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John Connolly assesses the challenges ahead for the Australian S14 sides, and Australian rugby in general, for 2009.
* FORCE The challenge for the Force is getting a rugby field. Playing rugby at Subiaco - an oval - makes it difficult for the fans. We saw 16,000 turn up to a recent trial in Western Australia - a rectangular stadium would help. I wrote recently about their other off-field issues but the priority is retaining their top off-contract player, namely Matt Giteau.
THIS is a crucial year for rugby, with the game off the field just as important as the one on it. In two weeks, we'll be all glued to the TV for the start of the Super 14 season but administrators from each union - and the ARU - must be mindful of the challenges ahead off the park.
It's a big year for the ARU. The first round of negotiations between Sky Television and SANZAR partners will start by the end of the year, at a time when any drop in funding to the states would have massive ramifications. That would affect our ability to retain players as the northern hemisphere is attractive, although they, too, have problems.
Officials will be praying the global economic crisis doesn't have a big impact on the value of the contract, which will expire next year. Once the deal is struck, the next challenge will be the ARU's negotiations with the players' association to determine how much the players get. It would be interesting to be a fly on the wall during those talks, as it's common knowledge there is no love lost between John O'Neill and RUPA boss Tony Dempsey. In a sign of the times, Wallabies match payments have been slashed by 7 per cent, something the players' association agreed with.
The ARU also has sponsorship challenges. The Vodafone sponsorship deal is about to come up and the word is the account will be tough to keep. That would be a big blow. Bundaberg Rum, another sponsor, is also scaling back its involvement, while it remains to be seen where Suncorp sits financially given the economic situation. Ford's continued sponsorship of the ARU is also reportedly coming to an end.
In 1996, the ARU raised $4 million in sponsorship. In 2003, that figure grew to $18 million. In 2007, it was $24 million.
The challenge for the ARU staff is to maintain that growth in these tough times, although last year would have been a positive one. We had revenue from two Bledisloe games at home and the Hong Kong and Barbarians matches, balancing out a tough 2007 - a World Cup year - which is always a poor earner for the ARU due to the lack of fixtures.
Those dollars have a massive impact on Australia's ability to develop young players, with flow-on effects to the states.
Many staff have parted with the ARU in recent times. Senior management figures Geoff Shaw, Peter Rowles and Rob Smith have departed, and their knowledge has gone with them. It will be hard to replace. All major sporting codes have a referees boss, but Peter Marshall has also gone, something that got up the noses of many referees. All these retrenchments mean that the states have been left to do more in terms of player and referee development. The ARU is clearly asking the states to take back the game and run it, a radical departure from the situation five or six years ago. This presents great challenges for them.
* WARATAHS NSW and Queensland supply Australia with about 90 per cent of our Super 14 players. The Waratahs have brilliant training facilities and a great home ground in the SFS. The biggest challenge for the side will be retaining their supporter base in what could be a tough year. The Tahs have lost Rocky Elsom, Dan Vickerman, Matt Dunning and David Lyons.
* REDS The Reds' biggest challenge is the Ballymore-Suncorp issue. Many diehard supporters believe leaving Ballymore was a big mistake, as a tremendous amount of the Reds' culture was lost in the move. Unfortunately, the Reds are still chasing the Federal Government for the money required to redevelop Ballymore. The QRU has lost its major sponsor for the club competition and is looking for a sponsor for the statewide competition, which starts in a fortnight. The Reds are also desperate for on-field success.
* FORCE The challenge for the Force is getting a rugby field. Playing rugby at Subiaco - an oval - makes it difficult for the fans. We saw 16,000 turn up to a recent trial in Western Australia - a rectangular stadium would help. I wrote recently about their other off-field issues but the priority is retaining their top off-contract player, namely Matt Giteau.
* BRUMBIES All seems well off the field, with fewer problems than the Reds and the Tahs. Their biggest challenge is to retain the Brumbies culture and their stars, players such as Stephen Moore.
In all, it will be a wonderful year of rugby on the field, but there is so much to do off it to compete with the other three football codes.
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Originally Posted by John Connolly
