The way ahead for rugby in Australia

[Shark62]

There is a lot of negativity about rugby in Australia right now. According to many here it’s in dire straits.
What can be done to fix this? Thoughts?

 

[Shark62]

I’m interested as DTP was telling me last night on the media thread there are 4 billion players worldwide.
That did seem a bit high!

 

[Twizzle]

When the Tahs are not doing well, Rugby is not doing well in Australia, been that way for ages.

 

[Shark62]

When the Tahs are not doing well, Rugby is not doing well in Australia, been that way for ages.

The game is really struggling. Not sure the end is nigh but it’s bad.

 

[Disinterested third party]

Quality thread.

f**k you are geniused.

The claim from other rah rahs like yourself and the then IRB (sic) was 4 billion tv viewers for the 2003 union World Cup.

As usual you have nothing but lies, troll boy.

 

[Twizzle]

Quality thread.

f**k you are geniused.

The claim from other rah rahs like yourself and the then IRB (sic) was 4 billion tv viewers for the 2003 union World Cup.

As usual you have nothing but lies, troll boy.

how ironic,

who is being the troll here ? and btw where is your source

 

[Stavros]

Quality thread.

f**k you are geniused.

The claim from other rah rahs like yourself and the then IRB (sic) was 4 billion tv viewers for the 2003 union World Cup.

As usual you have nothing but lies, troll boy.

What an absolute wanker this idiot is

 

[GAZF]

and btw where is your source

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_World_Cup#Media_coverage

Organizers of the Rugby World Cup, as well as the Global Sports Impact, state that the Rugby World Cup is the third largest sporting event in the World, behind only the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics,[40][41] although other sources question whether this is accurate.[42]

Reports emanating from World Rugby and its business partners have frequently touted the tournament's media growth, with cumulative worldwide television audiences of 300 million for the inaugural 1987 tournament, 1.75 billion in 1991, 2.67 billion in 1995, 3 billion in 1999,[43] 3.5 billion in 2003,[44] and 4 billion in 2007.[45] The 4 billion figure was widely dismissed as the global audience for television is estimated to be about 4.2 billion.[46]

However, independent reviews have called into question the methodology of those growth estimates, pointing to factual inconsistencies.[47] The event's supposed drawing power outside of a handful of rugby strongholds was also downplayed significantly, with an estimated 97 percent of the 33 million average audience produced by the 2007 final coming from Australasia, South Africa, the British Isles and France.[48] Other sports have been accused of exaggerating their television reach over the years; such claims are not exclusive to the Rugby World Cup.

While the event's global popularity remains a matter of dispute, high interest in traditional rugby nations is well documented. The 2003 final, between Australia and England, became the most watched rugby union match in the history of Australian television.[49]

The direct quote on 2003 audiences from a joint Visa/RWCL press release.
https://web.archive.org/web/20060427071525/http://www.corporate.visa.com/md/nr/press269.jsp

Like the Olympic Games, which Visa also sponsors, Rugby World Cup is one of the most popular - and fastest growing - global sports in the world today. RWC attracted more than 3.5 billion viewers in 194 countries in 2003, nearly 50% higher than its viewership in 1999. For RWC 2003, revenues generated by broadcasting, sponsorship and licensing reached record levels.

And some simple maths picks apart the 2007 cumulative figure years later:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10761073

Myth number one: the potential total global cumulative audience for the 2011 Rugby World Cup matches will be 4.2 billion. Simple logic suggests that creative accounting methods have been employed.

The 2007 final attracted a total of 33 million viewers worldwide, who watched the game live and in its entirety. Assuming a similar figure will be eyeballing today's game, that still leaves over 4.16 billion people to watch the other 47 games. That's a spectacular average of almost 90 million viewers per match.

Games like Australia versus New Zealand and England vs France will attract a significant number - but three times the final? And who around the globe was riveted to Samoa vs Namibia or Georgia vs Romania? The only way these figures would come close to stacking up is if half the entire adult population of the USA and Russia tuned in to watch their clash on September 15, and most of them were suddenly hooked, going on to watch every single game.

Perhaps the most revealing of the 2007 audience figures was the lack of interest outside the major rugby nations.

The Putting Rugby First report found 97 per cent of the abovementioned 33 million came from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, the four home nations and France. Fewer than one million tuned in from the IRB's other member nations - which number well over 100 - and include Japan, Argentina and the Pacific Islands. By extension, this capped the possible audience dramatically, even if records are set in the 'big eight' countries.

The IRB may beg to differ, but it is simply logic. Rugby is not a mainstream sport in almost all of South America (apart from Argentina), Asia, Africa, North America and mainland Europe. Even in England it is only followed by pockets of the nation; in Australia it is outrated by the other rugby codes.

DTP, Stav, Shark, and even myself, should be keeping this bickering to the Fight Club - DTP and Shark are starting to clog up the media thread with this kind of crap.

 

[Stavros]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_World_Cup#Media_coverage


The direct quote on 2003 audiences from a joint Visa/RWCL press release.
https://web.archive.org/web/20060427071525/http://www.corporate.visa.com/md/nr/press269.jsp


And some simple maths picks apart the 2007 cumulative figure years later:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10761073



DTP, Stav, Shark, and even myself, should be keeping this bickering to the Fight Club - DTP and Shark are starting to clog up the media thread with this kind of crap.

Is this the referee again? Yep it is!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_World_Cup#Media_coverage


The direct quote on 2003 audiences from a joint Visa/RWCL press release.
https://web.archive.org/web/20060427071525/http://www.corporate.visa.com/md/nr/press269.jsp


And some simple maths picks apart the 2007 cumulative figure years later:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10761073



DTP, Stav, Shark, and even myself, should be keeping this bickering to the Fight Club - DTP and Shark are starting to clog up the media thread with this kind of crap.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_World_Cup#Media_coverage


The direct quote on 2003 audiences from a joint Visa/RWCL press release.
https://web.archive.org/web/20060427071525/http://www.corporate.visa.com/md/nr/press269.jsp


And some simple maths picks apart the 2007 cumulative figure years later:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10761073



DTP, Stav, Shark, and even myself, should be keeping this bickering to the Fight Club - DTP and Shark are starting to clog up the media thread with this kind of crap.

Gee if that's the figures for the Rugby world cup imagine the figures for the Rugby League "World"Cup! Remembering Rugby League is the only sport that doesn't fudge crowd and viewership numbers

 

[GAZF]

Is this the referee again? Yep it is!


Gee if that's the figures for the Rugby world cup imagine the figures for the Rugby League "World"Cup! Remembering Rugby League is the only sport that doesn't fudge crowd and viewership numbers

I never stated the case to be otherwise. The RWC shits on the RLWC in pretty much every metric, and whatever their true audience is, its still an order of magnitude larger than the RL equivalent.

But my agreeing with you doesn't fit your agenda that I'm completely insecure of RL's standing in the sporting world. Your buddy has been misrepresenting a point that was made, it was refuted, @Twizzle asked for a source and I supplied one. You don't like that I can effectively refute some of your points so you attack the person and not the point. Rinse. Repeat.

Leave this kind of garbage in the Fight Club where it belongs. I won't be making any further comment here.

 

[Stavros]

I never stated the case to be otherwise. The RWC shits on the RLWC in pretty much every metric, and whatever their true audience is, its still an order of magnitude larger than the RL equivalent.

But my agreeing with you doesn't fit your agenda that I'm completely insecure of RL's standing in the sporting world. Your buddy has been misrepresenting a point that was made, it was refuted, @Twizzle asked for a source and I supplied one. You don't like that I can effectively refute some of your points so you attack the person and not the point. Rinse. Repeat.

Leave this kind of garbage in the Fight Club where it belongs. I won't be making any further comment here.

You and Your disabled mates think otherwise. RL is the only sport that doesn't fudge figures. Don't try and play Mr Innocent on here you goose.
You are Captain, Coach and sole selector of the Fight Club

 

[Twizzle]

You and Your disabled mates think otherwise. RL is the only sport that doesn't fudge figures. Don't try and play Mr Innocent on here you goose.
You are Captain, Coach and sole selector of the Fight Club

This isn't TFC, keep it civil and on topic or lose it.

 

[Bazal]

This isn't TFC, keep it civil and on topic or lose it.

Came into the Cricket forum and did the same thing with some random continued beef from TFC. Trolls gonna troll, numpty. Offers nothing else.

Anyway Rugby needs to arrest the slow death of the game at the junior levels somehow. There's just no quality coming in to the top level. They need to start pushing money directly into grass roots rugby more than they do rather than trusting the clubs with it.

Canberra is probably the only genuine junior rugby stronghold left and, thanks in large part to the Brumbies and the Vikings, even the clubs down here are struggling big time.

But I also think that rugby internationally is in trouble because they just refuse to evolve and that's hurting the game here, because it competes with a more open and fast paced code. Nobody likes seeing goal kicking duels and 38 technical penalties in a game...but the game hasn't moved past that, not really. There needs to be more incentive to reward running rugby.

 

[Twizzle]

There is at least some hope


Staring down the haka: Is this Australia’s next golden generation?
RUGBY

• May 15, 2019 2:42pm
• SAM WORTHINGTON@samworthingtown
• Source: FOX SPORTS

Australia celebrate winning the under-20 Oceania Championship at Bond University.Source: Getty Images
This wasn’t just a victory, it was a complete and utter blackout.

Australia 24, New Zealand 0 — in a game of rugby.

The dominant win on the Gold Coast this month made the Junior Wallabies Oceania’s under-20 champions but more importantly gave Australia’s Generation Next a vital shot of confidence.

It’s not just the Bledisloe Cup drought or pain from the 2015 Rugby World Cup final, Australian rugby teams have become locked into a losing cycle against Kiwi teams at Super Rugby, age group and schools level.

“Speaking with our boys after the game, a number of them have played Kiwi teams in Super Rugby and schoolboys and 20s last year, and it was the first time they’ve actually beaten a New Zealand side,” Australia under-20 coach Jason Gilmore told the Fox Rugby Podcast.


https://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/...euJYowOtJkpy6b1aCp65-b2EtemfWUQDYqs8RZrOD8oh8

 

[Stavros]

Came into the Cricket forum and did the same thing with some random continued beef from TFC. Trolls gonna troll, numpty. Offers nothing else.

Anyway Rugby needs to arrest the slow death of the game at the junior levels somehow. There's just no quality coming in to the top level. They need to start pushing money directly into grass roots rugby more than they do rather than trusting the clubs with it.

Canberra is probably the only genuine junior rugby stronghold left and, thanks in large part to the Brumbies and the Vikings, even the clubs down here are struggling big time.

But I also think that rugby internationally is in trouble because they just refuse to evolve and that's hurting the game here, because it competes with a more open and fast paced code. Nobody likes seeing goal kicking duels and 38 technical penalties in a game...but the game hasn't moved past that, not really. There needs to be more incentive to reward running rugby.

Rugby hasn't evolved Internationally?

 

[Twizzle]

Came into the Cricket forum and did the same thing with some random continued beef from TFC. Trolls gonna troll, numpty. Offers nothing else.

Anyway Rugby needs to arrest the slow death of the game at the junior levels somehow. There's just no quality coming in to the top level. They need to start pushing money directly into grass roots rugby more than they do rather than trusting the clubs with it.

Canberra is probably the only genuine junior rugby stronghold left and, thanks in large part to the Brumbies and the Vikings, even the clubs down here are struggling big time.

But I also think that rugby internationally is in trouble because they just refuse to evolve and that's hurting the game here, because it competes with a more open and fast paced code. Nobody likes seeing goal kicking duels and 38 technical penalties in a game...but the game hasn't moved past that, not really. There needs to be more incentive to reward running rugby.

I agree with the grass roots level thing

we hardly seen any park Rugby being played locally where I live at all compared to say 10-15 years ago

 

[Bazal]

I agree with the grass roots level thing

we hardly seen any park Rugby being played locally where I live at all compared to say 10-15 years ago

I can't speak for everywhere obviously but I know that in Canberra there are massive problems getting the money from the Brumbies out to the clubs. There's also the Vikings who just dominate everything and create a huge imbalance, both financially and on the field.

The two major private schools still do well enough but there's no incentive for them to go on and play for a local club once they leave school. Loads of the Eddies boys for eg could (and should) play for Easts, but they all wind up at Vikings or Queanbeyan, or they miss out and give it away because Easts suck donkeys balls.

Rugby hasn't evolved Internationally?

Stick to TFC with the other children.

 

[Disinterested third party]

how ironic,

who is being the troll here ? and btw where is your source

As for trolls, the guy spending all day and every day on the site poorly flaming people would be a giveaway. Hint - he liked your post.

 

[Shark62]

As for trolls, the guy spending all day and every day on the site poorly flaming people would be a giveaway. Hint - he liked your post.

 

[Disinterested third party]

f**k you’re a stalker.

Do you wait around all day hoping I’ll make just a single post, Granddad?