Is the Brisbane Bombers NRL Expansion Bid model for expansion profit-driven compared to a ‘community-owned team model?
The Brisbane NRL Expansion Bid has a model for long-term sustainability and needs to be run as a business to ensure we can effectively provide on-going support to grass roots Rugby League. There needs to be a level of profitability in the club to ensure we can do this. As a bid, we are passionate League fans who want to see the code thrive and develop to the level it deserves and needs to be to compete against rival codes. We haven’t seen any plans for any other bids and it wouldn’t be fair to comment on any other ‘models’.
Where will the team be based?
There is a proposed plan for the Brisbane Bombers to be based at the BRC’s (Brisbane Racing Clubs) Doomben facility with multiple training fields, a sports club, administration, pool, gymnasium and training facilities for the Brisbane Bombers. The BRC has endorsed this proposal and it will continue to be pursued along with the Bid Team’s goal of an NRL License.
If another team comes to Brisbane – why should it be the Brisbane Bombers?
The Brisbane Bombers Bid team has been pushing since late 2010 for a 2nd side to enter the NRL out of Brisbane. With an Advisory Board of 12 individuals with a combined 200+ years in Sporting Administration, Politics, Corporate Governance and Business Entrepreneurship, the Bid is well steered for long-term success. A clear-orientation on long-term sustainability and integrity (both on and off the field), community orientation, whilst maintaining a business model that will ensure the team is around decades to come. PwC have been brought into the bid as a consulting firm to maximize the opportunity for success with a range of partners including the BRC which will host the Brisbane Bombers training ground, just minutes from the Brisbane Airport, Suncorp Stadium and the Brisbane CBD.
There is no single element to a Bid to be successful, but many moving parts that needs to be business minded, community oriented and add value to the game of Rugby League. There are multiple advantages that the Brisbane Bombers can provide to the NRL, but pending and ARL Commission directive, the Bid Team will continue to develop a plan for long-term success.
Why should Brisbane have a second-team when other areas don’t have one side?
There is a lot of passion with a number of bidding teams vying for potentially two expansion positions in the National Rugby League. The Brisbane Bombers NRL Expansion Bid is no different. We are passionate, but passion only goes so far. This passion needs to be coupled with a strategic business plan that fits a sustainability focus beyond a 5 or 10 year strategy. Each bidding area has its key strengths as weaknesses. No single bid would be a hands-down ‘shoe-in’ should the ARL Independent Commission call for expansion tenders in 2012 or beyond. The Brisbane Bombers have a very unique set of strengths compared to most bids including:
- Corporate Dollars Available
- Community Engagement Opportunities
- Number of Junior Clubs / players in the vicinity to benefit from a 2nd NRL side
- TV Rights Broadcasting of a 2nd Brisbane game on a weekly basis
- Local Derby – Brisbane v Brisbane provides many corporate, networking, sponsorship, community activities that don’t currently exist
- A Bombers Community Program, with $1 million annually spent on engaging the community through a wide range of activities as well as another $1 million annually on development of Rugby League players from juniors through to Elite squads.
In relation to grassroots, what can the Brisbane Bombers provide to the NRL that another Expansion Bid can’t?
We have been very strategic in our identification of grass roots support opportunities. We understand that there are limited funds and while a proposed increase in funding from Television Rights from 2013 will assist greatly, it won’t be the all-saving grace. We want to have two to three Queensland Cup clubs under our banner so that we can provide financial and off-field support as well as the Sunshine Coast Rugby League (both the Sea Eagles in the state competition and the Sunshine Coast Rugby League) given the tremendous support base for Rugby League – we believe we can have the strongest impact with teams not currently aligned with an NRL side. The Titans have the Southern and Western corridor aligned with their team, the Broncos have a solid-portion of the Brisbane-based Queensland Cup Clubs – we want to be able to align with clubs not currently receiving as much support as they would like, including the areas aforementioned.It is proven in our research that there is easily room for another team in Brisbane. The Broncos have a tremendous supporter base and it is demonstrated that while they have a large number of supporters in Brisbane, there are more than enough potential fans based in Brisbane who are ready to get on board with a second-team, should it be added into the NRL. Part of our long-term planning is to ensure we don’t impact the Broncos – they are by far the most supported team in the NRL and for the proposed new team to provide a strong value proposition to the NRL, we need to ensure we’re not impacting their market, but rather, draw on corporate and public support outside of their current catchment.
Who will own the team?
The Directors have weighed up the opportunities at either a community-owned team or a business-ownership with a community focus. As with a number of successful NRL clubs, the Brisbane Bombers would be a privately owned business with a mandate to facilitate the growth of Rugby League across the community through to junior players to the Elite level whilst maintaining the integrity of the Bid through a focus on: Community, Integrity, Sustainability, Success
.
With Titans and the Broncos already established in SE QLD can a new NRL team survive and prosper?
Most definitely. With three teams and effectively 3,000,000 people in SEQ a third NRL team will help to strengthen the NRL brand in Queensland. The local derby concept will be bought to a new level with effectively a Battle of Brisbane happening twice a year and State Derbies throughout the course of the season. In the target area north of Brisbane, both the Moreton Bay Shire and Sunshine Coast Regional Council will have more than 500,000 people each over the next decade, providing a total catchment of 4,000,000+.
http://www.brisbanebombers.com.au/faq/
