New competition plans taking shape in Queensland

The best players from Queensland Premier Rugby and Queensland Country will have an opportunity to join the fulltime professionals in next year’s National Rugby Competition.

Two teams from Queensland will play in the eight team competition, with each team to be aligned with existing clubs and regions.

The Brisbane River will form a geographical divide, with the Sunshine Coast Stingrays, Norths-QUT, Brothers, Wests, GPS and University supporting one team and Easts, Souths, Sunnybank, the Gold Coast Breakers and the Country Heelers the other.

Queensland Rugby Chief Executive Ken Freer said both teams will initially be based at Ballymore.

“However if there is a strong commercial case for games to be staged outside Brisbane and the venues are suitable, that will be considered by the groups that will run the teams,” he said.

“When this competition really takes off, we can spread our wings further, but for now we want to get everyone used to the concept and to minimise the risks.”

QRU Board Member Ross Williams, who chairs the stakeholders’ steering committee on the national competition, said a meeting of the QRU Board today had approved the thrust of the steering committee recommendations and was looking forward to receiving more detailed information as it becomes available.

Mr Williams said there had been extensive and vigorous debate among the Premier clubs about the makeup of the teams and how they should operate, but the clubs had always kept the ultimate objective in mind.

“While there is still a lot of detail to come, the good thing is that Queensland clubs are committed to rolling out a financially viable national competition that complements the existing Premier Rugby competition,” Mr Williams said.

“The clubs want to make this competition work, for the good of Queensland and Australian Rugby. The bottom line is we need this to be a financially viable competition that can succeed.”

Expressions of interest will shortly be sought from players in Premier Rugby and the regions who believe they have the ability to reach the top and who are prepared to make the sacrifices required to get there.

After a thorough selection process, the best available 28 players for each team will be chosen from among the contracted and non-contracted players who nominate. Coaches for each team will also come from club ranks, as well as the QR Queensland Reds’ High Performance staff.

The team organisations will also have a strong club involvement, as well as specialist assistance from Queensland Rugby.

“This competition will provide more opportunities for talented club and Queensland Country players to compete at the professional level than they’ve ever had before,” Mr Freer said.

“If there are any potential Reds or Wallabies we don’t already know about, this competition will find them.”

Former Wallaby Tony Shaw, now President of Brisbane’s Brothers club, formed in 1905, said the new competition would provide an opening for players and coaches not currently part of the professional system to gain exposure at a higher level.

“Those players who may have been overlooked earlier in their careers and who would not get a look in under the existing structure will have a tremendous opportunity,” he said.

Shaw was also upbeat about club rugby’s ability to co-exist with the new competition.

“I don’t see it (the new competition) as the death knell of club rugby. People will still follow Brothers, and we’ll still have a full season of club rugby before this new competition starts.

“Certainly we’ll have to work hard to get bums on seats and to further develop the financials (for the new competition) but that’s a challenge we’re aware of.”

Peter Garbett, the President of the GPS Club and a member of the Queensland National Rugby Competition Steering Committee, said his club was also looking to the new competition to provide more opportunities to players and coaches.

“One of the frustrations in clubland in the professional era has been that because the number of contracted players is limited, there’s been a significant player drain as talented players who are not part of the system move overseas to test their skills.

“Because this competition starts when Premier Rugby ends, there’s the opportunity for talented players and coaches to stake a claim for higher level recognition during the course of the Premier season. Hopefully that will result in more home grown talent staying at home,” Garbett said.

Easts President Michael Weibler, another member of the Steering Committee, agreed that starting the national competition at the end of a full two rounds of Premier Rugby complements the existing competition and doesn’t detract from it.

“We have the opportunity to produce a product that will be successful, provided it’s a win-win for all parties,” he said.