How Rugby Australia's acting-CEO believes the sport can reclaim its status in a crowded market
Since the glory days of the early 2000s, many have tried to revive Australian rugby yet all have failed. With plenty of challenges still to overcome, there’s growing pressure on Rugby Australia with the recent short-term appointment of rugby-man Rob Clarke.
Clarke was announced as Raelene Castle’s temporary successor on Wednesday, bringing plenty of experience into his role as interim CEO on the back of years of rugby administration at the then-named ARU, as well as with the Brumbies and Rebels.
He fronted the media the day after being appointed, discussing a forward-thinking outlook on how he plans to fix the 15-man code.
“It’s a new day. The past is the past, and I don’t think that there’s any advantage dwelling on the past. My focus is the task that the board’s given me over the time that I’ll be sitting in the chair,” Clarke told reporters at a press conference on Thursday.
“There’s a lot to be done, the game has gone through a very challenging period. The first item on the agenda is to get ourselves playing rugby around the country again.
“I’m delighted with the plans that have been put in place by the team here, we’re well-positioned for when the restrictions end that will enable us to get rugby played at both a community level and a professional level as soon as we possibly can.”
A lack of passion, tribalism and support has plagued Australian rugby in years gone by, with state-of-the-art stadiums such as Suncorp and Bankwest left mostly empty by faltering crowd numbers.
After three rounds of Super Rugby this year, the average attendance at Australian home matches was just 7,324, which was nearly 4,000 less than the average across the entirety of the 2019 season.
Ultimately, fans enjoy seeing their team competing and winning trophies, and now after years of struggling against foreign opposition, it’s time for Australian Super sides to stand up in domestic derbies and draw their fans back to rugby.
What exactly that domestic competition may look like is up in the air at the moment, with Clarke expecting a decision to be made within the next couple of weeks as they aim for a July return.
“Assuming that restrictions are lifted as we hope in the next week or so, we would aim to be playing – if at all possible – in July, with training starting in June. But, of course, it’s all tied to the restrictions.”
“We will come up with some competition models and structures that think will work well for Australia. We will then work with our SANZAAR partners, as they’re indeed doing now, in working at looking at it from their own point of view, and talk that through.
“Then, of course, we need to bring the broadcasters along that journey with us because they have some very clear objectives out of it, and the ultimate goal is to bring those two together.”
While revisiting a trans-Tasman competition in the future could be a possibility, it’s time for Rugby Australia to experiment and establish their own identity and tribalism.
Rugby in this country needs to become Australia’s family sport for one, as it builds off the uniting rugby culture seen at the grassroots level.
Club rugby has also shown us that tribalism is everything in sport and needs to be prioritised in the professional game. Rugby Australia needs to figure out how this support can be reignited and established through rivalries driven by fanbases’ love of their State.
We’d need to see rugby from coast to coast to make the most of this – enter the Western Force.
Clarke commented on the potential return of the Perth-based franchise, with many still frustrated by their controversial exit from Super Rugby in 2017.
The Force have since developed their own identity, becoming a cornerstone of Western Australian sport as they continue to invest in their relationship with the community.
They’ve also tasted domestic success in the National Rugby Championship, winning the 2019 Grand Final in emphatic fashion with a 41-3 victory over Canberra Vikings.
One of the most physical test matches you will ever see! The British & Irish Lions went to Pretoria in 2009 to save the series in the second test and put their bodies on the line. The full match will be on RugbyPass this Sunday at 3pm UK time. ??? #Springboks #LionsTour pic.twitter.com/cGvyVVwetZ
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 7, 2020
Perth hosted the first Bledisloe Cup test between the Wallabies and All Blacks last year, which Australia won in a record-setting 47-26 performance. With 61,241 spectators in attendance, Rugby Australia needs to tap into what is still a thriving rugby market.
“I’ll be reaching out to WA, they’re an important member union and there may well be an opportunity to reengage the Western Force in future competition structures.
“At the end of the day, a national footprint would be a wonderful goal to have. Decisions were made back then for reasons back then, and some of those were driven by financial issues.
“I don’t harbour any grudges; I don’t have any negative feelings towards WA or anybody else. At the end of the day, my focus is really engaging all of our member unions, trying to unify everybody behind the challenges we have.”
As he steps into one of the toughest administrative roles in Australian sport, there’s plenty of expectation hanging on Clarke needing to do the sport justice.
He said that he’s “very confident [that] there is a bright future for the game” but only time will tell if Rob Clarke will truly have a positive impact on the sport Down Under, or if he’ll just become another person to have tried.
Comments on RugbyPass
Did footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
31 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
31 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to comments