How do you fix rugby in Australia?

[chibimatty]

I always hated rugby until I took a bus load of private school kids to an interschool game . It gave me a team to barrack for and I admired the courage and certain skill sets different ones had . So Western Force games were entertaining as I slowly got to understand rules . The World cup gave me more of a chance to follow a team and learn more of the game . In 10 years I still dont know all the rules but enjoy finding out about them . I have no interest in Australian rugby as they removed my WA team . As a pom I watch the world cup or international games my pommie team are involved in . I would love a WA rugby team . I detest league . You have to keep putting it in front of people . Give them a team give them a starting point and persist . I for 1 would follow Union in Australia if we had a local team .

Did you get to the NRC grand final yesterday? Bloody great day out.

Full match or the highlights here, was only technically a maiden title though, the Perth Spirit were premiers in 2016:

Western Force win maiden NRC title with five-try second-half blitz

Western Force win maiden NRC title with five-try second-half blitz

www.rugby.com.au

 

[Bomberboyokay]

SCHEDULE
Confirmed Wallabies 2020 Test matches

Saturday July 4 - Australia vs Ireland, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

Saturday August 8 - Australia vs New Zealand, Marvel Stadium, Melbourne

Saturday October 17 - Australia vs New Zealand, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

Full schedule to be announced in coming months

Wallabies to play two Brisbane Tests in 2020

Wallabies to play two Brisbane Tests in 2020

www.rugby.com.au

 

[Hap Hapablap]

shame no tests here. this years game at optus was one of the best sporting events ive seen in my life.

 

[robbieando]

shame no tests here. this years game at optus was one of the best sporting events ive seen in my life.

Still other Tests to be confirmed. The Argentina and South Africa legs of the Rugby Championship are still to be confirmed and Ireland is coming for a 2 Test series under the new Global calendar and there will be a Test against a Tier 2 Nation such as Fiji, Samoa or Japan (all perfect options for Perth and what Twiggy is trying to get started over there)

 

[Bomberboyokay]

Ireland treated it like preseason last time they were here.

 

[robbieando]

Ireland treated it like preseason last time they were here.

They rested their Leinster players for the 1st Test because they were backing up from the Pro 14 Final the weekend before, lost the narrowly and then still won the series with the full side playing the last 2 tests of the series. If they treated like a pre season then what were the Aussies doing?

 

[fumbler]

They rested their Leinster players for the 1st Test because they were backing up from the Pro 14 Final the weekend before, lost the narrowly and then still won the series with the full side playing the last 2 tests of the series. If they treated like a pre season then what were the Aussies doing?

Waiting for the University Cup

 

[Seedsfan]

shame no tests here. this years game at optus was one of the best sporting events ive seen in my life.

They should always be playing tests in Melbourne and Perth. They need to remember the Wallabies are Australia’s team and doesn’t belong to eastern Sydney.

Bledisloe 1 is the biggest test it should rotate between Adelaide Brisbane Melbourne Perth and Sydney.

With the rugby championship and the June internationals we host 6 tests every year all those cities should get a test and then for the 6th test we should play it in the ACT North Queensland Newcastle. Take the Wallabies to the people

 

[Greenstar5]

The schedule should have been something like.

Vs Ireland at Optus Stadium Perth
Vs Ireland at Adelaide Oval
Vs Fiji (which ever Tier 2 Nation) In Townsville at the new stadium.

Vs NZ at Marvel Stadium
Vs South Africa at Bankwest Stadium
Vs Argentina at Canberra
Vs NZ at Brisbane

 

[Bomberboyokay]

Wallabies to play two Brisbane Tests in 2020

Wallabies to play two Brisbane Tests in 2020

www.rugby.com.au

Melbourne Bledisloe tickets still not on sale as they hope people fork out for $400-$1100 packages.

 

[Borisdog]

How good is RA going on Raelene's watch!!!

Rugby on its knees after $285m blow

Rugby Australia is looking for a new broadcasting partner with Fox Sports reportedly pulling the pin on their deal at the end of 2020.

www.news.com.au

 

[fumbler]

How good is RA going on Raelene's watch!!!

Rugby on its knees after $285m blow

Rugby Australia is looking for a new broadcasting partner with Fox Sports reportedly pulling the pin on their deal at the end of 2020.

www.news.com.au

She’s making the NZRU better every day

 

[Hap Hapablap]

How good is RA going on Raelene's watch!!!

Rugby on its knees after $285m blow

Rugby Australia is looking for a new broadcasting partner with Fox Sports reportedly pulling the pin on their deal at the end of 2020.

www.news.com.au

HAHAH. So after rupert pushed hard for melbourne rebels to take western forces spot and get them kicked out he now wants to dump super rugby.

take note rugby australia this is why you dont let *faces like rupert control you. look what happened to league. still suffering.

the sooner rupert *s off the better.

 

[thegreig]

Something has to drastically change if rugby is going to survive in Australia, but quite frankly I have no idea what they can do to save this snicking ship.

 

[Hap Hapablap]

doubt optus will take them on and even they do it wouldnt be a lucrative deal.

good night super rugby. campaigners

 

[Scotland]

Why would anyone pay $57m a year to televise a competition that no one watches?

 

[fumbler]

Start our own comp with the current Super teams plus bring back the Force and add SA/NT side.
6 teams play 5 sides twice for
10 rounds
5 home games each
Qld must play 1 game in NQ
NSW must play one country game
ACT must play one game Albury
Rebels must play one Tas game
SA must play 1 game in Darwin

Top 4 for finals

Winner plays the New Zealand Provincial winners

Do this for a minimum of 5 seasons before expanding to Asia.

 

[Hap Hapablap]

Start our own comp with the current Super teams plus bring back the Force and add SA/NT side.
6 teams play 5 sides twice for
10 rounds
5 home games each
Qld must play 1 game in NQ
NSW must play one country game
ACT must play one game Albury
Rebels must play one Tas game
SA must play 1 game in Darwin

Top 4 for finals

Winner plays the New Zealand Provincial winners

Do this for a minimum of 5 seasons before expanding to Asia.

twiggy would do that. ARU would have a league based in sydney brisbane and act.

 

[Scotland]

RA would just have Shute Shield and Bledisloe tests in Sydney and Brisbane if they could.

 

[fumbler]

twiggy would do that. ARU would have a league based in sydney brisbane and act.

That Sydney one won’t do anything except kill it quicker

 

[Seedsfan]

twiggy would do that. ARU would have a league based in sydney brisbane and act.

Maybe if Twiggy actually cared about the Force and didn’t just do it for self gratification they would still be there. Like Force got bailed out a fair few times before that and as soon as they looked like they were cut he came in promising all this money. It was too late. I don’t agree with cutting the Force I can’t stress that enough but Twiggy is only in it for himself

 

[Scotland]

The only way Twiggy could have 'saved' the Force (keep them in SR) would have been to buy the license from RA.

 

[King Elvis]

How long has it been since Rugby Australia has had competent leadership?

 

[chibimatty]

Maybe if Twiggy actually cared about the Force and didn’t just do it for self gratification they would still be there. Like Force got bailed out a fair few times before that and as soon as they looked like they were cut he came in promising all this money. It was too late. I don’t agree with cutting the Force I can’t stress that enough but Twiggy is only in it for himself

The only way Twiggy could have 'saved' the Force (keep them in SR) would have been to buy the license from RA.

Indeed, Twiggy has been the main funder of RugbyWA's Future Force program since the inception of the Force in Super Rugby. He has been there since the start and even before. Twiggy offered 70 million dollars in total to keep the Force in Super Rugby and to shore up the struggling ARU. This was knocked back.

Also bear in mind, the Force have only been bailed out once, and even then they weren't given the money, they (stupidly) sold off their IP to Australian Rugby in order to get those funds. This is just to clarify, just in case folks on the board think that they've been insolvent for their entire history; they were actually one of the teams that went for the longest stretch making a profit or breaking even. In fact, the bigger heartland unions of NSW and QLD have actually had more bail-outs, for example at one point the Waratahs were run by the ARU instead of NSW Rugby. Despite lower table mediocrity, the Force also had comparable or better attendances than all of the New Zealand franchises.

The Western Force have also had to deal with top-down directives from the ARU when it came to staff appointments. Richard Graham for example, who went on to turn the Queensland Reds into no-hopers as well, was one of these. Even the first coach, John Mitchell was in a similar vein. Both were looked at as future Wallaby coaches by the national board. The Force has also asked for, but missed out on ARU top-ups when it came to keeping/signing players, key examples would be Nick Cummins, Will Genia and I'm not sure, but possibly David Pocock also, as he went for a bigger deal to the Brumbies.

I've generally blamed RugbyWA and the Force for most of their problems, and I still do; but after doing a bit of digging, it was disheartening to find out that the Force have been interfered with when it came to running the franchise. They've effectively been operating with one hand tied behind their back since their inception and were on a hiding to nothing.

How long has it been since Rugby Australia has had competent leadership?

Not really since Dick McGruther was in charge and Dick Marks was in charge of national coaching development. Early John O'Neill maybe? But he more or less rode a wave of success created by the other two.

 

[Cleavy]

South Africa in secret talks to exit Rugby Championship and join Six Nations - reports

South Africa in secret talks to exit Rugby Championship and join Six Nations - reports

www.foxsports.com.au

so if South Africa join the 6 nations, then what? Australia and NZ state/provincial teams play random games against each other? Is there any money in that?