Rugby again grew in a successful 2006

December 20, 2006
ARU

It is hard to believe another season and another year has come to an end. However if you are already getting Rugby withdrawals, rest assured that the Investec Super 14 kicks off in just over six weeks.

2007 will be a big year, with the Super 14 followed by inbound Tests against Wales and Fiji, the Tri Nations series and of course the Rugby World Cup in France.

When you add to the calendar the Adelaide Sevens (Easter weekend), the Pacific Nations Cup (involving Australia A) and the new national competition (now called the Australian Rugby Championship) it is a great year ahead for Australian Rugby lovers.

However, before we close the book on 2006 it is important to look back at some important milestones over the past twelve months. It has been a very impressive year for the game, on and off the field.

The entry of the Western Force into the Super 14 was a major historic moment for Rugby. The support for Super 14 in Western Australia was well beyond expectations (average crowds over 37,000) and helped generate a 70% increase in player numbers in the State.

Nationally, participation reached an all time high of 193,000 players, an increase of 9.5% from 2005. To put this in some perspective, Rugby has grown by a massive 28% in the three years since we hosted the 2003 Rugby World Cup.

This year the fans set new records, with 300,600 people attending Wallaby Test matches around Australia. This was only the third time we have cracked the 300,000 mark for a Wallaby Test season, and included a new ground record of 52,498 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

The Wallabies spent less time in Coffs Harbour this year and more time in the each Test city, allowing the players to conduct a fan day in each city and reconnect with their supporters.

On the field, the Wallabies may not have filled the trophy cabinet but they showed they are definitely in the mix for next year's Rugby World Cup. They were bitterly disappointed not to beat the All Blacks who set an extraordinary benchmark this year. However they went very close to knocking them off in two of the three Bledisloe Tests and with a few different bounces of the ball the results could have been very different.

The 49-0 win over South Africa sent the records tumbling, while a 2-0 series win over England has secured the Cook Cup on Australian shores until at least 2008.

The Spring Tour provided an opportunity to experiment and trial different positional changes, all in preparation for next year's World Cup in France.

Our next generation of Wallabies are also well and truly on their way. This year the Australian Under 21s made the semi finals of the World Championship, going down to host nation France who went on to win the tournament. Meanwhile our Australian Under 19s now proudly carry the title of World Champions after beating New Zealand in the Final at Dubai.

The Australian Schoolboys also showed there is plenty of talent coming up through the ranks. They had wins this year over Tonga and Fiji, but went down narrowly to arch rivals New Zealand. Andrew Barrett, Kurtley Beale and Quade Cooper became the first players to notch up nine “Tests” for the Australian Schoolboys.

A highlight of the year was the success of the Rugby Sevens at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. The Sevens was one of the most popular events at the Games, setting a new world record crowd for a Sevens tournament (50,000).

The ARU spend considerable time and effort this year consulting with players, clubs and administrators in relation to a new national competition. After a lot of hard work, all parties have agreed on an eight-team model which will kick off in 2007.

With teams in Melbourne, Perth, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane, this competition gives our game a truly national footprint and will help bridge the gap between Club Rugby and Super 14. This competition has been ten years in the making, so it is very satisfying to see it finally get the green light from all.

Another major achievement has been the constitutional change within the ARU. This change has not created back-page headlines, but it is a very important move for Rugby, resulting in the ARU's Board becoming truly national and independent of sectional state interests. Two new independent directors have been appointed to the Board, who bring great business experience and acumen to the table.

Overall it has been a very successful year for Rugby. The game is certainly in better shape than it was 12 months ago, and with the year ahead it is sure to take another big step forward in 2007.

I want to thank you for your contribution to our 2006 season and I wish you all a safe and happy Christmas. I hope you enjoy a well-earned break.

Ron Graham
Chairman
Australian Rugby Union

It's all a matter of perspective I guess, for me I basically agree that in most regards Australian Rugby has grown through 2006 however, there are some aspects from the following John O'Niell article which, while tainted by baggage, are none the less true.

Rugby slipping: O'Neill

Sportal

Former Australian Rugby Union chief executive John O'Neill says his former sport is currently at the bottom of the football pecking order in Australia.

O'Neill, who left the ARU shortly after the 2003 Rugby World Cup to lead the revival of Australian football, said rugby’s position is slipping.

The former rugby boss ranks Australian Rules football, the 'NFL of Australia', on top and rugby league second due to the strengthening of its international presence and resilience of the NRL.

The Socceroos' World Cup campaign and the success of the A-League takes football ahead of rugby union, according to O'Neill.

O'Neill, who has taken up an executive role with the STW Group after leaving the Football Federation Australia, said the Wallabies' recent poor performances are only a part of the reason for what he believes is rugby's decline, and recommends greater honesty.

"They're not seeing the world as it is, they're seeing it how they would like it to be. Rather than doing self-assessments they ought to get some independent views about how they're travelling." O'Neill told The Daily Telegraph.

The former chief executive declared he is not interested in his old job and would only take the position of chairman if invited.

However, he doesn't expect an invitation because there are people behind the scenes at the ARU who don't want him involved, he said.

"I honestly don't think they believe they're in a sufficiently severe state of distress to need someone of my background, credibility and experience," O'Neill said.

Or ego.

Yeah, felt like adding that myself fulv ;)
The longer he hangs out with the roundballers the better his Rugby days were...