Should NZ become an AFL nation?

[timmy!!!!]

I just have to laugh .All you RL supporters knocking AFL in NZ because it contains the word "Australian" .Dont you all realise that you're all playing English football ,derived from an English uppercrust private school .Even if you don't like the game it's about the last thing that we can hold onto and say it's Australian .

By the way more people particpate in Ar in NZ than RL in Melbourne .AR has always been in NZ since it was known as "Colonial

nobody said RL was australian

:? :? :?

And he didn't say you did. He was just pointing out that you are all saying that NZ won't like AR because it is named after another country yet the most popular sport in NZ is named after another countries private school.

 

[incredible_holc]

yeh but nzers havnt got quite as much feeling to 'Rugby' as australia

 

[southern warrior]

the main reason we dont like the game is because it a stupid game with stupid rules

 

[dimitri]

that goes for the people of nsw too


stupid game

 

[XXXX]

"the main reason we dont like the game is because it a stupid game with stupid rules"

Actually most people play and follow on what they were brought up on ,only a few change preferences down track .
The rules for AR are very simple ,but yes the interpretations are the tricky part especially to get consistancy .RU would have to be the worst for rules .I played the game and still had trouble with the finer points .RL would probably the simplest to referee ,maybe that's got something to do with the lesser amount of options .
We all Know guys like Dimitri hate AR .Waste of time trying to show him anything different , but there are lots of people who love the game and there are people new to the game that love the game .That's their choice .

 

[SHAGMOP]

its kinda funnny how just because its called aussie rules everone assumes only aussies are allowed to play it. its not true. the warriors after all are playing in the Australian Rugby Leauge and dont seem to mind. if they joined the Australian Football Leauge i dont see how it would be much different.

 

[salivor]

Actually the Warriors are playing in the National Rugby League 8) . Theres a bit of a difference between playing in a foriegn league compared to playing a foriegn sport. I'm sure the big footyites and the like will be happy though that the Wellington AFL competition got a little article on the back page of the Wellington newspaper today.

 

[weasel]

What was the article about Salivor?

 

[salivor]

I really worry about my memory sometimes, it wasn't in todays paper at all, I think it was yesterdays :lol: . Anyway it was about the increased popularity in the summer competition and about how players from other codes are playing in the competition in their off-season.

 

[weasel]

Hmm so the AFL's paying foreign papers to place advertisements now eh? ;-)

 

[salivor]

Either that or the sporting news is just a bit quiet at present, for example it doesn't take much to get on the back page when local softball was the main story today :lol: .

 

[SHAGMOP]

Actually the Warriors are playing in the National Rugby League 8) . Theres a bit of a difference between playing in a foriegn league compared to playing a foriegn sport. I'm sure the big footyites and the like will be happy though that the Wellington AFL competition got a little article on the back page of the Wellington newspaper today.

well the nation that the leauge is situated in is australia so its doesnt make much difference. plus the RL was a foriegn sport before it was popular over there.

 

[incredible_holc]

no it wasnt!!!!
League has been played there copetitively(???) since 1907!!!!

Probably most NZers actually knew pretty well what league was before the Warriors were introduced

 

[salivor]

Aussie Rules is seen as a foreign sport. Its only played professionally in Australia and holds the country's name. Its as foreign as they come.

I know you think the All Blacks are going to slowly slip off the World stage leaving the door open for Aussie Rules but its nothing more than a pipe dream. I think the AB's do stand to lose some ground but the only other winter codes making gains will be Soccer and Rugby League who have National Leagues as well as professional teams in an Australian league and have been on the ground in New Zealand for a century or so. The AFL can't buy that time, platform or history.

Aussie Rules will never be anything more than an amateur and social game in New Zealand and to think otherwise is a serious misundertanding of New Zealand culture and its sport.

 

[grayham]

Aussie Rules is seen as a foreign sport. Its only played professionally in Australia and holds the country's name. Its as foreign as they come.

So NZ'ers dont realise "rugby" is the name of a small town & school in England? Rugby is more foreign than Aussie simply because its 10,000 miles further away, and about 3 times more culturally distinct.

I know you think the All Blacks are going to slowly slip off the World stage leaving the door open for Aussie Rules but its nothing more than a pipe dream. I think the AB's do stand to lose some ground but the only other winter codes making gains will be Soccer and Rugby League who have National Leagues as well as professional teams in an Australian league and have been on the ground in New Zealand for a century or so. The AFL can't buy that time, platform or history.

The only way the AB would slip off the radar is if RU took off globally leaving small nations like NZ behind. After this WC that possibility looks extremely remote.

Aussie Rules will never be anything more than an amateur and social game in New Zealand and to think otherwise is a serious misundertanding of New Zealand culture and its sport.

There will never be AFL test matches between NZ and Australia like the Beldislow simply because the populations are so different. The hard-core AFL states alone are much more populas than all of NZ. So even if AFL was as popular in NZ as it is in Oz, the population difference would never make them competitive. (The only reason RU is competitive between the two countries is that "Australia" is really "NSW/QLD private schools united")
So NZ will simply be a feeder comp for the AFL when Aussie rules takes off there. For players who wish to play a fully professional sport (650 players on an average of $100,000pa.) without having to travel to Europe or america.

 

[salivor]

So NZ'ers dont realise "rugby" is the name of a small town & school in England? Rugby is more foreign than Aussie simply because its 10,000 miles further away, and about 3 times more culturally distinct.

When you think Rugby you hardly think of a small town in England. When you think Aussie Rules the name strikes you instantly. Theres a bit of a difference.

The only way the AB would slip off the radar is if RU took off globally leaving small nations like NZ behind. After this WC that possibility looks extremely remote.

I think the AB's will lose a little bit of ground as we move into a very competitive era where the All Blacks will never be as dominant as they once were. As I said though, what ever gains are there to be made by winter codes, AFL won't be in the reckoning.

There will never be AFL test matches between NZ and Australia like the Beldislow simply because the populations are so different. The hard-core AFL states alone are much more populas than all of NZ. So even if AFL was as popular in NZ as it is in Oz, the population difference would never make them competitive. (The only reason RU is competitive between the two countries is that "Australia" is really "NSW/QLD private schools united")
So NZ will simply be a feeder comp for the AFL when Aussie rules takes off there. For players who wish to play a fully professional sport (650 players on an average of $100,000pa.) without having to travel to Europe or america.

Funny that with Rugby League, New Zealand has a distinct advantage. NSW and QLD combined probably have 4 times the population of the country. League is realistically mainly played in Auckland so we're talking about Australian Rugby League having about 10 times the playing numbers. Yet from memory theres been about 11 tests since 97 and NZ have won 4 of them, thats pretty competitive if you ask me.
Its ok for you to make excuses for AFL in advance. I won't hold it against you, it just shows that you know yourself the sport will never take off despite your last paragraph.

 

[grayham]

Funny that with Rugby League, New Zealand has a distinct advantage. NSW and QLD combined probably have 4 times the population of the country. League is realistically mainly played in Auckland so we're talking about Australian Rugby League having about 10 times the playing numbers. Yet from memory theres been about 11 tests since 97 and NZ have won 4 of them, thats pretty competitive if you ask me.
Its ok for you to make excuses for AFL in advance. I won't hold it against you, it just shows that you know yourself the sport will never take off despite your last paragraph.

You'd be one of the few lone voices saying the NZ rugby league team is competitive against Australia - when Australia take it seriously.

AFL is the number 1 professional sport in Aus-NZ, its the only sport that has expanded successfully and that expansion continues to grow exponentially. Its about the only sport expecting a further increase in TV rights next time around.
Although no things are certain, it would have a very good chance of expansion in NZ based on its previous successful record of expansion, and the fact that its realistically the only professional football avaliable locally unless you are a top 20 player.

 

[salivor]

Funny that with Rugby League, New Zealand has a distinct advantage. NSW and QLD combined probably have 4 times the population of the country. League is realistically mainly played in Auckland so we're talking about Australian Rugby League having about 10 times the playing numbers. Yet from memory theres been about 11 tests since 97 and NZ have won 4 of them, thats pretty competitive if you ask me.
Its ok for you to make excuses for AFL in advance. I won't hold it against you, it just shows that you know yourself the sport will never take off despite your last paragraph.

You'd be one of the few lone voices saying the NZ rugby league team is competitive against Australia - when Australia take it seriously.

AFL is the number 1 professional sport in Aus-NZ, its the only sport that has expanded successfully and that expansion continues to grow exponentially. Its about the only sport expecting a further increase in TV rights next time around.
Although no things are certain, it would have a very good chance of expansion in NZ based on its previous successful record of expansion, and the fact that its realistically the only professional football avaliable locally unless you are a top 20 player.

The NZ side is quite competitive with Australia on its day. As for Australia not taking it seriously, they complained bitterly about the size of the in-goal areas in the latest test match, named what they felt was their full strength line-up, had a new captain who wanted to win and had Laurie Daley flown over to hand each player their jersey as well as each player asked to talk about what it meant to them, thats taking it pretty seriously if you ask me, yet they lost.

As for AFL expanding successfully, there is a big difference between expanding into States within your own country compared to expanding into a new country entirely. The base is very weak and the AFL hasn't brought a game back to this country for a couple of years now because surprise surprise the crowd wasn't great even though they were playing at a new stadium with a novelty event, it really shows the lack of interest in a game most Kiwis don't even know or care about. Lawn Bowls has a bigger following and bigger player base than AFL here.

 

[Te Kaha]

Grayham, your lack of understanding is mind numbing………

So NZ'ers dont realise "rugby" is the name of a small town & school in England? Rugby is more foreign than Aussie simply because its 10,000 miles further away, and about 3 times more culturally distinct

There will never be AFL test matches between NZ and Australia like the Beldislow simply because the populations are so different. The hard-core AFL states alone are much more populas than all of NZ. So even if AFL was as popular in NZ as it is in Oz, the population difference would never make them competitive. (The only reason RU is competitive between the two countries is that "Australia" is really "NSW/QLD private schools united")
So NZ will simply be a feeder comp for the AFL when Aussie rules takes off there. For players who wish to play a fully professional sport (650 players on an average of $100,000pa.) without having to travel to Europe or america.

These gems defy logic. Rugby, Rugby League, Aussie Rules have all been played in NZ for about the same length of time. The fact that Rugby and League have prospered while Aussie Rules hasn't has nothing at all to do with were they came from and everything to do with the type of game they are. The New Zealand Psyche is all about representing the country. NO sport that does not have international competition will EVER take off in NZ.

 

[grayham]

As for AFL expanding successfully, there is a big difference between expanding into States within your own country compared to expanding into a new country entirely. The base is very weak and the AFL hasn't brought a game back to this country for a couple of years now because surprise surprise the crowd wasn't great even though they were playing at a new stadium with a novelty event, it really shows the lack of interest in a game most Kiwis don't even know or care about. Lawn Bowls has a bigger following and bigger player base than AFL here.

NZ is essentially just another state of Australia. If not in name now, it will be in the future. Cripes, you dont even have an air-force anymore.

AFL in NZ is similar to AFL in Sydney 25 years ago. The only reason there are no real plans to expand a team over there is the same reason there is no team in tassie: The population is small and spread over a large area.
An AFL team needs AUS$25m turnover these days. Thats more than your GDP.


So, they are building from the grassroots up.