Australia at a crossroads?

An interesting alternative read from the usual 6N puff provided by the media and I understand most rugby fans wouldn't comment with focus on the NH rugby at its annual 6N peak - Scotland hates England etc etc...

The article does show the two choices; consolidate elite sides further or looking long term invest in domestic leagues to increase access for players and fans and rekindle rivalries, which is what NRL and AFL have done and ignore Test focused high cost/ high risk with a top down structures.

Gatland is trying to make noise and profile about the potential regional reset in Wales which looks to me like just moving around the deckchairs. Scotland with the now 5 year residency starting to bite left to look for Scottish grannies, as the pathway for local talent is not generating enough professional standard players. Even Ireland aren't likely to get anymore kiwi's as project players. Meanwhile the French league's power on ahead with massive tv deals and clubs with minimal debts. English clubs still struggling with balance sheet debts despite operating revenues being fine. Interesting times.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/feb/23/state-of-rugby-in-australia-success-wallabies-super-rugby-2024

Recwatcher16 wrote:An interesting alternative read from the usual 6N puff provided by the media and I understand most rugby fans wouldn't comment with focus on the NH rugby at its annual 6N peak - Scotland hates England etc etc...

The article does show the two choices; consolidate elite sides further or looking long term invest in domestic leagues to increase access for players and fans and rekindle rivalries, which is what NRL and AFL have done and ignore Test focused high cost/ high risk with a top down structures.

Gatland is trying to make noise and profile about the potential regional reset in Wales which looks to me like just moving around the deckchairs. Scotland with the now 5 year residency starting to bite left to look for Scottish grannies, as the pathway for local talent is not generating enough professional standard players. Even Ireland aren't likely to get anymore kiwi's as project players. Meanwhile the French league's power on ahead with massive tv deals and clubs with minimal debts. English clubs still struggling with balance sheet debts despite operating revenues being fine.  Interesting times.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/feb/23/state-of-rugby-in-australia-success-wallabies-super-rugby-2024

Interesting timing as I've got sucked into the reading Welsh rugby Twitter over the past few weeks (certainly eye opening!), and the bit above in bold is exactly the sort of debate taking place. In Wales, the WRU has torn up the semi-pro Welsh Premiership and replaced it with, erm, something remarkably similar but with fewer teams! But the main difference is that those teams all had to apply and meet some criteria, and importantly they will now have to 'tow the party line' in terms of being development teams for the 4 pro sides. Some famous clubs either didn't apply as they didn't want to be 'managed' by a pro side (Pontypridd and Merthyr, for example, and Llanelli RFC who have ceased to exist) or their application was rejected for not meeting the criteria (e.g. Neath RFC, who were told that their relationship with the Ospreys was not good enough). A lot of fans are understandably against this move, and lots of debate has been around not caring if Wales even has pro sides, with many actually suggesting a return to a 10 or 12 team top league as part of a standard pyramid structure even if that means that we have no pro teams and do not enter any European cups. Essentially what they're suggesting is a return to completely domestic competition at the top level to reignite the rivalries and imagination of the rugby public, even if that means the top level is more likely amateur.

So yes, I think Wales are an example of a nation stuck in this conundrum. 4 pro sides seems to split opinion and lead to fans walking away from the game, fewer spectators, lower income, teams that struggle against other nations with better systems. But a return to a full club pyramid structure would end pro rugby at club level here, with obvious knock on effects to the national team.