New "LIV Style" Global Rugby League

[Dismal Pillock]

https://www.theroar.com.au/2024/11/17/exclusive-axed-rebels-could-find-new-home-in-new-liv-style-global-league/

Blow it all up, baby.

Exciting stuff.

The Auckland Barbarians
The Cantab Pantywaists
The Melbourne Two Cars
The Bhopal Oil City Slickers

 

[LeCheese]

Just about the only thing keeping the game of rugby (barely) afloat in Australia are rusted on fans and tribalism. We've seen with the attempts at a second-tier comp that it isn't as simple as 'build it and they will come'.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Just about the only thing keeping the game of rugby (barely) afloat in Australia are rusted on fans and tribalism. We've seen with the attempts at a second-tier comp that it isn't as simple as 'build it and they will come'.

Yeah but $2 mill salaries for everyone

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Maro Itoje says England is ‘the mecca’ amid talk of global breakaway league

Maro Itoje has pledged his allegiance to England following proposals for an eight-team franchise competition

www.theguardian.com

 

[LeCheese]

The breakaway league is said to have reached agreements with around 30 star names in principle on the promise of bumper salaries and fewer matches in an eight-team franchise competition that would tour the world. It would need upwards of 200 players with a possible start in 2026.

More realistically, 250-300. Good luck, I suppose.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

tribalism.

Yeah this'll be its downfall I reckon.

It'll be like watching a Japanese Top League match..... but with less Japanese players. You start watching a match and its "oh, this is a good standard, fun game, some running rugby....." then after 20 mins you've tuned out cos you dont give a flying fuck if the winner is "Toshiba" or "Hitachi" or the stupid Bumfuck Bidet Corporation and everyone's only there in the first place cos ching ching motherf*****rrrrr.

 

[LeCheese]

Bumfuck Bidet

Is this a product feature or name?

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Is this a product feature or name?

"Bumfuck Bidet"

"It Does What It Says On The Label!"

​

 

[oztimmay]

I reckon it would be a success if the Gunston family ran it.

(over to you, DP).

 

[Derpus]

Yeah this'll be its downfall I reckon.

It'll be like watching a Japanese Top League match..... but with less Japanese players. You start watching a match and its "oh, this is a good standard, fun game, some running rugby....." then after 20 mins you've tuned out cos you dont give a flying fuck if the winner is "Toshiba" or "Hitachi" or the stupid Bumfuck Bidet Corporation and everyone's only there in the first place cos ching ching motherf*****rrrrr.

Think you are on to a winner with this one. To the patent office.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

I reckon it would be a success if the Gunston family ran it.

Oh Jesus. Horrific. Halftime entertainment? Some poor little mascot kids getting chased around the pitch by some idiot in his ute.

"Faster ya f****** little dropkicks."

 

[Rebel man]

It’s an odd concept. I think it will work to an extent. If the players are on an average salary of 2m a year all the best rugby/rugby league players will sign. So it will be the best standard.

Running it like the F1’s with rounds going to different cities but then also having teams representing an area will be a bit odd.

If it means the Rebels live on then I’ll be down watching every game in Melbourne

 

[Derpus]

It’s an odd concept. I think it will work to an extent. If the players are on an average salary of 2m a year all the best rugby/rugby league players will sign. So it will be the best standard.

Running it like the F1’s with rounds going to different cities but then also having teams representing an area will be a bit odd.

If it means the Rebels live on then I’ll be down watching every game in Melbourne

Thought you were talking about the Bumfuck Bidet for a sec.

 

[LeCheese]

It’s an odd concept. I think it will work to an extent. If the players are on an average salary of 2m a year all the best rugby/rugby league players will sign. So it will be the best standard.

Let's say each team has a 35-player squad - $70m annual salary expenditure for each team; $560m across the eight teams. In salary alone.

And then the cost of flying 8 squads and staff around the world for a - let's say each team gets a home weekend, plus a three-week finals series in Riyadh - minimum 11-game season.

I doubt even the Saudis are willing to piss away that much cash, or even half as much.

 

[Wilson]

Yeah this'll be its downfall I reckon.

It'll be like watching a Japanese Top League match..... but with less Japanese players. You start watching a match and its "oh, this is a good standard, fun game, some running rugby....." then after 20 mins you've tuned out cos you dont give a flying fuck if the winner is "Toshiba" or "Hitachi" or the stupid Bumfuck Bidet Corporation and everyone's only there in the first place cos ching ching motherf*****rrrrr.

I dunno, I think there'd be a bit of support out there for the Hitachi Magic Wands, their run for the title is just the feel good story rugby needs

 

[Italophile]

Let's say each team has a 35-player squad - $70m annual salary expenditure for each team; $560m across the eight teams. In salary alone.

And then the cost of flying 8 squads and staff around the world for a - let's say each team gets a home weekend, plus a three-week finals series in Riyadh - minimum 11-game season.

I doubt even the Saudis are willing to piss away that much cash, or even half as much.

Most importantly, they will need to sell TV rights for an amount to off-set costs. To whom?

 

[stoff]

Let's say each team has a 35-player squad - $70m annual salary expenditure for each team; $560m across the eight teams. In salary alone.

And then the cost of flying 8 squads and staff around the world for a - let's say each team gets a home weekend, plus a three-week finals series in Riyadh - minimum 11-game season.

I doubt even the Saudis are willing to piss away that much cash, or even half as much.

The reports say $2m for the top players, not average across the league.

 

[Wilson]

Most importantly, they will need to sell TV rights for an amount to off-set costs. To whom?

I'm guessing their ideal would be selling them to someone like Amazon across all territories in a monster deal, but more realistically it'd have to be piecemeal to networks and streamers territory to territory. Not sure how reliably they'd be able to generate interest without being able to package in test match rugby, or potentially even work with the broadcasters who have it some territories like Sky in New Zealand.

I guess they might try and set up their own streaming service for it if necessary, but that seems like something they'd do after the comp was established.

 

[JRugby2]

It won't work

- Inventing teams with no connection to cities or fans, then only playing in said city once a year - hardly a way to generate support
- Rugby isn't like FI, or Golf, or Tennis where you can run a grand prix/ major tour style format for individuals. You build support through consistency and connection
- Broadcast would be a mess, There are in effect 3 time zone bands in the world (Europe and Africa, the Americas and Asia). Say they host 10 rounds and 3-4 in each band - it means 60% of the time the team you support is playing at a rubbish time.

 

[LeCheese]

The reports say $2m for the top players, not average across the league.

Yep - was responding to Rebel Man's hypothetical of $2m average. Even if you halve it to an average of $1m (which works out as about double the salary cap of the French teams), there's no escaping that it would be a very tough ask to recoup the costs required to get even a single season of the league off the ground.