RugbyKO

Australian rugby is in quite a state and today we have Brendan Cannon on the show to speak about the need for us to remedy this by reigniting a lost sense of community around our beloved game. For those who don’t know, Brendan was an Australian Wallaby from 2001 to 2006 and has a large number of games under his belt for the Queensland Reds, the Waratahs, and the Western Force too. In today’s show, we chat with Brendan about his personal journey, the obstacles he overcame to achieve what he has, and his views on the current and future state of Australian rugby. Brendan takes us through his formative years and his time with the Souths before getting into a topic that penetrates most of today’s conversation, the growing disconnect between professional and club rugby, causes for this, and the tremendous losses the game has experienced as a result. Our guest weighs in on changes in gameplay, the commercialisation of professional rugby, the effects of COVID on the industry, and what could be done to bring back our glory days. We also hear about some of Brendan’s personal experiences as a professional player such as his swift return to the game after a severe car accident, his transition from number eight to hooker, and his scrum injury that marked his final exit as a professional player. Don’t miss this amazing conversation with a man who brings a lifetime of perspectives from inside and out!

Key Points From This Episode:

 • Brendan’s rugby family legacy, love of the game, and childhood memories playing at Souths.

• The way famous players used to still play for their clubs, inspiring young players.

• Commercialization of pro rugby and reasons for its growing disconnect with amateur rugby.

• Why pro players should invest in their clubs and not forget about paying tribute to these roots.

• Prohibitive costs, sanitized product, less free gameplay, and other reasons rugby isn’t what it used to be.

• Brendan’s near-fatal car accident and what allowed him to return to rugby soon after.

• Why Brendan decided to transition from number eight to hooker and his experiences after.

• Brendan’s career-ending scrum injury and his perspectives on scrum adjudication.

• Contributors to Australian rugby’s bad state: dismissals, COVID, commercialization.

• The potential that bringing back a sense of community has to reignite Australian rugby’s spirit.

• Examples of brand ambassadorship shown by Andrew Demetriou and David Gallop.

• Cues to be taken from other sports about broadcasters being more critical of administrators.

Links from this weeks show:

Queensland Reds - Queensland Reds

NSW Waratahs - Waratahs

Western Force - Western Force

St Laurence's College - St. Laurence’s College

Souths Rugby - Souths Rugby Union Club

White Ribbon Day - White Ribbon Day

A Force to be Reckoned With - Tim Sampson Western Force Head Coach

Tim was appointed in 2018 and has a strong commitment to the team and its community, underlining his philosophy about entertainment, involvement and community spirit in this wonderful conversation. Tim has also coached the Canberra Vikings and is the most capped first grade player at Sunnybank in Queensland.

This informative chat covers some of the challenges that the Force has encountered in recent years and the current excitement and determination around the return to the Super Rugby arena.

Tim shares some thoughts with us on the where he and the club are aiming to head next as well as the training schedule ahead of the looming restart of professional rugby. We discuss new ways to improve the game and increase fan engagement, looking at Global Rapid Rugby and the community aspect of club rugby.

Tim is a strong believer in the importance of all people connected to an organization and to him, the base of the pyramid is even more vital than the tip. For all this and a whole lot more, join us for the show.

Key Points From This Episode:

• The mood in Western Australian rugby around re-entering Super Rugby. 

• Locations and dates for the territory's return to domestic rugby in the coming months.

• Fan engagement and innovative ways to include the public in the restart. 

• Tim's career in club rugby and his feelings about loyalty and commitment in the space. 

• The pyramid of rugby and everyone's important role in the structure. 

• Tribalism and club rivalries in rugby; why Tim is all for promoting these feelings.

• Players at the Western Force and the maintenance of the current squad. 

• Relief measures around the club in reaction to the pandemic.

• Keeping kids involved in the game and the club and the strategies for achieving this 

• Rapid rugby and steps that can be taken to continue to improve the product on offer. 

• Looking at the Force's future involvement in Super Rugby and the key factors in this kind of agreement. 

• Tim's top priorities for rugby in Australia to improve and ensure the future of the sport.  

• How the Western Force managed the necessities of the pandemic as a club. 

• Considering the restart in July and the Force's readiness for the first game.

• A message from Tim to Western Australian rugby fans! 

Links

Western Force - https://www.westernforce.com.au/

Global Rapid Rugby - https://www.rapid.rugby/

The Minderoo Foundation - https://www.minderoo.org/