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Rugby Australia on high alert as major broadcaster goes on 'cost-cutting measures' in sports rights
By Online Editors
Rugby Australia has been given a scare just as negotiations for the next rights cycle start with current rights holder Foxtel announcing it will be undergoing cost-cutting to its sports budget, according to a report by the Sydney Morning Herald.
After Foxtel shelled out record-deals to secure other sports like the NRL and a ground-breaking billion dollar deal for the cricket, how much left over for rugby had been widely questioned as the code struggled for relevance and Australian teams performed poorly in the flagship Super Rugby product over the last few years.
In a market statement, ASX listed Newscorp, the parent company of Foxtel, advised investors they would be cutting spending on 'non-marquee sporting content' after a financial loss of $417 million in 2018 and the need to refinance $US1.68 billion in debt. The sports that Foxtel has shelled out megabucks for haven't driven a significant uplift in subscribers according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
With rugby union a niche footballing code behind AFL and NRL, they could well fall under the 'non-marquee' bucket. The A-League football rights deal doesn't expire for another three years until 2022/23, putting rugby under the spotlight. It is understood that negotiations have been 'constructive' so far.
The broadcasting revenue is a significant income stream for each union and even a reduction in the previous price would have serious implications for Rugby Australia. Having the current rights holder reduce it's bid or pull out of the equation altogether could have catastrophic implications for the game. Many high-profile stars could likely to find their next asking price wanting with a seriously reduced Rugby Australia budget.
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Even with absences we still had the cattle to make the playoffs. As it was, we nearly stumbled our way into the top 8. Which shows just how easy it was to get there. And still we failed. As for Razor, there are many instances of him patching up the Crusaders roster. Numerous. Several players Id never heard of. Also, using AB legend John Afoa was a classic.
But, some of the games we were losing were from schoolboy errors, or downright confusion. Either the players were really dumb (they weren’t) or they were poorly coached. Given the repetitive nature of errors, brain fades, poor decision making, & loose structures, this all lands with the coaching group.
With only six playoff spots now in SR, & Aussie franchises now consolidated to four, 2025 looks like a tight one. We'll have to tough it out under Penney & hope for the best.
Go to commentsAgree we need a 10, 12, 13 refresh. ASAP. Well, next season now lol. Reiko should be put back on the wing. He'll be an absolute menace there. Imagine 11 Reiko 14 Clarke 15 Jordan as the backfield unit.
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