SANZAR TV Deal 2011+

[TOCC]

I think if they do want this competition to work financially, they need to bring overseas players in, let's say be able to have 3 foreign players in the team. Provide entertainment, imagine if the likes of Sebastion Chabal were to play in the Super 14 alongside Ben Cohen (for example) I would come to those games, because I'd love to see these guys playing over here. They would add the personality aspect to the side. Like Rodney did to QLD. Personality helps a rugby team as well, we really can't forget that. Personality will win crowds, as will success on the field as well. It would help a real fan base be improved here.

Not to mention, if rugby games between Tonga and Samoa or other Islander teams were being played over here at Ballymore or SFS for example. Tonga, Samoan and all those other Islander communities would attend these matches, and it would really develop the game over here, and lure a lot of the current Islanders playing Rugby. Those teams playing really good entertaining rugby which International matches aren't currently seeing, would help develop the code over in Australia. Not only that but help develop talent.

hmm the marquee player system could work, however the problem is the funding for such a system, the competition at best would be semi-professional, it would be absurd that one player like Sebastien Chabal commands a $700'000 salary whilst his team mates are running around on $30k

If anything, the competition would have to be run akin to the national cricket comps(sheffield shiedl and ford ranger cup), which is run at a loss but done so to provide a pathway for the developing Australian cricketers, the crowds are woeful and i dont think the get much of a viewer rating either. Super14 and test rugby are the money spinners for australian rugby, anything below that just isnt going to earn the dosh. The only way this will ever change is if the S14 is replaced with a national australian comp, but no one is willing to take that leap.

 

[Gagger]

You don't replace the S14, you replace the club mess that's there at the moment.

Everyone seems to agree we can't sustain 3 tiers, so don't have 3, have 2. Create an Australian NPC, but with fewer teams.

We can all see the implementation nightmares, but it's the logical solution.

 

[chief]

Even just a Australian sevens tournament thats televised, that could jack up our ratings maybe. people wannna see running rugby give them it in the 7's form.

 

[DPK]

will we ever see Super 14 matches on One Digital? just curious as i dont currently have foxtel/austar and i think the lack of super 14 matches on free to air is a major factor towards the lack popularity of the australian super 14 franchises.

 

[TOCC]

Even just a Australian sevens tournament thats televised, that could jack up our ratings maybe. people wannna see running rugby give them it in the 7's form.

yeah its definetly something that rugby in australia is lacking in, a proper 7's tournament, there is no reason that they couldnt run a 7's tournament in the post S14 season or club rugby season with the S14 players minus the wallabies.

Put a cash prize of $100'000 up and send out invites for the pacific island teams and NZ S14 teams

will we ever see Super 14 matches on One Digital? just curious as i dont currently have foxtel/austar and i think the lack of super 14 matches on free to air is a major factor towards the lack popularity of the australian super 14 franchises.

its unlikely we will see it in this deal at least, pay-tv/news corp pay a lot more for the broadcast rights then what FTA stations are willing to spend, if anything we might see delayed replays of the S14 games on ONE HD which would work out pretty well IMO.

 

[Blue]

Question is, does anyone really care enough about sevens? They can barely fill the World sevens stadiums so I can't see enough people turning up to watch a provincial 7's comp.

While they throw the bvall around a lot and score tries, I think seven's is just not gripping rugby. To me it's pretty average entertainment when compared to the 15 man game. Actually most of the time its boring to watch.

Sevens is not the answer for Australian rugby. People are already overwhelmed with all the codes and now you want to introduce another variant into the mix. No chance.

 

[Newb]

Question is, does anyone really care enough about sevens? They can barely fill the World sevens stadiums so I can't see enough people turning up to watch a provincial 7's comp.

While they throw the bvall around a lot and score tries, I think seven's is just not gripping rugby. To me it's pretty average entertainment when compared to the 15 man game. Actually most of the time its boring to watch.

Sevens is not the answer for Australian rugby. People are already overwhelmed with all the codes and now you want to introduce another variant into the mix. No chance.

i'm with you blue. sevens just doesn't really do it for me. in my mind, it's like T20 in cricket with much less of a following. i'll probably watch it and it can be exciting at times, but it's not why i follow the sport. seems like a cheapened version of the true essence of the sport in both cases.

from what i hear of 10's rugby, that might be more my style.

 

[cyclopath]

I quite agree. I neither know nor care who is the best team in world sevens (although I'm sure it isn't us!!). People are not going to flood to the sport to watch it - league fans will say it lacks any "hits" and is too fairy-floss for their liking, AFL fans won't care anyway, and soccer fans similarly. In short, it won't grow anything here from a fan base, and is not the way forward. I wouldn't go to watch it.

 

[TOCC]

Question is, does anyone really care enough about sevens? They can barely fill the World sevens stadiums so I can't see enough people turning up to watch a provincial 7's comp.

While they throw the bvall around a lot and score tries, I think seven's is just not gripping rugby. To me it's pretty average entertainment when compared to the 15 man game. Actually most of the time its boring to watch.

Sevens is not the answer for Australian rugby. People are already overwhelmed with all the codes and now you want to introduce another variant into the mix. No chance.

im not talking about 7's been a saviour for Australian rugby, it would merely be something extra to fill the rugby calander and supplement the 15man game, you cant deny that 7's rugby is a product on the rise, to ignore it and not help its growth is only going to set Australian rugby back further in the long run, you only have to look at the fact that its going to be introduced into the Olympics to realise its potential.

I dont see how you can use crowd figures as a example, what crowd figures are these based on? the crowds in other countries or the crowds in Australia? considering the IRB 7's has been hosted in Adelaide the last 2 years, it has done remarkably well to pull a decent crowd in a completely non-rugby part of the country i dont see how crowd figures is anything to go by. If we are going to reference crowds, then it should be remembered that 50'000 turned out to the final day of rugby 7's at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

Whilst Rugby 7's doesnt necessarily appeal to the traditional rugby fan, it does appeal to the non-rugby fans since it is a easy concept to understand, fast paced and entertaining. Considering rugby unions complete lack of saturation in the Australian Market, something like 7's rugby is perfect to expand the game into non-traditional areas like Vic, SA and WA.

A series held over 3 weeks, at 3 different locations(perth, melbourne & gold coast), with the series winner taking home a sum like $100'000. Representative sides from all the Aus S14 sides, and invitates sent out to the NZ S14 sides as well as the pacific island sides. Heck, even invite some of the NRL sides, i doubt they would be allowed but it would defiently garner interest.

 

[Spook]

Am I the only person who finds sevens somewhat boring? It's ok for a while but after that zzzzzzz

 

[Aussie D]

7s is boring, but I can understand what people are saying (Personally I would love to see a Summer 7s series run with club sides putting teams into a competition played over 13 rounds or so all over the country). As for the crowd problems the Australian sides (not just the Wallabies but S14 also) need to start winning and win prettily (none of these boring the opposition into submission gameplans). The teams also need to hit the ground running from the first week of the competition (no easing into it as has happened the past few years) playing hihg quality rugby and as the semis come around start building into an even higher peak of performance.

As for the grassroots cut the number of grades and colts down whilst expanding to lower age levels (we can't give our competitiors free access to players at 15 years of age and look at who's available at 19). I would have 2 grades, U21, U19, U17 & U15 and switch the games to Sunday afternoon / evening so that your core fanbase (people associated with the game at park level) can attend (or watch on TV) to build crowd numbers (atmosphere) that may attract new fans to the game.

Ticket prices need to come way down and all people involved in the game of rugby at professional level need to realise their true job - they are salesmen / women whose job is to sell rugby - either get people going to games or watching on TV (subscribing to FOXTEL).

 

[DPK]

its unlikely we will see it in this deal at least, pay-tv/news corp pay a lot more for the broadcast rights then what FTA stations are willing to spend, if anything we might see delayed replays of the S14 games on ONE HD which would work out pretty well IMO.

replays are fine by me. have a squizz at the final score and watch if you want. i saw a grand total of one tahs game this year, tahs vs crusaders. their only as good as their last game... seen by me. so theyre poor... to say the least.

 

[Biffo]

Am I the only person who finds sevens somewhat boring?

no

 

[Spook]

Am I the only person who finds sevens somewhat boring?

no

Great minds and all that. Happy new year mate. Hope the nurses are giving you your medicine

 

[Scotty]

Am I the only person who finds sevens somewhat boring?

no

Great minds and all that. Happy new year mate. Hope the nurses are giving you your medicine

Spook I don't think you read others comments on 7s. Most here seem to find it boring, including me.

Although with Olympic inclusion it should/may receive more attention from the ARU and rugby fans alike.

 

[Scotty]

You don't replace the S14, you replace the club mess that's there at the moment.

Everyone seems to agree we can't sustain 3 tiers, so don't have 3, have 2. Create an Australian NPC, but with fewer teams.

We can all see the implementation nightmares, but it's the logical solution.

So you are saying just disband half of the NSW and QLD clubs? Can't see it happening. An combined Aussie/Kiwi NPC is more likely to replace the S15 (at least until the South Africans came to the party recently), than an Aussie NPC replacing all current club comps.

I'm with those on here who suggest another level to the current S15 teams - U21 or U23 or whatever.

 

[Scotty]

You gotta start somewhere. If we never build it, who will come?

With the expansion of the S14 giving Australia one more team and a raft of new games you could argue that the building has begun. We need to see where that leads us before talking about another competition. It would be very bad from a marketing perspective trying to increase one product while putting out another, risking confusion to the general public. It would be bad from a business perspective trying to put money into the next product when the first (test) and second (S15) products aren't yet as good as they can be.

I suspect the ARU will wait a few years before trying to develop any further competitions outside the current ones. The only possibilities are a 'support comp' for the S15 teams (ie academy/reserve grade) and a 7s comp paid through Olympic funding (which I assume will come from the Australian government).

 

[chief]

We do have State academies playing eachother once or twice a year. So that is the majority of the U/21 players with a few older blokes, like McKibbon included in that team.

 

[TOCC]

the state academies should play each other everytime the Aus S14 teams play each other, at the moment that only means 6 games a year, but from 2011 with the expanded comp there will be 20 academy games a year.

 

[Blue]

Whilst Rugby 7's doesnt necessarily appeal to the traditional rugby fan, it does appeal to the non-rugby fans since it is a easy concept to understand, fast paced and entertaining. Considering rugby unions complete lack of saturation in the Australian Market, something like 7's rugby is perfect to expand the game into non-traditional areas like Vic, SA and WA.

So you think those who don't watch the 15 man game will suddenly start going to provincial 7s games? The crowds in the MARC were small in Melbourne if memory serves. Whilst a couple of thousand will turn up early in a comp I think you'll see few if any repeat visitors. Good night out. Couple of beers. Been there once and done that.

You can't compare you idea to Adelaide 7s, which is an international tournament.

The ARU is hanging the future of Australian rugby on the S15 expansion and that's that.