Where to for Super Rugby?

[Dan54]

Actually another interesting thing is I been listening to a few of the boys on construction sites as they discuss sport, a lot of leaguies etc, and they are all complaining how league is going backwards, reckon the refs are not very good, the bunker system is rubbish, and crowds are not turning up like they were a couple of years ago,and some of them hardly bother watching on Tv anymore one of them was saying only about 5000 at Manly? game on weekend. I know it sounds similar to our game a bit, are people really finding alternatives to sport to watch in general? I also think with pay TV etc now, you are not just limited to NRL, Union, AFL anf many seem to actually be watching Ice Hockey, NFL etc as well.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Actually another interesting thing is I been listening to a few of the boys on construction sites as they discuss sport, a lot of leaguies etc, and they are all complaining how league is going backwards, reckon the refs are not very good, the bunker system is rubbish, and crowds are not turning up like they were a couple of years ago,and some of them hardly bother watching on Tv anymore one of them was saying only about 5000 at Manly? game on weekend. I know it sounds similar to our game a bit, are people really finding alternatives to sport to watch in general? I also think with pay TV etc now, you are not just limited to NRL, Union, AFL anf many seem to actually be watching Ice Hockey, NFL etc as well.

The broadcast landscape has and is continuing to change. More and more streaming options are becoming available. Which has had a direct influence on our viewing preferences. There's no longer a limited range of choice in regard to entertainment. And that goes for sport as well.

It's going to continue. I'll be interested in seeing the next round or two of the NRL and AFL media deals. I suspect the next one will see the traditional broadcast networks still keen on securing content with little digital competition but I think it's the deals 10 years from now that are going to really change the landscape in a big way. It could of course happen sooner but I really don't see our media industry as all that forward thinking.

The respective sporting bodies really need to be on top of their digital rights. There's going to be value in them. I've been a fan of SANZAAR looking to take control of their broadcast across their member nations and look to sell things like Super Rugby and their respective tiered competitions (Currie Cup, Mitre 10 and NRC etc.) via their own digital platform while keeping Tests on more traditional media.

 

[Dan54]

The broadcast landscape has and is continuing to change. More and more streaming options are becoming available. Which has had a direct influence on our viewing preferences. There's no longer a limited range of choice in regard to entertainment. And that goes for sport as well.

It's going to continue. I'll be interested in seeing the next round or two of the NRL and AFL media deals. I suspect the next one will see the traditional broadcast networks still keen on securing content with little digital competition but I think it's the deals 10 years from now that are going to really change the landscape in a big way. It could of course happen sooner but I really don't see our media industry as all that forward thinking.

The respective sporting bodies really need to be on top of their digital rights. There's going to be value in them. I've been a fan of SANZAAR looking to take control of their broadcast across their member nations and look to sell things like Super Rugby and their respective tiered competitions (Currie Cup, Mitre 10 and NRC etc.) via their own digital platform while keeping Tests on more traditional media.

Yep WCR, I know NZ rugby has been working a fair bit with Amazon, and rumoured to be in preparation for moving into selling own digital content.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Actually another interesting thing is I been listening to a few of the boys on construction sites as they discuss sport, a lot of leaguies etc, and they are all complaining how league is going backwards, reckon the refs are not very good, the bunker system is rubbish, and crowds are not turning up like they were a couple of years ago,and some of them hardly bother watching on Tv anymore one of them was saying only about 5000 at Manly? game on weekend. I know it sounds similar to our game a bit, are people really finding alternatives to sport to watch in general? I also think with pay TV etc now, you are not just limited to NRL, Union, AFL anf many seem to actually be watching Ice Hockey, NFL etc as well.

Personally feel market ripe for innovative new offerings to appeal to the disgruntled sports fan. I would like union to be that A-league equivalent disrupter as remembering soccer before A-league started from much lower base much like rugby. We live and hope but lets face it the disrupters more likely to be the new entrants like MLR, WSR etc....

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Yep WCR, I know NZ rugby has been working a fair bit with Amazon, and rumoured to be in preparation for moving into selling own digital content.

Well, I hope RA are working on it as well. As above I tend to believe SANZAAR should be looking at launching their own digital platform. There is enough of a base to make it profitable. The technology to do it is becoming increasingly cost efficient and there are a number of providers present that can be contracted to do the job.

A SANZAAR platform could offer a smorgasbord of content. You have Super Rugby of course. Mitre 10, NRC and Currie Cup. In SA you have the SuperSport Challenge and Varsity Cup. Schools Rugby in NZ. We could easily do something similar. We also have two club competitions now being broadcast. Then there's 7s and Women's Rugby. Could look to get the Top League and URBA competition. I know the MLR controls its own broadcast so that could be an option as well. Literally 100s if not 1000s of hours of entertainment.

I've had to pay $40+ in the past in order to watch Rugby bundled with a bunch of rubbish I'm not interested in. I'd happily pay that for such a platform.

 

[Tomikin]

Well, I hope RA are working on it as well. As above I tend to believe SANZAAR should be looking at launching their own digital platform. There is enough of a base to make it profitable. The technology to do it is becoming increasingly cost efficient and there are a number of providers present that can be contracted to do the job.

A SANZAAR platform could offer a smorgasbord of content. You have Super Rugby of course. Mitre 10, NRC and Currie Cup. In SA you have the SuperSport Challenge and Varsity Cup. Schools Rugby in NZ. We could easily do something similar. We also have two club competitions now being broadcast. Then there's 7s and Women's Rugby. Could look to get the Top League and URBA competition. I know the MLR controls its own broadcast so that could be an option as well. Literally 100s if not 1000s of hours of entertainment.

I've had to pay $40+ in the past in order to watch Rugby bundled with a bunch of rubbish I'm not interested in. I'd happily pay that for such a platform.

Im in were i sign up

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[WorkingClassRugger]

Im in were i sign up

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I'm willing to bet you and I would be far from alone.

 

[amirite]

Interesting question, from a business friend, we discussed, recent changes to the business he works for.

Moreover we chatted about changing business models and product offerings in general.

We where not talking about rugby. He made for me a comment that could equally apply to Australian Rugby and its operating model of Super Rugby.

He said there can be no change without risk, but insisting on no risk or little risk to change always results in disaster. As you can reach a point when you must change and its normally rushed and a lot of damage has been done in waiting so long.

I don't think being risk adverse has ever been Super Rugby's issue though. The league has always been willing to expand and retract as it sees fit.

 

[Dan54]

I'm willing to bet you and I would be far from alone.

Ok WCR with Tomikin, we got the start, who do we send our names too?

 

[half]

half said: ↑

Interesting question, from a business friend, we discussed, recent changes to the business he works for.

Moreover we chatted about changing business models and product offerings in general.

We where not talking about rugby. He made for me a comment that could equally apply to Australian Rugby and its operating model of Super Rugby.

He said there can be no change without risk, but insisting on no risk or little risk to change always results in disaster. As you can reach a point when you must change and its normally rushed and a lot of damage has been done in waiting so long.​

I don't think being risk adverse has ever been Super Rugby's issue though. The league has always been willing to expand and retract as it sees fit.

amirite

My post was more directed at people not wanting to test the waters away from Super Rugby in an Australian context.

The ""want"" if this is the right word to move from Super Rugby essentially risk free with guarantees in place will never happen. The argument lets not throw the baby out with the bath water so we can't try something else until we have the ability to sustain the new competition.

Expecting this level of risk free will ensure we never take the risk. However the greater risk could be hoping that Super Rugby can recover.

As I mentioned our conversation was not about rugby and not about sport, it was looking at decisions made and all involved risk. The example we used as our benchmark was when Mircosoft one day said stop developing windows and everyone all programmers move to getting ""Internet Explorer"" off the ground and running. MS left themselves open to their software being overtaken by others as at the time there were some major companies around with similar systems. It history now it worked and worked very well but the decision was made not to move to the net and leave it to latter carried greater risk than updating MS-Office software.

Applying this to Australian rugby is which is the greater risk, hoping Super Rugby comes good or developing an alternative competition which I believe could only be funded and run by private investors.

 

[Dan54]

Do we actually know Aus rugby isn't or hasn't been feeling out private investors or alternative comp? I think if they did dive into a different comp that lost a lot of money etc, the screaming on internet boards would be so loud as to deafen us!

 

[Rebels3]

Is Hooper the first player to be signed beyond 2020? If so is this an indication that RA have an idea of what’s happening professionally once the current television deal is done.

 

[sunnyboys]

The signing of hooper is an utter disgrace

 

[Braveheart81]

The signing of hooper is an utter disgrace

This is a ridiculous take.

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[Bandar]

The signing of hooper is an utter disgrace

I can’t believe we would re-sign the current Wallabies captain...


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[waiopehu oldboy]

Further to my "NZ can't field extra teams" rant(s), the 14 M10 Cup teams posted a collective $3.8Mn surplus last year on revenues of ~$79Mn for a margin of >5%.

Three Unions (Counties Manukau, Hawkes Bay & Manawatu) posted losses & if you deduct the $3Mn Auckland made from hosting B&I Lions matches total match-day revenue (being the money the Unions make themselves c.f. what NZR grants them) was actually down by ~$900K.

https://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/p...s-finances-but-male-player-registrations-fall

Typically the Hurld went with a headline "Rugby Unions swimming in cash" or some such, but stuff.co.nz's "the future of rugby is female" is equally bollocks as for all the % increase there's still only ~20K females actually registered.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Do we actually know Aus rugby isn't or hasn't been feeling out private investors or alternative comp? I think if they did dive into a different comp that lost a lot of money etc, the screaming on internet boards would be so loud as to deafen us!

That is why twiggy ball should be important to Rugby Australia as someone else’s money gets to trial a new competition which could offer significant benefits to rugby in the region, if it succeeds, at minimal risk for Rugby Australia.


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[Lindommer]

The more I read posts here and think of my experiences with Super Rugby since 1996 the more some sort of "Twiggyball", as Rn39 so delightfully christened it, sounds attractive. Two things should be utmost in RA's decision-making: time zones and distances. Twiggyball seems to address those concerns to a large extent.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

The more I read posts here and think of my experiences with Super Rugby since 1996 the more some sort of "Twiggyball", as Rn39 so delightfully christened it, sounds attractive. Two things should be utmost in RA's decision-making: time zones and distances. Twiggyball seems to address those concerns to a large extent.

Time zones particularly. Distance isn't as big of a factor in the travel equation without the need to traverse multiple time zones. For a domestic audience the ability to actually see games at viewer friendly times will always be preferable.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Do we actually know Aus rugby isn't or hasn't been feeling out private investors or alternative comp? I think if they did dive into a different comp that lost a lot of money etc, the screaming on internet boards would be so loud as to deafen us!

That is why twiggy ball should be important to Rugby Australia as someone else’s money gets to trial a new competition which could offer significant benefits to rugby in the region, if it succeeds, at minimal risk for Rugby Australia.


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