If you want something for nothing, that is what you will get. Nothing. We are a niche sport, always have been in my lifetime, except for a few brief flashes of relative prosperity. Our opposition has been bolstered for many years by poker machine palaces, and huge media rights deals (in the case of the ARL/NFL) and huge community support and media rights of course in the case of the VFL/AFL.
If a club like Sydney University needs financial contributions from sources other than its own supporters then rugby deserves to die in Australia, and probably will - as an elite sport anyway. SU should really be looking for ways to contribute to the lessor endowed areas of the game in Sydney, you guys are much more than capable of standing on your own two feet.
I am very happy to support my club, and always have been. The "pissing it up against the wall" comment was clumsy, but I am buggered if I can imagine rugby surviving unless the spirit of amateurism - love of the game - thrives. Love it or lose it.
I don't want the Shute Shield or any other club competition to rule the world. Nor am I suggesting or implying that any club or other does or does not have the means to be self-supportive. It will be terribly interesting to see how the EDRUFC use the cash from North Ryde RSL...
What I seek is an end to the historic neglect and disregard of the amateur competitions by the professional bodies.
Even the NRC is run by volunteers ffs.
No club can be self-supporting when the majority of spectators at home games are players, staff, vols and parents. And there are a few clubs where the crowd is just that.
The pro game relies on the club game and should properly support it.
Not looking for handouts. The modern world of business is wholly dependent on marketing and promotional relationships and the pro game is full of well educated marketing and promotional professionals who could occasionally be tasked with developing relationships for lower tiers in conjunction with their focused top tiers.
QantasLink could surely be the airline sponsor for NRC. Just roll it into the annual agreement with Qantas.
The WBs and Tahs surely have bus/coachline sponsors. Roll in some Shute and Subbies discussions in the next negotiations.
Blinkers off is all I'm saying.
Demolish the silos.