Email sent to Channel 7 Perth

[Swee_82]

There couldn't be too many big Rugby fans out there without Foxtel, or at the very least consistent access to Foxtel (at the pub or a friends perhaps).

Yep, that's pretty much my situation, and no doubt many others- don't have Fox (though will probly install before S14 next year so I can catch all the games, rather than just the Force) so head to the pub.

My objection is mainly based on supporting the game (and growing it, to some degree). Sure, alot of people can find ways around crappy FTA broadcast times, either by getting Foxtel or going to the pub. But there's still a decent section in there that don't have those options.
If someone either doesn't have or doesn't want to spend $$ on Foxtel then presumably the pub is still an option but what about families? Can't exactly pack up the kids and take them down to licenced premises. Are the kids going to stay up until midnight to watch the game?? Un-bloody-likely.
The immediate arguement here is with Ch 7 Perth, though I reckon we should all be asking the ARU exactly when they're going to pull their fingers out and support the game they're suppossed to be administering too.

[jargan83]

Also, with less people signing up for Foxtel it would probably see an increase in the ratings for their other crappy programs on channel 7. I wonder if the people at the FTA networks have ever stopped to think about this or do they only care about the ratings for the one specific show. You may not get good ratings for the Rugby but if by showing it it stopped 100,000 people from getting Foxtel it might make up for the low ratings the Rugby gets.

I don't think they think about this. I got Foxtel in 2000 and have never looked back (my parents picked it up in 2000 but whenever i havent lived at home, it was always the first thing i ask the Real Estate agent before i signed a lease). i rarely watch anything on FTA networks anymore. Most of the shows are on Foxtel and if its being touted as an all new season on FTA it's usually on Foxtel 6 months later. In regards to sport "LIVE" coverage is rare, not just in regards to Rugby even Channel 10's AFL coverage on a Saturday night is delayed by an hour and a half.

Thank you FTA networks for mistreating the TV viewing public for so long, i reckon that within a decade or two no one will be watching you at all.

[Darren]

I got Foxtel purely for Rugby games- the rest of it looks pretty average to me and I dare say it will only get used those 20 odd times a year a live wallabies/Force match is on that I'm not in attendance at.

Works out $30/game - about the same as a few pints at the pub. Not as exciting at home, but lets face it - how often do I actually get to a pub for a game anyway?

[NTT]

I for one am absolutely disgusted at channel 7. To manipulate the timeslot as they did shows a level of arrogance and contempt towards the intelligence of the rugby viewing public i thought i would never see. Then to use the fact the rugby only attracted 30000 viewers as their justification for their reluctance to keep viewers a pathetic argument. The average rugby nut was always going find an alternate coverage meaning that the token timeslot was doomed to fail. Some experiment indeed. The live coverage of this weeks Bledisloe will sadly also attract low viewing numbers as a large number of potential viewers will be involved in local sports and other activities. This will further justifiy their token efforts to 'please' the rugby viewing audience. But then again why expect more from the sponsors of the West Coke Eagles.
Have i mentioned how much i appreciate Foxtel? Foxtel rocks ....

[travelling_gerry]

The great gesture of bringing the game forward was a crock. A delayed game is a delayed game, it like being a "little bit pregnant"

The 11pm slot was still going to get hammered by the Tour de France.

[Weebie]

What a joker, Rugby is a stayer, it has the same appeal soccer has and more so, people support soccer but they sure as hell don't give a shit about the local leagues, FACT. The Rugby world cup is the 3rd biggest event in the world. Tell rugby is dying out at the packed out pubs watching the game tonight, with the kiwi's acting out the haka and the Aussies singing thier lungs out.

You muppet!

Are you trying to tell me that the Rugby World Cup is bigger than Euro 2008???? Please everyone knows that 3rd biggest sporting even garbage is crap. Even so with small stadiums and a timezone that only diehards from Europe and Africa will watch 2011 world cup in NZ certainly won't be the 3rd largest event in the world

At the world cup last year despite being the sports showpiece event the RWC was still confined to the back pages behind Football in France and the UK.

The A-League is the future...2 new teams just been announced and and ever increasing fanbase. Compare that with the failed APC Rugby which is the laughing stock to soccerfans.

Have a look at the AFL. They have drastically changed the game so that it is more appealling for youngsters because they fear for the future of the game. Rugby and AFL play SantaClaus and give out heaps of goodies with cheap fees while soccer clubs charges $300-400 just for the privilage to play the game and clubs till turn kids away.

[welshrugbyfan]

You muppet!

Are you trying to tell me that the Rugby World Cup is bigger than Euro 2008???? Please everyone knows that 3rd biggest sporting even garbage is crap. Even so with small stadiums and a timezone that only diehards from Europe and Africa will watch 2011 world cup in NZ certainly won't be the 3rd largest event in the world

At the world cup last year despite being the sports showpiece event the RWC was still confined to the back pages behind Football in France and the UK.

The A-League is the future...2 new teams just been announced and and ever increasing fanbase. Compare that with the failed APC Rugby which is the laughing stock to soccerfans.

Have a look at the AFL. They have drastically changed the game so that it is more appealling for youngsters because they fear for the future of the game. Rugby and AFL play SantaClaus and give out heaps of goodies with cheap fees while soccer clubs charges $300-400 just for the privilage to play the game and clubs till turn kids away.

Ease up on the muppet comments!!

Every local rugby club in WA is recording higher numbers of junior and senior members every year. The jumps aren't small either, just have a look at how many junior teams are now in the comp as well as the expanding senior comp which is also spreading into the country areas and you will see this for yourself. Or come down to a game and see for yourself, but I guess living in London you can't do this so I thought I'd fill you in instead.

The Glory have their fan base and did go through a puple patch for a while but what once was is gone. It's up there with the Wildcats who also went through a golden patch in the late eighties early nineties. I think the fourth team pulled out of the dying NBL competition today. Rugby and the GAYFL will continue to thrive in this country as our love for contact sport is too strong to let a soft game like soccer take over. The profits the AFL continue to make I hardly think they fear for the game in fact it is quite the opposite. With the continued influx of Kiwis and South Africans I think it's safe to say Rugby is alive and well. The ARC was always a trial competition and will be replaced with a longer super 14 season in which the AUS teams will play eachother once more each season followed by a 20 round season the following year.

Soccer will always have a growing following in this country because like Johnny Warren's book said its a game for "Sheilas, Wogs and Poofters".

[Weebie]

Ease up on the muppet comments!!

Every local rugby club in WA is recording higher numbers of junior and senior members every year. The jumps aren't small either, just have a look at how many junior teams are now in the comp as well as the expanding senior comp which is also spreading into the country areas and you will see this for yourself. Or come down to a game and see for yourself, but I guess living in London you can't do this so I thought I'd fill you in instead.

The Glory have their fan base and did go through a puple patch for a while but what once was is gone. It's up there with the Wildcats who also went through a golden patch in the late eighties early nineties. I think the fourth team pulled out of the dying NBL competition today. Rugby and the GAYFL will continue to thrive in this country as our love for contact sport is too strong to let a soft game like soccer take over. The profits the AFL continue to make I hardly think they fear for the game in fact it is quite the opposite. With the continued influx of Kiwis and South Africans I think it's safe to say Rugby is alive and well. The ARC was always a trial competition and will be replaced with a longer super 14 season in which the AUS teams will play eachother once more each season followed by a 20 round season the following year.

Soccer will always have a growing following in this country because like Johnny Warren's book said its a game for "Sheilas, Wogs and Poofters".

They are only recording jumps because of migration from South Africans and New Zealand familys. I wonder how many clubs over east are reporting higher numbers....my guess is none. Aussies love for contact sports is crap....Everyone knows that the NRL is all but dead in future, AFL will continue to spend hundreds of millions dollars on development of the game and still get no return While rig the competition so that Sydney and Brisbane continue to perform well as no one will give a sh*t if they are at the bottom of the ladder.


This is a better indication of how the game is right now.
Attendances are down significantly.
Sponsorship is dropping with bundaberg reportly wanting to pull out.
The ARC debarcle which was not a trial it was a massive stuff up which basically proved that a out of Super 14 competition was not viable in this country.
TV coverage is all but finished on free to air. even Channel Seven have not been showing up to Wallaby press conferences with the ARU Showpiece event confined to late night telecasts in most states.

Yes i am in London but did get to see one season of Force matches which was entertaing and great to watch...but it was also a case of spot the Aussie most of the time.

[Flamethrower]

Aren't you a little ray of sunshine.

[TOCC]

This is a better indication of how the game is right now.
Attendances are down significantly. actually wallabies are up 20% on the same times last year and Aus S14 crowds increased as well
Sponsorship is dropping with bundaberg reportly wanting to pull out. well if you kept reading the article you would have noticed that Vodaphone want to take there spot
The ARC debarcle which was not a trial it was a massive stuff up which basically proved that a out of Super 14 competition was not viable in this country. it ran on exactly the same principle as domestic cricket in australia, the domestic comp runs at a big loss to support the international side
TV coverage is all but finished on free to air. even Channel Seven have not been showing up to Wallaby press conferences with the ARU Showpiece event confined to late night telecasts in most states.except the fact that the game is live FTA in Brisbane, Sydney, Perth and Canberra this Saturday

Yes i am in London but did get to see one season of Force matches which was entertaing and great to watch...but it was also a case of spot the Aussie most of the time.

haha you truly are one stupid bastard, next time i suggest a little research before posting these comments.

also here is a little more food for thought, TV Ratings of the S14 in Aus increased 25% in 2008 with the final series up 30%... or how about the fact that 20% more people watched the first wallabies test this year then they did last year.

go paint your doom and gloom picture on some shitty soccer forum, your not fooling anyone here.

Also, just one more little question to ruin your credibility, if your in London how do you know Channel7 arent turning up to the press conferences... haha, you really are kidding yourself.

[BLR]

They are only recording jumps because of migration from South Africans and New Zealand familys.

That happened around 15-25 odd years ago, I know because I am part of that. The new immigration is mostly coming from Asia. Did you watch the Subi test by any chance, you sure as hell could spot the gold in that crowd.

Look for next seasons Super 14 for there to be a large spike in interest. The Wallabies have been playing rubbish rugby the last few years and with a few strong performances like on the weekend the interest will be rekindled and there is no reason it can go back to the level of interest, and even more so, that was current back in the late 90's, early 2000's.

As for AFL's growth, it is still essentially in the same areas that it was 100 or so years ago, as much as the newspapers try to talk it up, it has still not really moved significantly.

Soccer in Australia will only grow with the Socceroos keep winning and the Wallabies keep losing, as those are the two major international teams. The Socceroos team is aging and some of their stars won't be around for 2010 if they qualify. The Wallabies on the other hand have a young squad with a brilliant coach and look to win some major games in the future.

A League doesn't even get a mention in Perth most of the time and the crowds are shocking. Any interest in soccer in Perth has NOTHING to do with the A League, as the crowds are worse then the NSL days. The interest has to do with the Socceroos success plus a larger influx of ENGLISH in recent times. You don't believe it? I only have two friends who aren't English.

Your information is not only wrong, your argument for and against conflicts.

[Weebie]

haha you truly are one stupid bastard, next time i suggest a little research before posting these comments.

also here is a little more food for thought, TV Ratings of the S14 in Aus increased 25% in 2008 with the final series up 30%... or how about the fact that 20% more people watched the first wallabies test this year then they did last year.

go paint your doom and gloom picture on some shitty soccer forum, your not fooling anyone here.

Also, just one more little question to ruin your credibility, if your in London how do you know Channel7 arent turning up to the press conferences... haha, you really are kidding yourself.[/QUOTE]

Ahh yes i am a soccertroll LOL. Only been 2 world cup finals and over 40 test matches.

[.X.]

[Weebie]

haha you truly are one stupid bastard, next time i suggest a little research before posting these comments.

also here is a little more food for thought, TV Ratings of the S14 in Aus increased 25% in 2008 with the final series up 30%... or how about the fact that 20% more people watched the first wallabies test this year then they did last year.

go paint your doom and gloom picture on some shitty soccer forum, your not fooling anyone here.

Also, just one more little question to ruin your credibility, if your in London how do you know Channel7 arent turning up to the press conferences... haha, you really are kidding yourself.

20% up from last year in a world cup year....thats great how about put that figuare against something more useful such as hmmm when the game turned pro and see how it stacks up

Its been well reported that the ARU are having problems with sponsorship and its relationship with sponsors for the last couple of years.

I wouldn't justify the ARC as anything else other than a massive stuff up you will just look silly.

The NZ match is 3pm free to air its already been documented in another part of this form why its free to air.

I am not willing to be blindsided by 2 wins it matches that are essentially friendlies (sorry rugby tradionalists) but all test matches are basically friendlies all in anticipation towards to the world cup. This current situation reminds me of Wales just a few months ago performing at wrong times when clearly England or France hardly took the sixnations seriously.
the day we have a new coach...Great!!! but we are still the team that bungled out of the QF stage less than a year ago which is f**king pathetic!

[brokendown gunfighter]

back to topic,b.ullshit, im enjoying this