Originally Posted by
Burgs
As always you are right TOCC, let us investigate how ludicrous it is to compare the ARU rattling the tin can on the sidewalk situation with the seeming opulence of the NZRU coffers.
Category/Australia/New Zealand
Population/ 21,707,964/ 4,302,010
Labor force/11.21m / 2.26 m
Total Senior Male Rugby Union Players/ 36,370/28,850
Hosted World Cups/ 1 Professional/1 Amateur
GDP (millions of USD)/ 1,069,000/ 135,700
Individuals US$500m+/36 / 4
Billionaires/ 10/ 3
World Top 500 Companies/ 13/ 0 (Highest 1095, Aus 27 higher placed)
World Top 2000 Companies/ 50/ 2 (1095 & 1796)
Billionaires World Ranked:
Rank/Name/Citizenship/Age/Net Worth ($bil)/Residence
110 Graeme Hart New Zealand 53 4.5 New Zealand
234 Frank Lowy & family Australia 78 2.7 Australia
261 James Packer Australia 41 2.5 Australia
376 Gina Rinehart Australia 55 1.9 Australia
376 Andrew Forrest Australia 47 1.9 Australia
468 Harry Triguboff Australia 76 1.5 Australia
468 Richard Pratt Australia 74 1.5 Australia
647 Kerr Neilson Australia 59 1.1 Australia
647 John Gandel Australia 74 1.1 Australia
701 Kerry Stokes Australia 67 1.0 Australia
701 Lindsay Fox Australia 70 1.0 Australia
701 Christopher Chandler New Zealand 49 1.0 Dubai
701 Richard Chandler New Zealand 50 1.0 Singapore
The Global 2000
Rank/Company/Country/Industry/Sales ($bil)/Profits ($bil)/Assets ($bil)/Market Value ($bil)
83 BHP Billiton Australia/United Kingdom Materials 39.50 13.42 53.36 190.62
89 National Australia Bank Australia Banking 38.88 4.06 499.44 43.95
99 Commonwealth Bank Australia Banking 26.48 3.80 360.42 51.86
117 ANZ Banking Australia Banking 26.54 3.71 347.96 39.53
130 Westpac Banking Group Australia Banking 22.99 3.06 331.83 40.97
215 Telstra Australia Telecommunications Services 20.11 2.76 32.18 56.68
365 QBE Insurance Group Australia Insurance 10.06 1.69 34.61 18.71
390 Westfield Group Australia Diversified Financials 5.18 3.02 44.44 31.79
395 Woolworths Australia Food Markets 36.09 1.10 11.94 32.94
410 Macquarie Group Australia Diversified Financials 8.23 1.21 110.16 13.77
435 AMP Australia Diversified Financials 9.37 0.86 94.83 14.12
447 St George Bank Australia Banking 8.23 1.05 111.33 12.41
483 Suncorp-Metway Australia Diversified Financials 8.36 0.90 72.13 12.03
698 Wesfarmers Australia Conglomerates 8.21 0.67 10.26 19.25
719 Qantas Airways Australia Transportation 12.75 0.61 16.66 7.50
845 Woodside Petroleum Australia Oil & Gas Operations 3.16 1.11 8.35 36.70
882 Insurance Australia Group Australia Insurance 6.56 0.47 18.13 6.54
930 Stockland Australia Diversified Financials 0.96 1.46 11.64 9.57
971 Brambles Australia Business Services & Supplies 4.03 1.29 5.01 13.82
985 Toll Holdings Australia Transportation 6.35 1.09 6.47 6.18
994 Foster's Group Australia Food Drink & Tobacco 3.87 0.82 7.87 9.58
1007 Macquarie Airports Australia Transportation 2.87 0.93 21.21 5.64
1015 Origin Energy Australia Utilities 5.31 0.39 12.51 7.25
1024 Bluescope Steel Australia Materials 6.89 0.58 6.26 7.57
1044 Lend Lease Australia Diversified Financials 12.13 0.42 7.58 5.21
1055 Amcor Australia Materials 8.46 0.45 7.72 5.68
1081 GPT Group Australia Diversified Financials 0.79 1.06 12.24 6.28
1095 Telecom of New Zealand New Zealand Telecommunications Services 3.81 2.34 6.37 5.66
1246 Orica Australia Chemicals 4.90 0.43 5.30 8.46
1270 CSL Australia Drugs & Biotechnology 2.70 0.46 3.44 18.79
1344 Goodman Group Australia Diversified Financials 0.61 0.53 7.78 6.88
1353 Babcock & Brown Australia Diversified Financials 1.93 0.46 13.31 4.77
1465 Zinifex Australia Materials 1.64 1.13 3.08 5.07
1468 AGL Energy Australia Utilities 3.20 0.35 11.99 4.55
1488 TabCorp Holdings Australia Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure 3.26 0.38 5.71 7.49
1496 Santos Australia Oil & Gas Operations 2.16 0.42 6.35 7.07
1500 Consolidated Media Australia Media 1.62 1.66 5.94 2.84
1585 CFS Retail Property Trust Australia Diversified Financials 0.43 0.95 5.42 4.48
1614 Seven Network Australia Media 0.86 1.38 2.76 2.41
1633 Fortescue Metals Group Australia Materials 0.00 -0.06 2.96 20.58
1685 ASX Australia Diversified Financials 0.46 0.25 8.09 6.73
1716 Newcrest Mining Australia Materials 1.32 0.06 3.49 16.14
1717 Challenger Financial Svcs Australia Diversified Financials 2.27 0.22 23.17 1.20
1786 Transurban Group Australia Transportation 0.43 -0.13 9.59 6.54
1796 Macquarie Office Trust Australia Diversified Financials 0.18 0.82 4.25 2.07
1796 Fletcher Building New Zealand Construction 4.58 0.37 3.37 3.85
1802 Coca-Cola Amatil Australia Food Drink & Tobacco 3.47 0.27 4.07 6.60
1879 Crown Australia Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure 1.50 0.23 6.41 7.38
1947 Mirvac Group Australia Diversified Financials 1.54 0.47 6.21 3.94
1949 Metcash Australia Food Markets 8.06 0.14 2.56 2.98
1973 Bank of Queensland Australia Banking 1.19 0.11 16.36 1.89
1975 Centro Properties Group Australia Diversified Financials 0.33 0.40 6.94 0.36
So yes, you are 100% correct.
It is totally ludicrous that the ARU is a break even proposition while the NZRU is able to boast a war chest of over $70m, before they have even hosted the major money spinner of a Pro World Cup.
It is ludicrous to think that the current business management of the ARU is being applauded for scrapping us past the bread line when they have access to so much extra investment and advertising potential than our Antipodean Cousins.
It is ludicrous to think that the NZRU have three levels of Provincial competition and we can’t even manage to have one.
It is ludicrous to think that the NZRU is able to have the All Blacks, the Junior All Blacks, the Maori All Blacks and a highly successful National Sevens unit when the ARU can just manage to get the underperforming Wallabies and an average performing Sevens team on the Park.
It is ludicrous to think that the NZRU can field five competitive franchises in Super Rugby, with fewer senior male players than Australia, while the ARU is barely capable of covering four.
It is ludicrous to think that the NZRU have a fully running professional Academy that Australian players pay money to attend while the ARU scrap plans to build our own in Queensland.
But most of all, I’ll tell you what is ludicrous, it is ludicrous to think that through all of this toe cutting, somehow JO’N is thought to be the greatest of great for simply putting an organisation into care and maintenance mode.
That takes no genius on a CEO’s part, any professional Executive could have made those decisions, especially with the excuse of the current economic climate.
A true leader, a CEO of the standing he is held up to be, would have found ways of building the ARU regardless and in spite of the current climate.
That was why he was pleaded with to come back, to help Australian Rugby charge forward despite the woes, because he was the only man for the job.
With fifty of the world’s biggest companies, ten (well, nine is you discount Footballs Lowy) billionaires and 7,520 more Senior Male Players than New Zealand at his disposal, he has achieved what?
ARS: Disbanded
APC: Disbanded
Australia A XV: Disbanded, compromising the integrity of the Regionally vital PNC
Wallabies: Player salary sacrifice, Bledisloe fixture moved off shore and record mid-career player losses to NH.
So TOCC, you tell me, why is it is ludicrous to make the comparison?
Is it because we are the chalk or because we are the cheese?
Is it because it’s downright embarrassing that a country of the significant global stature of Australia has a shambles called the ARU or because a relative minnow like New Zealand can be rightly proud of the NZRU institution?
And please someone, anyone, tell me just what these fantastic achievements of JO’N MkII are that justify him being held up as some untouchable beacon of light?
What exactly is it that he has done, during this period since returning from Football, as a professional Sporting CEO that ANY experienced Executive from ANY walk of business life wouldn’t or couldn’t have done themselves.
“Saving the ship” is one thing, going forward at the same time is entirely another and that, by any measure, has not been achieved under his second reign.