Has the NRL RUINED Rugby in Australia?

[@lachness3578]

The NRL didn’t ruin rugby in Australia the ARU did.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

😑

[@danieleyre8913]

@@lachness3578 Absolutely. I would think that the NRL would prefer to have union as a smaller rival (and not struggling), as it provided source of talent to poach from.

[@lubeyourself]

Completely agreed. It's due to bad management and greed that caused the decline in Rugby Australia.

[@growdaddy4281]

ARU had their opportunity to dominate back in the 90s due to the super league war. But they didn't. WOMP WOMP

[@Samizouza]

Exactly

[@DabDabGoose]

I think the main reason Union has struggled here in OZ is they neglect the club game and focus on the internationals, the club game has to be the bread and butter of any sport to thrive, the internationals can build from that.

[@Zion-Bear]

Aus doesn’t have a school boy rugby system. Go to NZ and Fiji and their school boy system looks like a Pro 1st division comp

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

in Fiji, Schools Rugby gets same crowds as Test Matches, with front page coverage....the local school derby, actually has Police crowd control!!

[@grantdewar8712]

@@Zion-Bear Yeah, the South African school system pumps out hundreds of players that could play top level club rugby in Aus or NZ every year. Most of them stop playing if they don't get a Currie Cup development or URC track contract.

[@carisi2k11]

@@Zion-Bear None of our sports have a school system. We play sports at school but nothing really serious. All of our sports have there own junior systems except rugby union.

[@danieleyre8913]

@@DabDabGoose I actually have to agree with you here.

[@canwelook]

Selling out to Murdoch, having NOTHING on free to air TV, killed all popular interest in Rugby in Aust.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

pay tv can be ugly, when you need 2/3 channels to watch this game here that game there....

[@SirSamTheThird]

100% there was a time in the early 00s where even in League heartland (I loved in county NSW) there was tons of interest in rugby but NRL was just able to outstay it because there was no investment in promoting rugby outside of the private schools.

[@canwelook]

@@SirSamTheThird When Murdoch launched his hostile takeover bid of the ARL competition it was Rugby's once-in-a-lifetime chance to grow massively. Rugby league was virtually on life support following the Murdoch assault. But the ARU blew it. Whereas Arko and Quale fought hard to stop a 100% takeover, and to keep significant free to air coverage, Rugby took the Murdoch money and accepted zero free to air. A missed opportunity.

[@tigerwarsaw99]

​@@SirSamTheThird northern rivers, NSW there was big interest in rugby the the early 00s and the 03 World Cup was huge. Feels dead now. I follow League but its headed that way as well with country clubs dying out.

[@SirSamTheThird]

@@tigerwarsaw99 I was a teenager in Grafton and played junior rugby for Grafton Redmen between 2001-2006. I know exactly what you were talking about. A lot of my leaguie mates came over to play rugby after the 2003 World Cup and at school we played more union than league. Last time I went back though and spoke to an old friend who is now one of the junior coaches they said it is on life support.

[@titoelcolombiano]

The take at the end of this video is delusional. Union is nowhere near League in Australia. Rugby League is the people's game., Rugby Union is deliberately kept in the wealthy private school elites circles

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

@@titoelcolombiano what’s wrong with delusional, still fact is Rugby is a global game, whereas league is NRL

[@titoelcolombiano]

@@ClutchRugbyXV that doesn't help Union in Australia

[@danieleyre8913]

@@titoelcolombiano _”Rugby League is the people’s game”_ I expect that an awful many of “the people” you speak on behalf of do not agree with that, and might even take issue with it. I have to travel a lot to Sydney and Brisbane as part of my job and meet with colleagues there. There’s a fair few big NRL fans among them, but an awful many of them also seem to have a very negative opinion of the NRL. I think it might be _some_ people’s game, something “the people” either love or loathe…

[@vanrensburgarchitecturebim1641]

Oz and the yanks share a similar ideology regarding sport: "if we can't beat the rest of the world at their sport, we'll invent our own". The only reason Cricket is still popular in Oz, is because they'd lose to the US if they tried baseball.

[@christianpuia242]

Brother no it's not get your facts, only big in Australia, you are trying to compare the two codes only delusional brother.

[@funkking567]

Rugby league is everywhere in public schools and communities rather union is mainly a private school thing. More public schools than private and cost less to play league. Playing league in school is a big competition in SEQ but also small because you know names and play against the best then you see them on TV. All starts in grass roots.

[@holcable]

Has the NRL ruined rugby in Australia? No. Has it capitalised on its failures? Absolutely. International rugby fans don't realise how big the NRL is. The only club rugby comp that comes close for crowds, revenue and tv figures is the Top14 and even then there's daylight between them. One big factor not discussed is AFL. Despite launching an attack on Rugby League 20 years ago it has actually only really made ground in traditional Rugby Union areas of Sydney and Brisbane. Furthermore the traditional breeding ground for Rugby in Australia, fancy private schools, have next to no loyalty or connection to the ARU or top level rugby in Australia. On the other foot the breeding ground for Rugby League, junior clubs where everyone can participate and join, all feed in to the NRL system.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

yeah mate, thanks for the tip, might venture into a possible AFL angle....

[@holcable]

@@ClutchRugbyXV a Swans' game these days is basically a Waratahs game from 2003 as far as the crowd make-up goes. In Sydney AFL is strongest in the east and northern suburbs which have never been huge Rugby League hotbeds.

[@DabDabGoose]

@@holcable That said Roosters are getting record crowds these days and have the highest average attendance of any Sydney team which suggests it's taking Union fans, given the state of Super rugby these days I think many in the east have just ditched it.

[@PjRjHj]

​@@DabDabGoose pretty sure the Swans outdraw the Roosters

[@DabDabGoose]

@@PjRjHj I meant in NRL.

[@salt1956]

Many good points made. I was born in the 1950's. I knew from a young age growing up in Sydney that union was the poor cousin of league. I knew that if you were any good you played league. Union was known as the amateur sport played by a few unfit, private school types. In 1997 union turned professional, but in Australia it has struggled to shake off the amateur mindset. Union has suffered from years of internal conflict and poor business decisions. On the other hand, league under the NRL banner has burgeoned into a fully professional form of family entertainment. I look forward to the NRL expanding to 20 club teams and regular international games against the Pacific island nations.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

Yes Suh, ya got some valid points there....btw Meninga's Kangaroos 🇦🇺 beat Tonga Mate Maa'a Tonga 🇹🇴 yesterday 15-0

[@danieleyre8913]

I look forward to NRL expanding also. Because all of those expansion teams will flop and fail, and leave big fiscal holes that that phoney sport cannot fill, and it will bring the NRL back down to earth of just what a small-time rinkadink money drain it really is. And those pacific Island nations are all third world hell holes with pathetic economies. A financial dead end and indicative of just what non-existent long term future rugby league has.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

and please Sir, subscribe to Clutch

[@garry19681]

@@danieleyre8913NRL,is still more popular in oz than Union. Couldn’t care less if anywhere else in the world plays rugby league. Union just doesn’t get it. The game is so boring no one wants to watch it.

[@danieleyre8913]

@@garry19681 No it’s you here who doesn’t get it: The rest of the world doesn’t care what’s more popular in irrelevant Australia. If you find Union boring but some guy rolling a ball backwards with his foot riveting then perhaps it’s better you isolate yourself with a fringe game. You’re not being missed.

[@anthonypang7927]

Rugby union has never been popular all over Australia and half of Australia don't even know the difference between league and union

[@rmoz2729]

15 players vs 13 players (no breakaways in League). Limited tackles (6) vs Rucks and mauls. Line outs vs Scrums for plays into touch. 4 point trys vs 5 point trys. 3 point field goals vs 1 and 2 point field goals. I’ve mixed up the order there a bit. Hope it helps. Essentially Union is the sport of the private school world, older and more a part of the establishment. League is traditionally working class as it was prepared to pay players and insure them against injury. Look at the traditional clubs in Sydney and the relevant geography. League - Souths (Redfern), Balmain, Newtown, Glebe, Wests (Ashfield) with two clubs in the wealthier areas Easts (Roosters / Bondi) and Norths (lower North shore). Union - Manly, Randwick, Northern Suburbs, Eastwood, Epping, Gordon, Warringah, University with Wests and Southern Districts in working class areas.

[@anthonypang7927]

@@rmoz2729 i know the difference myself because i did some research many years ago but half of australia or perhaps more wouldn't know this I wouldn't say either codes of rugby captures the whole nation

[@rmoz2729]

@@anthonypang7927 Correct, they don’t but the NRL is clearly much more popular at the moment. Union gained ground during the super league era but the NRL has superb marketing. No code in Aus claims the entire attention of the nation. The AFL Swans fans are a particular breed of Sydneysider, also usually part of the well to do. They didn’t grow up in Sydney’s suburbs with a local league team you supported through thick and thin. They are those that either moved to Sydney or come from the Union suburbs. So AFL isn’t huge in big NSW areas, there’d be no chance of a team playing at a national level in Newcastle.

[@karlscott8442]

I think you nailed the primary reasons for the decline for Rugby in Aus. I also think a love for the game plays a huge part. Kids growing up from 2010-onwards simply love Rugby League more. The steady decline of Rugby Union in Australia (by ways of poor financial management and near non-existent grassroots investments compared to the NRL) has only added to this. Rugby League has simply become a much more attractive product, both on TV and at the stadium. If you're a kid growing up in QLD or NSW, the dream is to put on a Maroon or Blue jersey, not a Wallabies one.

[@neilakruse]

I work as a high school teacher in Western Sydney. I can tell you right now that not a single student that I teach cares or even knows about Rugby. It is all 100% NRL. I cannot remember the last student that I had who followed a Rugby team or even the national team. The sport just doesn't exist out west, and Sydney's west is one of the nations biggest growth areas. I think the NRL learned from the Super League war, and have built an incredible following of juniors and spectators across QLD, NSW and even VIC. Rugby Australia, by contrast, have completely neglected their dwindling junior base, and have spend the last two decades foolishly attempting to "sign" their way to relevancy by throwing money that they don't have on league talent.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

thanks for watching, but how did this all happen?

[@HURLINGHQ-oz2yv]

In the 2023 financial statements NRL had over $255 million in net assets on its balance sheet but most importantly it made $58 million profit for that year. Peter V’landys the ARL chairman is an accountant and had transformed the NRL’s finances since he took over in 2017. Rugby Australia had net assets of -$12 million and lost $9 million I think. Those events you listed at the end will boost RA finances, but they are one time events, they’re not gonna make RA profitable every year. Does RA start to lose money again in 2028? It’s plausible. By 2037 for the next Aussie lions tour I think it’s possible to think that RA will be back insolvent whilst the NRL will be a multi billion dollar organisation. The ‘travelling the globe’ argument is all well and good but it doesn’t pay the bills, Union has lost in Australia,NRL/AFL expansion into each others states will affect Union the most, AFL has taken over traditional Union communities in Sydney/brisbane, NRL expansion in Melbourne/perth will target Pacific Islander/kiwi communities. Australia is too small a market for everyone to have their share.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

@@HURLINGHQ-oz2yv yeah mate, good point, one moment could change that dynamic-like a Grand Slam repeat!!!!

[@HURLINGHQ-oz2yv]

@@ClutchRugbyXV get the Saudis involved your best bet.

[@danieleyre8913]

@@HURLINGHQ-oz2yv If the NRL has so much in net assets then why has the NSW taxpayer handed them out fancy stadia? Hmm? And that V’Landys greaseball didn’t take over until the COVID pandemic, pushing out the Jewish guy running it prior (sorry forgotten his name) because V’Landys would flaunt lockdown regulations. Like you’d expect of a crook from the racing industry. We’ll see how well the NRL is really doing in years to come when it all comes out in the wash…

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

@@HURLINGHQ-oz2yv 💰💰💰

[@MrRoseag]

Rugby’s nursery is limited to private schools. ARU spend nothing (comparatively) to the other codes on junior development thinking all their elites from schools will go forward into Super Rugby franchises. However NRL have a significant portion of these players all tied up by the time they reach First XV level. There are a massive amount of private schoolboys in the NRL. When you add that to the State School system which is all Rugby League ~ it is a no brainer why the NRL succeeds.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

quite surprising at the number of 1st XV who jump codes

[@jasonh7085]

@@ClutchRugbyXVa lot of them start of playing league as juniors, get offered scholarships to play union in the private school system for a few years, and go back to league once they leave school. Not saying that’s all of them, far from it, but it happens on a pretty regular basis

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

@@jasonh7085 yup

[@jesfel14]

Compound the issue with the likes of AFL, NRL, Cricket, Soccer and Basketball fighting for Talent in the Australian sporting Market with unique draw cards and ARU Position looks a lot worse than feared.

[@DeftPol]

Coming back to this after the Wallabies are 2 wins into their “Grand Slam Tour” and actually playing some pretty good footy. Absolutely can’t believe the win against England for starters, but they put on a clinic against Wales. Still 2 games to go and Ireland especially will be tough, but perhaps we’re all writing them off a bit too early? Schmidt turned Ireland into a force and it is certainly looking like his efforts with Australia are actually starting to bear some fruit.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

Yeah mate, history of the moment is too big to lose besides, Ireland are not in a good spot at the moment! You heard it here first ps I hope you’re subscribed

[@murtog1]

super rugby, although glamorous at the beginning, essentially created a second first grade tier along with the Shute Shield, which I assume is considered first grade as well, while super rugby promptly got pimped out for Murdoch to lock down with subscriptions.

[@PoppinC-l3w]

New Zealand needs a second Rugby League team. Perhaps including PNG and even Western Australia, the NRL should create a Northern and Southern Conference. One NZ plays North and another South. Or they could do a two-tier pyramid instead.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

The N v S conf, would be a blast, I still can’t fathom how Auckland has become a league town!

[@murielpainter4839]

New Zealander here, All Blacks supporter, and I'm so sorry to see Australian RU in such trouble. I recall the days when the Bledisloe Cup was a real contest, it's sad to see the once-mighty Wallabies adrift.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

Hi @mp , I still see the Wallabies are on to something here...British Isles Tour, can they do a 1984?

[@danieleyre8913]

@@murielpainter4839 I’m a Kiwi and I played rugby when I was younger and did some coaching for my club. And I couldn’t care either way about the Wallabies and Australian rugby. Yeah they were good opponents until about 15 years ago. Long time ago now. Their rugby Union made its own bed with their trash decisions. And after enjoying Nz welfare in the 1970s and early 80s; they wasted no time in stabbing our backs over hosting the World Cup in 2003. We don’t need them we still have our true rivals in South Africa and the rising European game.

[@Charlie-p7r7n]

Sorry mate rugby is gone here and the lions tour or WC will not save it. I will be wearing my lions jersey can’t wait to see the wallabies get pumped. I have turned to my heritage and away from my country in union. I don’t follow losers. The Australian cricket team has never let me down, I will always support them. And the win in India for the WC made everyone forget about Union here.

[@JL-so9hi]

Rugby has been a 3rd/4th tier sport here for a while now. It’s competing with NRL, AFL and Soccer. Rugby in Australia will generate interest but you won’t find much of the population that are passionate about it.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

cant forget the NBL either

[@carpusbarsum]

Even in the glory days say 2003, the NRL was huge - it just hadn't got the recognition it does now in the wider rugby community.

[@wattawatta1747]

there's a combination of things, firstly ARU don't invest their money in the right areas, bandages don't fix things that are broken. secondly, if ur a 17, 18 yr old kid ur more likely to make a nrl than a super rugby team which is fair but it's put off for many kids. thirdly, the rugby league game has grown so much, the speed in which it is played at makes it so much better to watch than union and it is proven through the rule changes in union over the past couple years. lastly, there's no doubt island kids are talented in rugby and rugby league but the international rules for league make it more enticing, the chance represent both australia and ur pacific heritage makes those kids with pacific heritage choose league over union, for example, isaiya katoa talented first five currently playing nrl and for Tonga, heamasi makasini who's signed to the tigers who most likely will play for tonga. The fact that the island nations are building in the game of rugby league and the support they get from fans especially Tongans and Samoans makes the prospect of becoming an nrl player even more enticing. We've been saying this for ages if you want to grow in rugby you need to help the pacific grow they bring the excitement to the game not just the players but also the fans. i believe it will only be a couple more years till rugby in nz crashes as well because there are more and more kids getting picked up in nz to play nrl also because of the point i just made, ik of probably at least 20 kids who have been picked up from nz who were some of the best 1st XV players who are now currently signed with nrl clubs mostly because of the growth of the game within the pacific community. it speaks volumes as the pacific were once staunch rugby union supports now most tongans and samoans are fans of rugby league because of what it has done for our island nations. people may not see why that matters but when your family and community are parading around aus and nz over their island nations it makes you want to play that sport. but in saying this as a proud Tongan and league fan i ain't complaining keep doing u ARU, NZRU and IRU cause the more you stuff up the better it is for the great game of rugby league and our pacific nations .

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

Hey Toko👍, dont be sayin that bout rugby bro🙏

[@wattawatta1747]

@@ClutchRugbyXV saying what? I only stated facts look how shi Aus and Nz r rn if y'all really wanted to maintain/sustain rugby y'all should've invested in the pacific and not really on SA to stay in super rugby. if the island nations were developed and able to compete with NZ and AUS both internationally and at super rugby level the game would grow in AUS and it would help NZ to sustain their dominance internationally. NZ and AUS has always looked to the northern hemisphere for answers when the answers has been right in front of them the whole time

[@chrisstevenson-kuylaars7684]

The argument that Aussie Union is not working hard at grass roots is valid. But trying to say rugby U is not exciting enough is stupid. League struggles every where else in the world. League WC's somwtime get cancelled for lack of support. Aussies just like winners, which they do evey time at League. Just like the US with NFL

[@DeftPol]

The argument that Union fails because it’s not exciting enough is indeed stupid, and so is the argument that this is why Rugby League has international challenges. League has handicapped by a century of suppression in England, France, South Africa and many other places where Union elites held sway. Indeed, in France the Vichy regime took extreme measures to actively suppress League. No such measures were ever taken in Australia against Union. Also, the idea that Americans follow the NFL “because they like winners” is similarly idiotic. If you’d ever lived there and know their history, you’d understand that American Football’s own history is rich and very deep rooted in what remains the most profitable mass market in the world. For all the talk of how “global” rugby is, you could bundle all the domestic Rugby Union competitions, including Super Rugby and all internationals and the money it generates still barely touches the sides of the NFL. The last NFL TV rights deal was worth US$110 BILLION over 11 years. On a per game basis and on a gross basis, nothing comes remotely close to them.

[@untoxicconservative3763]

For roughly a century, English RL clubs wasted resources on Welsh RU players. League in England is not in great shape. In the early noughties, ARU wasted resources on NRL players. Union in Oz is not in great shape. Prima facie proof that relevance derived from a rival sport is fool's gold.

[@galinor7]

IMG funding is good. Many clubs are getting their best crowds in decades. Wigan are the World club champions. TV viewership is good and on the whole attendance at stadia is fractionally better than in Union in England. Yea Rugby League is a mess in England, isn't it?

[@untoxicconservative3763]

@@galinor7 Quite a leap from "not in great shape" to "a mess". Commercially, SL has fallen ever further behind NRL over the past 25 years. The most recent Sky TV deal is reportedly worth 30% less. What we do have, and have always had, is resilience. As a Swinton fan since 1980, I can vouch for that.

[@morteneilert038]

@@untoxicconservative3763 Us swinton fans have it rough...

[@untoxicconservative3763]

@@morteneilert038 Where there's hope, there's life. Take me home Station Road.

[@insertnamehere5809]

The ARU never bothered to expand beyond their old school tie base & with that talent pool shrinking because of demographic reasons (because of the big increase of Asian & Indian students in these private schools who have no interest in Rugby) they've withered on the vine.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

got any solutions/ideas

[@danieleyre8913]

@@insertnamehere5809 The heart of Australian rugby is rural Queensland, not Sydney ponce schools.

[@Natedawg38]

Its crazy that oz has won 2 world cups and is now on its knees. Im not sure joe schmidt can save this one like he did with Ireland. Could be a very whitewash lions tour.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

hey @Ndawg, howzit goin....here's hopin Joe can come up with the goods

[@voidler]

Your more or less covered it but Rugby grassroots is dogshit. Its a high school game here at best and then Rugby Australia wants to claim those players as their athletes when those players play league every weekend and have been doing so since they were 4-5 years old This isnt new either, its always been this way. NRLs wallet has just grown enough that Union cant poach talent anymore It wont get better either as league is heavily pushing those private schools to jump to league and i expect they will achieve that in the next 20 odd years with the way things are going. That will be the death of union here

[@Shad0w5carab]

The biggest problem is accessibility, both to playing the game and viewing the game. Rugby hasn’t been on free to air tv for years, the only people that watch it are dedicated rugby fans, the NRL has completely left rugby behind in that regard. As for access to playing the sport after a certain age it is mostly limited to private schools, they miss out on waves of talent that the NRL are tapped into just because the players don’t attend a select few incredibly expensive and exclusive private schools. League also has Oztag which has a massive player base and is far more accessible than full contact rugby, especially for women. All of this is to say that getting into NRL is easier than ever at a time that getting into Rugby is harder than ever. The ARU’s arrogance and refusal to acknowledge these facts is why none of it has changed in the last couple of decades it’s been happening for.

[@neatbeat1344]

Rugby ruined rugby - Continual addition of technical game stopping rules Games can be won by penalty goals - no try's Rugby has been locked behind a pay TV wall for about 20 years No connection to the community

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

Yeah the paywall is quite ugly

[@PoppinC-l3w]

Australian Football and Rugby League are the two most popular spectator sports in Australia. There's just not as much room and interest for Rugby Union like before. It's still moderately popular like Soccer and Basketball though. RU was never meant to be a spectator sport to begin with. It will always be a sport created for amateur sensibilities.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

the issue with the amateur angle is all the good players would have crossed over, don’t you think?

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

you need to watch our other Aust Rugby vid, we talk about some of the same issues from this vid, and please subscribe while you’re at it, it helps a new channel like Clutch

[@mitchellpintaric2336]

It's so funny how other countries get hyped up beating the Wallabies. If we had our NRL players we would be dominating.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

possibly….

[@DeftPol]

I’ve often wondered what Australia would look like if there was never the big split in Rugby and the AFL didn’t exist. If Rugby was by far and away the National game the wallabies (although they’d have been the Kangaroos if the split didn’t happen - the ‘Wallabies’ was chosen quickly by RU to copy league after they called their team the Kangaroos) would absolutely be a much more consistent force. Whether they’d completely dominant I don’t know, but I often thing of how useful all the tall AFL players would be.

[@FORTISIAKING]

It's interesting because I'm from Melbourne and rugby league went successful down here where as rugby union Had no chance. I believe union failed because sponsors don't really see any point in dumping money into teams. Where as Melbourne storm have been successful for 20 years now! Melbourne rebels on the other hand well they never really recruited any talented players that had a chance of winning super rugby competition. The grass roots is a problem here. Most fields are either cricket, Aussie rules or soccer. You will be lucky to find a rugby field in Melbourne.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

interesting to note, but as Rugby fans, a sad story…Melbourne Storm do have a strong history, but Melbourne Rebels kinda don’t got it….common factor dual international Marika Koroibete PS Melbourne is an awesome city🔥

[@I_hate_Vegemite]

Lots of Rugby fields in Adelaide (obviously a small fraction of the number of Australian Football ovals or soccer pitches) but I regularly drive past many amateur and private school games, but good luck trying to find a game of Rugby League here (Hidden away St Marys Oval I think is it).

[@Wolf-hh4rv]

SA here. The Aussie schools and U20 are normally good. Dunno? The Force story tells you a lot ! Maybe they should IQ test management.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

Greetings South Australia, thanks for validating our Western Force story. IQ test lol, sounds kinda right. 👍

[@lewisbrown7206]

Rugby will be back, the lions Tour next year and world cup in 2027 will pump some life back into it

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

Yup!

[@chesterdonnelly1212]

Yes all that is needed is for the Wallabies to be good.

[@jimmydella7233]

The lions tour and world cup will be a sugar hit for union and then back to obscurity after both events. Unless they can fix up the issues domestically (grass root engagement, super rugby etc) the sport will continue to decline here and given the sport administration reeks of an old boys club I doubt they'll achieve anything.

[@Charlie-p7r7n]

As an Australian I am wearing my heritage jersey (the British and Irish lions) there is no way I am putting on that gold piece of crap again. The wallabies are going to get pumped, enjoy the game mate 😅

[@JWLearning]

Correction - they've lost to Fiji twice before 2023, way back in the 50's.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

noted

[@jonathanchurchill3191]

I have been telling people for years that ARU needed to create a club style comp equivilant to the NRL more than 30 years ago. They didn't do this because their own arrogance thought that what had worked in the past will continue to work now and into the future. Which not only shows arrogance but stupidity at a very high level. The rich private schools that normally provide the bulk of the players that will hopefully for the Wallabies. The problem is that a lot of these schools have kids who play union for the school but league for a club side and when the opportunites don't happen in union that turn their back on the sport because they feel like their sport turn their back on them. Also, the world governing body of rugby union have gone stupidly overrboard with the idea of protecting players from concussion. I am all for protecting players welfare but the governing body fails to take into consideration the fact that it is a contact sport and sometimes accidents happen but players don't need to be yellow or red carded for accidental head contact due to a loss of footing milliseconds from the time of contact

[@BoganDoleBludger]

Don't blame Rugby League. Blame Raygun. Everyone here in Australia wants to take on breakdancing. Be warned Americans. BTW Up to the Rabbits. 🐰👍

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

South Sydney in the house?.....thank you for fulfilling the Random South Sydney Rabbitohs sighting of the day 🔴🟢 and please subscribe to Clutch

[@Stillcantthinkofaname]

Yup so many people ready to breakdance in their cricket uniform for Helloween🦘

[@vanrensburgarchitecturebim1641]

NZ done hitched their rugby cart on the wrong horse....and Oz in turn believes NZ rugby is their only hope for saving union in Oz. Talk about a toxic cycle of self destruction: Oz dragging Nz down, yet Nz having to save Oz from drowning.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

tricky situ ya got there bro

[@danieleyre8913]

@@vanrensburgarchitecturebim1641 Absolutely. I so wish the NZRU would face reality, cancel super rugby and just go back to the inter-provincial competition. It wouldn’t be as good as the super rugby of old with South African, but it would be better than the status quo. Australian rugby sucks and is run by clowns, let them suffer their own incompetence.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

you gotta watch our URC vid

[@spade6240]

Worth noting aswell that touch football which is NRL linked has 700,000 participants in Australia while Oztag is also very popular and is another variety of rugby league

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

Noted👍

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

700,000 amazing!

[@MusiCatsKing]

The two reasons I have zero interest is NRL is more free-flowing while rugby union has too much stop-start for my liking. The other thing is we never win anyway. Even in finals when we've had the kiwis on the ropes they still come back and beat us. The kiwis are basically invincible, so what's the point?! Maybe if they weren't allowed to intimidate the opposition with their haka, it might make it a somewhat fairer, but I doubt it would enough of a difference. In my 40-odd years, I've known 2 people who follow it at all, and 1 of whom really enjoys it.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

anytime mate✊

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

Bruh, ya got me thinkin mate, I'm really curious.....and the other guy???

[@danieleyre8913]

I can’t stand rugby league in general. I find the game tedious & low-dimensional and much of its trash support base repulses me (and I’m a working class kiwi background, state school educated, etc). I hate all the tacky merchandising, the association with sports gambling, the whole “big fish small pond” attitudes of its thug player base, it’s inferiority complex, etc. But the NRL does appear to have bounced back from the pandemic to a position of strength. While Union in Australian seems to be in terminal decline. Is this success of the NRL all smoke and mirrors? Is it actually sustainable growth, and not just setting itself up for another big crash? I don’t know, and frankly I’m not really that interested enough in that sport. But Union in Australia is back to sliding into minor sport status, like it was back in the early 1970’s. Being a New Zealander; I never really cared that much about Union in Australia myself. But if you do care about Rugby Union in Australia; then you need to do something about the ARU and their general incompetence.

[@arieldarak4715]

@@danieleyre8913🗣️word

[@danieleyre8913]

@@MusiCatsKing How is NRL “free flowing” when the game stops every time a player gates tackled?

[@craigkolstad983]

Rugby is dead and buried in Australia. The ARU need to acknowledge that they killed it themselves when they sold out to FOX Sports and stopped free to air broadcasts of the super rugby series. I used to be a keen fan, attending games, even traveling to NZ to watch a Brumbies v Chiefs game. I watched the games each week on TV and looked forward eagerly to Internationals like the Bledisloe Cup. Now? I couldn't name a single rugby player. It is simply because I can't watch it on TV. The ARU banked a big payday when they sold out but they also signed rugby's death warrant on the same day.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

Bruh you flew ✈️, now that’s a fan!!….you need to be a subscriber to Clutch

[@jeffbetts9420]

@@craigkolstad983 Can't remember when there was much rugby live on TV in OZ. I had to watch NRL to get my footy fix and have watched every state of origin since 1983. Happily paid my Fox sub and apart from SOO never watched NRL since. Might surprise many people but I still find league monotonous and one dimensional. I find I am now also tiring of SOO and all that hype. Once Nine decides to dump Stan we will all have to take a good hard look at ourselves. In the meantime I will delude myself into thinking Rugby will take off in the US. As with soccer, women's rugby is doing great but challenging NFL is never going to be a starter. But things are happening in South America and that could impact the US. We live in hope.

[@aup10]

Let's be honest, NRL is just a better product to watch. That's the simple answer.

[@mathewkirk1748]

World Rugby and its elitism, constant stop/start, often-indecipherable rules, and politics ruined it for all unions. The product itself has deprecated so much it makes it impossible for the unions to do anything with it. The NRL does have the luxury of being well-insulated, agile, and capable of calling their own shots, but they have fully maximised their situation.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

I disagree with most you say here, but your last sentence, is very true. NRL did maximize the situation✅

[@robvandenheuvel128]

Rugby across the world is strong when Australia and New Zealand rugby are strong. I believe it’s past time that World Rugby steps in, bring an end to Bill’s disastrous tenure.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

@@robvandenheuvel128 yeah Bill should get some new folk in!

[@danieleyre8913]

@@robvandenheuvel128 Why is Australia any determiner if world rugby is strong?

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

@@robvandenheuvel128 some folk would vote Rassie in should he stand

[@misteryhs]

What you say was the truth in the early 2000s. Now that rugby professionalised for 30 years. We have slowly found our way here in Europe, South Africa, Argentina and Japan. Aus and to less extend NZL must accepted that the demographics of rugby has changed a bit. Rest of the world are catching up.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

@@misteryhs yup

[@mwilkins1644]

The ARU has tried to stamp out League since 1908. Its getting its just reward for over a century of elitism and snob behaviour.

[@struandickson9082]

Club League > Club Union International League < International Union Can’t see that changing anytime soon.

[@JAMROCK360]

As an NRL fan,i always looking forward to watch the Bledislo Cup every year..last time i watch the Bledislo Cup were 20years ago when the Wallabies Empire started crumbling😢

[@vvwalker7261]

10:50 it isn't the "men's" RWC, it is just the RWC. Men can't play in the women's RWC, for obvious reasons, anyone can play in the RWC

[@chesterdonnelly1212]

True but World Rugby likes to name everything men's or women's

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

ok, next time!

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

thanks mate!👍

[@7884golfguru]

Unfortunately union ,has to compete,against AFL,League,Soccer,Cricket,now there’s some serious talent there,Rugby miss out on all those wonderful players from these codes,don’t worry The Aussie will be back ,peace from a kiwi living in OZ

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

peace bruh

[@retroray58warby98]

Rugby Union matches are dominated by referees and pedantic, archaic rules. If that’s your thing, enjoy.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

thats why they called England 2003 "Dads Army" ....then they won Bill

[@chesterdonnelly1212]

Well only Australia and PNG prefer the NRL. Every other country prefers union. So there's nothing wrong with union and everything wrong with Australia.

[@retroray58warby98]

@@chesterdonnelly1212 - I don’t care if you prefer union over league. One of my best mates loves the game I love giving him shit over the woeful Wallabies and the woeful Waratahs, lol.

[@rightmunted7538]

​@retroray58warby98 then why did you try to say league is better? I mean if you like the soccer version of rugby with downs and sissy scrums, that's all you.

[@retroray58warby98]

@@rightmunted7538 - “Downs”? It’s just a subjective opinion mate. If you enjoy scrums that are continually collapsed and/or penalised for some reason only known to the referee, an advantage rule that goes on forever, three point penalties, players penalised for knocking the ball on when going for an intercept then enjoy. There’s room for both games, you go off and enjoy union and I’ll go off and enjoy league.

[@sherk-1234]

i am from Australia and their is no grass roots for rugby union pretty most every rural or country town have a rugby league team that is juniors and seniors and some times the whole town will go to watch a rugby league game while rugby union is different like their is sometimes a small town that has a rugby union team but most of the time its just seniors not juniors and even when you get to the city or near the cost there is rugby union junior and senior teams but kids are more likely to play league but most kids that play rugby union in Australia go to posh private schools and also kids watch the NRL more because it is on the main channel of channel 9 and fox sports but super rugby is on 9 gem or 9 go which is still under channel 9 but people are not going to watch those channels and like you said most kids in Australia can name most NRL players but not a single rugby union player but rugby league has always been bigger than rugby union in Australia.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

hey @sherk we appreciate the lov bruver!

[@tigerwarsaw99]

NSW Waratahs get shitty crowds these days, they use to pack out the SFS back in the day. Not because thier fans now attend League. The beast that is the AFL has taken over the snobby east and lower north shore.

[@carisi2k11]

Rugby Union is such a niche and small market. The ARU lost the plot when they started going after NRL players and getting involved in the super rugby way back when they should have just continued to focus on the club game in NSW and QLD. But mainly they need to get out of the Super Rugby system.

[@jeremygziji9186]

i remember as a kid i played for Cabramatta team the cost to register and playing kit was $2

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

had a Fijian friend from Cabramatta, his elder brother was a World Rated lightweight🥊

[@pixelpotato4874]

What I don't understand is where your School Boy Wallabies go? They've been competitive over here in NZ and some standout players don't seem to make that transition to Super Rugby...I mean some Wallabies Schoolboys e.g Joseph Suali'i ,Will Penisini,Angus Chricton.... although I think Suaali'i is going back to Union.

[@danieleyre8913]

@@pixelpotato4874 They get poached by rugby league. This has been the case for at least the last 90 years now.

[@Charlie-p7r7n]

They go to league the money is better or they loose interest and start a real job

[@danieleyre8913]

@@Charlie-p7r7n There will be an awful many losing interest when network offers for broadcasting deals in 2027 are a fraction of the old deal.

[@RLuke103]

This was great but you should work on your sound mixing. The background music is too loud/your voice is too quiet. The two clashed throughout and it was hard to hear what you were saying at times.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

will look into it🤔, thanks for watching 👍

[@jnic2165]

The same thing is happening in NZ, let's hope that in a decades time you're not making a video called " how the NRL ruined rugby in NZ "

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

agreed....and please subscribe to Clutch!

[@nkosingiphilemthembu5786]

Super Rugby must be brought back for southern region to be FULLY DOMINANCE AGAIN

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

Thanks for watching bro, you gotta watch our URC vid, and also pls subscribe to Clutch

[@VelvetRiot-hz5mp]

The ARU refused to budge in 1907. Serves them right. Both rugby and NRL are only watched north of Canberra and east of Broken Hill. Both niche sports from a pocket of Australia. We have ice hockey and 'real' tennis too.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

Ice Hockey…seriously💪

[@MarkJoseph-r3l]

No leave NRL alone AR is to blame noone else

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

AR did make mistakes...and thanks for watching👍

[@CatDarkin]

This foreigner has no idea about Australia

[@g_rec_attempt6782]

I feel like the US MLR should keep a close eye on the NRLs development.

[@jnic2165]

@g_rec_attempt6782 why ?

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

like to hear your reasons(and appreciate your view)👍,please sub to Clutch Rugby

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

ditto

[@wereer1]

Whats happened to the Wallabies? Growing up in the 90s they were the bench mark. What was different back thwn to now and how has it come to this?

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

🤔

[@munttube2647]

A big problem with rugby is that when the play stops for a scrum, it is completely normal to spend 2.5 minutes resetting those scrums, only to end in a penalty (which the crowd doesn't understand as they can't really see what caused the penalty), meaning there is either more stoppage as the kicker goes for 3 points, or the ball is kicked out and there is more stoppage setting up the line out. It doesn't make for a great spectator sport. In a crowded sporting market like Australia, it just doesn't cut it. The rules need to change to get more ball in play. But the powers that be are so afraid they will be accused of turning the game in to league, they don't do what needs doing.

[@Narapoia1]

How do you change it and keep the scrums a contest or without fundamentally reducing the accessibility of the game? Yes league is faster, but it's also far simpler, with no set pieces. Some of the Union set pieces take time and there are new rules to try and speed up the scrum in particular but I can't see how to change them without changing the fundamentals of the game. I think maybe some better communication around the reasons for scrum penalties would be better as the rules there seem to change frequently and it's very often not clear why penalties are awarded. I think stopping the clock if a scrum is reset is also a good idea, so at least we don't lose match time to resetting of the scrum when it is necessary.

[@munttube2647]

@@Narapoia1 I don't think stopping the clock is a good idea as it still means spectators have to sit through what seems like endless scrum resets. I would like to see the only penalty for scrum infringement being tap and go. It would at least give the crowd something to get excited about after 2.5 minutes of failed scrums. Yes, NRL is actually a boring , repetitive game, but bottom line is people like watching running rugby.

[@Narapoia1]

@@munttube2647 It's hard to justify taking away a team's ability to capitalise on scrum dominance that way though. I've watched a lot of rugby this year and refs are far more likely to penalise teams now that reset the scrums, often that means less time resetting and more time with the ball in play and there are time limits for formation of the scrums. What irks me is that if the scrum does collapse we waste game resetting. There has definitely been a recognition that audiences don't want to spend time on resetting.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

tap and go is actually is a great idea

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

stop 🕔 ✅

[@NoVigilance]

Rugby AU has developed the unfortunate habit in recent years of shooting itself in the foot. Notwithstanding that they've stated they have no interest in recruiting people from Public Schools, and only want those from the elite Private Schools. The Folau affair, stuck in the past on old glories(why else hire Eddie Jones, whom has proven in the last decade or so he's not a good coach anymore), and there's also the Dumping of the Western Force in favour of the Melbourne Rebels, whom themselves went Belly Up, while the Force was still Solvent. So while Rugby AU keep blundering, the NRL is taking those frustrated fans and keeping them because they can guarantee a solid administration with a team that can guarantee something to keep their interest, instead of plodding, slow defensive play from people who seem disinterested at best, bored at worst.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

particularly the Melbourne over Perth thing is unkool, yeah

[@tonysambar]

Rugby ruined itself- unwatchable.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

at least give one reason and also pls subscribe to Clutch bro

[@DrayDrayn]

If there was no NRL. All Blacks and Wallabies would be permanent top 3 in the world.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

it’s almost like that anyways….

[@phoarey]

White Aussie mums at least in affluent suburbs aren’t keen on their boys playing either rugby due to the risk of life changing/ ending injuries. Based on what I recall from the 90s and now in Chapel Hill not far from Lang Park. Union with real scrums is as most dangerous. Proof is the islander proportion of players in both codes.

[@icmull]

I grew up with union. Got sick of penalty ball. I prefer to see tries.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

Yes mate! we all do!

[@Brendanvio]

It’s a two prong problem. The first is the paywall. The ARU’s short-sighted decision to put rugby behind a paywall doomed a whole generation of not seeing it. This a natural loss of interest. Cricket is going to face this very same problem if it isn’t facing it already. The second is class and elitism. I’m from NSW, and I can say with great certainty that the majority of the state views Rugby as a private school sport. Thus it is closed off to the majority of working to middle class families who instead became enamoured with rugby league (In Victoria and the west, it’s rival is the AFL). I grew up in Sydney’s south Rugby is pretty much held in contempt as a rich boy’s game. This may not necessarily be true, but that’s the common perception. Without grassroots appeal, and easier access to watch it, union is dying in this country, if it hasn’t already

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

Redfern

[@stewartdavies929]

Super rugby ruined Australian rugby by diluting the player pool. The fact it was only available behind a pay wall didn’t help. This guy seemed to have no idea when talking about Australian League or Union. You can tell by the some of the players he lists among other inaccuracies.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

diluting player pool yes, the rest, nah mate

[@freetimefoster]

Campese = great player, terrible insights on the game

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

I do admit, he seems grumpy lately

[@freetimefoster]

@ClutchRugbyXV Campese is a textbook example of Aussie and Kiwi commentators that seem to be fixated on game speed because of the NRL threat. There's also an outdated view of the northern hemisphere game being slow and set piece dominated. You've highlighted a lot of the issues in this video, exclusivity, games behind a paywall, lack of grass roots focus, player access/personalities and the gameday experience

[@majorwebprojects1412]

Australia Rugby is ruined by that they can't decide whether to follow the Rugby League or Union.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

hmmm🤔

[@LuisNunes-ps4sl]

Someone explain to me why Rugby organizations always want to model themselves on American football when soccer is the number 1 sport worldwide, the number 1 sport in most of their markets and by far the best and most successful club competition is the French Top 14, which has a soccer like structure, with promotion/relegation and pro clubs that do player development from early age themselves?

[@misteryhs]

Now with the 3 clubs in England is coming back next season. And development in Japan is growing steadily. It's easy to understand that financial success comes with commercial leagues. What Australian need to do is to put those Shute shield and QPR clubs in premises. Those clubs are the grassroots, the community. Not some hypocrisy franchises not one ever care.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

you can only have promotion relegation when you have 2 or 3 tiers (1st division,2nd division etc, not necessarily a soccer thing, but then again thats one of the strength of French rugby-top 14, ProD2...) on the other hand which league just went to play in Las Vegas.....hint-not rugby😜

[@LuisNunes-ps4sl]

@@ClutchRugbyXV Still, the NFL has been a bust everywhere but the states. FIFA are a bunch of corrupt old sleazebags, but they do have a proven track record of growing a sport. They may own the USA in a generation. Rugby keeps treading water...

[@danieleyre8913]

@@LuisNunes-ps4sl I agree it’s dumb, it only works in the USA due to lack of other options.

[@LuisNunes-ps4sl]

@@danieleyre8913 🎯🎯 Bullseye. It's probably old men protecting legacy clubs at the expense of growing the game, that's the real pernicious legacy of amateurism in Rugby, no other.

[@thetentmedia665]

As a league fan, to me union comes of as messy and unstructured

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

controlled chaos

[@3minutebooks]

Rugby has self destructed

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

things are not that bad…

[@mitchellsmith300]

11:10 Rugby league is actually also being introduced

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

Olympics?

[@mitchellsmith300]

@@ClutchRugbyXV Yep, it's being considered for Brisbane

[@apnira10]

League is a better TV product, it is better administered, it is bigger. Probably been ever thus. Rugby Australia pissed away $10m’s on league players that could have been invested in grass roots (clubs, coaches, community).

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

correct, please sub to Clutch

[@fulkyallgloogluee1834]

Rugby union is the rich prick version of NRL formed in the UK by private schools that basically outlawed the ordinary middle class and poor from playing creating the origins of NRL before it migrated to Australia. Here it's the same where basically only the rich can afford to play from private schools. It's basically the same game but in many ways just worse than NRL.

[@Dkouts]

There are some positive signs under Joe Schmidt at least

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

✅✅✅✅ and looking forward to the Grand Slam upcoming

[@frankjones2886]

Union has always played second fiddle to the Rugby League. Better than watching AFL but only just.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

thanks for watching Clutch, please help the channel and subscribe ✅

[@luakaleopa2768]

All blacks ruin rugby in Australia kept beating the Aussie and players turned to NRL

[@bobbyoljaca2929]

Nothing to do with that ,,access to union here is only for the wealthy while rugby league is in every school and area

[@warrenturner397]

The Wobblies have been complete crap since the likes of John Eales etc etc retired nearly 25 years ago.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

Wobblies, never heard that one before

[@jeremyreid9582]

Nic White is recruiting any player for amateur dramatics.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

😅

[@jeffbetts9420]

Be interesting to look at the scene in 20 years. Union in Europe is going gang busters. Certainly not plain sailing but apparently the TV viewers in Ireland for the Leinster Munster game were off the charts and rugby is regarded 4th in Ireland. France has 3 professional divisions doing pretty well and it aint the top sport. Japan is gaining momentum as are Spain, Chile, Brazil, Argentina etc. The US is a hard nut to crack for both League and Union but I believe union has the edge there. No need for union die-hards to get depressed. Majority of people world wide far prefer Union. Union will still be around in 20 years time, and thriving. May not be the major sport in OZ, but who cares?

[@danieleyre8913]

@@jeffbetts9420 Oh yeah. As a kiwi, it’s hilarious seeing these Aussie loig fans and their idea that the sport of rugby union is dependent upon them being a part of it. Rugby was doing fine in the world before we in NZ helped prop up the game in their country. We don’t need them, the ‘boks and the rest are still there. We can just put the Bledisloe cup away in the cupboard until the day their rugby union can get it together again.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

@JB thanks for watching Clutch, you might wanna check out our vids on Japan Rugby, the URC, and our other NRL/RA vid, you might as well subscribe🙏

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

cant put the Bledisloe away bro....

[@DabDabGoose]

I think the issue that union fans can see though is the money in NRL is growing faster then any union league and eventually it will have the funds to take unions best talent, many Clubs in the NRL could do it now as they have higher revenues than even the biggest clubs in France, but the Salary cap keeps them in check for now.

[@danieleyre8913]

@@DabDabGoose But how has it grown when its market remains the same one in those same two states of Australia? If it had made inroads into a big market such as (hypothetically) the UK, the yeah it might make sense. But it’s just the same people as always. I’m not one for wishful thinking; but I strongly suspect that NRL’s finances are all smoke & mirrors. That oily little man they got from horse racing to run their game has low integrity even by their standards. Why did they need the NSW government to pay for their stadia?

[@darrenwilliams4938]

Ah yes, the sad old wallabies - the ‘abandoned children’ of Australian sport.

[@thomasrodwell563]

As it stands, rugby league is a vastly superior television product - it's faster, with more ball in play time and less technical rubbish. Rugby union need to liven up the game with faster scrum times and less penalties if they want to win back Australian fans.

[@struandickson9082]

Rugby union is so much bigger than league across the globe so clearly the people are still enjoying the game. NRL is closer to the American sports leagues than European. It’s widely accepted that State of Origin and the NRL is the pinnacle of rugby league, where the international game is quite underwhelming. Where Union is much the opposite. If you want to be known in Australia play league. If you want to be known in more than one country play Union.

[@chesterdonnelly1212]

No, rugby union is fine. No one outside of Australia likes rugby league.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

Union is a global game

[@thomasrodwell563]

@@ClutchRugbyXV I'm not saying Union isn't a great game. I've always played union and traditionally preferred to watch it but the way in which the game has been refereed of late as well as the increasingly slow pace of the game (introduction of TMO with excessive review times, etc.) have alienated me and many other Australians away from Union and towards League. If Union want to win back Australian fans, they need to make some changes (they can start by abolishing scrum penalties).

[@Ponga.wrld1]

Nrl is just way more popular in Australia (no hate rugby fans

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

its kool @BroncoYT ....but nah mate, its Rugby hands down

[@tonymarsh8436]

Nope. Australian Rugby ruined Australian Rugby.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

Tryna argue with you on this one, but I got nuthin mate🙃.Heres hopin’✊and please sub

[@JamieHalbert-me1os]

Nrl players will help wallabies

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

tru

[@Trajan2401]

League is worse off in NZ only 19k players yet they have been very competitive against Australia in the last decade probably wouldve won the last world cup if it was a neutral ref they only lost by 2 and they thrashed Australia in the last game so no real excuses

[@PatrickCuba8]

This is misleading NRL has always been more attractive to Australians; the fact that they win back to back world cups is due to no one else in the world taking League seriously;

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

is attractive, maybe, but yeah mate, not too much by way of numbers, off hand RL WC has 16 teams(???) indicative of the small niche it takes up. Case in point Fiji Bati has reached the semifinals of the last 3 RL World Cups!!!! Rugby League doesn’t even qualify to be a minority sport in Fiji, like you rightly pointed out, no one else in the world takes League seriously apart from a handful

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

and please subscribe to Clutch , it would help the channel🙏

[@DeftPol]

But do you know why other traditionally Union countries don’t have rugby league competitions of similar status? It’s an ugly history…

[@atlantisradiotv1228]

Union is finished in OZ and already NZ in crumbling

[@russe19642]

Aru need to get it into state schools,end of argument

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

totally agree, but how we gonna get it done? thanks for watching and please sub to Clutch

[@russe19642]

@ClutchRugbyXV talk to the schools be a Start

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

sounds like good money there!

[@Stormer-Europa]

Only South Africa and France have done anything to strengthen the game. Just look a the history SA have had in the development of rugby in Argentina since the 60's. South Africa has expanded their player base and demographics. France by developing their lower levels. The others, lead by the the inept and contemptable Bill Beaumont & Co, have gone down the VC parasite root, others such as ARU showed complete disregard for their traditional structures and thought they could just worship at the feet of the multicultural gods and campaign for never ending rule changes.

[@danieleyre8913]

@@Stormer-Europa So New Zealand propping up Australian rugby and the pacific islands counts for nothing?

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

If Im not mistaken, The Aussies are completely funding the Fijian Drua (super rugby)

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

replace Bill with Rassie???

[@hoiley555]

Sorry I can't watch any more with the audio only coming out left side

[@Apis4]

RaRa is inferior a game in all ways to League, and in recent years, it has gotten worse, descending in to Kick Tennis. But Campesie is RIGHT, the QUALITY of the players has decreased significantly. RaRa is third tier sport here.... it is AFL and NRL and the A League is likely to overtake SuperRugby if it has not already... simple fact. This is because of class. The ARU like ALL Rugby Boards, focused on putting Rugby in the right kind of schools, for the right kind of people... folk can deny it all they want, but that is why most Private Schools in Australia, have MUCH better RaRa teams, than Public Schools, but their League teams are weak or non-existent compared to League or AFL. Same with Universities.... Rugby Union moved in to those, a century or so gone, and has stayed, almost NO Universities have any notable League footprint. This means they have a MUCH smaller pool of developing talent, and instantly alienate would be players. Not as pronounced in rural towns in Australia, but in the cities, working class people are more comfortable with a working class sport, like League, and there's not as much grass roots engagement to draw them in to RaRa. So when you have a better, faster, more exciting, physically more brutal, sport, like League, which is more accessible to more people.... AND ultimately offers a MUCH better career.... then you sabotage yourself, for a long time, by insistence on being amateur, then even once pro, you focus on ... a certain class... shall we say....then you will find it harder to recruit, definitely to do so from League, but the League teams will poach from your code more easily. Not matter what, then, you are going to have plug the gaps. If you want 15 AAA players on teams... but out of the potential pool to make that happen, you're down 6 players because they went to League... you are going to have to have some ... less talented players.. on the roster, to have a team at all. Suddenly, watching RaRa teams, at least here in Australia,... usually only when I am feelin masochistic..... you see it. Cannot step. Cannot fend. Cannot break. Cannot put the foot down... and boy... man... boy oh boy... CANNOT TACKLE. RaRa players here in Aus these days man, they look like they're playing OzTag... the way they fall off tackles, I swear. If those guys tackled the way they do all season, in just ONE NRL game, they'd be on the bench for the rest of the game, and dropped down to metro cup or some such before the end of the week. So a sport which is harder to follow, slower, less exciting, often descending in to tactical kicking fests... which for many of us, is pointless, we do not want to watch tactics like that... nuance is Crickets forte.... not a body contact football codes..... but now also has objectively less skilled players, who cannot excite, cannot carve up the field, cannot do creative passing, and fail the rudimentary skill of tackling? Um, yeah, who is going to want to watch that? Who would even want to play it? Some people... but is getting fewer and fewer. A someone who grew up watching both, but came to the realization in my teens that league was just better, in all ways, I personally do not care if RaRa dies in Australia, in fact, I am surprised it has not already. Someone should put it out of its misery.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

I read your whole paper, you might as well subscribe, and thanks for writing ✍️

[@troycorliss6626]

this has nothing to do with the NRl. union is ass. end of convo

[@sambobly]

No it didn’t. The title of this video is ridiculous

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

fair dinkum man, but what's wrong with ridiculous?

[@terencehamilton241]

No. They did it themselves.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

Yes. They did it themselves.

[@petereid8850]

ARU and the over officiating by referees.

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

but over officiating is fun (not) , thanks for watching and subscribe to Clutch‼️

[@diegosantos9752]

Nrl is just a better game to watch full stop. Rugby yawnion with its stop start rubbish and 3 point penalty goals. Id rather watch soccor

[@zachb1706]

League is so ass, it is popular because most aussies struggle in the top 2 inch’s

[@bobbyoljaca2929]

Rugby union has put themselves out to rich kids and rich area so get stuffed,people have rugby league in every area for free so all kids can play

[@ClutchRugbyXV]

yeah, nah, can’t compete with that