The dying - perhaps death - of Rugby in Australia.

[Slim 293]

Major problems that need to be addressed within the next 12-24 months:

- We need Super rugby/all tests back on Free-to-air tv (major fuck up by aru going with fox - prob one of the worse moves in Rugby history in Aus)

Who do you think is funding Super Rugby?

 

[No.8]

Who do you think is funding Super Rugby?

I know those - by why do you think the mainstream public have no idea about Super rugby or any idea when games are on?

Maybe they should not look for a quick buck and put more money into advertising/marketing/growing the game and then the money would come and then some....

This is a major issues and I KNOW it makes them good money but if people arnt coming to the games, playing rugby etc etc....then what happens if people stop watching it on fox and fox think about dropping it?

The ARU have never thought about the "bigger" picture and we are behind the times in the professional era of other major nations..

We cant rely on natural talent anymore (wont go into the development side of things) the Wallabies just have their heads above the water and its just a matter of time till they go under....lets be honest the Wallabies havnt out-played, dominated a side in prob 2 years - the wins they have got have come from the other team not playing well..

Since I was playing 6-7 years ago the level of rugby has really dropped.

 

[I like to watch]

Your point about 'freebies' is also invalid IMO. The SCG members still have to pay a bucketload each year, there is nothing free about those seats. Corporates are also charged plenty. I'm not sure why you think those seats are free, and that the Tahs see no benefit from them.
.

Huh?
Member entry to Tahs's game is how much? You think the Tahs get 1 cent of memberships subs? So as far as Tahs revenue is concerned, SCG members entry is free.

Corporates are charged plenty, but pay their fees direct to the SCG Trust, not the Tahs.
The corporates are issued tickets to each match at no charge. Only catering is additional to the annual fee.The Tahs get nothing out of the catering.
If the joint is a sellout, the Tahs get revenue from 27,000 of the 45,000 seats.
How many of the 11,000 last week would have paid to get in I wonder?

 

[Badger]

SCG members entry is free.

It's the Platinum and Gold Members that have access to the SFS, not SCG Members.

 

[barbarian]

If the joint is a sellout, the Tahs get revenue from 27,000 of the 45,000 seats.

Where did you get this statistic? Have never heard it. Not saying it's wrong, just wondering its origin.
.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Huh?
Member entry to Tahs's game is how much? You think the Tahs get 1 cent of memberships subs? So as far as Tahs revenue is concerned, SCG members entry is free.

Corporates are charged plenty, but pay their fees direct to the SCG Trust, not the Tahs.
The corporates are issued tickets to each match at no charge. Only catering is additional to the annual fee.The Tahs get nothing out of the catering.
If the joint is a sellout, the Tahs get revenue from 27,000 of the 45,000 seats.
How many of the 11,000 last week would have paid to get in I wonder?

I would say most: in those conditions you wouldnt go unless you'd paid.
Also if you hadn't paid there was a great game on in Gosford that would have been better value.

 

[I like to watch]

Where did you get this statistic? Have never heard it. Not saying it's wrong, just wondering its origin.
.

Hmm, factoid?
It was a number often quoted by the Mungo's,when they used it for big events prior to the Olympic stadium's existence. googled it and can find nothing.
I'm happy that the number is close to the mark,when you go out there, it certainly appears that the members take up 1/2 off one side of the field,ditto the corporate seats.

 

[barbarian]

Yeah but I have presumed (maybe incorrectly) that the Tahs would get a cut of the membership/corporate revenue. Surely they are compensated for providing the product that these members/corporate pay so much to see?

 

[The Red Baron]

I was going to go last night. After work had a few drinks and watched the Kiwi game, we decided it was a better idea to stay put a watch the game in the pub.Their food was infinitely better than the crap you but at the ground as well.
I bet there are plenty who did the same.

I pulled this post out of the Waratahs thread, as I feel you are being disingenuous when arguing about Waratahs crowd figures in this thread.

I'm not sure why you are ragging on the crowd figures so much, when you actively chose to not attend the game. If you want higher attendance levels, best to consider the mitigating circumstances of why the crowd was so low. Why did you not go to the game?

But I digress, I'm not a fan of this thread. Way too much negativity.

 

[JSRF10]

The Tahs need to get in gear regards to promoting the games. Where I live (Bondi Junction) there have been posters up all over the place for the Roosters games, particularly playing on SBWs return. Haven't seen one poster for the Lions tour, let alone a Tahs game. Do the Waratahs even have an official twitter that goes beyond team announcements? Is Izzys profile being used to shamelessly promote the Tahs in Western Sydney? My missus works in a primary school in the west and they have had 3 (three!) RL teams and GWS players in their school promoting their teams, unfortunately most of her pupils don't even seem to know that Tahs exist.
Whatever about the revenue gained from hosting games at SFS, we certainly aren't going to get anywhere near selling out the games if huge areas of Sydney don't even know the team is playing.

 

[Penguin]

FOR THE LAST TIME: some goose at SANZAR is obviously unaware the Mardi Gras parade is ALWAYS on the first Saturday in March in Sydney. He/she (stupidly) set down the Rebels match at the SFS for that night. The match had to be moved to Friday. There should never be rugby scheduled in Sydney on that weekend. Never. Take note, SANZAR.

Get off the Tahs back, boys, the fuckup had nothing to do with them. The NSW Police/Tahs' management/SCG Trust did the best they could moving it so's SANZAR's commitments to Foxtel were met. Any further grizzling, refer your complaints to SANZAR.

I'm not the one doing the grizzling mate, I couldn't give a rats what night the Tah's play.... refer to the Tah supporters doing all the whinging about the scheduling of the game.

 

[Badger]

My missus works in a primary school in the west and they have had 3 (three!) RL teams and GWS players in their school promoting their teams, unfortunately most of her pupils don't even seem to know that Tahs exist.

The Tahs are notionally the NSW Waratahs. But they are very inner Sydney centric. For better or worse, Southern NSW would probably be Brumbies territory and the rest of NSW is left to fend for itself, bar the sporadic player appearances, eg for their local junior clubs. They did go up to Newcastle for a training session. However, as others have mentioned, the trial at the SFS could have been played up there or in another regional location.

It would take a lot of work for the Tahs to make any progress in western Sydney.... something that's probably in the too hard basket at NSWRU. Might be better off to start from scratch. The ARU would have to consider western Sydney as a potential location for a Super Rugby franchise if the opportunity arises. The Western Sydney Wanderers have been a massive success in the A-League. One of the reasons would be that they embraced the community from the beginning. A Western Sydney Super Rugby franchise headed up by TPN as a player or administrator (once he retires) would be an interesting concept.

In terms of rugby in general, my impression is that there doesn't appear to be any urgency or clear strategy to grow the game's profile amongst the general community.

 

[Lindommer]

Too true, Badger, too true.

 

[JSRF10]

The Tahs are notionally the NSW Waratahs. But they are very inner Sydney centric.

I understand people saying this but even at that I rarely see anything about the Tahs in the Eastern Suburbs/the City apart from a few pubs in Paddo with a bit of Waratahs bunting outside. Is the marketing that bad they can't even engage with the "traditional" areas of support?

 

[Badger]

Is the marketing that bad they can't even engage with the "traditional" areas of support?

The marketing isn't proactive to say the least, especially when you compare it to the Reds and their neighbours, the Swans.

I remember one year (2009) Town Hall Station was plastered with the Jersey 23 promotion in conjunction with HSBC. No matter where you turned on the concourse and you could see the promotion. It was "in your face" and highlighted both the Tahs and HSBC. What was interesting was that it wasn't the Tahs that came up with the idea. Rather, it was HSBC's advertising agency! So it's no surprise there isn't any headway being made to promote rugby in NSW.

BTW, did you know that the Tahs have a manager responsible for Fan Engagement? I was bemused when I heard this role existed as it isn't apparent to me what they actually do.

Grumbles Growden cops a bit of flak for his Ruck & Maul columns. However, when he writes about the Tahs administration, I reckon he would be close to the mark.

 

[JSRF10]

BTW, did you know that the Tahs have a manager responsible for Fan Engagement? I was bemused when I heard this role existed as it isn't apparent to me what they actually do.

Their fantasy rugby team must be doing well because I can't imagine they do a lot in work

 

[Scott Allen]

I understand people saying this but even at that I rarely see anything about the Tahs in the Eastern Suburbs/the City apart from a few pubs in Paddo with a bit of Waratahs bunting outside. Is the marketing that bad they can't even engage with the "traditional" areas of support?

Lack of marketing would lead to a crowd of... 11,000.

The rain may have been a factor but it rained more in Brisbane on Friday and the game in Brisbane was delayed until a start time of 8.25pm local time to accommodate the Tahs - still produced a crowd of over 30,000.

Even in their darkest days Reds could get more than 11,000 to a game.

 

[I like to watch]

Yeah but I have presumed (maybe incorrectly) that the Tahs would get a cut of the membership/corporate revenue. Surely they are compensated for providing the product that these members/corporate pay so much to see?

No chance, I think you will find that the ground rental is based on the available public seats.
Obviously it is in the SCG's interest to have events held there, that would be a factor in negotiations over ground rental.

 

[mark_s]

It would take a lot of work for the Tahs to make any progress in western Sydney.. something that's probably in the too hard basket at NSWRU. Might be better off to start from scratch. The ARU would have to consider western Sydney as a potential location for a Super Rugby franchise if the opportunity arises.

Western Sydney is hard to make work because it is so big geographically and doesn't have a natural centre. I don't think the tahs have a hope in hell of conquering the hearts and minds of Campbelltown, Kellyville, Penrith etc. They would have to move permanently to Hombush to have any chance, but the risk is then they just end up with no fans at all.

On the 11k crowd, its hard to buy weather as an excuse. Rugby is a winter sport FFS, maybe it made a 1000 or two difference but the most people make a decision about attending the game a week or two in advance. Also, ticket pricing seems quite reasonable this year. 6 game passes were priced from a $100, this also gave you priority purchasing for both sydney lions games.

Maybe the problem is the fans.

 

[terry j]

stupid idle thinking alert.....

I know it won't be done, prob could not be done, but 'wondering'

How would the crowd attendance change if there were such things as 'super rugby super days'...

How about a huge fest at each different rotating grounds. Let's say last weekend as an example, the reds play the hurricanes at home. BUT at the same ground, on the same day, we also have the two other local derbies playing.

Would the attraction (?) of seeing three quality games swell the numbers? The reds might not be the best example as they get good crowds lately (how much more could they fit in?) so let's change it to the tahs game last week with 11,000. What would the numbers have been if there was a rugby fest?

The question is, would they have gotten close to a capacity crowd (which sum is greater than three separate 'normal' fixtures). It would have to equal or exceed to make this hypothetical (so no point saying 'what a stupid idea' cause I already know! ) idea worthwhile.

Obviously the carnival has to travel across all the grounds which is why you need to get more at the fest than you would by individual matches.

Heck, as an example if I could see the tahs play the saders at Cch, PLUS two other kiwi derbies I might even consider a weeks trip across the tasman! And I hate going to games!!

As I said, way left field idea....but maybe that is the sort of weird thinking needed.

(BTW, is this 'problem' really only an australian one? The crowd numbers in NZ and SA would be a lot healthier?)

Was it this thread that touched upon the artificial revving up of the crowd? A pet hate of mine (along with that idiotic need to have EVERY silence on the filed filled with bloody noise blasting over the PA system .....lest the crowd get fed up in that ten second break and all leave en mass..)

Anyway, have the powers that be ever done a survey? You know, 'Do you actually LIKE having this crap broadcast to you at 110 db all game long' type of stuff? And if they did, wonder what the answer would be.

Surely, good business decisions are based on what the buying public actually want, rather than some long haired marketing twit (straight out of the latest american business school) thinks the public wants.

It would be ironic if some of the reason people stayed away was for this very reason...and would they not be trying to get answers for low attendances?

Of course, the survey results would depend on the way the questions were framed, anyone remember the hilarious episode of Yes Minister where Humphries varied the survey question and got two completely opposite results?