If I look at the broad Australian sporting model, there are IMO 3 levels of professional sport, and then various levels of amateurism in sport.
· In tier one for me its Cricket, AFL & NRL.
· Tier two is Rugby, Soccer, V8’s, & Tennis.
· Tier three is Netball, Basketball, Surfing, Golf, International Car & Bike racing.
Aside from AFL all the above sports have international tournaments, with the NRL in particular developing an interest in Pacific Island & NZ matches.
You could argue that, soccer, basketball, tennis & golf have superior international programs to rugby. Maybe cricket as well, but like rugby, cricket has a small number of test quality sides.
We got kicked off the park at Homebush by the NZers.
She who must be obeyed, otherwise known as the Minster of War & Finance, as I have said before is a mad keen soccer fan, played for years until quite recently when she needed a new knee. She even played for a few years with a former Matilda in her side.
She and one of my biggest clients [client owns a small media company] are my main sources on soccer.
AnyWho over drinks and a BBQ today [ client was there and the wife] I sadly asked how or what the Mariners [we live on the Central Coast] were doing this year or what lay ahead of them. The upshot was and my break away was how soccer folk love their A-League and I guess its similar for Netball, AFL, NRL, Basketball and all other codes.
Rugby seems modelled on the cricket model, but cricket is also moving to a club model.
Rugby seems alone now in having a code essentially supporting a national side.
My client [phones can be annoying as there is no escape from the net] insisted on me looking at an article on inside sport which in turn copied various articles from Fairfax, the logic and or claims and or plans are of no importance and may or may not work. But what stands out for us rugby people is soccer folk arguing the best methods to run and expand their Australian competition.
Talk to AFL folk and their 18 team competition is so so so important to them.
Twenty-five years ago, Netball, Basketball, Soccer, V8’s had far less general media support for their national sides… The NRL, Surfing have also done a lot to increase their international exposure.
Hand on heart not the other thing, the conversation today about soccer was IMO because the Central Coast has a team.
How, why, I have little to no idea. But without an expanded national domestic competition we are toast because a failing national rugby side is today competing with a number of national sides all of which have strong and growing domestic competitions under pinning both a player supply and future fans.