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New Zealand 2 will deal a massive blow to NZ rugby

MugaB

MugaB

Coach
Messages
15,060
Get Rid of The Donkeys said:
Rugby union's decline in Australia correlates with its rapid expansion into new markets. There's obviously other factors that have contributed to the game's downfall, but expansion has certainly had an impact.

Lack of FTA coverage is blamed for the game's decline, but that doesn't explain why Super Rugby was pulling strong crowds 25 years ago when it was hidden away on Foxtel.

Not having established "suburban" teams participating in a national competition cannot be discounted as a reason for the game's decline.

The two biggest sports in Australia are based around "suburban" teams.

Maybe people like tribalism?
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Having a super 12 or 14 or whatever number of teams that operate as state based teams like the equivalent of NRLs state of Origin, cant work over a full season of competition, you cannot sustain it, especially when there's nothing feeding beneath it, RU is in all sort here in Australia
 
Get Rid of The Donkeys

Get Rid of The Donkeys

Coach
Messages
14,822
MugaB said:
Having a super 12 or 14 or whatever number of teams that operate as state based teams like the equivalent of NRLs state of Origin, cant work over a full season of competition, you cannot sustain it, especially when there's nothing feeding beneath it, RU is in all sort here in Australia
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RU's biggest weakness is its reliance on Test matches. The club game has been the third tier for decades. All of the clubs in Brisbane and Sydney have lost cultural relevance.

Cricket is in a similar position. Before the BBL there was no interest in domestic cricket. The BBL has tanked in recent seasons.
 
flippikat

flippikat

First Grade
Messages
5,222
Get Rid of The Donkeys said:
Not having established "suburban" teams participating in a national competition cannot be discounted as a reason for the game's decline.

The two biggest sports in Australia are based around "suburban" teams.

Maybe people like tribalism?
Click to expand...
The problem for Australian Rugby Union is that there's a missing layer between club & Super Rugby - South Africa has it in the Currie Cup, NZ has it in the NPC - heritage Provincial competitions.

When Australia tried making a Provincial competition, it failed.. so maybe that missing layer needs to be "inter-league" play - basically competitions where the clubs from different states play each other - perhaps a kind of champions-league thing?
 
Matua

Matua

First Grade
Messages
5,121
Canard said:
They are an example of what can happen to poorly administered 2nd tier sports.

Expect to see this happen in the A League shortly also.
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I think they're an example of a poorly run business full stop regardless of sporting tier. The Board members are owed millions. How do you owe millions to Board members unless they're giving loans or getting exorbitant fees? Either way they're the ones who are supposed to be exercising their fiduciary duty which they can't have been doing.
 
Thatwasnthighref

Thatwasnthighref

Juniors
Messages
788
Brian potter said:
I don’t follow super rugby so I’m not upto scratch on all the reasons why but it would still make much better than a team from the U.S. ?
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Sunwolves didn't work primarily because there was no integration with the Top League competition and its clubs.

Development-wise, it was envisioned as bridging the step between club scene and international footy. So in theory, it should've been a pathway from Top League through to the test team and featuring the best Japanese players (with a sprinkling of imports). Commercially, SANZAAR saw it as a way to tap into the corporate honey pot of Top League club owners.

Neither vision eventuated. Top League clubs and its owners weren't interested and the Sunwolves were left to essentially operate in no mans land. Lesson there in expanding too early before putting in enough groundwork.

Unless they fix that first, there's little point trying again. But not that I think the US is any more feasible.
 
Perth Red

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
69,551
Matua said:
I think they're an example of a poorly run business full stop regardless of sporting tier. The Board members are owed millions. How do you owe millions to Board members unless they're giving loans or getting exorbitant fees? Either way they're the ones who are supposed to be exercising their fiduciary duty which they can't have been doing.
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Its not unusual for owners to be covering losses in sports clubs as 'loans'. I suspect its a good tax right off or something for rich people. Souths 'owed' its owners $7mill at one point before they 'waived' it.
 
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