Qld Premier Rugby 2022

[Adam84]

all the more reason we need to lift the management of our game including making a tier below Super Rugby semi professional.

Yeah it would be great, wont stop the need to sign 18-19 to super rugby contracts to fight off other codes though. Jack Howarth isn’t remaining in rugby because UQ are offering $20k a season for semi professional.

 

[DELETE ACCOUNT]

Yeah it would be great, wont stop the need to sign 18-19 to super rugby contracts to fight off other codes though. Jack Howarth isn’t remaining in rugby because UQ are offering $20k a season for semi professional.

agreed. you wont keep the top end but you will keep the middle and lower end. this will then generate additional competition and hopefully the standard.

If you look at the numbers each year
18 + schools in Brisbane have at least 3 grades ( 1st,2nd,3rd XV) = 18 x 50 players = 900 players
Colts has 9 clubs with ave 3 grades = 450 players ( remebering this is made up of 2 age groups, 19 and 20 year olds).
So really there about 225 of the 900 school leavers engaged in rugby post school ( i understand some move to regional centres etc)

My thoughts are we need to entice more of the other 675 to stay with the game

Same as they move into grades.

If we could improve participation rates we might even be able to expand to 10,11,12 clubs in areas like redcliffe/morayfield and Ipswich/Springfield and Logan/Beenleigh

 

[Wilson]

agreed. you wont keep the top end but you will keep the middle and lower end. this will then generate additional competition and hopefully the standard.

If you look at the numbers each year
18 + schools in Brisbane have at least 3 grades ( 1st,2nd,3rd XV) = 18 x 50 players = 900 players
Colts has 9 clubs with ave 3 grades = 450 players ( remebering this is made up of 2 age groups, 19 and 20 year olds).
So really there about 225 of the 900 school leavers engaged in rugby post school ( i understand some move to regional centres etc)

My thoughts are we need to entice more of the other 675 to stay with the game

Same as they move into grades.

If we could improve participation rates we might even be able to expand to 10,11,12 clubs in areas like redcliffe/morayfield and Ipswich/Springfield and Logan/Beenleigh

I don't believe you get that many more of the school leavers coming in by offering a bit more money to the guys you already hang onto. If you're talking about increasing the numbers of rugby playing school leavers flowing through to club I think you need to be focusing on getting guys in from the lower grades who aren't ever going to be pros. That all comes back to presenting the community aspects of the clubs and building those club to school relationships. I can't really speak to what it's like now but it was really lacking when I finished school ~15 years ago.

 

[westydog01]

Is there an opportunity for the Colts programs at each club to bring current year 12 players into an academy type arrangement before the school comps start for GPS schools and once the remainder of the school comps finish - i get there are some overlaps with school league programs and also the view that most GPS dont like their first squads going outside of the school program. This might; however, provide an opportunity for the students to get an early look into what colts and importantly club rugby is all about? Anyway just putting it out there.

 

[warhorse]

Is there an opportunity for the Colts programs at each club to bring current year 12 players into an academy type arrangement before the school comps start for GPS schools and once the remainder of the school comps finish - i get there are some overlaps with school league programs and also the view that most GPS dont like their first squads going outside of the school program. This might; however, provide an opportunity for the students to get an early look into what colts and importantly club rugby is all about? Anyway just putting it out there.

At the beginning of the season there is a Lightning Series for Under 18's which gives school age players an opportunity to play in the Club environment and get a feel for Colts level rugby.

 

[Oldschool]

At the beginning of the season there is a Lightning Series for Under 18's which gives school age players an opportunity to play in the Club environment and get a feel for Colts level rugby.

Great to see, but the Nudgee's of the world will not any of their prime cattle anywhere near these comps.

 

[Greenwhiteblack]

agreed. you wont keep the top end but you will keep the middle and lower end. this will then generate additional competition and hopefully the standard.

If you look at the numbers each year
18 + schools in Brisbane have at least 3 grades ( 1st,2nd,3rd XV) = 18 x 50 players = 900 players
Colts has 9 clubs with ave 3 grades = 450 players ( remebering this is made up of 2 age groups, 19 and 20 year olds).
So really there about 225 of the 900 school leavers engaged in rugby post school ( i understand some move to regional centres etc)

My thoughts are we need to entice more of the other 675 to stay with the game

Same as they move into grades.

If we could improve participation rates we might even be able to expand to 10,11,12 clubs in areas like redcliffe/morayfield and Ipswich/Springfield and Logan/Beenleigh

you dont need Logan/Beenleigh, that is covered by Sunnybank. The Logan Rugby Union club are a basket case, they are better off being taken over by Sunnybank. Half the kids at Sunnybank are from the logan area

 

[Greenwhiteblack]

Is there an opportunity for the Colts programs at each club to bring current year 12 players into an academy type arrangement before the school comps start for GPS schools and once the remainder of the school comps finish - i get there are some overlaps with school league programs and also the view that most GPS dont like their first squads going outside of the school program. This might; however, provide an opportunity for the students to get an early look into what colts and importantly club rugby is all about? Anyway just putting it out there.

they've already got that option with the Lightning Junior Colts series. St Peters Lutheran played their first 1stXV in it in the first season this year. The second season commences after the holidays.

 

[SouthernX]

you dont need Logan/Beenleigh, that is covered by Sunnybank. The Logan Rugby Union club are a basket case, they are better off being taken over by Sunnybank. Half the kids at Sunnybank are from the logan area

The reason Logan is a basket case is because they were promised/implied that they would be joining QPR when they were included in premier reserve grade a few years back.

 

[SouthernX]

One thing with player participation and keeping players in our game is there is a big number of drop offs when players move from colts rugby to grades

lot of these young gents have been playing first thru high school then Prem colts when out of school. Once you qualify for grades and your not just fighting players same age for your jersey but rather age group of 21yrs-35yrs… these youngens find themselves in reserve/3rds/4ths and just lose interest in the game.

I would like to see subs annual fees be linked to club loyalty . what is it 450 full fee for your registration at your club? Imagine every year they knocked 20.00 off your fees. So 5 years into time at the club it’s 350 and 10 years at your club your only paying 250…

obviously cheaper subs to start with is ideal but we really need to try and keep more older players playing grades and being role models for our younger generations.

Anyways that’s my 2 cents on this

 

[PhilClinton]

The reason Logan is a basket case is because they were promised/implied that they would be joining QPR when they were included in premier reserve grade a few years back.

We might be opening up a can of worms here - but weren't Logan given a pretty clear pathway back in 2016ish of how to become a QPR 1st grade club, it included things like minimum amount of teams, field conditions, Colts, Juniors etc. They had started the process, got a better clubhouse and fields and built some strong sides, but then things went a bit crazy.

I thought I read something in the papers not long ago about serious internal issues within the club administration?

Maybe I am getting my wires crossed but I thought the wheels fell off at Logan well before the QRU pushed them aside.

 

[DELETE ACCOUNT]

you dont need Logan/Beenleigh, that is covered by Sunnybank. The Logan Rugby Union club are a basket case, they are better off being taken over by Sunnybank. Half the kids at Sunnybank are from the logan area

fair enough. we could bring in a Toowoomba or Sunshine Coast operation then

 

[DELETE ACCOUNT]

One thing with player participation and keeping players in our game is there is a big number of drop offs when players move from colts rugby to grades

lot of these young gents have been playing first thru high school then Prem colts when out of school. Once you qualify for grades and your not just fighting players same age for your jersey but rather age group of 21yrs-35yrs… these youngens find themselves in reserve/3rds/4ths and just lose interest in the game.

I would like to see subs annual fees be linked to club loyalty . what is it 450 full fee for your registration at your club? Imagine every year they knocked 20.00 off your fees. So 5 years into time at the club it’s 350 and 10 years at your club your only paying 250…

obviously cheaper subs to start with is ideal but we really need to try and keep more older players playing grades and being role models for our younger generations.

Anyways that’s my 2 cents on this

I like it
Plus my idea of a semi professional club scene would also dangle the carrot for these youngens.
A year or two in lower grades with an objective to get to 1st Grade for a few $$$$ as opposed to chasing the super rugby all or nothing program.

 

[DELETE ACCOUNT]

We might be opening up a can of worms here - but weren't Logan given a pretty clear pathway back in 2016ish of how to become a QPR 1st grade club, it included things like minimum amount of teams, field conditions, Colts, Juniors etc. They had started the process, got a better clubhouse and fields and built some strong sides, but then things went a bit crazy.

I thought I read something in the papers not long ago about serious internal issues within the club administration?

Maybe I am getting my wires crossed but I thought the wheels fell off at Logan well before the QRU pushed them aside.

Thats what I heard too BUT

we keep hearing that we need opportunity for the non-GPS (AIC) school talent. Logan has long been a rugby heartland of talent apparently but it is all lost to mungoball. etc etc etc.
TBH I think sunny coast and toowoomba are better prospects for expansion areas.

 

[The Nomad]

Have seen over the past few years quite a few boys from BBC and Terrace doing preseason down at St Lucia . Gives UQ a leg in the door for the following year’s Colts.

There’s nothing formal and not sure how many other clubs this might happen with , but you would think that Laurie’s / BSHS and Souths, MCA and GPS , ATC/ St Peter’s and Wests, Churchie/Iona and Easts would be good fits.

 

[SouthernX]

We might be opening up a can of worms here

my version of events was the quest newspaper article announcing their inclusion in premier reserve grade with the promise that the premier grade inclusion was just around the corner.

yes there could of been internal issues at Logan but wish QRU had done more… no idea what the benchmark is.

bond university can’t even field a 4th grade team so my minimum benchmark would be 1st-3rds, colts and female rugby team.

 

[PhilClinton]

TBH I think sunny coast and toowoomba are better prospects for expansion areas.

The Stingrays were quite competitive for a while, I know they got some funding and were able to sign Kefu, Caleb Ralph etc.

I'm not really sure what it would take to get the Sunny Coast back in the QPR, but having spent some time up there with the local competition, there are plenty of good players running around. I had heard some of the current local comp administrators weren't so keen on losing their best cattle to a QPR club, would rather keep them playing club footy, so they might not be supporting it.

Could be wrong but I think the club actually produced a number of high profile 7s players - possibly Charlotte Caslick played there? I know Matty Gicquel who was an absolute QPR gun for GPS came from the Stingrays.

 

[DELETE ACCOUNT]

my version of events was the quest newspaper article announcing their inclusion in premier reserve grade with the promise that the premier grade inclusion was just around the corner.

yes there could of been internal issues at Logan but wish QRU had done more… no idea what the benchmark is.

bond university can’t even field a 4th grade team so my minimum benchmark would be 1st-3rds, colts and female rugby team.

There was a pretty good model to follow from when Sunnybank stepped up.
From memory they had 1 year in reserve grade plus( 3,4 and colts 1,2) then the second year they had a full compliment 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th plus 3 colts (no womens anywhere in those dim dark days)

It took a bunch of committed people and a bit of work to get it up including inducing a couple of seasoned fellas to move over (a prop from wests comes to mind), but in the end they now have a very solid operation that ebbs and flows with all the clubs.

If the folk up in the sunny coast want to miss out thats fine, I am sure there are opportunities elsewhere ( Ipswich, Toowoomba, Springfield, Redcliffe areas come to mind given the growth of old brisbane town)

 

[Greenwhiteblack]

The reason Logan is a basket case is because they were promised/implied that they would be joining QPR when they were included in premier reserve grade a few years back.

No the reason they are a basket case is due to the people in charge of the club, 3 junior teams and mens team that does have numbers. The junior teams are an embarrsment they dont even have a Logan uniform, they wear uniforms from Mabel State High

 

[Adam84]

I always thought Logan’s best chance of been promoted was somehow partnering with Griffith Uni, given the spread of campuses along the corridor.