Waratahs 2021

[Pfitzy]

If they Tahs were to look to actually develop a strategy to engage with schools in the western half setting up school based 'clubs' or something similar and competitions and then set up academy hubs in and around places like Campbelltown/Camden, Liverpool, Blacktown, Penrith, Parramatta etc. then they'd see at least as much growth and interest as a team based in the region and playing out of Bankwest.

Which is how the AFL do it: get into schools, give away $15 of merch to do AusKick and hand out pamhplets with players doing it as part of their contract. The big difference is those same AFL schools won't screw with the player pathway and prevent them from playing club footy like rugby schools do.

If I've got to build a Colts team, then I have to get to know the local schools - a worthy investment - and hope pick up whatever is left after those who go to Premier clubs, those who go to other clubs, those who go to other sports, and those who simply decide to quit sport altogether.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Which is how the AFL do it: get into schools, give away $15 of merch to do AusKick and hand out pamhplets with players doing it as part of their contract. The big difference is those same AFL schools won't screw with the player pathway and prevent them from playing club footy like rugby schools do.

If I've got to build a Colts team, then I have to get to know the local schools - a worthy investment - and hope pick up whatever is left after those who go to Premier clubs, those who go to other clubs, those who go to other sports, and those who simply decide to quit sport altogether.

As far as I'm aware the Auskick folks don't set up proper competition s do they? Which is were if we ever were to do such a thing we could differ. Should be done in cooperation with what clubs existing in the region as well as seeding new clubs in black spots without any. Might make your job a little easier.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

As far as I'm aware the Auskick folks don't set up proper competition s do they? Which is were if we ever were to do such a thing we could differ. Should be done in cooperation with what clubs existing in the region as well as seeding new clubs in black spots without any. Might make your job a little easier.

Interesting chat...as still feel if rugby could come up with things like this over time rugby could make a bigger dent in the sports market against afl, league etc. But also requires investment / money behind it to do this....private equity anyone!

 

[Pfitzy]

As far as I'm aware the Auskick folks don't set up proper competition s do they?

No, but they turn up with the local club's details and get kids along.

 

[Derpus]

All of this would require levels of co-ordination never before seen in these lands.

 

[Pfitzy]

All of this would require levels of co-ordination never before seen in these lands.

And this is the thing - the AFL turn up with the *local* club's paraphenalia,, without fear or favour.

If Rugby did this, the first thing they'd do is try to shoehorn kids into rugby schools for secondary, then premier club feeders, then maybe the local village club who has no ties.

 

[fatprop]

So ... Foteki & Weekes have minutes on the weekend

Both are upgrades but do we have our "captain" pushed to the wing?

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

So . Foteki & Weekes have minutes on the weekend

Both are upgrades but do we have our "captain" pushed to the wing?

Yes.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

And this is the thing - the AFL turn up with the *local* club's paraphenalia,, without fear or favour.

If Rugby did this, the first thing they'd do is try to shoehorn kids into rugby schools for secondary, then premier club feeders, then maybe the local village club who has no ties.

Yeah, it would require some radical thinking in terms of how Rugby operates. That being nothing that actually would qualify as radical to you or me just to those involved in the established pathways.

If I were to run this I'd set up as I mentioned previously regional hubs. Part of these hubs would be to identify and contact at first primary level schools in each hub and initiate visits and development works. Another function would be resourcing them with the ability to seed 6-8 new junior clubs in each region depending on the number of existing junior clubs in the respective regions. The goal would be for each regional hub to have 8 junior clubs.

With these clubs placed in suburbs close to groups of schools within each region to act as catchments. So lets say for every 4 primary schools a club is established somewhat centrally to capture kids interested in playing from those schools. Even if it starts in a 10s format.

Not sure if it's obvious but what I'm essentially looking at doing is setting up new districts. Which will then compete a the rep level.

 

[Drew]

My experience with Auskick was, my daughter was in year 2, she said they were doing Auskick, all her classmates did it. Suddenly they’re junior members of the swans and all AFL participants. It’s just a ploy to inflate participation numbers and get a few parents nagged into going to a game because the kids got a membership of some description. A few years later she played a few seasons and had to begin from scratch, the Auskick was either forgotten or useless information. I’m not sure what the point of it all was, I’m not really big on the business side of sports, but I doubt rugby has the resources to do something like that. An idea might be have zonal public school rugby 7s gala days, you might get some people interested in 15 a sides or spot some talent early from schools that play league usually.

 

[Blackadder]

So . Foteki & Weekes have minutes on the weekend

Both are upgrades but do we have our "captain" pushed to the wing?

Keep pushing out wider than that

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

My experience with Auskick was, my daughter was in year 2, she said they were doing Auskick, all her classmates did it. Suddenly they’re junior members of the swans and all AFL participants. It’s just a ploy to inflate participation numbers and get a few parents nagged into going to a game because the kids got a membership of some description. A few years later she played a few seasons and had to begin from scratch, the Auskick was either forgotten or useless information. I’m not sure what the point of it all was, I’m not really big on the business side of sports, but I doubt rugby has the resources to do something like that. An idea might be have zonal public school rugby 7s gala days, you might get some people interested in 15 a sides or spot some talent early from schools that play league usually.

The AusKick approach would have marginal benefits in terms of participation from what I can tell. It's not as though AFL is a foreign concept to the school system in the west of the city. It was an option back in my primary school days. Which ended 23 years ago.

And I'm not suggesting we have the at present. More what I believe we should pursue in trying to properly engage and activate a large and rapidly growing part of the city.

 

[Drew]

The AusKick approach would have marginal benefits in terms of participation from what I can tell. It's not as though AFL is a foreign concept to the school system in the west of the city. It was an option back in my primary school days. Which ended 23 years ago.

And I'm not suggesting we have the at present. More what I believe we should pursue in trying to properly engage and activate a large and rapidly growing part of the city.

Understood, the AFL is well funded. Rugby, not so much. We certainly need to get the game back in the public school system. I really think a 7s thing would get more kids who play league or AFL interested. You could keep having tournaments as teams progress to a city or state level. It could provide a pathway for the XV game.

 

[fatprop]

Keep pushing out wider than that

That was my thought, although Ramm hasn't been near the level of last year (still more threat)

But another captain?

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Understood, the AFL is well funded. Rugby, not so much. We certainly need to get the game back in the public school system. I really think a 7s thing would get more kids who play league or AFL interested. You could keep having tournaments as teams progress to a city or state level. It could provide a pathway for the XV game.

The only issue I have with 7s is that it doesn't really translate well to the basic structures of the broader 15 man game. Which is why I'd prefer 10s as it's still plenty open but has more focus on scrums etc. Which are necessary in terms of developing tight 5 play. It would also be generally more inclusive.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

That was my thought, although Ramm hasn't been near the level of last year (still more threat)

But another captain?

I've always viewed the captaincy as more of a admin role for the most part. When combined with leadership its great (as the best captains often do) but a leader within a team doesn't necessarily holds the position. The problem I see is that in general the Tahs are severely lacking anyone either capable or willing to take that role at present. If we did. Then it wouldn't matter who occupies the captaincy role.

 

[Blackadder]

That was my thought, although Ramm hasn't been near the level of last year (still more threat)

But another captain?

I would put Porecki at Captain. Has experience as part of leadership and captaincy overseas

 

[Jets]

The AusKick approach would have marginal benefits in terms of participation from what I can tell. It's not as though AFL is a foreign concept to the school system in the west of the city. It was an option back in my primary school days. Which ended 23 years ago.

And I'm not suggesting we have the at present. More what I believe we should pursue in trying to properly engage and activate a large and rapidly growing part of the city.

The QRU tried to implement an Auskick style thing with their Rookies to Reds program. They thought it would make development self sufficient and it boosted numbers for a while. All my kids did it at some stage but I don't think they got much out of it apart from some Reds gear, an free tickets to a game.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

The QRU tried to implement an Auskick style thing with their Rookies to Reds program. They thought it would make development self sufficient and it boosted numbers for a while. All my kids did it at some stage but I don't think they got much out of it apart from some Reds gear, an free tickets to a game.

The issue with those kind of programs I find is the lack of follow up and defined pathway from initial engagement to actual sustained participation. I'm not talking about single visits, hand out some gear and info. I'm talking about sustained engagement. Not just a means of tallying numbers like AusKick but building real long term connections.

We don't have the resources to do this. But if we see PE enter the equation we should be looking to take a sizeable portion of those funds and implementing such a program.

 

[Silverado]

The issue with those kind of programs I find is the lack of follow up and defined pathway from initial engagement to actual sustained participation. I'm not talking about single visits, hand out some gear and info. I'm talking about sustained engagement. Not just a means of tallying numbers like AusKick but building real long term connections.

We don't have the resources to do this. But if we see PE enter the equation we should be looking to take a sizeable portion of those funds and implementing such a program.

The early 2000s had Walla Rugby. I was heavily involved and it was a good concept. The ARU gave some gear and coach the coaches support, but it was run by parents/volunteers, so It really only cost some training kit and free tickets. In my country town (central West) it was on Friday nights so didn't clash with league (who most of the kids played anyway) and there were a lot of converts and the parents had a few bevvies if they weren't helping. was mostly drills and learning the skills of the game, but there was also Gala days on Sundays around the region and if you were lucky you got to play at half time of a test match. Within a few years we had an u13's 15"s and 17's playing in a proper comp. It's gone now, and so have those junior teams