One thing I have banged on about since hhhmmmm a long long time is we have seen the other codes expand and re market themselves over the last say 17 years, and we have kinda stood still. OK OK don't all yell Force and Rebels.
But you understand what I mean rugby has hardly set the world on fire with innovation and new ideas and developing plans in response to what other codes are doing.
We have been partly blessed over the last 12 to 18 months, with FFA in a kinda muddle as well. Infighting between the clubs and FFA with FIFA threatening to step in.
Where am I going with all this and how does it apply to a Super Rugby thread.
TWAS at a meeting tonight, with some local business folk. I was invited by a client.
Sitting at the table was a person who claimed to be well connected to FFA.
My client told me he was as well so unless this fellow was lying through his teeth he is close to FFA.
What this guy said was the clubs and FFA have reached a number of agreements, which he said where they have reached an agreement on funding, on the eventual control and timing of promotion & regulation, next year two expansion teams will be brought in Brisbane Strikers playing out of Ballymore and a Wollongong team[the Wollongong team if the Murdoch / Gordon bid succeeds for 10]
If this is true, and it does make kinda sense as FIFA are about to step unless FFA can resolve things, it means right at a time when we reducing teams and in an almost civil war. The code we are against for the number 3 title will be expanding and all holding hands again.
Don't know the answer or if what the guy said is true.
What I do know is the last thing we need is a three or four way spilt.
We have Super Rugby, we have the Shute Shield [its size and following and influence should not be ignored], we have the WA anti ARU mob, we have TF rugby. In all this we still seem years away from a national domestic competition.
League and AFL have funds, media and a very loyal following and both these codes seem united in a sense of purpose of where they are going. If FFA also put their house in order I would add cricket to this as well, while we engage in a civil war of dick measuring then it won't be good for rugby.