Rugby union losing out through lack of matches on big stages, such as Easter Monday

THE Eels and Tigers played out a thriller while the Cats and Hawks produced another remarkable match, so where were Quade Cooper and Israel Folau?

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 11: Quade Cooper of the Reds looks to pass during the round n

EASTER – it’s full of chocolate, family barbecues and footy.

Across two of Australia’s three winter codes, at least.

As I sat down to enjoy some Easter Monday viewing in the form of thrilling AFL and NRL encounters I couldn’t help wonder: why wasn’t there any rugby on?

Here I was with two screens, side by side, showing the Eels-Tigers clash in Sydney and the latest chapter in what has become one of the greatest rivalries in any sport let alone the AFL – Hawthorn v Geelong.

The Tigers-Eels clash twisted and turned on the fortunes of reborn Eels playmaker Chris Sandow, who mixed 40-20 kicks with intercepts in an action-packed 80 minutes.

Down at the ‘G’ it was the magic of Cyril Rioli against the raw power of Tom Hawkins. The stylish defending premiers battling the masters of reinvention.

Both games were glowing advertisements for “event football” or contests that seem to have a “finals feel”. Big stars playing in front of big crowds. How can they not be a success?

Rugby, somehow, has missed the boat. In Australia over the weekend we had just two games, Rebels-Force on Good Friday and Waratahs-Bulls on Easter Saturday. The Reds and Brumbies had the bye.

In fairness to the Rebels, they did their best to promote Friday night’s clash and also made a sizeable contribution to the Royal Children’s Hospital with their “toss a teddy” campaign.

But it was a weekend that was crying out for Reds-Crusaders showdown or a Waratahs-Chiefs blockbuster – matches that deserve a big stage but seem to be wasted on ordinary weekends.

Imagine Quade Cooper working his magic on a dry track on Easter Monday or Israel Folau adding more five-pointers to his ever-expanding highlights reel at Allianz Stadium on Easter Sunday?

Israel Folau will hopefully play in front of a big crowd in Auckland on Friday.

But here rugby had Izzy locked into another Saturday night while Quade was twiddling his thumbs, or more likely giving them a workout on the PlayStation.

There has been widespread talk of the need to reinvent Super Rugby; that the competition has become a little stale.

ANTHEM BANNED ON ANZAC DAY

Surely then, the concept of “event rugby” should be at the top SANZAR’s list?

Has the Australian Rugby Union taken this up with SANZAR? Is there any thought going into the draw?

For the first time in a long while, Super Rugby will have some action on ANZAC Day. The Brumbies are hosting the Chiefs in Canberra while the Blues welcome the Waratahs to Auckland.

The Brumbies are reportedly keen to lock in a match against a New Zealand opponent on ANZAC Day every year and although the draw has its obvious difficulties, wouldn’t it be great if that was against the Chiefs every year? The match could even alternate between Australia and New Zealand.

For years, rugby fans have looked on with envy at sellout clashes between the Roosters and Dragons in Sydney, and Essendon v Collingwood in Melbourne - games that have given us Ben Creagh’s 80th-minute match-winner and David Zaharakis’s buzzer-beater.

Wouldn’t be great if this time next week Super Rugby has established its’ own ANZAC tradition, and people can add the likes of Folau or Toomua to names like Creagh and Zaharakis.

There was no “event” rugby at Easter but there’s hope for the future, and it starts this Friday.