Scrap the NRC, Gold Coast wants National Club Competition

Gold Coast rugby identities have welcomed discussions of scrapping the National Rugby Championship for a national club competition pitting Australia’s top clubs against each other.

GOLD Coast rugby identities have welcomed discussions of scrapping the National Rugby Championship for a new national club championship.

A proposal for a new competition between the premier clubs of Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne was launched into national discourse on Monday when FoxSports journalist Christy Doran proposed disbanding the NRC.

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 26: Ian Prior of the Force holds the trophy aloft after winning the NRC Final between the Western Force and Canberra Vikings at the University of Western Australia Sports Park on October 26, 2019 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

The mooted competition structure would mimic European rugby’s Heineken Cup, with five pools of five teams composed of Australia’s elite rugby clubs playing additional fixtures to their regular competition in an extended season.

The idea has divided rugby fans but Bond University Director of Rugby Luca Liussi said the concept was worth exploring further.

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“As a University we sponsor the NRC but I’d be keen to have a look at what other options are out there, to see if the NRC model really is what’s best for the game,” he said.

“There is a good argument to be made behind a national club competition but will it send clubs broke?

Bond University's Luca Liussi. Picture: Jerad Williams

“The current revenue model for clubs is corporate sponsorship, player registrations and selling drinks over the bar, so there would need to be a real financial model for clubs to be sustainable while competing in a national competition.

“There would need to be significant investment from Rugby Australia and I don’t know if they can afford another level of professionalism.

“I definitely think it’s worth investigating but we can’t be looking at a competition in isolation to fix Australian rugby.”

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Gold Coast Districts President Kim Bending was supportive of the proposal.

“Rugby clubs like Sydney Uni and Queensland Uni are the major fabric of rugby in this country but they’ve been ignored by the NRC concept,” he said.

“The beauty of having clubs in this new competition is the wealth of experience and knowledge can be shared throughout the communities.

Taniela Tupou of Queensland Country takes on the defence during the round seven NRC match between Brisbane City and Queensland Country at Ballymore Stadium on October 9, 2016 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

“We’d see a better competition and a better opportunity for club players to get a leg-up into professional rugby.”

Officials at the Nerang Bulls and Surfers Paradise Dolphins clubs said change of this nature would be unlikely to disrupt local clubs but could help grow the code nationally.

“I think it’s a great idea as long as clubs are funded to do it,” Nerang President Heath Clayton said.

“Premier clubs are going to need financial assistance but if it’s going to lift the profile of club rugby and people buy in to it then it could be fantastic.”

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