Where to for Super Rugby?

[Dismal Pillock]

The massive hole in the plan is the political nightmare that is South Africa. The Kings can't be culled - the government will pull the whole country out before that happens. Unless they can overcome that hump, there'll be 18 teams again next year,

Pretty much exactly what I came here to post.

Take it easy guyz! The Force aint going nowhere! We're stuck with this ribbon-for-everyone bokball$$ sham of a comp! YAY!

NZRFU/ARU to play hardball and go the Trans Tasman comp route? i'd love it but face it, nz&aus both need that bok tv money or pricks dont get paid!

 

[Inside Shoulder]

NZRFU/ARU to play hardball and go the Trans Tasman comp route? i'd love it but face it, nz&aus both need that bok tv money or pricks dont get paid!

Just how many Rand do they account for?

 

[half]

I haven't seen bungling of professional sport as bad as this since the Super League wars. it will take years for Australia Rugby to recover, Rugby in WA will likely never recover and inevitably be lost to Rugby League.. Super Rugby as a brand has been tarnished.. it's a sad state of affairs all round

Well done ARU and SANZAAR, some heads better roll for this.

I would add soccer as well.

Perth Glory are rebuilding their brand, we [rugby] will assist them a lot by dropping the Force.

 

[half]

Open question to all I would start a thread on this but am not allowed.

Should Pulver step aside, and some on the board.

Under his stewardship we have seen.

Things we mostly agree on.

1] Massive fall in player numbers if media reports are correct.
2] Huge fall in crowds at Super Rugby matches.
3] Huge fall in ratings
4] National and Super Rugby teams struggling
5] Poor structure in the last media deal.

Things I would add

6] Rushed NRC given our position where many stakeholders did not agree.
7] Unbelievable decision to move junior Saturday local park teams to Sunday so the clash with private schools is solved. Resulting in huge lost of player numbers.
8] Poor marketing of our competition to the broader public
9] No reaction to what other codes are doing i.e netball, basketball & soccer.

Things that may happen

10] Dropping of a Super Rugby team.
11] Reduced media funding [to me seems impossible to drop games and not loose revenue especially with rating going south]

The Biggie

12] Not having or discussing a plan "B" to the broader rugby community.

Now the list of Achievements:

? ? ? ?

 

[wamberal]

Are you serious about soccer in Perth? The Glory won the bloody comp a couple of years ago, sensational grand final, I actually watched it. Along with many others, I would guess.


Putting soccer and rugby in the same sentence is a bit of a stretch. Different sports, different demographic. Okay, they both play on a rectangular ground.


I struggle to see any other dependencies or areas of contention.


As for replacing Pulver and the Board....good luck with that. By definitiion, the only people who can do the job are people who live and breathe the game, and have done for many years. By definition, the best of them are in the jobs now. At least the best of those who have the time or the interest to do the job.


If you believe there is a Rugby Messiah just waiting in the wings to save us all, you are dreaming, mate.

 

[KiwiM]

http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report-rugby-western-force-reject-report-of-super-rugby-exit-2371333

Rugby-Western Force reject report of Super Rugby exit

"Under no circumstances do we believe... speculation around the future of the Western Force to be true," the team said.

"Two and a half weeks ago, through a national phone link-up, all clubs were told that the ARU (Australian Rugby Union) through the governing body, SANZAAR, was investigating a number of issues and those issues had to be resolved prior to a decision being made to reduce any of the Australian franchises.

"There has been no further contact from the Australian Rugby Union to any of the Western Force players or staff, so at this time there is no further comment on the matter until substantiated facts are put forward."

 

[Strewthcobber]

7] Unbelievable decision to move junior Saturday local park teams to Sunday so the clash with private schools is solved. Resulting in huge lost of player numbers.

One achievement at least springs to mind Half.

He does have a unique ability for catching the blame for every (poor?) decision that's even tangentially made about rugby in this country.

 

[Braveheart81]

Open question to all I would start a thread on this but am not allowed.

Should Pulver step aside, and some on the board.

Under his stewardship we have seen.

Things we mostly agree on.

1] Massive fall in player numbers if media reports are correct.
2] Huge fall in crowds at Super Rugby matches.
3] Huge fall in ratings
4] National and Super Rugby teams struggling
5] Poor structure in the last media deal.

Things I would add

6] Rushed NRC given our position where many stakeholders did not agree.
7] Unbelievable decision to move junior Saturday local park teams to Sunday so the clash with private schools is solved. Resulting in huge lost of player numbers.
8] Poor marketing of our competition to the broader public
9] No reaction to what other codes are doing i.e netball, basketball & soccer.

Things that may happen

10] Dropping of a Super Rugby team.
11] Reduced media funding [to me seems impossible to drop games and not loose revenue especially with rating going south]

The Biggie

12] Not having or discussing a plan "B" to the broader rugby community.

Now the list of Achievements:

? ? ? ?

1. The player numbers was based on a survey (rather than registered players) and compared 2001 to now. Pulver has been CEO since 2013. With the growth of women's rugby 7s and the Viva 7s the ARU would probably argue that numbers have improved in the last couple of years.

4. The Wallabies were runners up at the RWC in 2015. Our best result since also finishing runners up in 2003. We remain third in the World Rugby rankings.

From the ARU board's perspective it's hard to see them not being happy with Pulver's performance.

Whether the board is providing effective stewardship of the game is another question entirely and I would certainly like to see change there.

 

[wamberal]

One achievement at least springs to mind Half.

He does have a unique ability for catching the blame for every (poor?) decision that's even tangentially made about rugby in this country.

Not to mention his culpability for weird refereeing decisions, the incompetence of many of our elite players, dreadful coaches like Michael Foley, and the more bizarre and incomprehensible aspects of the game, like the rolling maul.


Oh, I forget the mind-blowing awfulness of Fox Sports commentators.

 

[Blue]

The massive hole in the plan is the political nightmare that is South Africa. The Kings can't be culled - the government will pull the whole country out before that happens. Unless they can overcome that hump, there'll be 18 teams again next year, in what will likely be the last year of Super Rugby.

Best thing to happen will be the government pulling out the whole country.

This whole thing is so past its sell by date it isn't even funny.

 

[TOCC]

From the ARU board's perspective it's hard to see them not being happy with Pulver's performance.
.

Really, Pulver agreed and supported this current Broadcast deal which has been in effect for less then 18months and failing miserably. I think in many areas Pulver had to make tough calls because of the dire state of the game financially....But this current broadcast deal was agreed to under his stewardship, someone in Australian Rugby needs to be held accountable to agreeing to the deal which has cause irreparable damage to Australia Rugby, if not Pulver, then who?

 

[Brumby Runner]

I guess the buck stops with Pulver as the head honcho, but I think the reasons for poorly performing Super Rugby teams and falling spectator/tv numbers lie more with the coaching arrangements in Aus rugby over the past 10 or so years. Seems to be no coordinated attempt to raise the standards of coaching at all levels, so perhaps it's right that the CEO/board should also be held accountable for that failure as well. Certainly, at the very top level, the shambles that was Robbie Deans' appointment as Wallabies' coach is down to the administrators at the ARU. Add to that the disgraceful treatment of Link, and the succession of FUs in appointing Super Rugby coaches over recent times, and there is no excuse for those who were involved. However, when we see the appalling lack of basic skills in players at all levels then it indicates a real problem lies with the coaches here across the board.

 

[blues recovery]

Open question to all I would start a thread on this but am not allowed.

Should Pulver step aside, and some on the board.

Under his stewardship we have seen.

Things we mostly agree on.

1] Massive fall in player numbers if media reports are correct.
2] Huge fall in crowds at Super Rugby matches.
3] Huge fall in ratings
4] National and Super Rugby teams struggling
5] Poor structure in the last media deal.

Things I would add

6] Rushed NRC given our position where many stakeholders did not agree.
7] Unbelievable decision to move junior Saturday local park teams to Sunday so the clash with private schools is solved. Resulting in huge lost of player numbers.
8] Poor marketing of our competition to the broader public
9] No reaction to what other codes are doing i.e netball, basketball & soccer.

Things that may happen

10] Dropping of a Super Rugby team.
11] Reduced media funding [to me seems impossible to drop games and not loose revenue especially with rating going south]

The Biggie

12] Not having or discussing a plan "B" to the broader rugby community.

Now the list of Achievements:

? ? ? ?

Dont leave Clarke out of the firing line here .
The main responsibility of his gig as COO is to run professional rugby in the country.
So he is accountable for the frigging mess Super Rugby has become including his stewardship of a cost cutting program that has led to a mass migration of talent overseas.
It's an absolute myth that we don't have enough talent for 5 Super teams .
Both the Reds and Tahs have won the comp since the inception of the Rebels for the first time . The problem right now is that there are 30 players with Wallaby experience playing overseas .Not to mention blokes like Alo Emile and Pyle who are at that level .
The depth issue is almost as big a myth as Clarke who's main skills are amazing ability to self promote and being a Shore Old Boy .
Unfortunately Pulver who I reckon has good intentions is paying the penalty for surrounding himself with a weak team and his naive inexperience.
Both these blokes need to go and quick to try to save the professional game in the country
On another point join the dots as to where Jamie gets his info .
Telegraph and Fox sort of have the same ownership .
You don't reckon Fox know what's really going on and in fact have a major say in the future .
Then think about how the Fox ratings are on the east coast versus WA.
The broadcasters fund the comp and Fox will be the major voter if an Oz team has to be cut .

 

[TOCC]

Replacing Pulver isn't a magic bullet, and there is no guarantee the next bloke will be any better.. but, you surely can't maintain the current status quo after bungling a deal so badly.

SANZAAR agreements require unanimous voting, so regardless of pressure form South Africa or New Zealand, Australian Rugby wasn't forced to cut a team, they've agreed to the change.. The ARU have agreed to a 20% reduction in the number of professional player positions in Australia, they have agreed to retreat from Perth.. this is on the ARU, no one else

 

[blues recovery]

I guess the buck stops with Pulver as the head honcho, but I think the reasons for poorly performing Super Rugby teams and falling spectator/tv numbers lie more with the coaching arrangements in Aus rugby over the past 10 or so years. Seems to be no coordinated attempt to raise the standards of coaching at all levels, so perhaps it's right that the CEO/board should also be held accountable for that failure as well. Certainly, at the very top level, the shambles that was Robbie Deans' appointment as Wallabies' coach is down to the administrators at the ARU. Add to that the disgraceful treatment of Link, and the succession of FUs in appointing Super Rugby coaches over recent times, and there is no excuse for those who were involved. However, when we see the appalling lack of basic skills in players at all levels then it indicates a real problem lies with the coaches here across the board.

Agree completely and go back to the Ewen / Beale issue for a great example of how badly this administration manages important issues .No frigging idea

 

[wamberal]

Of course the host broadcaster(s) has/have a huge say. Where do you think the money comes from?

 

[Twoilms]

The radio silence had the potential to be tactful management but i think ARU management are quietly losing their shit and haven't a clue what the fuck is going on. Conflicting reports in the media makes everything seem that much worse.

 

[blues recovery]

I know where the money comes from , that's my point . Thanks for reiterating it .

 

[half]

Not to mention his culpability for weird refereeing decisions, the incompetence of many of our elite players, dreadful coaches like Michael Foley, and the more bizarre and incomprehensible aspects of the game, like the rolling maul.


Oh, I forget the mind-blowing awfulness of Fox Sports commentators.

You left a few things out ... line marking is some parks where difficult to read... I have heard reports some game balls where either pumped to hard and in some cases not pumped enough and where to soft. Both made kicking and ball control difficult.

Another Climate Change all down to him... the list is endless ... Storm off the QLD coast today all his fault there is no doubt.

Seriously are you inspired by his leadership. Has he inspired others. Are you happy with his leadership.

 

[wamberal]

I can only assume that he was the best available candidate. Am I inspired by him? Well, no.


Was I inspired by JON? Hell, no.


The job of CEO of the ARU is not exactly hugely attractive, I would guess. It's like the old gag, I would never join a club which would admit people like me as members, because clearly their standards are not high enough.


What sort of person would take it on?