If nothing else comes out of this competition, I hope it gives all the other locations a profile and visibility such that someone starts investing in them. But especially the Islands.
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Is there a team list for whose playing tomorrow?
Interesting piece from Knox.
‘Traditional’ rugby union is still going gangbusters in Europe and Japan so I don’t believe it’s the game itself that’s the problem. It’s the way the game has been managed, run and marketed in Australia since the end of the amateur era that has stunted its development and been its ultimate downfall, in my opinion.
After the success of the 2003 RWC, the game in Australia was riding the crest of a wave and needed people at the top with vision, selfless ambition, virtuosity, integrity, intelligence and true altruistic leadership to capitalise on that and drive it onwards and upwards. But it didn’t really get any of that, and now it needs a miracle.
Yep, the code spent so much time looking backwards and at its own feet, it walked into a wall. Hard to see how they can realistically come back TBH, not that there is any real evidence that they aren't just proceeding business as usual.
As someone observed, 'Australian rugby' ultimately has the code it deserves.
No; and I've always thought it naive of anyone to expect the IRB to vary laws in order for the game to compete in a uniquely small crowded market. Having said that, World Rugby seems to be more open to tweaking things than ever over the past little bit and are of a mind to expand into the Asia Pacific. So I'm optimistic GRR can become more than a 3rd offshoot of traditional Rugby played in an obscure competition in Asia.
I Agree 100%. I think World Rugby has given GRR the opportunity to show what the future of Rugby will look like. With a TV-friendly game time and fan-friendly law variations. I can see these variations being part of the World Game within the next 5 years. Hopefully, GRR will have the opportunity to lead the world with the next set of experimental law changes. Whatever that may be.
Depending on which way they go, RA may more than do their part too. I can't really see anything in a Club Championship worth anything to WA, so in practice the GRR could easily expand into the space and run from March to September/October. Plenty of scope to accommodate additional sides if the interest is captured.
I think from an economic point of view - its gotta be very difficult to include a Perth based team in a national competition.
Yes. I 100% agree that it cant be called a national competition without a WA Team. But the costs of flying a team in and out of WA each week or flying a team to Perth has to be a serious consideration.
I am flying to Perth next month for the weekend. it cost me $480 and I am just one middle-aged fat man.
Why not let the competition develop on the East Coast first. Hopefully, find an Airline sponsor. Then have a National competition. It took 20 years for Super Rugby to have a WA Team. It took the AFL 80 or 90 years.
Sorry - just having crazy thoughts.
What I mean though, is even if they decided they wanted it, I can't really see any value in it for WA. Would a Cott or Perth really want to try going professional? Would the attempt really be in the interests of rugby in WA? That for mine is other people's delusions, with no real upside here. We need a professional state team, ideally closely linked to the state amateur competition, but if that doesn't fit into the rest of Australia's structure there is at least GRR. And the playing field seems to be clearing for that to be almost anything.
As an aside however, the whole 'build it first, then we'll expand' is a crock. We've seen just how well that has worked with SR! The reality is that once something is built, it establishes the level. Adding another can then only come at their expense, because you will never have just casually accumulated another whole teams worth of players at that level all hanging around at lower level with nothing to do. It is a massive catch-up exercise, inevitably costing massive amounts of money and patience, neither of which are in much supply in Australian rugby. Even the Brumbies only exist because they were introduced at the start of professionalism when all the teams grew into it together. If they had started with just the two teams, with the original Brumbies players either finding a way into those squads or spending another five years as amateurs rather than professionals, do you really think they would have added the third team? I don't...they would have looked at the demographics and the standard of the players at that later time and said neither were good enough for professional SR. And they would have been right, so it would have been no team (or they would have gone for Melbourne instead).
Frankly, that is my concern if they did decide to commit to the NRC. Even at that level, if they professionalised without Adelaide, SA will likely never be part of professional rugby. But that is a problem for another time; at the moment even WA is hanging by a thread.
Hi Val
It appears from this that the entire (33 man) squad is available and all will get some game time.
https://www.westernforce.com.au/fina...pxOID_-o0BdcjU
See you down at Success.
Chris Alcock, Kieran, Brad Lacey back!!!:yeah::yeah::yeah:
I think it's rather dependent on the structure they end up with. Supposedly there are as many as 17 different models they are pressenting to boradcasters. Which is, well, interesting and I would really like to see what each of those 17 look like. I think that if they establish it as a proper league structure then yes. Unfortunately that would rule a WA side out to start. With flights, accommodation, transport, food etc. For probably groups of 30 on a weekly basis. You're likely looking at probably $1000/head. So, $30k a week for a minimum of 22 weeks. That's a pretty big commitment.
Though, if they go for a Cup competition after each competition finishes that could make WA participation far more feasible. Apparently North Queensland based out of Townsville are interested in participating and I would assume as is Newcastle from their recent statements. Which would make a Cup competition the more likely vessel and would cut done on the need to finance travel. Open up participation with the goal of getting 32 clubs/regional/rep squads involved. Pools or even more cost effective go for sudden death. Randomly draw teams. As in literally pull names out of a hat. The Perth clubs could use the Gold structure to enter a team as a means of ensuring they progress deep into the structure. As with Melbourne.