Field Theory: The Master Plan: No one can stop us now!
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BTW, it’s all over SKY Sport; England, Europe, even the A-League...
aaaand ESPN. (stupidsoccergrumblegrumble)
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We had a silly, meaningless visit from something called the World XV who wore jerseys that would make your average jockey blush.
Didn't the ABs lose to them too?
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I can't watch ESPN at all, eh, their insane promos for fishing or poker that interrupt the action every five seconds - it does my head in. The promos are all on a fairly high repeat rate too. It's like the Mexted channel.
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Didn't the ABs lose to them too?
Only once
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And some of the World XV had only touched down a couple of days before that match too...
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Lots of people can't afford to go to the games
Hence my kudos to the Wellington RU for letting kids in for free. I'll bet they did a roaring trade in hot dogs and fizzy drinks. (plus I took my two boys to see Kung Fu Panda and it set me back nearly $50 after I'd bout a box of popcorn, so it's all relative)
And while that is a good idea, I feel that the product must good enough for them to want to go first
I'd suggest it's about value for money. Price it right and you'll get the crowds along.
I'm not denying the real money is from TV. But, IMHO, the heart and soul is at the game, not on the box.
When you say "this" you mean your idea right? because I want nothing to do with the EPL, I think it's an awful system.
I was referring specifically the idea of reducing the TV coverage to encourage attendance at the grounds. (and it's clear I was talking about Soccer right, not their premier rugby comp?).
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That’s its asset; simple rules
I bellieve the French mustard has to be between the teriyaki sauce and the sea salt...
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Soccer’s probably the only sport around that doesn’t need the oxygen of TV coverage.
That’s its asset; simple rules. Anyone can understand it and play it.
My 13 yr old still palys soccer and loves it, although he is showing some rugby tendnacies now, probably because it is the main sport on OUR TV.
BUT he loves going to Warriors matches. I beleive is simnply because the action is non stop. Rugby, even live, loses him with reste scrums, penatlties, lineouts, stop start stop star, it is starting to resemble that dreadful American game fgodsake.
I agree soem changes to the structure would be good, but the rules, pleeeese let's find a way to keep the game moving!!
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I bellieve the French mustard has to be between the teriyaki sauce and the sea salt...
Ha! that's exactly what I thought of!
I was referring specifically the idea of reducing the TV coverage to encourage attendance at the grounds.
I would definitely agree to that. Though my plan only had the stipulation of one free-to-air live game per week, which I figure is enough.
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I would definitely agree to that. Though my plan only had the stipulation of one free-to-air live game per week, which I figure is enough
So, on average, that’s one free game per team per season.
Are you sure that’s enough?
On a semi-related note, good to see the NZRU (well a subsidiary of it actually) has momentarily shelved a bit of greed and split the Quarter-Finals of the 2011 RWC between the National Stadium in Wellington and Devil Bowl down south. Great news. -
First game the fielders can't take their hands out of their pockets, you can start the rugby season.
You've obviously never played cricket in Karori in December....
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So, on average, that’s one free game per team per season.
Are you sure that’s enough?
Sorry I misquoted myself: a minimum of one free per week. The "minimum is because I would sell games separately and not as a whole season. this means there might be three free games all shown on TVNZ in one week. It also means SKY may release games in the bidding process just so they don't have to show something for free. We could even have the phenomenon of games being shown on all channels!
On a semi-related note, good to see the NZRU (well a subsidiary of it actually) has momentarily shelved a bit of greed and split the Quarter-Finals of the 2011 RWC between the National Stadium in Wellington and Devil Bowl down south. Great news.
Awesome. Sort of.
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Only “sort of” HG?
I reckon it’s perfect.
It means spreading the business end of the tournament to roughly half of the promised “Stadium of 4 Million”, while meeting the IRB’s understandable requirement of 2 venues for Quarter-finals.
And the fact we’re working with the IRB is so refreshing given what happened 6 years ago.
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"I can't watch ESPN at all, eh, their insane promos for fishing or poker that interrupt the action every five seconds - it does my head in. The promos are all on a fairly high repeat rate too. It's like the Mexted channel."
Not ot mention Tommy Smyth. With a y -
F'n'ay. Git yer sprigs off my pitch. First game the fielders can't take their hands out of their pockets, you can start the rugby season.
Oh, hear f'n hear to that. The only consolation in the last couple of summers to the injuries suffered on some of the carpark-resembling grounds we played on in the second half of the season was the (admittedly churlish) imaginings of what the same fields were doing to the in-training rugby players.
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<quote?I reckon it’s perfect. </quote>
No Hamilton, the best Rugby stadium in the country, though. Hopefully we'll get 3 v 4 playoff.
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Looks like Eden Park’s getting the 3 / 4 play-off. If the Residents’ Association don’t mind too much, of course.
Anyway, does Hamilton really deserve a match involving the All Blacks?
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If they can coincide it with a V8 race then they will be sweet
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Just a couple of thoughts.
NZ is a country of 4 million people with a low population density, therefore do not assume solutions that work in other countries (UK, USA, Italy or even Aussie) have relevance. They might but it's not that likely.
I enjoy Rugby more this year with the new rules so better rules help make the game more fun.
DO NOT play Rugby during cricket season. I simply refuse to pay any attention at all to Rugby during cricket season it is just wrong. Play more games per week for fewer weeks (see below).
Play more Rugby. Stop this bollocks about Rugby players not being fit or strong enough to play more than twice every three weeks. Growing up we played a game for the school and a game for the club and about 5 other games for fun. Grown up Rugby should be a twice weekly affair.
Televise midweek NPC games and play them at say 7 pm immediately after the weather has finished. Remember you are televising it for the NZ audience not the sodding English, they can damn well watch a delayed 'cast.
Play weekend games in the afternoon. Play test matches in the afternoon. The response to the latter suggestion is always that TV audiences pay for the game, well sorry but in case you hadn't noticed people don't like Rugby at night and night Rugby is not as good a game it just doesn't work and kids don't get excited about it. As a result they play other sports and Rugby starts/continues to die!
Promotion/relegation is mind numbingly obvious, if the players suffer no consequences for playing like crap then they don't care. And guess what, the supporters don't care either and they go watch some other sport.
If coaches are crap fire their arses. Again if there is no consequence for poor performance then coaches don't care and supporters don't care.
Experiment with new ideas. Seriously try new things. If they work great if they don't ditch them fast. If the union fails to discover a way to get people to watch and play Rugby it will die, doing the same thing you have always done will guarantee failure. Sticking with new ideas that looked good on paper but didn't work in practice is also stupid.
Listen to fans. Listen to NZ fans. They are the one who will go to the game. Don't listen to marketers or TV executives or old Rugby players or the English (unless they have a good idea). It's the fans who you are trying to get to show up to the matches - listen to them.
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Hey Bart;
Drop us a line at freak@sportsfreak.co.nz
That's as good a State of the Nation address as I've seen.
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The final score was 101-14, but on the Dropkicks alternative score board it was Samoa 39, Māori 15, Australia 5, Everyone else 56 (which was decided upon after Muliaina's opening try when the commentators predictably yelled "born in Samoa!")
My reaction to the commentators at that point was along the lines of "so our Samoans are better than their Samoans?"
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bart's right about the idea of playing more often, particularly for the NPC. used to be that a team like wellington would go down south and play the likes of canterbury, southland and otago in a week, to keep costs down. which links in to what someone else posted, about maybe regionalising at least some of the npc (it used to be, too). this might of course become an absolute necessity once AirNZ give up on the sponsorship (i'm assuming they help with travel costs).
there are so many good ideas here, and no doubt similar conversations go on in lots of different forums all the time round nz, but is there any channel for this stuff to actually get to the people who make the calls? sometimes i feel like it's all so....ineffectual.
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about maybe regionalising at least some of the npc (it used to be, too)
Only when playing aginst touring sides.
The Vikings and Tasman have proved that, over time, that does not work.
Provincial pride is too entrenched in NZ rugby, and that is no bad thing.
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Bart you've made some really good points but I have to disagree with some of what you wrote:
DO NOT play Rugby during cricket season. I simply refuse to pay any attention at all to Rugby during cricket season it is just wrong.
Or cricket during rugby season?
Play more Rugby. ... Grown up Rugby should be a twice weekly affair.
Televise midweek NPC games and play them at say 7 pm immediately after the weather has finished.
Please Jeebus no!
I cannot imagine anything worse than midweek rugby. Look at how popular Thursday night games are (hint, not at all). And don't say "more rugby" to the NZRU they'll slap an extra couple of weeks on the Super 14 before you can blink.
Remember you are televising it for the NZ audience not the sodding English, they can damn well watch a delayed 'cast.
I don't think matches are scheduled for the English market, only tests.
If coaches are crap fire their arses.
What level are you talking about? Because I'm fairly sure they already do that.
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BTW here is my plan for the actual tournament part (note I haven't put in the bit about promotion/relegation):
Regular Season:
The tournament starts in August and goes for 9 weeks. It will be a round-robin format with no bye-week.There will be a bye-week between the regular season and the post-season when the promotion/relegation match (see below) will be played.
Each week during the season a game will be held on Friday night (kick-off no later than 7.35pm) and Saturday night (kick-off no later than 7.35pm). The remaining three games will be played on Saturday with kick-off no later than 3.35pm.
Post-season:
There will be a two week post-season of semis and a final. The venue will be decided on regular season results (better record gets home-field advantage). The semi-final format is 1st plays 4th and 2nd plays 3rd.All post-season matches will be played on a Saturday with kick-off no later than 7.35pm and at least one game with a kick-off no later than 3.35pm.
Competition standings:
There will be no competition points and no bonus points. Standings will be decided on the win-loss record. (tie breaks not listed)
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