Australia in crisis?

[Old Hob]

Western Force, on of the 5 Australian Super Rugby franchises is shutting down. This follows news that over the last 15 years player numbers have fallen by 63%. With the Wallabies getting whitewashed by us, South Africa considering joing the 6N and the lure of other sports, is that curtains for rugby union in Australia?

[jgriffin]

Western Force, on of the 5 Australian Super Rugby franchises is shutting down. This follows news that over the last 15 years player numbers have fallen by 63%. With the Wallabies getting whitewashed by us, South Africa considering joing the 6N and the lure of other sports, is that curtains for rugby union in Australia?

RU and even RL way down on the Aussie sports list. They hate stuff they get beaten on, hence Aussie Rules which very few other countries can be bothered to play.

[big john]

I would say a downsize is in order and maybe further may be in the very near future but the end? I doubt it.

I think it will end up back to the main 3 teams in the end and back to a strong national side again.

I would like to see if they shed another aussie side is the creation of a Fiji/Tonga/Samoa "Club" side that could really help the national sides both financially and build a strong platform for the 15 man game but the big issue is the home games but maybe the IRB could start supporting the nations that need it.

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RU and even RL way down on the Aussie sports list. They hate stuff they get beaten on, hence Aussie Rules which very few other countries can be bothered to play.

They don't often get beaten by the other 2 countries that are any good at RL though.

[Iain]

It was always a bit dodgy putting a side in Perth. There's just no interest there. Sydney and Brisbane are always safe as there's enough interest in a big city to warrant a franchise.

I do feel sorry for esteemed former moderator tjs10 though... he has emigrated to Perth and now has even less decent rugby to keep himself amused.

[Noddy555]

No it is certainly not, both forms of Rugby Union and League are ingrained into the Australian culture. Whilst it may be said that League is paramount certainly in Victoria and New South Wales because of the sustained success internationally over many years, in other states the sporting options in schools until recently have been cricket during their summer season and Rugby Union in the winter, Even Soccer is still struggling to gain a significant foothold down under. However the recent decline in Rugby Union can be partly put down to the fact that immigration over the last 30 years has been from non union playing countries and that has narrowed the availability of young people playing the game. This may be just a blip and another surge could come.

[Iain]

No it is certainly not, both forms of Rugby Union and League are ingrained into the Australian culture. Whilst it may be said that League is paramount certainly in Victoria and New South Wales because of the sustained success internationally over many years, in other states the sporting options in schools until recently have been cricket during their summer season and Rugby Union in the winter, Even Soccer is still struggling to gain a significant foothold down under. However the recent decline in Rugby Union can be partly put down to the fact that immigration over the last 30 years has been from non union playing countries and that has narrowed the availability of young people playing the game. This may be just a blip and another surge could come.

Noddy, you don't have a clue what you're talking about. Literally everything you've just said is made up.

[jgriffin]

I believe there was report this week saying RU was 26th in popular participation in Aus?
http://tinyurl.com/kshhmjk

[sam16111986]

Perth is a city where sport is ingrained from a young age and where there is considerably more sporting centres then in Leicestershire. Really high quality sporting venues for youth and amateur sport. I was there last year and there's plenty of netball, Aussie Rules, swimming, cricket etc facilities but nothing rugby.

I was at an athletics event held on the same sports park as the HQ of the Western Force and the place was a poor show compared to the local basketball centre next door. The whole thing looks like a mismanaged disaster. There's 2 million people living in Perth and it's an affluent city how they aren't drumming up support I don't know, how when all the kids play sport after school did I see not one with a rugby ball or wearing a rugby shirt whilst I was there? You have to wonder what the management have been doing.

[Noddy555]

Iain it is you that doesn't have a clue what they are talking about, You just need to peruse the immigration figures over the last thirty years. I never know how to take your comments seriously, I think you are just a warped wind up merchant, if they are serious then you are deranged mate!

[Nostradamus]

Just arrived back from Oz yesterday and whilst it is true that the ARU is in crisis Old Hob is jumping the gun with the Western Force. The ARU unusually is keeping a tight lip for an organisation that normally leaks like a sieve. There have been 3 clubs "rumoured" to be in danger of disenfranchise namely the Force, Melbourne Rebels and believe it or not the Brumbies.
The problem is one of falling crowds particularly in the local derbies which traditionally have been a packed house. This is believed to be partly stem from a lack of interest in the Super Rugby competition which has grown too large to the extent that teams get "byes" instead of having to compete across the board. This is particularly ridiculous when you have 2 SA teams that don't have any away games in NZ this year.
The Brumbies unfortunately find themselves in the mix due to their precarious financial position created by a former CEO. You would expect a strong denial from the club but only last week the new CEO muted that a merge with the Rebels was not out of the question.
It remains to be seen what the ARU come up with and if Super Rugby survive. Australian Rugby possibly Japan and S. America) might be best served by a stronger national league and a Pacific version of the ERC.

[drc_007]

Iain it is you that doesn't have a clue what they are talking about, You just need to peruse the immigration figures over the last thirty years. I never know how to take your comments seriously, I think you are just a warped wind up merchant, if they are serious then you are deranged mate!

Did you actually look at the link that JGriffen provided?

Here it is again

http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/sport/201 ... =RLrotator

Participation in rugby is plummeting, it is now the 26th most popular sport in Aus, on a par with ballroom dancing.

[h's dad]

Iain it is you that doesn't have a clue what they are talking about, You just need to peruse the immigration figures over the last thirty years. I never know how to take your comments seriously, I think you are just a warped wind up merchant, if they are serious then you are deranged mate!

Did you actually look at the link that JGriffen provided?

Here it is again

http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/sport/201 ... =RLrotator

Participation in rugby is plummeting, it is now the 26th most popular sport in Aus, on a par with ballroom dancing.

Although soccer, that Noddy says is struggling, has grown by 46% over the 15 year period.

[Noddy555]

drc_007 if these figures are true then that is indeed serious but you have to ask how were these figures collated and what is the track record of this company which is providing them. You have also got to realise that most of the population of Australia live within 20 miles of a coastline so the jump in water sports activities is to be expected as is the massive increase in participation of sports like Triathlon.

[h's dad]

drc_007 if these figures are true then that is indeed serious but you have to ask how were these figures collated and what is the track record of this company which is providing them. You have also got to realise that most of the population of Australia live within 20 miles of a coastline so the jump in water sports activities is to be expected as is the massive increase in participation of sports like Triathlon.

Noddy, you would only expect the jump in water sports activities participants because they live within 20 miles of the coastline if 15 years ago they didn't live within 20 miles of the coastline. The track record of Roy Morgan Research does seem to have some substance to it.