Rugger World Cup - shout out to Big Dog.

So does this mean the World Cup might actually be a contest? Six plausible winners?

Maybe more

NZ, SA, Aus, Eng, Wal, Ire look the obvious ones. You can say never write off the French, but they’ve been shite for 8 years. Argentina and Scotland may be able to turn over a big side or two but surely not enough depth to go all the way?

Logically NZ, Aus and SA from SH. Eng, Wales and Ireland from NH. But the likes of Arg, Scot and France are capable of upsets

So we see it the same way

Even with the send off, .the kiwis looked bloody awful in the first half, and we need to learn how to finish off hard earned plays. If we get close at Eden Park we may have turned a big corner.

is Chubby still in charge?

Boks leading by 26 with 15 to go

Something like 60,000 crowd for the match, so looks like there's a fan base in Perth.

I'd have thought Rugby Australia would consider having a Super Rugby team in Perth, especially as it's not an AFL or NRL hotbed like Melbourne. Could call it something like - Western Force.

Anyway - great win for the Wallabies, it won't surprise me to see them reach at least the semi-finals in the WC.

Comprehensive for the Boks in the end. Maybe there is hope for the WC after all

Growler wrote:Something like 60,000 crowd for the match, so looks like there's a fan base in Perth.

I'd have thought Rugby Australia would consider having a Super Rugby team  in Perth, especially as it's not an AFL or NRL hotbed like Melbourne. Could call it something like - Western Force.

Anyway - great win for the Wallabies, it won't surprise me to see them reach at least the semi-finals in the WC.

Hahaha. That is finding a raw nerve and twisting hot needles in it.

Given the massive ex-pat Yarp and English populations in Perth, there is clearly a market for Rugger. The dubious Gazillionaire Andrew Forrest periodically threatens to set up a rival Rugger comp to Super Rugby.

Only issue, of course, is that WA is and always has been an AFL hotbed. Unknown by Growler, or deliberately overlooked for the purpose of the sledge?

NRL remains largely irrelevant outside NSW and Brisbane. Cowboys have a toehold.

The home team at Perth Stadium has a poor record first up

Scorchers, Warriors, Australia, Eagles, Glory and now the All Blacks all lost their first game there

Bradman wrote:Even with the send off, .the kiwis looked bloody awful in the first half, and we need to learn how to finish off hard earned plays.  If we get close at Eden Park we may have turned a big corner.

Wallabies hav'nt won at Eden Park since 1986.

Why do you think I said get close. We get on the plane to Auckland and start going to pieces. They really need to play tight, boring Rugby and every time we get within the range, take it.

There's no way this team gets away with 15-20 phases regularly, two weeks in a row.

lardbucket wrote:Only issue, of course, is that WA is and always has been an AFL hotbed. Unknown by Growler, or deliberately overlooked for the purpose of the sledge?

NRL remains largely irrelevant outside NSW and Brisbane.  Cowboys have a toehold.

Well it was a gentle poke lardy, but I don't think my point is invalid. I did have a scan of the locations of AFL, NRL and Soup clubs before I posted, so I was aware of WA having West Coast Eagles and Fremantle based in Perth.

Whilst AFL obviously has a fan base there, I deliberately compared it with Melbourne with 9 clubs playing at MCG and Docklands - hence my assertion that WA is not a hotbed of that sport. Likewise, I'd maintain that having the Storm doesn't make Melbourne a league hotbed when set against Sydney.

So, to the serious point about Western Force. Why were they shit-canned instead of the Rebels? I know Melbourne has a population of 5 million against 2 million in Perth, but the way Rules footy dominates in Victoria it was a bizarre decision to say the very least. Money, internal politics within Rugby Australia, or something else altogether?

You still miss my point though ... while WA may only have two AFL clubs in the (newish) national competition, there is an AAFL pedigree there that goes back 50 years ... and no rugby. That's the point I was trying to make.

Tasmania has no AFL club, and may never have one. It does however have an AFL pedigree going back 100 years, and (no offence to BD) a minimal rugby pedigree in comparison.

These days soccer probably comes in above rugby (and league) in the AFL states, WA, SA, Victoria, and Tasmania.

You're right about the Storm not making Melbourne a hotbed of rugby. Still very limited interest. The only thing that keeps them alive is the large population from which to draw a barely adequate supporter base.

Me, I watch 3 League games a year, and don't watch rugby at all.

Fair point, buddy, and accepted with grace.

I think "heartland" rather than "hotbed" would have conveyed my original meaning better.

I can't help thinking that within about 20 years the dominant sport  may be soccer simply due to the money in the game, and the relative simplicity of kids getting involved. Aussie rules, RU and RL will still have their support of course, but as you say - the round ball game is on the rise.

RU will perish first - already in its death throes, even now it's only really sustained by Kiwis and South Pacific expatriates. League will hang on in SE Queensland and NSW. AFL is still very healthy, and certainly under no threat from soccer at this age in any State, though there are doubts about the second Queensland AFL side.

embee wrote:The home team at Perth Stadium has a poor record first up

Scorchers, Warriors, Australia, Eagles, Glory and now the All Blacks all lost their first game there

Zat reminded me the Maroons also lost first up

Money for junior sport is what will win the battle

Cricket and AFL lead the way with heavily subsidized fees for kids and strong programs

Soccer wants to charge thousands for kids to attend academies

Not sure what Leeg does for juniors in Billyland and ennisdubberya but I think they do farq all in woz

Union's junior program seems to be watch the Good Schools and pinch some backs out of leeg

League is probably stronger in North Qld, where like afl in the NT it's a religion, than the south east. Rugby still suffers from the fact it's only big in a dozen schools around Brisbane, and yes supported by a shedload of scholarships to Polynesian players.
****** WA over in regards to the Force wasn't the ARUs finest moment. Not to mention the WA govt.

The crowd on Saturday out drew an AFL prelim final, but then again so did a league match, an A league game and Ed Shearan.

Not sure soccer will ever be the dominant football code in Australia, just like it won’t be in the US. Squeezing out established native sports is very difficult, even if they are very regionalised. And unless you can attract the best players in the world, not just as a semi-retirement home, the quality of the domestic product will always be poor, even if European football and Aussie players overseas have a big following.

Anyway, England’s second string prevent the Sheep from snatching the other Sheep’s number one ranking...

I think we have the lowest level of Aussies in the EPL , or Europe for that matter, than we've had for quite a while. Soccer suffers from the he fact that it's fun to play but dull as duckshit to watch at certain levels and formats.