NRC Crowd Watch

[TOCC]

Im not sure what people expect, this isn't the NRL/AFL with revenue of $300million/annum.. This is a brand new rugby competition minus the top 30 players with revenue of barely $3million/annum.

Exposure will be minimal, it will take time for fans to catch on and for tv ratings and crowds to become healthy. Its a ridiculous notion for people to expect the ARU for fork out $millions in advertising and marketing when they are already making budget cuts in every other department.

Who cares if your mates from the local rugby club don't know about this competition yet, they will in time. Take it upon yourself to inform them that the competition has started, take 30second of your day and share a highlights package on Facebook from last weekend.

The most important thing is that this competition is up and running, crowds of 2'000 to 3'000 in Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne are a good start and if the brand of rugby played stays entertaining it will only get better.

 

[Kate Elizabeth]

Who cares if your mates from the local rugby club don't know about this competition yet, they will in time. Take it upon yourself to inform them that the competition has started, take 30second of your day and share a highlights package on Facebook from last weekend.

The most important thing is that this competition is up and running, crowds of 2'000 to 3'000 in Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne are a good start and if the brand of rugby played stays entertaining it will only get better.

Agree TOCC - this is grass roots rugby, just on a national platform. WOM is vital here, and so it should be - we can't force yet another competition of a shamefully underexposed code (see the great forum on league writers' bias) onto people through advertising. The most effective engagement is word of mouth ... enthusiasm and invitation.

Don't just agree with your mates that no one knows about it, invite them to a game. Invite 5 people. I haven't been disappointed yet by the games, and without us doing the little things, it doesn't matter how much money you have in marketing, it isn't going to make an impact without us nutters getting excited.

 

[Kate Elizabeth]

Club rugby hasn't grown beyond a small base so why will the NRC?

I think the region basis of club rugby will always make it difficult to translate/grow beyond a small base.

The tribalism (opportunity for city/state to play another city/state) inherent in NRC will help it - it may be too early to invest everything in a team, but I certainly do get a warm glow when we beat anyone south of the border.

I also think getting some of the Wallabies released to play NRC will help it. The ARC never really managed to get their head around that successfully. Although the financial position will certainly encourage administrators to continue to explore this option.

It is an opportunity for lovers of club rugby to go see their faves turn out for a step up and an opportunity for Super Rugby lovers to get a little bit closer to their non-Wallaby players. And cheap to invite the fence sitters too as well. Selling points galore = strategic growth ahead.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Give it time. Seinfeld struggled for audience in the first season as well.

Unlike last time this time most of the money at stake is not ARU. They have their own financial issues to deal with outside NRC.

 

[Omar Comin']

Its a ridiculous notion for people to expect the ARU for fork out $millions in advertising and marketing when they are already making budget cuts in every other department.

No one has said they should be forking out millions in advertising. You're absolutely right that word of mouth is the most important element. But people have to see it to speak about it.

The number 1 imperative is to have all the games shown live in some format. The cheapest and most accessible way would be live streaming. It would cost the ARU roughly $150-200k per season initially to do this in a professional way. Some of that would be offset by sponsorship/advertising of the streams. Who knows, one day it may even become a positive revenue source through subscription.

As Kate Elizabeth says, it isn't going to make an impact without us nutters getting excited, and the best way to get the nutters excited is to allow us to see the matches in a decent quality. That will help create tribal support of teams, will promote discussion about the competition etc. It's not going to grow automatically.

 

[RugbyReg]

How do the crowds compare with 'third tier' in league or Afl? I read one article about a QRL game up north set to break the ground record of 3,500.

What does that Sydney league comp get? Or the VFL? Obviously Sheffield shield cricket doesn't get anyone. Not does the domestic 50 over stuff.

 

[Kate Elizabeth]

A friend works for WAFL and they have the most commercially successful team and they get about 3500 to their grudge matches and 1800ish to normal matches.

 

[Omar Comin']

How do the crowds compare with 'third tier' in league or Afl? I read one article about a QRL game up north set to break the ground record of 3,500.

What does that Sydney league comp get? Or the VFL? Obviously Sheffield shield cricket doesn't get anyone. Not does the domestic 50 over stuff.

The NRL is the third highest level of rugby league in Australia. Why don't you consider it 3rd tier?

Seriously, everyone involved in rugby needs to stop calling the NRC the third tier. It's the worst branding for a competition that has ever existed. It is THE national championship, involving all but the top 25 or so players in Australia. Forget about tiers.

 

[RugbyReg]

the NRL is the elite comp in Oz league. We all recognise there is bugger all international comp.

Super Rugby is the elite comp in Oz rugby. NRC is below it. What is below NRL?

 

[Dave Beat]

Im not sure what people expect, this isn't the NRL/AFL with revenue of $300million/annum.. This is a brand new rugby competition minus the top 30 players with revenue of barely $3million/annum.

Exposure will be minimal, it will take time for fans to catch on and for tv ratings and crowds to become healthy. Its a ridiculous notion for people to expect the ARU for fork out $millions in advertising and marketing when they are already making budget cuts in every other department.

Who cares if your mates from the local rugby club don't know about this competition yet, they will in time. Take it upon yourself to inform them that the competition has started, take 30second of your day and share a highlights package on Facebook from last weekend.

The most important thing is that this competition is up and running, crowds of 2'000 to 3'000 in Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne are a good start and if the brand of rugby played stays entertaining it will only get better.

Agreed, talk about it, and share thoughts about it - it will grow, we've had 2 rounds.

 

[Dave Beat]

This is so easily said, but harder to implement.
Rays have juniors playing at oranges, and I have seen kids running around in other NRC games.
Kids get in free get the schools to send kids along to support their class mates and parents follow.
NRC teams would need to engage the schools but that work will benefit grass roots and also NRC teams over the years.

 

[Pfitzy]

The NRL is the third highest level of rugby league in Australia. Why don't you consider it 3rd tier?

Realistically, it isn't. I know its splitting hairs, but Origin is an exhibition in three games. You can't qualify to play for it no matter how much money or talent you have, therefore its not a competition as such.

NRL is second tier.

AFL is top tier (their "International" game excludes Australia by default).

To me, this isn't "Third Tier" right now because there is no other club rugby on. But it isn't replacing Super Rugby in a hurry because its national.

 

[Omar Comin']

the NRL is the elite comp in Oz league. We all recognise there is bugger all international comp.

Super Rugby is the elite comp in Oz rugby. NRC is below it. What is below NRL?

The levels below the NRL don't involve NRL players. They are completely separate tiers. More comparable to shute shield etc.

On the other hand the NRC involves the vast majority of super rugby players. Rugby is structured differently due to the long international season. There is really nothing comparable to the NRC in AFL or rugby league.

 

[Pfitzy]

That's because the NRC and Super Rugby don't have U20 feeder systems. Very few players are selected from outside of that, and some come directly from school.

Australian Rugby League doesn't have as strong a national presence because their cash is wrapped up in the NRL. The other major competitions are regional e.g.

http://www.nswrl.com.au/seniors/vb-nsw-cup/vbnswcup-ladder.html

http://www.qrl.com.au/intrust-super-cup.html

 

[Omar Comin']

Pfitzy, I don't understand your logic on SOO. It's a representative series. Most NRL players qualify to play in it and selection comes down to talent. No different to the Wallabies or Kangaroos. And what the Reds and Waratahs were in the past. Of course it's the 2nd tier in Australian rugby league. For the Australian players it's the 2nd most exclusive level.

To me, this isn't "Third Tier" right now because there is no other club rugby on. But it isn't replacing Super Rugby in a hurry because its national.

I think the challenge for the ARU is to get people to perceive the NRC as more of an extension of super rugby than as a third tier competition. A separate competition sure, not quite as high level, but the highest domestic level. In a sense you could say the NRC is more of a true 2nd tier - as it's played at the same time as the 1st.

 

[Pfitzy]

Pfitzy, I don't understand your logic on SOO. It's a representative series. Most NRL players qualify to play in it and selection comes down to talent. No different to the Wallabies or Kangaroos. And what the Reds and Waratahs were in the past.

Well, when you say it like that: Cool!

When does Victoria get a shot?
Or the ACT?

What if I'm from England or New Zealand? How do I qualify or get promoted so I can compete in it?

 

[Omar Comin']

Well, when you say it like that: Cool!

When does Victoria get a shot?
Or the ACT?

What if I'm from England or New Zealand? How do I qualify or get promoted so I can compete in it?

Just because a small % of players that aren't eligible for either NSW or QLD play in the NRL doesn't mean the state of origin is not a higher tier of competition. For Australian league players there is a pretty obvious hierarchy: Kangaroos - Origin - NRL. Similar to rugby: Wallabies - Super Rugby - NRC.

For New Zealand rugby league players the NRL would be the 2nd tier.

 

[Pfitzy]

You can't say the concentration of 16 clubs into two teams is a meaningful level of competition when the tier above only has one team.

 

[Pfitzy]

Addit: especially when members of those clubs are excluded from the competition based purely on farcical guidelines

 

[TOCC]

NRL isn't 3rd tier.. The NRL represents the focus and being of the ARLC, comparatively Wallabies represent the focus and being of the ARU.

Thats like suggesting AFL is 3rd tier because it has its State of Origin concept and International Rules..

Rugby League test matches are secondary to the demands of the NRL competition, the NRL is where the lucrative broadcast rights are sold and where the players make their money. Test rugby league has very little interest in it.