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Australian Rugby participation at an all-time high
March 08, 2006 - 11:18am
Story by: ARU
The number of people playing Rugby Union has reached an all-time high with more than 176,000 people now playing the game around Australia, an increase of 10,000 over the last 12 months.
The Australian Rugby Union released their official participation figures today, revealing an increase of nearly seven per cent in 2005, following on from a record ten per cent growth in 2004 after the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
Australia's Rugby-playing population has now almost doubled in the ten years since Rugby went professional in 1996.
Queensland can lay claim to half the national growth from last year, having welcomed an extra 5,000 players to their ranks, which has pushed their total player numbers to just under 50,000. It is the second year in a row that the QRU has enjoyed a growth rate of more than 11%.
One of the most encouraging results for Australian Rugby came out of the two states that bid for the right to host the new Super 14 team - both Victoria and Western Australia recorded a 23% increase in player numbers for the year.
ACT grew by more than 5,400 players, part of which can be attributed to the fact the NSW Far South Coast and Southern Inland Rugby Unions changed their affiliation from the NSW Rugby Union to the ACT Rugby Union.
As a result, NSW posted a net decline of 2.4% in players, but would have experienced a healthy increased if Southern NSW had remained under its jurisdiction.
"While the success of the Rugby World Cup would still have some residual effect, it is the hard work of the State Unions and the individual clubs that has generated this strong growth," ARU CEO and Managing Director Gary Flowers said.
"The thousands of volunteers around Australia who work tirelessly on Rugby committees can take a bow.
"Credit must also go to our EdRugby program and the state development officers who are running Walla Challenges and junior Rugby tournaments in schools around Australia.
"Registration for junior and senior Rugby is currently in full swing and we are looking forward to another strong season."
Burgs: Following the huge surge of support for Australia's newest Provincial Team, the Western Force, and the flow on increase of rugby supporters for the other Provinces, this article shows that the same effect is occurring on our playing fields as well.
2003 was a massive catalyst for the growth of the code in this country and with an increase in the profile of Union with the bidding process across the nation and the eventual development of the Force, Rugby Union is set to continue to challenge our three bigger codes of football in Australian Rules, Soccer/Football and Rugby League for junior participation.
10,000 players in one year is a massive jump in one year, that's equivalent to 667 XVs, or 1,600 more than the rugby playing population (male & female all ages) of Tonga, or one third of the total Pre-Teen Male Players in Argentina
Preliminary figures coming in from Western Australian Registration Days for the '06 Season have shown another burst of numbers as well, as the popularity of the code continues to explode in this state on the back of the Western Force. Imagine what will happen once they and the Wallabies are successful?!
I've already seen this article elsewhere but it's great to hear. It's a pity that the ARU rested on their laurels after the 2003RWC, could have been even bigger.
A little extra in the RugbyWA version of the same article:
Official participation figures released today by the Australian Rugby Union show an increase of 16% in the number of women playing the game in WA and a 12% rise in the number of juniors.
Considering this has been done with no coverage of "super" rugby on free to air TV. This is a pretty impressive stat.
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
All the more reason for the ARU to capitalise with a real grassroots APC, covering as many State regions as possible, with a two tier structure so the minnows and marlins can participate.
We already have the top three structures of Wallabies, S14, Sydney Metro & Brisbane Metro in place.
What about the rest of the country? That's what the ARU should be addressing in the APC.
APC is a dorky name considering that we don't have any official provinces, only states and loose regional divides. APC reflects the NZ NPC ,who really do have provinces and not states.
The other precedent is RSA's Currie Cup for their regions. Why doesn't Australia call it the Ella Cup as an example ? Name it after a famous Oz player. The minnows could play for the Poidevin Plate!
I think they went for "provincial" as it covers the cumbersome State & Territory in one word as we obviously have to consider the ACT.
I like your suggestion in naming it though although for the first couple of years it would need to include the full APC in the title until the rugby community got used to what the "X" Cup was.
The rest I have addressed in this thread- http://thewholeforce.com/showthread.php?t=1764
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.