0
![Not allowed!](images/buttons/up_dis.png)
I hope all these teams will be existing clubs with existing supporter bases. Rather than "regional constructed franchises" that hope to win local support (probably from existing local clubs). Does anyone remember what The Eagles did to the WAFL support? I'm pretty sure we don't want that.
I like the idea of the top two M10C teams from NZ qualifying (complete with existing fan base). A bonus thing for clubs to play for.
This is harder to do in Singa' and Fiji.
But totally doable in Japan.
cheers auss...
fabricarti diem punc
Yeah, I'm not sure I'm 100% behind that. The problem with promoting an existing club is the likelihood that existing rivalries will reduce the catchment for players and fans.
Take the coastal cavaliers, rocky and Mandurah have had a healthy rivalry for many years, the only way they could get together appropriately was to form a new team that represents both. If rocky had been promoted, no pirates fans would have gone to games and very few pirates Players would have even lobbed for selection, same the other way around.
If singers has a sapirit/gold kind of team that's established as a side that represents all their clubs that would work tho.
C'mon the![]()
![]()
Tough one...imagine last year had given Wests the chance to play WSR as full professionals for 2018. Do you think all the best players might have swapped clubs this year? So what would the 2018 Pindan ladder look like, who do you reckon would be odds on to playing WSR next year, and how many of the supporters of the other teams would be buying their gear and attending their matches...?
A good point. Last I was in Sydney I was chatting to one of my Sydney gamer mates who's also sports mad. He totally boycotted the first go we had at the NRC because they bundled teams together in Sydney to form new sides. Teams that did not like each other.
I actually get this, If my club side got promoted to a new comp, I'd be much more inclined to follow it than if it was a mishmash of 2 or three clubs forced together. I'm more for rewarding the fans of clubs with an actual tangible promotion.
..and there is the fact that fans often focus on ONE team. So if you draw them away, as in the way the eagles did. The real clubs loose their fan base to the new team.
cheers auss...
fabricarti diem punc
Franchises do work but it's about incorporating a proper catchment and ensuring the teams games are spread through the entire catchment area and not just one dedicated stadium in one major city etc. Even in Perth the Force should regularly play fixtures in Mandurah and down in the South west and even once in a while in the Pilbirra seeing as though the team apparently includes the whole of WA, whether this be in NRC or WSR there needs to be some connection to the whole catchment area or people wont really get behind the team and to be honest those fans will just disengage. It's a problem they have had by trying to balance this in NZL, one good example was Taranaki leaving the Hurricanes joining the Chiefs over a bitter fall out to do with how many games were being allocated to New Plymouth, and New Zealand franchises have much smaller catchment areas than Australian sides.
Yeah, I get your point, but I think it's much more important in a representative team that the best players from all of the feeder clubs have an equal chance at selection. Even more important that the location of the games.
One example of doing this well is Clay Uyen, Lachie Reed couldn't stop calling him the Kalgoorlie Kid, good PR for Kalgoorlie fans, and the kids who've played in the various clubs he's represented will all claim him as a member of their club.
C'mon the![]()
![]()
'I may be a Senator but I am not stupid'
https://omny.fm/shows/the-alan-jones-breakfast-show/cameron-clyne
Link to Senate Report http://www.aph.gov.au/senate_ca
https://www.change.org/p/rugby-australia-petition-for-cameron-clyne-to-resign-as-chairman-of-the-rugby-australia-board
8 Teams is correct weight at this stage of WSR. You can fit in a full home and away preliminaries (the fairest system) and an appropriate Finals series, not starting too early when its too hot and be finished by end of June for the July Test window. But who should be the other 7 teams? I think the criteria should be starting player depth/skill level, who is financing, TV marketability, and local crowd support.
I'd go with Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. World Rugby will provide some financial support, they are marketable because of the attacking way they play, they already have a strong player base, they might not get huge crowds at their local games, but if priced appropriately I'm confident they'll be over 5000 (isn't that the new acceptable for Super Rugby)
I'd go with 2 Japanese teams. Not a Sunwolves type setup, but existing Company teams. No problem with self financing, sufficient player depth with some marquees, decent crowd interest and TV marketability should be fine.
A Hong Kong based team makes sense. The team did well the other night, you have an established set up for the 21st ranked team in the World, World Rugby will provide some support, and there is plenty of money in HK. Now if it was say the "Chinese Dragons" playing out of HK, you would get broader Chinese appeal. Maybe Jack Ma might add a little to his 100 million investment in Rugby.
So that leaves one more team. While a team from NZ has some appeal, I'd go for a Western Sydney team. Happy to explain in a separate post if people want. I certainly don't see value in the "Singapore Slingers" of the "KL Curried Crabs" at this stage of WSR.
And all within a +8 to +13 time zone with realistic travel!
All three PI teams might be a bit too much ballast though. The competition has to be credible, but first and foremost it has to develop an audience and market. PI is certainly the first, but won't do much for the second.
A NZ team is a stretch, but would come with certain significant advantages. Can't say the same for a WS team...hard to see that as anything but a gilt edged excuse for RA to block the competition. If not and they want it to happen, I'd be even more concerned as to why. One day when the competition is established and is strong enough to defend itself, perhaps. But the default position surely has to be caution and mistrust, especially when taking those first defining steps.
I've no doubt all sorts of politics would come into it, but if it were me I'd probably look at something like the below to try and balance audience catchment, broadcast potential, access to capital, geography/timezones, rivalries, some sort of underlying structure, etc.
Fiji (as probably the most viable PI participant, not to mention the tie with the Drua)
Singapore (similar to the Asia Pacific Dragons bid for S18)
Hong Kong
Japan x 2
NZ
Malaysia/Beijing (toughest one. Malaysia has a new link with AirAsia and a new stadium, but if Jack Ma wanted to play it might be difficult to ignore him. A longer shot might be Korea)
Exile
Port Macquarie
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!" - Rocky Balboa
Good to see Brett McKay on The Roar with a positive spin on WSR.....
https://www.theroar.com.au/2018/08/1...gby-different/
One thing that keeps on getting ignored by the Pro RA press is that Twiggy has already lined up investors, foreign Governments and our own Federal Government through Julie Bishop. They all want this to happen as they can see the business opportunities. Australian Rugby has forgotten how to do that on a big scale.
'I may be a Senator but I am not stupid'
https://omny.fm/shows/the-alan-jones-breakfast-show/cameron-clyne
Link to Senate Report http://www.aph.gov.au/senate_ca
https://www.change.org/p/rugby-australia-petition-for-cameron-clyne-to-resign-as-chairman-of-the-rugby-australia-board