Penrith fan
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Australia is arguably one of the most competitive sports markets on the planet. Several well-run winter codes competing for a share of a small pie, so it stands with good reasons that World Rugby could at the very least be aware, maybe even be monitoring what is happening down under.
Australia could be a proper case study of what is to come long-term, internationally.
Rugby union in Australia will soon be eradicated once league, AFL, soccer and other sports have completely stolen all market share.
Again, the Australian sports market should be a serious point of concern for World Rugby, but sadly, this does not seem to raise a sweat or echo in the World Rugby chambers of the northern hemisphere.
It could be many years before the chickens come home to roost, but it will most certainly happen in my opinion, unless the game reverts back to less officiating.
Are World Rugby worried about declining participation if they don’t make rapid changes?
Are they just trying to change the fabric of professional rugby from a free-flowing game (formerly played in Heaven) to a strictly controlled contact sport?
In answering the questions above, ask themselves then, how are rugby league and AFL continuing to refine and improve their product given they are facing similar concerns?
Schoolboy, junior and club rugby is all I watch these days, and wow it’s good stuff. Even in New Zealand where Rugby is life, there is the growing threat of League, Soccer and potentially AFL somewhere in the future. This must be a result of interest levels in rugby plummeting.
Strapping into a game of professional rugby these days you aren’t assured of a good watch, instead, you are left pondering will my team get the rub of the green with the officiating? Will my team receive a yellow or red card? Will there be many, match stoppages?
This is especially prevalent in International rugby, where a yellow or red card can often cost your team the chocolates. It simply does not pass the “pub test”.
Sadly, the demise of the professional game will inevitably lead to the demise of all rugby. At the very least, minimise the involvement of the TMO to be used only in the same way as League – it could add immediate and dramatic improvement to the game.
World Rugby seems to have completely lost sight of what rugby needs in the professional era to build equity, health and prosperity.
In its purest form like school boy and club rugby, I still find high-quality entertainment – little bastions of light where the game is still free-flowing and beautiful, where officiating hasn’t spread like a virus.
No blame should be laid upon the great men and women who do take up the mantle of referees and assistants; they are simply following the commands of these above.
Sport is entertainment in the modern era and rugby union is losing the long-term battle by inflicting such pedantic oversight and implementation of its rulebook, largely due to the TMO and the game’s seeming paralysis when it comes to head injuries, concussion and the dangers as they pertain to CTE.
The simple confusion is how do rugby league, AFL and the NFL continue to improve their product and entertainment value despite facing the same concerns?
Rugby continues to eat itself alive with non-sensical officiating, including yellow and red cards in most matches.
For the first time ever, I turned off the Rebels vs Drua game last Friday night, because of the stop-start nature and switched over to the league.
In doing so, and after watching plenty more league, AFL and soccer recently, it is stark that their professional product is superior.
Yes, the quality of the Australian sides and the need to reduce our Super franchises play a big part – but the issue of officiating with the Kiwis and the Six Nations continues to destroy the spectacle.
