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Thread: If it aint broke, let's fix it...

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    (formerly known as Coach) Your Humble Servant Darren's Avatar
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    Post If it aint broke, let's fix it...

    Rule changes to the game they play in heaven will not make it any more of a spectacle, in fact it will do little at all except weaken the brand. Rugby union is a global business and the most important ingredient for success in this global information age is branding.

    The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding, written by one of the world's best known marketing strategists, Al Ries writes “ Branding in the marketplace is very similar to branding on the ranch. A branding program should be designed to differentiate your product from all other cattle on the range. Even if all the other cattle on the range look pretty much alike.”

    “All the other cattle” in this case refers to rugby league, football (soccer) and AFL. They look pretty much alike to the untrained eye, as they all display a number of athletic young men, running from one end of a grass paddock, to the other, obsessively fighting over possession of a small spheroid object. Other recognisable similarities are the use of goal posts to score points, shape of the playing area and duration of time on the field.

    Rugby union's biggest difference to these other 'footballs' is in the complicated aspects where the players make contact and the almost contradictory nature of the laws that govern these exchanges. Aficionados revel in this technical aspect of the game and this defines a large part of the strength of the rugby brand. It's other strength is the embracing of ideals such as courage, loyalty, sportsmanship, discipline and teamwork.

    One professional observer states: "Maybe rugby's become a bit stagnated in the last few years and it's become a bit stop-start... realistically if you want crowds watching your games they need to see a pretty good entertaining game of rugby.”

    Why does rugby union need to be more interesting, more popular and more entertaining? The recent world cup had record attendance and consistent spectator turnouts for every match. As far as I know rugby hasn't changed that much, even in the last 20 years. Alan Jones recently proffered his credentials for coach of the Wallabies exclaiming “It's still a game with fifteen players and a ball.”

    Promoting rugby as pure entertainment is going against its brand positioning and besides, who determines what aspects of the game are entertaining? Eddie Jones argues: “In Europe, they don't care about the way rugby's played. If it's fast and it's free, that's good. If it's tight and grinding, that's good."

    Overuse of the boot is an annoying, but acute symptom of the current game. If kicking significance is reduced and tries are made increasingly profitable this will only serve to weaken the brand. Take kicking out of the game and you have rugby league, emphasise it too much and you've got AFL . Make tries worth 6 or 7 points and you've got American Football–you know it's all down hill from there. The brand that is rugby union works well, so if it ain't broke...

    Heavensgame Rugby Union excellence - If it ain't broke, let's fix it
    Written by The Breakdown
    Friday, 02 November 2007

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    Veteran Contributor frontrow's Avatar
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    I like what you're saying, leave it alone...

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    Legend Contributor brokendown gunfighter's Avatar
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    where,under the new laws,does it state that tries will be worth 6 or 7 points?
    I think breakdown may be having one
    he also may be from English extraction

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    It is a worthwhile caution, but a little overblown...I reckon even my sports-agnostic old mum could spot the difference between soccer, rugby and AFL. I've got no objection to the minor changes proposed for next year and really don't see them changing the essential nature of the game, but all changes should be a case of softly softly. It is definitely a point well worth making that the game in the NH has never been as healthy and any threat to that would not be in the best interest of the sport. It's just unfortunate this is being led by the NH clubs rather that national bodies, which seem to be struggling with professionalism around the globe.

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    Champion Contributor jazza93's Avatar
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    i dont see why we need more trys scored in rugby. If you look at all the records from the world cup s14 and tests in the last few years there are heaps of great games loaded with trys.

    I think the point of changing the laws is to get more rugby fans but this is a crap way of doing it. they are going to lose more fans then they gain.

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    Immortal Contributor shasta's Avatar
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    Breakdown is missing the point.

    The drive for "tweaking" the laws comes not so much from a marketer's desire to make the game more appealing as it does from the "new" professional players with their vastly improved aerobic fitness and physical power. The laws which accommodated the "part-timers" of the past have been a little compromised by this along with improved defensive systems and the increased number of replacements allowed.

    It 'ain't broke" but like all worthwhile assets, a little preventive maintenance is imperative.

    I doubt the character of the game nor the 'all shapes and sizes' aspect will be harmed.

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    Immortal GIGS20's Avatar
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    The ARC still looked like rugby to me......

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    C'mon the

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    Player Bunji's Avatar
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    To many chiefs and not enougth indians making all the rules...

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    Senior Player antiussentiment's Avatar
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    yes it did..

    Quote Originally Posted by GIGS20 View Post
    The ARC still looked like rugby to me......
    and the ruck law they used in the ARC was pretty easy to explain to a newbie (as i took one to each of the games). i beive it was. "you may use your hands in a ruck if you are on your feet". this seemed to make the rucks much more open and all the newbies i took seemed to get the gist of it pretty well..

    the best part about the new laws is ..... "the game is so fast now that i'm sure i should never step on a pitch again"
    so the new laws are protecting me.. with out me even having to play.. LMAO..

    auss

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    cheers auss...
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