The Rugby Thread

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swede
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Post by swede »

gyfox wrote:
swede wrote:
Egan wrote: But I agree, its probably not the main reason. The structure in the south has always seemed odd to me with several layers of pro-rugby all offering so many games of little or no relevance.

Why not ditch the whole super-rugby. Return to national the championships (Aus could use their super-teams and perhaps add a few)
That would kill Rugby in Australia. Rugby is played mainly in NSW and QLD and the Brunbies and the Force rely fairly heavily on "borrowing" players from these states. If you brought say Victoria and South Australia in all you would do is weaken the standard of competition and have even smaller crowds.
In the long term as well?
There is nothing wrong with small crowds if its part of realistic healthy long term planning.
Is it really impossible to have one single sustainable rugby team in a big city as Melbourne?

Does it matter where the players are born. For that matter they could load up with pacific players. that would be doing world rugby a favour.

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Egan
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Post by Egan »

swede wrote: but it died five minutes after it was invented because of a lack of available long term funding, didnt it? perhaps because all the money was used on sending many large squads to south africa for weeks on end to play games for 10th place in the middle of the night..

I may be wrong but I just find it hard to believe that for instance a six-team australian championship using the "super" teams (and two more) wouldnt be more profitable than the super14 setup, especially with a knock-out sanzar play-off on top.

corporate interest shouldnt force short-term planning.
It died because nobody turned up to the games and traditional Sydney clubs never endorsed the competition.

They didn't get the capital support, nor did they get the crowds. Super 14 and the international format is a lot more profitable.

Swede, you coming to the austadiums 10th year birthday in Melbourne later on this year?

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Post by AndrewM »

Super 14 and the proceeds of the RWC also sponsored developmental competitions such as the Australian Rugby Shield, which is an amatuer competition between the minor Australian unions, including West Australia until the advent of the Force - not sure why they dropped WA so quickly as there are still only a couple of WA raised members in the Force squad

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Egan
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Post by Egan »

Andrew, hows WA going in national competitions at the moment?

Has it improved since the Force? I know Force players are now playing in local competition. But has it improved standards?

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Egan
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Post by Egan »

To put this in perspective with the Reds who are going to lose over 4 million. The Glory who lost up to 2 million this year...

The first loss for the Force. Took a lot longer for the Swans and Bears to make a profit.

Force could lose over $1m: CEO
Tim Clarke
April 23, 2009 - 7:21AM
Page 1 of 2 | Single Page View
Dwindling support could see the Western Force lose over $1 million this year, outgoing Western Force chief executive Greg Harris has warned - with the future of the franchise resting on the proposed upgrade of Member's Equity Stadium.

With Drew Mitchell on his way out of the door, and James O'Connor strongly rumoured to be following him, they are not the only losses the Super 14 club face, with the bottom line also facing a heavy hit after a season of falling support

After weathering the Firepower firestorm last year, Rugby WA declared a $851,913 profit for the 2008 financial year - but Harris said this year would see the Force's parent body slip from black to red after falling attendances at the disliked Subiaco Oval.

"There is no hiding the fact that we have gone from the black to the red this year, and there are a number of factors with that," Harris said.

"There was a honeymoon period in respect to sponsorships, there has been a situation whereby we have had to play at Subiaco which is not conducive to the spectators enjoying the game as much and we play live on Fox Sports against the gate.

"So contracting memberships and contracting attendances have had a massive impact.

"The loss could exceed a million dollars a year.

"We are fortunate in the last year we returned a surplus of $850,000 and that was ex the sponsorship of Firepower which was $400,000.

"The club has the capacity to weather that storm, the big question is we need to transfer our games to Member's Equity Stadium and that business plan would put the club in a very sound financial position."

With the club desperate to move home games away from Subiaco Oval, the push for $75 million needed to get Member's Equity Stadium up to Super 14 stadium continued this week with another plea to state sport's minister Terry Waldron.

There are some big questions for the government to answer, and I think you will find the ARU will have some interest in this because they need the fourth franchise," Harris said.

"It has been a success. The ARU was given a commitment by the previous government that there would be a $25 million upgrade - that has not eventuated. But the Force where the one to reneg on it.The exact same stand that the government was going to give you, is the one you previously rejected.

"The new proposal requires more money. There are some interesting negotiations going forward.

"What needs to be kept in mind is that it is not only rugby union - it is the Perth Glory and rugby league that would benefit.

"If we want rugby union and we want an international provincial side in WA then some of those questions have to be answered.

"I think Tuck (Waldron) has a fair amount of enthusiasm for the project, but it is a also a very difficult time with the economy for the government to make those decisions." :roll: Officially WA is not in recession...

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the crow
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Post by the crow »

double that 75m and you have a tasty new 25-30k RP stadium ready to expand for WC games....with the off set of the sale of MES for mixed use development could be worth going for (provided the state govt comes to the party with some land for it, but there has to be plenty of crown land available.)

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Egan
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Post by Egan »

The Crow don't get your hopes up.

Anything over 100 m has an election freeze on it. They are not going to build a major venue for Rectangular sports before Aussie Rules. Just not going to happen in WA...

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Post by Nines »

the crow wrote:double that 75m and you have a tasty new 25-30k RP stadium ready to expand for WC games....with the off set of the sale of MES for mixed use development could be worth going for (provided the state govt comes to the party with some land for it, but there has to be plenty of crown land available.)
You know nothing about the Perth situation do you . :lol: :lol: :lol:

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Jeffles
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Post by Jeffles »

The back page of the SMH says the Farce could face extinction. $2.8m loss forecast.

Interestingly it quotes Farce research saying season tickets went from 20,000 in 2006 to 11,000 now and that 70% of surveyed lapsed season ticketholders woould return if the Farce went to a rectangular venue.

I can't find the online link.

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Simmo79
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Post by Simmo79 »

Did they ask the lapsed season ticket holders if they thought they'd have a better view at the SCG?

Nines
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Post by Nines »

Egan wrote:Swede, you coming to the austadiums 10th year birthday in Melbourne later on this year?
Don't I get an invite ? :oops:

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IanRitchie
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Post by IanRitchie »

Nines wrote:
Egan wrote:Swede, you coming to the austadiums 10th year birthday in Melbourne later on this year?
Don't I get an invite ? :oops:
this alter just jumped the shark.

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Egan
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Post by Egan »

Nines wrote:
Egan wrote:Swede, you coming to the austadiums 10th year birthday in Melbourne later on this year?
Don't I get an invite ? :oops:
Nines, it is on the General Discussion thread, everyone is invited.

Was just personally Swede, the honourary Brit to come down to Australia for our ten year anniversary. As he is the longest standing 'international' visitor even if his postings are less frequent these days.

The back page of the SMH says the Farce could face extinction. $2.8m loss forecast.

Interestingly it quotes Farce research saying season tickets went from 20,000 in 2006 to 11,000 now and that 70% of surveyed lapsed season ticketholders woould return if the Farce went to a rectangular venue.

I can't find the online link.
I wonder if the SMH will do a backpage for the Reds.

1 mill +850,000 = 1.8 million from first two years in profit
Forecast 1 mill loss = still 800,000 in front.

The SMH hates the Force...

Nines
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Post by Nines »

Egan wrote:The SMH hates the Force...
Why is that :?: SMH = RU .

.

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Egan
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Post by Egan »

I don't have time to argue Nines.

Go to www.thewholeforce.com and ask them, they will tell you the agenda's the SMH has been on. They are very much anti-force.

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