ARU boss Bill Pulver hoping 'Super B' competition will lead to financial windfall for governing body
By Iain Payten,
The Daily Telegraph, May 17, 2013 8:28AM
ARU boss Bill Pulver says targeting success at Super Rugby level is the key to restoring the code's ailing financial health and, after getting a green light from the IRB, is aiming to have a radical "Super B" pathway competition running in 2014.
Pulver recently returned from his first IRB meeting in Dublin, where he pitched plans for a modified 50 minute-a-game "Super B" format to rugby's top lawmakers.
Under the ARU proposal, the third-tier competition would be fought out between state-based teams of rising junior and club players, and be staged as curtain raisers to Super Rugby clashes.
But in major departures from tradition, the games would only run for 25 minutes per half and penalty goals would be banned to encourage more on-field action.
Strict yellow card usage would serve as a deterrent to anarchy, or possibly free up space on the field.
While many doubted Pulver could convince IRB blazers to agree, the ARU boss said he been informed there was nothing stopping him making the changes.
"The rules of rugby say a rugby match must have two halves, and each half cannot be greater than 40 minutes," Pulver said.
"So we are quite free to play 25 minutes halves. I also talked to them about seeking approval for no penalty goals.
"The truth is I actually don't have to do that. We can just get a coaches' agreement that we're not going to kick penalty goals."
Pulver said while he'd intended to seek approval for a shorter yellow card sanction, he'd also swung back to realising the existing 10 minutes was appropriately punitive.
"So there are three variations I can do there without changing the rules of the game," Pulver said.
"We just need a coaches agreement. I want a game that doesn't have penalty goals, and is focussed on smart, creative, running rugby."
Cutting down game-time would allow Super B matches would be played as near to Super Rugby matches as possible for fan engagement, and provide more rugby content for TV.
"It's a very aggressive timetable, but I would love to get this up for next year," Pulver said.
"There's a long way to go, a lot of financial work to do and a lot of development work to do, but I think it is a very exciting concept."
Exactly who plays in the teams is to be determined after a root and branch review of Australian rugby junior, club and academy pathways by new ARU development boss Ben Whitaker.
Pulver has identified investment in achieving Super Rugby success at the central driver of sorely needed improvement in the financial health of Australian rugby. The ARU has reported a total loss of over $19 million in the last two years.
"A core part of our strategy here is how we accelerate the development of elite talent," Pulver said.
"One of the key things that drives our revenue growth is our performances at the elite levels of the game.
"Historically the ARU have put a lot of money directly into the Wallabies to try and enhance their performances. My sense is we need a lot of effort into developing players capable of winning at a Super Rugby level, because if you do that then the Wallabies' selectors job is a whole lot easier and you can win at that level.
"(Super B) is designed to do a number of things but objective No.1 is to help Super Rugby sides be more successful. If they're more successful, it will drive their revenue, and it will help the Wallabies be more successful and drive revenue."
Broader on-field success and being "seen as winners in the marketplace" will also help rugby address their struggles in a contracted sports sponsorship market, said Pulver.
