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The new ARU Board must be charged with the task of leading Southern Hemisphere Rugby into the future by somehow developing a more marketable product so we remain financially competitive with the Northern Hemisphere.
Having more players is not enough as England (147,944 SMP), France (80,938 SMP) already have more players than Australia (29,100 SMP) and New Zealand (27,745 SMP) combined (ANZAC 56,845 SMP).
Meanwhile Japan (42,210 SMP) hasn't any issue with looking overseas with serious coin while still maintaining large SMP numbers.
The NZRU has reached a far greater return on population but the ARU must look to at least maintain current growth in recruiting and market share, but more importantly they need to look outside the square at ways of ensuring the basic wage for our players becomes World Standard and players retire in Australia having achieved all possible options.
Somehow the ARU need to develop from the ARC foundations a domestic comp to rival the AFL and NRL while maintaining both a SH Provincial comp and a competitive Test calendar.
I really believe that the time is coming that we (Australia, NZ and the even the PI's) will need to get bigger or become irrelevant.
Japan is an emerging market.
North America has a ready made marketable commodity which is looming to launch next year.
Argentina is a great resource waiting to latch on to whoever wants them first.
If we snooze we will lose, severely!
What's French for 'Where do I sign?'
Rupert Guinness
Monday, May 21, 2007
AUSTRALIAN rugby faces a massive player raid by the rich French clubs when the Wallabies arrive in France for the World Cup this year.
Key targets of the September-October assault by the Top 14 and second division clubs will be those Wallabies who believe this year's cup will be their last.
In the meantime, the French will continue to court marquee Australians coming off contract, such as Wallabies halfback George Gregan - who will play for second division Toulon on a reported $655,000 six-month deal after the World Cup - or Super 14 players who are just out of the Wallabies selection frame.
"All those people are fair game," said Simon Gillham, co-executive director of French Top 14 club Brive. "Before, it was just people who came over at the end of their careers. The focus will shift on people just below the national game."
The Herald understands at least six French clubs have visited Australia on scouting trips during the Super 14 that ended with Saturday's Sharks-Bulls final.
The latest has been Brive, with Gillham using a trip to Sydney to inquire into NSW Waratahs back Peter Hewat should the Australian Rugby Union release him.
"He is a real quality player. If he was to become free he is the sort of player we'd love to have," said Gillham, who also attended last Saturday's Sydney University-Eastwood Shute Shield game to see several players of interest.
However, Gillham warns that the World Cup is poised to turn into an open market for the French clubs. "There are going to be agents floating around saying, 'Why don't you come back when your contract is over?'," said Gillham, adding that most contract offers will be for 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 and "for people who think they're not going to make the next World Cup, but have two to three years of good rugby in them".
Helping the cause of French clubs is that the Wallabies will experience the French lifestyle during the World Cup for two months. Previously, there was a perception that living in a non-English-speaking country may have put players off moving.
Most importantly, though, Australian players approached by French clubs will see that rugby in France is booming, unlike in Australia - as is potential earnings. Australia cannot match France for salaries. Australia has only four Super 14 clubs, while France has 28 clubs with the Top 14 and division two combined.
And while Australian Super 14 franchises run off a $4.5m player salary budget, the budgets of major clubs in France such as Toulouse reach $11m. Salary comparisons show the difference. Whereas Australia's highest paid player Matt Giteau earns an estimated $1.5m a year followed by Lote Tuqiri on $1.2m, most French squad members earn about the same, said Gillham.
"Add up what they get for their clubs, what they get for their country - also a lot of corporations are using players to advertise at the World Cup - you would imagine regular members of the French squad are on that money," he said.
Similarly, where a Super 14 rookie contract is $35,000 and the 2005 minimum for a non-rookie was $49,500, Gillham says Top 14 newcomers will command no less than $81,893-$98,271 a year.
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