Is Rugby Union Officially Dead In Australia?

Sam and Walley debate the standing of rugby union in Australia after the Wallabies bombed out of the pool stage of the World Cup.

[@MattTheGinger]

I have a mate who went into marketing for Rugby Union Aus to try help them with becoming interesting again. He suggested engagement with fans and leaning into super coach, they went with NFTs. He left shortly after. The sport might recover if they make better decisions in how to get younger people interested

[@alexjack5158]

Shits pucked! Bloody idiots at the top smh

[@erwerwewerwer4575]

Rugby Administration in Australia has been horrible over the past two decades, so it's no wonder it's on the brink of extinction.

[@paulverdon4362]

I looked it up, there's more people playing rugby in Sri Lanker than in Australia

[@sammyclarke1206]

Well thats a lie, show me this data. Rugby is big in Sri Lanka but they have nowhere near as many regos as Australia.

[@paulverdon4362]

have you heard of google?@@sammyclarke1206

[@gus-qj2mp]

Thats false data, thats participation not registered players. Union has well over 300k participants in Aus but under 160k registered players.@@paulverdon4362

[@victordastile5204]

No way😂😂😂

[@CommissionerManu]

@@sammyclarke1206mate, just google it. I did, with as much doubt as you have, and he’s right. It’s both incredible and damning, but he’s right.

[@MTG776]

Remember the NRC? That was great!

[@caintindal1671]

They have to focus on getting a national competition with around 12 teams and play rugby no changing the rules to try and put fans in the seats it is about playing rugby like the rest of the world. Some of you say rugby is hard to understand and slow but it is not for everyone and it is hard to change generation of rugby league fans you may aswell keep the fans you have rather than getting more. Super Rugby is still good they need help from a National competition to grow and also to help them grow our playeres and coaches. Qld and NSW for at least 4 teams each and then 2 from Melbourne 1 from Canberra Adelaide and Western Australia.

[@2511dhall]

I am an Englishman and I do want to see Australia compete, but Union has been in decline in my opinion since 2005 as the Socceroos have been regulars in the FIFA WC.

[@user-or3ee4ix9g]

when do you think socceroos can win a soccer WC?

[@2511dhall]

@@user-or3ee4ix9g maybe in the next 20 years

[@jakeclough8090]

@@user-or3ee4ix9g300 years?

[@juanantoniogomezdelpulgarg2273]

Not in the next 50 years​@@user-or3ee4ix9g

[@mitchellsmith300]

@@user-or3ee4ix9g Socceroos a never winning a world cup. The combination of low population, not enough popularity and the incredible competitiveness of the WC means Australia will never win

[@Johny_Utah]

I think you’re right about a national comp.

[@usarugbyleagueunionfan]

I knew Michael Hooper was captain and follow Super Rugby somewhat. I find it insane that AFL fans don’t know the difference between League and Union. I love both.

[@Samizouza]

Even with newbloods at RA, they have a lot of work to do to bring back the old glory days of union, especially if they're not culling the Rebels and Force again despite the strain on depth with the NRL thriving on grassroots. The new Rugby Coaching Director is a start to sort out the obvious issues from the ground up, but still very interesting discussions here.

[@sinenhlanhlamlondo8013]

They need to drop Western Force and Melbourne Rebels

[@zig6427]

The valium induced way we play the game is not enticing for our young,but as a game in of itself the young fellas love the run and wrestle aspect,the pathetic ARU have neglected juniors and regional grassroots must be the saviour!

[@kayleesimmers]

I don't think it'll be the same as before.

[@AshMckay123]

Its sad ( and typical Aussie attitude where they givin' everything on a silver platter and still very unappreciative 😠 ) imagine if a country like Georgie ( or maybe even Argentina) won the 1991 and 1999 🏆 RWC 🏉 , hosted the 2003 RWC , competed in the Superugby tournament since its beginning, being part of the Tri-Nations (Rugby Championship) and hosts regular B&Irish Lions tours where this beautiful game and popularity would have been today in their country?

[@Will.Flavell]

Australian Rugby has declined since 2003 the year Wallabies lost the World Cup and the Bledisloe.

[@lachlangray9701]

Rugby isn’t dead at least not in Canberra everywhere I walk there are people in brumbies gear and we have a massive comp I love going to brumbies game but our stadium is so shit that’s why raiders and brumbies crowds are down

[@RockyB334]

It’s always darkest before the dawn

[@alexjack5158]

lol

[@jabra-td5zm]

ooh for MELBOURNE REBELS this week doesnt seem like its going well with every game being there this week losing 30-3 in 1st round it should b advantage australian teams being in australia in melbourne this week rebels a doing it tough more known for afl as alot didnt know bout melbourne storm in buea ryan inviews of the towns of random people level has dropped tho would have never guessed they already won 2 world cups already recent form missing out on qualifying stages is the worse thy playing more like tier 2 team nowdays anyways i wana bet in 2-3 weeks time but i will take some rugby for 15+ margins at halftimes $3-$7 *chefs vs crusaders halftime score 27-10 17+ point lead at hafltime *hurricanes vs western force hafltime score 22-0 22 point lead at halftime odds usually $3-$8 for 15+ lead halftime margin single odds always have 2 game parlay i might look at in 2-3 weeks for comps like top14,gallagher,united,usa,japanese comps with super rugby but brumbies & reds a ur only hope for australian teams to challenge nz teams it does well in other sports tho watched some tennis at times there were few that made it to quarter final & semi stages in last weeks tournement but cricket & swimmers & such but rugby on odd occassion is ok to bet on it i rarely do nowdays in 2024 looking to at halftime for everything or 2025 most definitly im still new tryin b as organized as possible & discplined not to bet so much a year or sometimes missing 1-3 years of gambling once i win enough im take 1-3 years off from gambling put into other parts of self to make more money either then gambling i am busy building other parts of me but definitly rugby in australia is better with there own comp having comps between 3 best sides who won most world cups is silly u will never c that for any tournement in sports is australia 2 world cups nz 3 world cups south africa 4 world cups having super rugby for so long before leaving to united rugby i think nz & australia should part ways for growth of australia its a crazy tournment still if they were part of europe australian teams i know they would win afew comps like SOUTH AFRICA first year in united rugby 18-14 winners in grand final stormers & 2023 15-14 lose in grand final against munster but its the level u play its the HARDEST TROPHY is SUPER RUGBY TROPHEY hardest to win look at south african teams in united rugby & how many titles nz have won in super rugby south africa struggle to win.... i wouldnt b shamed with results as tones in europe would b in similar shape against nz teams

[@kylewillis6810]

These guys dont Understand what they are talking about

[@expressoevangelism80]

With so much confusion within the game of rugby, it doesn’t help itself. Looking back onto some of your World stars it was very inspiring to watch you from the U.K., with some sort of jealously, but with such a small pool to select from from your home blood base, it is difficult to imagine as to how you can compete on such a wide selection of sports to choose from within your small population. As for your unfortunate connection with that full on Nearly Made It Man, (Eddie Jones), we can both understand what comes from that. He has his own character problems, which just seems to get publicly rinsed out in the rugby union front widow. You guys didn’t help yourselves when you let the Woke blokes in to get rid of Israel Falell (can’t spell the sir name). He was a world star, and he got cast out because he dared to voice an opinion in line with the Bible! Funny how it all went down hill from there⁉️ The Lions tour may well be the last, if things don’t change. It must hurt when you look back to the last time you beat England at rugby. It was a long time ago. I’d like to see something good happen, but as you say, there is very little internal will over there in Oz. All the best.

[@joemangi9743]

See listening to you two drongos beating around the bush without hitting hitting the nail on the head is what's wrong with rugby.. I'm an NRL fan and I don't mind a rugby game especially if it's a Queensland team.. the real problem with union is, ur too elitist.. league is everyones sport, state school, private school, whatever... AND WE DEVELOP PLAYERS From the GRASS ROOTS 👍🏾✊🏾💯.. it's not rocket science.. and we'll still steal ur players 😂😂😂

[@jabra-td5zm]

super rugby teams get pumped nearly every year against nz teams last night HURRICANES smashed FORCE i think such losers to nz rivals have made it less popular there was a RECORD SET BY NZ SUPER RUGBY TEAMS of 35 wins against australian conference even nz bottom teams kept beating 1st place australian conference teams i would love to c australia competive again in rugby & also would love to c ALTERNATING LINES & POINTS in RUGBY FOR PUNTING theres no 1-12 & 13+ also its now 1-7, 8-14 ,15+ the margins divided into 3 now i would like to think id b 1 of the best if there were such options available like ALTERNING LINES & POINTS if there was HALFTIME points CHEIFS raised from 13points upto 22points for first half they were up 27-10 in first half the cheifs there main weapon at 10 came off injuryed & to many penalities in 2nd half but odds is roughly $4.10 if raising points but HURRICANES the similar thing i think it was 14 the points they scored 22points in 1st half i like points alternating more then the line but sometimes of course i thought 1st round of 6 nations where IRELAND vs FRANCE away was a good underdog as france were missing 2 gun players in 9 & 10 but IRELAND as $2.80 underdogs woulda LINE ALTERNATED for line -7 is roughly $5.70 ireland won 38-17 as $2.80 underdogs but i like alot of EUROPEAN COMPS gallagher rugby comp, top14 comp , united comp, japanese comp,curry cup , international & super rugby id b great looking at different teams unlucky for rugby it doesnt have that option i woulda always hit $7-$14 parlays of 2 games per slip consistently $700 bet in future for $14 odds = $9800 return id do 3-6 parlays per week for rugby if it had such options but am learning other sports like TENNIS just tracking it so far before i bet on it next tournement im put some money on it with enough knowledge rugby & nrl a up also im looking forward to it but yeah nz domanice has rugby in australia on down hill trend & also international game suffering hope it gets back to some competive form before lions tour i think they win 3-0 with level its at hope its competive for next world cup is here in australia also

[@commentarytalk1446]

Losing South Africa 100% GUTTED Super Rugby even with the welcome introduction of Fiji and Pacific Island team. It used to be pre-2014 a great comp but it's garbage now with a few good match-ups none of which Aus teams. I remember learning decades ago Union was 4th sport in Aus after Cricket, League, Aussie Rules and probably now Football/Soccer also relegating it. Throw in the problems of Union as a game code eg penalties and referee intervention eg cards and kicking tennis, it's an inferior form of League now compared to being a brilliant game back in Campese/Lynagh days where you had a distinct Forwards doing their thing and Backs doing their thing, now it's 15 gym-bunnies across the pitch and no "back 10m" with the stupid Jackalling rules on the ground killing the gain line and attacking with ball in hand... Now compare to NRL: It's gone from strength to strength and is brilliant week-in-week out. In all honesty, better to just put all the rugby talent behind League and it's better training for the juniors too. Then grow League around Pacific eg NZ, Pacific, Papua New Guinea.