Australian Rugby Championship
The National Rugby Competition (it is unknown if this title will be official) is a rugby union competition that will commence in Australia in July 2007. The competition - similar to New Zealand's National Provincial Championship and South Africa's Currie Cup, aims to bridge the gap between club rugby and Super 14.
The competition has been somewhat controversial since it's announcement in mid-2006, in particular in regards to what possible consequences it may have for the rugby clubs. The most concerned have been those that are Sydney-based. However, many people feel the introduction of the competition is well overdue and will be great for rugby union in Australia.
Teams
The number of sides that will be competing in the competition is eight - two from Queensland, three from New South Wales and one each from ACT, Western Australia and Victoria. Each National Competition team will have 28 players, a total of 224 players across the eight teams. It is understood that the New South Wales Rugby Union gave up a fourth team to Victoria, in order to make the competition truly national.[1] Queensland Rugby CEO Theo Psaros announced on June 2 that one of the Queensland sides will be playing out of Ballymore Stadium in Brisbane.[2] With this annoucement, the other team has been speculatively linked to both the Gold Coast and Townsville.[3]
Both Randwick DRUFC and Sydney University Football Club - two of Australia's oldest football clubs were not happy with the proposal, and are pushing for stand alone entry in the competition. Shortly after the official announcement of the competition, Randwick formed a committee to debate the decesion.[4] Possible locations of the New South Wales sides have been talked about as Sydney's north, central-west and south-east and the Central Coast and Illawarra. Businessman John Singleton announced that he has the intention to get involved in this new rugby competition[5] - as he owns the Central Coast Stadium in New South Wales. However it is beginning to become clear that the three NSW teams will probably all be based in Sydney, and each pool on four of the existing club teams as player sources.[citation needed] The teams are being speculatively named North Sydney (which would gain its players from Manly, Warringah, Gordon and Northern Suburbs), West Sydney (Parramatta, West Harbour, Penrith and Eastwood)and South Sydney (Randwick, Eastern Suburbs, Sydney University and Southern Districts). The fact that only three teams have been allocated to the NSWRU has all but completely ruled out Randwick and University's chances of going it alone.[citation needed]
Controversy
There are fears that the competition will kill off some of Sydney's weaker clubs. Clubs like Randwick that own their own licenced clubs and have strong committed fan bases will survive, even with the abridged season that they will be given (Sydney club rugby will continue as normal during Super 14 season, but cease at it's end). However, clubs like Penrith that have been perennial battlers in the competition may face extinction.[citation needed]
In July, it was reported that the ARU was being asked to put the competition on hold, and delay its introduction, until there could be a gaurantee that the rugby clubs could "survive".[6]
History
The development of a national competition in Australia has been talked about for over a decade. The official announcement on the agreement of a national rugby competition in Australia was made in mid-2006, following a 70-person three day summit in Sydney that determined that such a national competition would be economically sustainable and commercially attractive. Broadcasters have expressed interest in covering the competition, with the ABC being one of them.[7]
Format
Competition
The competition will run for ten weeks, with finals being competed over an additional two weeks. Each side will play ten games, with the top four teams qualifying for the semi-finals where the winners will move into the final. The competition will kick off in July, after club competitions finish (they will run from March to July).
Players
This timeframe will ensure the availability of Super 14 players (excluding Wallabies). There are no immediate plans for a draft, with players free to choose their team, although there will be a salary cap in place.
References
Notes
- ^ "New national rugby comp for 2007". news.com.au. Retrieved 3 June.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Queensland Rugby begins planning for new competition". rugby.com.au. Retrieved 2 June.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "North's rugby chance". News.com.au. Retrieved 2 June.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Power clubs to oppose national competition". Rugbyheaven.com. Retrieved 2 June.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Singo's stadium the perfect union". News.com.au. Retrieved 2 June.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "ARU asked to delay national competition". stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 19 July.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Three places for NSW in national comp". Rugbyheaven.com. Retrieved 2 June.
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General
- "Rugby Workshop agrees to a new eight-team National Rugby Competition". rugby.com.au. Accessed June 2, 2006.
External links
- Rugby.com.au
- Research supports move to National Competition
- Queensland Rugby Union
- NSW Rugby
- Australian Capital Territory Rugby Union
- WA Rugby
- Victorian Rugby Union