Where to for Twiggy Rugby?

[dru]

I reckon they have a blank slate re both branding and home ground.

 

[Dan54]

I kind of agree with chib, I don't think it will help having a NZ team in there. Look much as we want it to be a success, it is a comp that will be played by team basically players that are not going to probably make Super teams , so I don't think it will have much interest in NZ,so better to concentrate your recourses in Asia/WA, and let it grow from there.

 

[Wilson]

Wonder when a major signing will happen too make WSR really take off imange a west sydney side signing Izzy or Beale or the 3 discards from QLD or Coleman back to the Force..

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Or pocock back to the force and sio to western Sydney

 

[Aurelius]

One thing they could do to set WSR apart as an experience is to keep the cultural greeting going. So the Force and the Western Sydney team could keep going with the Aboriginal war dance, the New Zealand team could do a haka (if a New Zealand team there be) along with the Pacific teams doing their own versions, the Japanese sides could do something Japanese.

I just brought this up because I've just seen my first "Welcome to Country" in months and I'd forgotten how boring they are. The indigenous dancers before the Force games, though ... bloody fantastic.

 

[chibimatty]

I kind of agree with chib, I don't think it will help having a NZ team in there. Look much as we want it to be a success, it is a comp that will be played by team basically players that are not going to probably make Super teams , so I don't think it will have much interest in NZ,so better to concentrate your recourses in Asia/WA, and let it grow from there.

And I also hope that my comments don't come across as Anti-Kiwitic. On some of the Perth web-fora I've incurred the ire of local Perthwees who've slandered me saying I didn't want NZ because I hate New Zealanders and I'm afraid of losing "cos u'r shut!"
I'm looking at it from a long-term WA rugby perspective and also for the health of the competition, which doesn't need to have the best (or bist ) players in the world to be entertaining and competitive.

 

[chibimatty]

Or pocock back to the force and sio to western Sydney

Nah, bugger Judas Pocock! Bring back the WA boys: Curtis Rona, Chance Peni and the Hyphen-Petties!

 

[Dan54]

And I also hope that my comments don't come across as Anti-Kiwitic. On some of the Perth web-fora I've incurred the ire of local Perthwees who've slandered me saying I didn't want NZ because I hate New Zealanders and I'm afraid of losing "cos u'r shut!"
I'm looking at it from a long-term WA rugby perspective and also for the health of the competition, which doesn't need to have the best (or bist ) players in the world to be entertaining and competitive.

I agree with you Chib, look to aim for the Asian/WA market, without being rude ,you don't want best players, just all those teams to be capable of winning. the only drawback is you can only really sell the game to that market, but it is a place to start!

 

[half]

Chibimatty

Question for your consideration.

If Twiggy forms a team in Western Sydney,

Assume he follows that with going to the Hunter / Newcastle, this would also bring the Central Coast below I have attached their links.

If the ACT union followed with its teams and players, Twiggy would have a player and club base from North of Newcastle to Canberra and all areas mostly bent over by RA.

The huge advantage of this is it is in areas with relatively strong player numbers, and transport between is by coach with no accommodation bills.

Links for Hunter / Newcastle & Central Coast

http://www.centralcoastrugby.com.au/

http://nhru.com.au/

Finally pick a Shute Shield or get some SS teams from say the Northern Beaches / Districts and play out of North Sydney Oval and you have the foundation of a massive new competition.

 

[chibimatty]

I agree with you Chib, look to aim for the Asian/WA market, without being rude ,you don't want best players, just all those teams to be capable of winning. the only drawback is you can only really sell the game to that market, but it is a place to start!

Yeah that's right, I keep thinking of how successful the Bradby Shield is in Sri Lanka- circa 20,000 people for high school matches- but man, those games are entertaining. I hope we can bottle that. The Japanese Top-League is still a league where tries are scored from first phase, or the ball is driven by a pack up-the-guts and then spun wide for long range scoring; I'd love to see that sort of coaching adopted throughout the new competition; especially as we saw a bit of that last night here in Perth.

I'm really looking forward to the future.

 

[chibimatty]

Chibimatty

Question for your consideration.

If Twiggy forms a team in Western Sydney,

Assume he follows that with going to the Hunter / Newcastle, this would also bring the Central Coast below I have attached their links.

If the ACT union followed with its teams and players, Twiggy would have a player and club base from North of Newcastle to Canberra and all areas mostly bent over by RA.

The huge advantage of this is it is in areas with relatively strong player numbers, and transport between is by coach with no accommodation bills.

Links for Hunter / Newcastle & Central Coast

http://www.centralcoastrugby.com.au/

http://nhru.com.au/

Finally pick a Shute Shield or get some SS teams from say the Northern Beaches / Districts and play out of North Sydney Oval and you have the foundation of a massive new competition.

Well, I've always wished that back in the 90s, rugby developed an NSL-style competition featuring the great clubs of the two Australian major premierships, plus expansion teams in regional and "minor-State" outposts. I wonder if we could get something like that, an ersatz version, this time backed by billionaires and maybe being privately-owned franchises?

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Yeh I agree Chib I have concerns about NZ side being entered early on in WSR as we want uncertainty of outcome and if NZ side comes in laden with superstars that sees them too far ahead of the pack and dominating yet another competition it will hurt interest.

It would be like putting the Crusaders in the Top League and expecting that would create more interest by watching the Crusaders week in and week out thrash all the Japanese sides in Top League.

I certainly open to NZ side entering WSR but with right conditions / controls as don't want another Super Rugby fiasco where fans lose interest from complete dominance of all the NZ sides which is not helped by fact NZ players playing for other Super rugby sides outside of NZ can't be eligible for the All Blacks.

That is why I can see why Twiggy been fighting so hard to get Wallaby eligibility for oz player that plays for any WSR team and actually believe is right thing to do and better for oz interests long term.

 

[ForceFan]

A New Zealand side sound just perfect for WSR.
So too does the prospect of a team in Western Sydney.
Set the bar high Minderoo.
Don't be content with mediocrity - we have enough of that already under RA.
Clearly WSR is aiming to have the competition beside Super Rugby NOT at NRC standard as some punters believe.
Anybody in doubt should watch the game between the Western Force v Panasonic Wild Knights.
Let World Series Rugby set the new standard for Tier 2 international rugby and grow the great game in the region.
The 8 team 1st season is just Phase 1.

 

[chibimatty]

We haven't had mediocrity this year, the rugby's been great. The only mediocre game we had was when a talent-laden Crusaders line-up came to town hell-bent on smashing the Force and making the whole concept look sub-standard. Meanwhile, little Western Australian kids are walking around in the crowd with their NZ Super Rugby jumpers (of all sides) kissing their badges, waving NZ flags and cheering on the Crusaders; not a promising look for the future. Nor were the "local" fans laughing and telling everyone the "Force is shut" "Twuggy uz a duck" and that World Series Rugby is "crep" and is "gonna fail bro! GONNA FAIL! Ha ha haaa!" I worry that we'll see the same thing from them next year.
(Again, sorry for the negative Kiwi caricature, but I'm actually relaying the match-day experience.)

I do agree with you and say "aim high," but let's get the competition up to that new standard first, establish all the teams' fanbases (including the Force's) then we can put ourselves into a position to see what the Kiwis or anybody else in the SANZAAR establishment has to offer. Hell, by then, we may not even need/want them at all. But we must learn to crawl, then walk, before we can run, then fly.

 

[Dan54]

Yeh I agree Chib I have concerns about NZ side being entered early on in WSR as we want uncertainty of outcome and if NZ side comes in laden with superstars that sees them too far ahead of the pack and dominating yet another competition it will hurt interest.

It would be like putting the Crusaders in the Top League and expecting that would create more interest by watching the Crusaders week in and week out thrash all the Japanese sides in Top League.

I certainly open to NZ side entering WSR but with right conditions / controls as don't want another Super Rugby fiasco where fans lose interest from complete dominance of all the NZ sides which is not helped by fact NZ players playing for other Super rugby sides outside of NZ can't be eligible for the All Blacks.

That is why I can see why Twiggy been fighting so hard to get Wallaby eligibility for oz player that plays for any WSR team and actually believe is right thing to do and better for oz interests long term.

I pretty sure you won't get a NZ side with ANY superstars any way RN, and one of reasons I agree you don't want one in there!

 

[kiap]

The question is really about teams, though, not players

You don't need an NZ team to get NZ players - whether super stars or otherwise.

As the French well know, all that's needed to get some soup stars is pay enough marquee money

 

[chibimatty]

The question is really about teams, though, not players

You don't need an NZ team to get NZ players - whether super stars or otherwise.

As the French well know, all that's needed to get some soup stars is pay enough marquee money

Indeed, and if they want to draw in Kiwi fans, how about the odd big-name All Black playing for the teams? Maybe that's an idea the Force should entertain?

 

[kiap]

Indeed, and if they want to draw in Kiwi fans, how about the odd big-name All Black playing for the teams? Maybe that's an idea the Force should entertain?

Yep, I do think that could happen in WSR.

In saying that, I also reckon current All Blacks (and internationals more generally) will be off the table through to the 2019 RWC.

After that tournament though, there'll be some good quality players with test experience from several countries looking for opportunities, be it in Europe, Japan … and quite possibly WSR.

IMO the Top League in Japan provides some of the modelling for how WSR could work.

 

[chibimatty]

Yeah, I would look at "names" that are not be part of the test set-up. Dan Carter, Nonu, maybe even some of the more well-known guys from rugby league; I mean, could they look at Watene-Zelezniak or a guy like Tuivasa-Sheck, who's played union before?

I'd also think it would be a cool idea to look at getting guys who are ineligible for Fiji, Tonga and Samoa, to come back and play for the WSR teams of their heritage/ethnicity. You know, Sivivatu and Rokocoko for the Fiji side; maybe in future seasons Manu Tuilagi for the potential Samoan team or Toby Faletau and Mako Vunipola for the Tongans?

 

[RugbyFuture]

Just chiming in here re newcastle, after I worked on the Rams launch I was approached by backers of a newcastle side who then deployed initially as developmental, with the aim of making it into the NRC after a year, of course the nrc subtracted rather than built so that wasn't possible, but it was quite significant backers.

FB page is still live here (with my logo) - https://www.facebook.com/newcastlewildfires/

 

[wamberal]

The Newcastle Wildfires?


I remember them. I even went to see them play a few times, including their final game in which they thrashed Eastwood. That was 1999, Eastwood went on to win their first Shute Shield.