Rugby Australia advised to ditch focus on Super Rugby following revelation of 'devastating' figures
A prominent Australian sports consultancy group has recommended that Rugby Australia should opt out of Super Rugby in its current form.
Gemba Group has previously advised New Zealand Rugby on strategies to arrest declines in Super Rugby attendances, but has now made the bold statement that Australian fans just aren’t interested in the tournament enough to justify its current place in Rugby Australia’s priorities.
A devastating set of statistics underlay the advice, highlighted by a 43 per cent drop in the average Super Rugby audience since 2013. Within that figure, Australians aged 16-39 have recorded a 73 per cent decline.
The group’s research also concluded that rugby union is the ninth most popular sport in the Australian market, compared to first place in New Zealand and third in South Africa, behind cricket and football.
“From where we’re coming from at the moment we think the SANZAAR model is massively problematic and COVID-19 has laid that bare a little,” Rob Mills, the consultancy’s chief executive and founder, told the Sydney Morning Herald.
The report recommended that Rugby Australia should move its focus from Super Rugby to instead rebuild its domestic game, where traditional rivalries still appeal to fans. Super Rugby can then act as a champions-league style tournament at the end of the season.
“Where we’re landing from all the fan engagement data, is that we think that you go back to a domestic-only competition with promotion-relegation and a representative season at the end of it. That is the model that will engage fans most and go back to the core of where Australia’s strength is.
“If you say the strength of the sport here is in the club games of NSW and Queensland, then that’s where you go. Invest back in those leagues.
“They become the premier rugby competition in Australia with nothing above it meaning, instantly, your best players are in it. There is a heritage and history there and we know that what works is emotional rivalries and tribalism, as well as a clear geographic identity of where teams come from.”
The report also speculates that a change is needed to arrest the steadily declining competitiveness of the Wallabies. It says the UK’s Premiership club competition is a worthy model to follow that can result in a thriving national side.
“The game needs to have the discussion about what will feed better test performance for the Wallabies. What’s interesting is that when Super Rugby was 12 teams in 1996-2005 the win rate was 68 per cent. In the 2016 to 2019 period it dropped to 45 per cent,” Mills said.
“Super Rugby structure is not the only reason for that [decline] but we would argue it shows it’s not giving us the benefit we thought it might once have done.
“One argument about the UK model is that a broadening of the depth of professional players can also drive better test performance. If you had a scenario where you saw private money focused on creating a really vibrant, results-driven club system you could then have Rugby Australia focused on pathways and Wallabies, as a traditional governing body does around the world.”
Comments on RugbyPass
smith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
37 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
37 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
37 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
37 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
37 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
37 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
37 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
37 Go to comments