NRL turn to Eddie's magpies for advice

[music_2000]

League turns to Magpies for advice on building big nest egg
Daniel Lane
August 27, 2006

EXCLUSIVE

THE NRL will use AFL club Collingwood as a model to cash in on fanatical supporters and rake in millions of dollars.

A meeting of marketing managers from each NRL club during the week heard a delegation from Collingwood extol the virtues of having loyal fans inject cash into the club.

Collingwood's membership base generates $8 million a year from fees with a range of memberships from "Legends", worth $715 for adults, through to "Baby Magpie" at $35.

What captured the marketing managers' attention was that the fees not only covered the $6.5 million salary cap but also left the club with a healthy amount of change.

Collingwood have a yearly turnover of more than $20 million.

The NRL plans to launch an off-season campaign to encourage fans to become paid-up club members, highlighting the fact the ticket will make them an active and integral part of their club.

The NRL wants to create a similar fan culture to that active in Melbourne, where people from the CEO to coach listen to their members.

If based on the Collingwood model, the memberships would include such things as premium seating at home games, cocktail parties, a medallion, official season guides, birthday cards, coaching clinics, a teddy bear, backpack, beanie, baby's bib, opportunities to win special prizes, a membership cap, discounts at cinemas, restaurants and even travel agencies.

However, former Sydney Swans player and Channel 10 commentator Neil Cordy warns there is much more to club memberships than asking fans to part with cash.

"The memberships won't work as they do in AFL if the NRL continues to have a floating premiership draw," he said. "The AFL draw is set in concrete at the start of the season and it takes something very major to change it because of the impact it will have on members, caterers and sponsors of a national competition.

"The set draw allows the AFL club members to plan their weekends well in advance. You can't do that in rugby league."

The NRL has been buoyed by research that shows only 30 per cent of AFL club members go to games. The evidence suggests the members are simply happy to help with a donation.

Cordy said memberships would also mean directors of rugby league clubs would be more accountable.

"Membership means participation and financial membership means a sense of ownership," he said.

"They'll expect to be involved in a lot of the processes involved in running the club."

While some AFL club memberships include voting rights for the board of directors, NRL fan memberships are unlikely to have the same privilege. However, rugby league club members (not leagues club members) have always been able to vote for their board after a three-year waiting period.
Source: The Sun-Herald

http://www.smh.com.au/news/league/le...012791464.html

just pathetic that the NRL has to go to such lengths to grow. At least I know part of the reason for crowd difference between sydney NRL teams and Melbourne AFL teams. sydney transport sucks compared to melbourne public transport. all roads and railways lead to the MCG in Melbourne but in sydney we didn't have a central stadium until Stadium Australia was completed

 

[Kurt Angle]

just pathetic that the NRL has to go to such lengths to grow.

Why is it pathetic ?

Collingwood are best practice in this country at generating support at funds for a sporting organisation.

It's less pathetic that NRL accepts not to grow ?

Or is is pathetic because NRL just doesn't "accept it's proper place of being second" to AFL ?

At least I know part of the reason for crowd difference between sydney NRL teams and Melbourne AFL teams. sydney transport sucks compared to melbourne public transport. all roads and railways lead to the MCG in Melbourne but in sydney we didn't have a central stadium until Stadium Australia was completed

Rubbish.. AFL developed a culture of everyone attending games, RL developed a model of leagues clubs.

Blanket coverage by a sycophantic media sure helps, but it just means RL has to try harder.

A well thought out intitiative bagged out by someone who is an AFL fan first and foremost.

 

[JW]

f**k off BigFooty mong.

 

[Collingwood Storm]

whats wrong with the NRL looking to the biggest sporting club in Australia for advice on how to help it grow?

the NRL would be derelect in the duties if they didn't get ideas from the most successful structures

 

[Leagueguy]

Don't most people in league get season membership just to secure good seats? I don't think most of them care about identifying with the club through getting a special hat, or attending club meetings.

 

[music_2000]

f**k off BigFooty mong.

hey mate just for the record I have been a league fan and a Newsouthwelshman all my life. don't think I don't love my league...

but I have accepted that NRL will always be second to AFL

 

[hrundi99]

Why is it pathetic ?

Collingwood are best practice in this country at generating support at funds for a sporting organisation.

It's less pathetic that NRL accepts not to grow ?

Or is is pathetic because NRL just doesn't "accept it's proper place of being second" to AFL ?



Rubbish.. AFL developed a culture of everyone attending games, RL developed a model of leagues clubs.

Blanket coverage by a sycophantic media sure helps, but it just means RL has to try harder.

A well thought out intitiative bagged out by someone who is an AFL fan first and foremost.

Well said and spot on.

The initial poster is just showing that he/she doesn't understand the business.

 

[Angry_eel]

Nice, i was actually thinkng when NRL were gonna do this.

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

hey mate just for the record I have been a league fan and a Newsouthwelshman all my life. don't think I don't love my league...

but I have accepted that NRL will always be second to AFL

Second where?

In Victoria, SA and WA?

Where else?

 

[Leagueguy]

Its very hard for League teams to sell out a ground, especially one like Suncorp. They say theres not a bad seat in Suncorp. Thats garbage. If your behind the goal posts or in the upper tiers either side of the field, you don't have a very good idea of the game. The players look like ants from up there. A lot of fans have to decide between going for atmosphere and the occassion or staying at home and getting a much better sense of the game on TV.

 

[Time for another Siro]

As a member of the Pies, I have been saying for years that the League teams could learn plenty from the AFL teams, especially Collingwood in how to treat their fans.

Collingwood has several types of memberships to suit your situation, ie demographic & Age......

AFL in this regard is light years ahead.

Collingwood looks to give supporters through out Australia the chance of being a supporter in some way, and make them feel part of the club no matter where you live, while League clubs in Sydney have only memberships for "Season Ticketholders" ie, people that live of close proximity.

If you living Cairns, Sydney or Adelaide Collingwood go out of their way to make you feel part on the club if your a member. AFL Clubs look outside their suburb knowing there are plenty of diehard fans that just don't live in Richmond or Carlton.

Plenty of Sydney clubs could learn from this, specially my Club the tigers who have trouble looking outside a couple of suburbs.

Have a look at Souths and the Dragons who have huge followings outside Sydney and yet these people are untapped, plenty of these supporters would pay $30-40 for a outside sydney membership where you get some supporters items and club books through out the year and feel they are doing something for the club. The childrens memberships in the AFL are huge as every dad wants their son to follow his club and there is the "Baby Magpie" "Junior Magpie" memberships.

All this money goes into the club and helps keep the top line players at the club.

There is alot of Die hard supporters who do not live in Syndey and cannot get to games and yet want to do their part for the club, but can only really do it by watching their team on TV. The Sydney Clubs do not care/or have nothing in place for them.
AFL clubs do and they rake it in, but in return the supporters get their chance to feel as they are helping their club in someway and in return the clubs let them know they have. Collingwood goes out of it way for its supporters no matter where they live.

 

[t-ba]

Second where?

In Victoria, SA and WA?

Where else?

Albury...Don't forget Albury.

And Cleveland. That's where Victorians go to die...

As KA said, RL developed a different model to Flogball. It gave the clubs alot of money and allowed the old crones to monopolize there power base.

 

[JW]

hey mate just for the record I have been a league fan and a Newsouthwelshman all my life. don't think I don't love my league...

but I have accepted that NRL will always be second to AFL

Horse sh*t.

BigFooty puts up with the same rubbish that you dish out here.

You're a lightwieght troll - nothing more, nothing less.

 

[Kurt Angle]

hey mate just for the record I have been a league fan and a Newsouthwelshman all my life. don't think I don't love my league...

but I have accepted that NRL will always be second to AFL

i) "Always be 2nd" is a long time.
ii) AFL is a superleague war away from being 3rd in Australia.

 

[music_2000]

Horse sh*t.

BigFooty puts up with the same rubbish that you dish out here.

You're a lightwieght troll - nothing more, nothing less.

hey look mate I'm real sorry for saying that NRL will always be running second fiddle to the AFL. It's just that I'm a multi code supporter caught up in a world where everyone seems to worship only one code and where multi code supporters risk being burned on a stake for even the slightest utterance of anything related to a rival code.

 

[meltiger]

Rubbish.. AFL developed a culture of everyone attending games, RL developed a model of leagues clubs.

This is not technically true.


Essendon had around 8,000 club members not long before they moved from Windy Hill to the MCG. Now they have around 40,000


RL needs to make a choice, retain the surburban links in Sydney by staying at the traditional grounds or move completely into the 2 big stadiums (Excepting Parramatta)


At the end of the day, having great crowds sure looks great, but does RL need to go down that road? The TV ratings are the best of any sport in the country, ensuring that the money will continue to come in forever.


RL's biggest problem is that two broadcasters maintain a monopoly over the broadcast rights. The AFL generated a lot more money for their rights because they had genuine competition.

 

[Kurt Angle]

This is not technically true.

Essendon had around 8,000 club members not long before they moved from Windy Hill to the MCG. Now they have around 40,000

Average NSWRL attendance 1960: 9,262
Average VFL attendance 1960: 21,214

Regardless of membership, AFL has always pushed that the culture of their game is, and "true" fan is someone who shows up on game day.

This ensured their cash flows.

RL went and developed a leagues club model to ensure cash flows.

RL needs to make a choice, retain the surburban links in Sydney by staying at the traditional grounds or move completely into the 2 big stadiums (Excepting Parramatta)

Well I think the fact virtually very ground in Sydney bar Leichardt has gone through an upgrade in recent times (last 10 year) indicates which decision they have made.

At the end of the day, having great crowds sure looks great, but does RL need to go down that road? The TV ratings are the best of any sport in the country, ensuring that the money will continue to come in forever.

I agree, the value comes from TV attendences from those that can't attend games, I.e those those don't live in the capital city.

RL's biggest problem is that two broadcasters maintain a monopoly over the broadcast rights. The AFL generated a lot more money for their rights because they had genuine competition.

That's a very simplistic way of looking at things and doesn't even start to cover a number of bases.

 

[meltiger]

Average NSWRL attendance 1960: 9,262
Average VFL attendance 1960: 21,214

Regardless of membership, AFL has always pushed that the culture of their game is, and "true" fan is someone who shows up on game day.

What did the match of the day generate though?

Melbourne's teams actually come from a mostly closer vicinity geographically than the Sydney sides. This helped considerably with developing a culture of attending away games. Something RL still struggles with in Sydney (Centralising the 'Gate' and who controls it would help with this)

Well I think the fact virtually very ground in Sydney bar Leichardt has gone through an upgrade in recent times (last 10 year) indicates which decision they have made.

Most still have hills ... Still suburban grounds, with teams that mostly appeal distinctly locally. This is a huge difference to Melbourne.

I agree, the value comes from TV attendences from those that can't attend games, I.e those those don't live in the capital city.

I'd say those millions in Sydney who don't attend games but watch on tv are what adds the most numbers and value.

That's a very simplistic way of looking at things and doesn't even start to cover a number of bases.

Then you tell me why the AFL generated more money for a game that rates lower than Rugby League at club level. Let alone the fact RL offers genuine State & International Competition. Rugby League in this country should the richest and most powerful sport. Yet I'm sure you will concede that gong at the moment goes to the AFL. Some may argue the AFL is run better... But that would also be a simplistic way of looking at it. At the end of the day, everyone knows Rugby League is the best and most popular game in this country. Yet they can't turn that into money the way the AFL can. You cannot possibly deny the monopolies on Pay and FTA coverage are not the major contributors to this.

News Ltd was the biggest mistake RL ever made. Look at the way 7 & 10 are blackmailing Fox with the coverage. They refuse to accept anything less than what they believe is the premium value for the product. Would Channel None ever do that? Hell no.

 

[UndertakerMike]

Second where?

In Victoria, SA and WA?

Where else?

Tasmania :lol:

 

[Kurt Angle]

What did the match of the day generate though?

Still doesn't affect the concept of "averages".

Average indicates when noth were around 12 team comps.

6 games x 9k = 54,000 a week for NSWRL.
6 games x 21k = 126,000 per week for VFL.

Most still have hills ... Still suburban grounds, with teams that mostly appeal distinctly locally. This is a huge difference to Melbourne.

Errh, by maintaining home grounds it's an indication the RL teams has decided to stay put, it's pretty much inferred in the last post.

I'd say those millions in Sydney who don't attend games but watch on tv are what adds the most numbers and value.

And it's a culture RL has been happy to accept as Leagues clubs were putting money into the clubs as a substitute for gate takings.

RL back then decided to diversify cash flows.
AR didn't, and developed a close to worlds best practice of attendence.

Then you tell me why the AFL generated more money for a game that rates lower than Rugby League at club level. Let alone the fact RL offers genuine State & International Competition. Rugby League in this country should the richest and most powerful sport.

I would say overall AFL has more going for it right now at club level. Forget what RU idiots have to say... soccer and basketball are true world sports, but their bread and butter is club. Successful sports are run on a club model.

Why -
i) AFL in its domeciled markets has had a virtual monopoly and the locals don't know any better. RL has always had competition, people in their markets are always aware of alternatives, something people in the AFL states have never had until recently. This has fostered a culture of where only AFL counts, add this to the culture of attending game, and it's a cycle of people wanking lyrical about the game.

ii) Superleague war. In 1994, RL in Perth was more popular than AFL was in Sydney or Brisbane. The ARL expanding into Perth was making that the battleground of the codes... AFL was the sport having to fight to keep it's own market share, while RL had a strong club game, + the state and international dimension... SL changed the allegiances of many RL fans, and this gave a leg up to AFL, which in it's expansion markets was fighting a disenchanted RL crowd, + amatuer RU and a soccer comp based on ethnic lines. Everything AFL wanted was handed to it in 1995-7.

Yet I'm sure you will concede that gong at the moment goes to the AFL. Some may argue the AFL is run better... But that would also be a simplistic way of looking at it.

I agree AFL is ahead of RL at this point in time.

At the end of the day, everyone knows Rugby League is the best and most popular game in this country.

I suspect your playing devils advocate via sarcasm here.

Yet they can't turn that into money the way the AFL can.

Which would explain why they are going to Collingwood to learn some lesson, which conincidently is the heading of this thread.

This is the people running RL learning how to become the biggest and best.... and I for think it is great, they have identified the biggest and best in Australia (Collingwood) and want to learn.

You cannot possibly deny the monopolies on Pay and FTA coverage are not the major contributors to this.

Of course I can deny they are "MAJOR" contributions to this.

I would say the lack of a Perth and Adelaide team is a major contribution.
I would say the lack of media sycophancy in comparison to the AFL is a major contribution.

Everything that holds RL back is to do with the people running the game of RL.

News Ltd was the biggest mistake RL ever made. Look at the way 7 & 10 are blackmailing Fox with the coverage.

Erhhhh.... Fox is intimidating 7&10, not the other way around. Fox is in the box seat.

Now while a lot of carnage was caused from RL siding with News Ltd since 1997, RL is not far of being in its best ever period.

They refuse to accept anything less than what they believe is the premium value for the product. Would Channel None ever do that? Hell no.

???? In this case it's not a case of "accepting premium value", 7 & 10 are asking for rates that are too high because they paid over the value, a result of what Kerry Packer instigated.

Instead what you are going to see in 7 & 10 demand many concession such as night grand finals and the scheduling of games 5 weeks in advance to have chance of recouping their money.

In both instances, these are transactions outside of the control of the sportingin entities, they are 3rd party transactions.