I don't think the goal of the 3rd T should be to convert the entire population to rugby. That's more the role of Super Rugby and the RC. The role of the 3rd T needs to be to develop depth and bridge the gap from club to Super Rugby.
I think you're suggestion of hybrid model could work pretty well BTW!
I just don't think "meaningless franchises" is such a problem if the role of the 3rd T is mainly to produce depth. It just needs to be finically viable.
Re 3: We need to decide on a model, i.e. what type of 3rd tier. The French Top 14 model of a season long competition or a SAF/NZ model tacked on the end of the season or even a hybrid of the 2. What we shouldn't do is create meaningless franchises and stick them in a place for 6 weeks and expect the entire population to convert to rugby.
I'm not sure that the SAF/NZ model would work here. It would either start at the same time as the NRL/AFL finals and be deprived of any publicity or would be held afterwards, which to me is the wrong time of year to be playing rugby in Australia- too hot and running into cricket season.
I'd suggest a modified French Top 14 model starting in June. All current grade competitions in capital cities start at current time. After 1 full round; top 4 Sydney teams, top 2 Brisbane teams,top 2 Canberra teams and a combined club team from Melbourne and 1 from Perth play a 10 team 1 round competition with a top 4 finals system. Advantages: clubs already exist, complete with infastructure and admin so no need to add another layer, has an inbuilt promotion/relegation system, provides high level of competition each week - the equivalent of 9 weeks of semi-final football before the finals and runs at a time when people are in rugby mode. As with anything, it could be modified as the years go by, but it provides a relatively easy, simple set-up process.
QH going back to the early 90's and prior there use to be;
Nth Hbr v South Harbour.
Sydney v Country
ACT Kookuburras has a team.
What about start the SS around the same time as S15 (about 6 weeks earlier than proposed), and modify these "Rep" teams a little with the comp after the SS finishes. By moving the SS forward would we have 6 weeks etc for the 3rd tier and some good Curtain Raisers with the tests.
I.e.
- Nth Hbr.
- Sth Hbr.
- Western Sydney.
- Southern Districts and further south.
- NSW Country.
- ACT.
- Central Coast and Nth is another area.
Hunter would be my choice.
I reluctantly watch cricket until the super seasons starts - if I am inclined to watch soccer i watch what I consider to be the best in the world: Premier League - and there's more of that available on pay TV than A league. Running at the same time. i confess that Del Pietro (?) got my interest for a week or 2 - but not enough to watch it. I may not be typical but why waste your time watching has beens and never will bes when you cant watch Premier League?True, but the season runs for more than 6 months.
What do those fans watch from May to September... six or seven weeks of Soup Rugby?
I doubt it.
Yeah they would:For fuck's sake no-one would recognise him anyway.
and from personal experience i think you need to stop throwing the Eastern Suburbs into the same sentence as the north shore. From about the age of 11 big demands are made on kids to play league and they succumb to the lure of the junior bunnies.The problem is there aren't any/enough junior clubs in certain areas of Sydney, so there's noone to 'get off their arse'. If rugby wants a meaningful presence in western Sydney, it requires startup support from ARU, then when its up and running the ARU can step back and the people there would need to run it.
The same process should apply to all the other areas that you mention and more.
The reason many of us talk about western Sydney is that it is the biggest city in the country and the biggest rugby/rugby league city in the country by miles and yet at least 1/2 of it geographically and demographically has little or no junior rugby infastructure. We're playing catch-up so it requires action from above.
and from personal experience i think you need to stop throwing the Eastern Suburbs into the same sentence as the north shore. From about the age of 11 big demands are made on kids to play league and they succumb to the lure of the junior bunnies.
Also no talk about his daughter please, I don't think it's appropriate. As with players let's try and keep the family out of it when possible.
and from personal experience i think you need to stop throwing the Eastern Suburbs into the same sentence as the north shore. From about the age of 11 big demands are made on kids to play league and they succumb to the lure of the junior bunnies.
sorry - I replied to your post only because it was the most recent dealing with the perceived strength of rugby playing areas - I wasnt meaning to misquote or misrepresent you.I can't see the words "eastern suburbs" in the post that you have replied to.
What the eastern suburbs do have is 2 Shute Shield clubs each with 4 grade and 3 colts sides, plus junior infastructure plus a few private rugby playing schools. When I have "lumped" as you say the eastern suburbs in with the north shore, it is in context of the fact that there is existing rugby infastructure, clubs and culture in place in both places in contrast to the lack therof in the west.
So does this Mean the Wallabies are going play attacking ball in Rugby, Or things are going to be the same.
I still have my doubts about Hawker from his days as CEO of the NRMA.
Since when did the CEO affect the style of rugby played by the Wallabies?
I replied to your post only because it was the most recent dealing with the perceived strength of rugby playing areas - I wasnt meaning to misquote or misrepresent you.
All I am saying is that the rugby infrastructure by way of junior clubs is not strong in the east.
Neither Easts nor randwick are all that strong at club level - east have had more coaches through the joint in the last few years than they have junior clubs and there are reasons for that.
Randwick are in big trouble financially from what I read.
As for Schools - Scots: see scholarship thread; Cranbrook not overly competitive.
I am addressing a perception that rugby is alive and well in the east and i'm saying dont be so sure.
I would have though that made him an expert on the breakdown area