20 years of decline, across all areas, crowds, ratings, player numbers, player quality numbers,
We sign a new three-year media deal, gives us time to start the growth.
Question then is how do we grow, and how do we measure growth success. Is it increased ratings, increased juniors, increased school uptake, or something else?
Marketers will tell you, if you are a small player, in a highly competitive market place, with dominate players and a number of challenger codes, then the more market touch points you have the better.
Let’s define rugby as a challenger code, lets declare, cricket, AFL & NRL as the dominate players. Further let’s define the challenger codes, as rugby, football, basketball & netball, with surfing also lifting its head above water.
The challenger codes are all chasing increased market share with the dominate players doing everything within their power to hold existing positions and even grow.
Touch points are effectively teams, and rugby has five, the other challenger codes more. The challenger codes have longer season’s and have many more local games than rugby. These increased games provide extra touch points for growth and extra revenue.
Rugby folk, sorry many rugby folk, seem to think the Wallabies are somehow special and the bread and butter for both growth and revenue. The issue is this only works against the dominate codes of AFL & NRL.
All the challenger codes have international tournaments to equal if not better rugby.
The question hhhmmmm nay not question, the goal should be to grow rugby.
To me it seems we can never commit to a long term plan because we are always in a short term crisis.
While we have the support of a major media company and their funds we need to make the long term commitment to grow rugby and that means more local teams and a local competition.
The other challenger codes all have well developed growth plans.
My fear is the short term, cash issues, along with existing stakeholders wanting to hold their positions, along with a highly inflated Wallabies valuation by existing stakeholders, will stop real change happening.
My solution as always, run a local domestic competition established by RA, and run by the clubs to both fund and market.