played a full contact tournament 4 weeks after breaking my collarbone haha

 

[barbarian]

The ARU is bringing back Sunday arvo tests, with one announced against Samoa for next year:

Wallabies open 2011 with early afternoon contest against Samoa in Sydney on July 17
The Wallabies will play their first afternoon Test on home soil for six years when they host Samoa at ANZ Stadium on July 17.

The return to a daylight Test, with a 2pm kick-off, was announced as the season opener in a year when the Wallabies will also campaign for a third Rugby World Cup title in New Zealand over September-October.

ARU boss John O'Neill said the early kick off initiative for the Samoa Test was aimed at ensuring the rugby community could welcome the start of the international season in a family-friendly atmosphere.

"Having a Sunday afternoon kick-off for the first time since 2005 is designed to give families a real opportunity to enjoy a day out at a Test match, the first in a World Cup year, he said.

"With just three Tests to be held in Australia before the Rugby World Cup, it is important that grassroots supporters have a chance to see and interact with their heroes."

Samoa have contested the past five World Cups after missing out on the inaugural event in 1987 when Fiji and Tonga represented the Pacific Islands.

Samoa made the quarter-finals in 1991 and 1995 only to lose to Scotland and South Africa respectively.

Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.
Next year, Samoa is in pool D alongside South Africa, Wales, Fiji and Namibia.

Samoa recently completed a tour of Japan, the UK and Ireland that delivered one win and three narrow losses.

A number of Samoa's players are either current or former Super rugby representatives or boast experience in New Zealand's NPC.

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans said the match would be a good starting point for what is going to be a massive campaign.

"The Samoans will be building to the Rugby World Cup themselves which will ensure they field a strong side," Deans said.

They are capable - their recent results in the northern hemisphere show that.

"They are in a position to field an experienced group, a lot of who have played in the southern hemisphere and against a lot of our players in Super Rugby so they wont be overawed by the occasion.

"They'll be looking forward to it."

In 2005, the Wallabies powered to a 74-7 win over the Samoans in a game which saw 22-year-olds Rocky Elsom and Stephen Moore make their Test debuts in a Nathan Sharpe-led side.

It's a good call, maybe JON has had a look at the thread!!