2016-2020 Australian Rugby Strategic Plan

2016-2020 Australian Rugby Strategic Plan Inspire all Australians to enjoy our great global game

A Game For All Australian Rugby Union

Wallabies

Queensland Rugby Union

Rugby WA

Brumbies

NSW Waratahs

Australians Sevens Rugby

South Australian Rugby Union

Melbourne Rebels

ACT & Southern New South Wales Rugby Union

New South Wales Rugby Union

Tasmanian Rugby Union

Victorian Rugby Union

Queensland Reds

Western Force

Northern Territory Rugby Union

Contents 01

Foreword: 2016-2020 Australian Rugby Strategic Plan

05

Introduction

07

Challenges Facing The Game

09

What Our Fans And Corporate Partners Want

11

Our Strategy

15

Make Rugby A Game For All

19

Ignite Australia’s Passion For The Game

25

Build Sustainable Elite Success

35

Create Excellence In How The Game Is Run

acknowledgements Photo credits: ARU Media/Stuart Walmsley, Rick McLallen and Getty Images Accenture: Digital Technology Consulting Partner of ARU

Foreword: 2016-2020 Australian Rugby Strategic Plan We are fortunate to be part of a great global game integral to the sporting and cultural life of millions of Australians. Rugby provides opportunities for all Australians to have a run with their friends, entertains through our professional competitions and projects our national identity on the global stage. Our performance at the 2015 World Cup in England showed the potential of the game to inspire, thrill and unite the country.

However, as most of our community knows, we face profound challenges to ensure the continuing relevance and success of the game we love. We are:

Bill Pulver CEO - Australian Rugby Union

01

Foreword – 2016-2020 Australian Rugby Strategic Plan

• Changing as a country, becoming a busier and more diverse nation with less time for organised sports • Operating in, arguably, the most competitive sports market in the world, for participants, professional athletes, attendance, viewers and media attention • Engaging more through digital channels, where Rugby has a limited presence

• Competing with the success of the game on the world stage, making it hard to retain athletes and coaches in a global economy and market • Challenged to be financially sustainable, with our financial viability having never been under greater threat than in the last two years - which required all parts of the Rugby community to share the burden of reduced funding and cuts to operational expenditure. In this regard, I thank the Rugby community for its patience and efforts over the past two years in working with the ARU to address these challenges that had the potential to damage our game.

Importantly, Australian Rugby is on the verge of a new dawn with an improved media rights deal in 2016 set to kick-start the Rugby economy and place our game on a sustainable financial footing. We have worked across the Rugby community to come up with a plan to capitalise on this opportunity and address the challenges we face. We have listened and clearly heard what you want, which is more than just on-field success.

This includes: • The values of the game driving consistent behaviours and decisions for players and administrators

OUR FANS

OUR ADMINISTRATION

2. Ignite Australia’s passion for the game

4. Create excellence in how the game is run

As a collective, our vision is ‘To inspire all Australians to enjoy our great global game’. To realise this vision, we need to deliver better than ever before in four key areas:

• In a hyper-competitive environment, our teams, from NRC, through Super Rugby to Wallabies, need to be more exciting to watch and ignite the passion in our fans, new and old. To do this, we will improve the game through on-field innovation and better off-field engagement through digital and stadia initiatives – including having our elite teams playing in world-class rectangular stadia. We will increase Rugby’s share of voice in the public domain by connecting our players, past and present, with the community.

OUR COMMUNITY

OUR ELITE TEAMS

• Our game requires strong leadership and high performing organisations. To do this, we will deliver the National Charter that will guide decision making across all of Rugby and implement the Australian Rugby Strategy Group that will bring leaders of Australian Rugby together to guide strategy and provide input into key decisions relating to our game.

We will also ensure that the administration of Australian Rugby reflects the society we live in by doing more to recruit, develop and retain women from the boardroom to the playing field in order to normalise their role and place in our game.

1. Make Rugby a game for all

3. Build sustainable elite success

• Traditional XVs Rugby is our core and we need to protect and strengthen our senior and junior clubs.

However, this will not be enough to make our game grow. We need to develop new formats of the game to encourage new entrants through the doors of our clubs and focus our attention on encouraging diversity, particularly to appeal to more women, Indigenous and Pasifika peoples. Importantly, we will direct a greater proportion of our energies and funding to make these formats sucessful.

• Our game needs winning Super Rugby, Sevens, Wallabies and Wallaroo teams. The professional game generates over 90% of the money in the Rugby economy and surplus to invest in other areas of the game. To create sustainable success we will create a co-operative high performance environment across all of our elite teams that recognises the importance of performance science, technology, and coaching development to support improved talent identification, athlete development and pathways, wellbeing, team dynamics and technical development.

• A place in Rugby for every Australian • National footprint, with global impact and local enjoyment • Smart, creative, running Rugby • A co-operative union with each state, territory and affiliate working in an aligned way

The 2016-2020 Australian Rugby Strategic Plan sets out the framework for Australian Rugby to deliver across these four key areas over the next five years and has been developed with contributions from every part of the game. It is a Strategy for Australian Rugby, by Australian Rugby.

To execute the Strategy we need to align funding with our intent. As an industry, Rugby needs to become smarter with the way it directs its investment. We operate in a different world and the way we have operated in the past will not lead us to future success.

Our Strategy is focussed on the growth of the game at every level and we will harness a once-in-a-generation

Foreword – 2016-2020 Australian Rugby Strategic Plan

02

opportunity to put our game back onto a sustainable financial footing by directing our investment into initiatives that will deliver more participants, fans, elite success and ultimately, revenue.

You can expect to see the differences of this new Strategy everywhere the game is played from 2016.

We have set ambitious targets for our game to achieve which we will publish and track – there will be full transparency of our annual performance and scorecard as we move towards 2020. But beyond these numbers we intend to effect rapid and real change in a number of areas:

Values • Shared set of values we all recognise • These values guide all decisions and behaviours • We are proud of our game and our identity

Women • More girls picking up and running with a ball • Flourishing women’s Sevens scene – established and clear pathway • More women on the touchline and in the Boardroom

Welfare • Zero tolerance for playing with concussion • Non-contact formats to address concerns about physicality • Elite athletes able to perform at their best • Rugby is a positive influence on society This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to reshape the game we love. I hope you will join me in making this plan a reality.

Clubs • The core of our game gets stronger and stronger • More diversity in our game • New formats of the game flourish in clubs

03

Foreword – 2016-2020 Australian Rugby Strategic Plan

12 April 2016

04

Introduction Rugby in Australia is a key sporting and cultural platform that underpins our identity as a nation and projects it on a global stage, while providing opportunities for millions to enjoy our sport.

• Positioned on a sound financial platform to invest in driving growth in participation, fan engagement and success for our national Sevens teams, Super Rugby teams and the Wallabies

Traditionally, Australian Rugby has overachieved domestically and internationally relative to its market size. However, in the last few years it is clear that Rugby has faced a number of structural changes which have challenged the basis of the sport.

The Strategy has been created through a process of:

This 2016-2020 Australian Rugby Strategic Plan has been created to address these challenges and ensure that all parts of our game work together effectively over the next five years and beyond.

Importantly, this Strategy will see Australian Rugby: • Operating under a single and unified direction, with all parts working towards achieving common targets • Implementing a whole-of-game strategic planning process • Promoting participation across three distinct formats of the game – traditional XVs (our core product), Sevens and non-contact VIVA7s

05

Introduction

• Consultation with all States and constituents in Rugby • Consultation with the Rugby Union Players’ Association • Engaging 8000+ fans and sponsors through workshops and questionnaires • Workshops with key representatives from all Super Rugby and state Rugby bodies • Direct input from the ARU Board and management

06

Challenges Facing The Game

07

The sporting market in Australia is well known to be highly concentrated and competitive. It has always been this way. However, we have identified five key

challenges affecting Rugby that both reflect profound changes in the way Australians interact with sport and our place within the sporting landscape:

Change

Implication

People participating less in organised sport

More competition to get people into the game

Greater resources and reach of other sporting codes

More competition for talent, viewership, attendance and female involvement in the game

People engaging more through digital channels

Fans expect more than a traditional match day experience

Increasing strength of the code globally

Elite success becoming harder to achieve

Greater challenges to the financial viability of the code

Industry needs to move from relying on windfall payments to a sustainable financial model

Challenges Facing The Game

08

What Our Fans And Corporate Partners Want As part of the consultation process with stakeholders, the Australian Rugby Survey was released to engage fans and seek their views on the game’s future in Australia.

Success for the Wallabies seen as the most important outcome. Success = Winning RWC / Wallabies in Top 3 teams in the world

Make Rugby more entertaining: Running Rugby with the ball in play more often

Make all of our Super Rugby teams competitive, with each team making the finals at least once every three years

Over 8,300 fans completed the survey, which asked a range of questions regarding future investment and expectations for all levels of Rugby, from grassroots

Increase mobile/online content

Emphasis on investment in grassroots and Club Rugby

Improve match day experience: better value for money

Thriving NRC is seen as a key pillar of success over the next five years

Fewer stoppages: Fix laws to reduce downtime and scrum stoppages

Greater promotion and marketing

Improved stadia: access/services/facilities

09

What Our Fans And Corporate Partners Want

and Club Rugby, to development competitions, Super Rugby, Sevens and the Wallabies. The key messages were:

Accessibility: Rugby needs to be on free-to-air TV

We also met with some of our main national corporate partners to get their feedback on how we are performing. Overall, they were very positive about their relationship with Rugby, stating that:

Partnering with Rugby gives us the ability to align with key demographics and reward customers with unique experiences money can’t buy

The Rugby community wants more than on-field success. The common themes from across the game include: • A place in Rugby for every Australian • National footprint, with global impact and local enjoyment • Smart, creative, running Rugby • A code that honours heritage, culture and values • A co-operative union with each state, territory and affiliate working in an aligned way

However, they highlighted some areas where they felt steps could be taken to improve the value generated from their sponsorship deals. The main themes were: • Grow media presence – create more stars and personalities, more conversation, focus on World Cup • Focus on making the game more accessible – from a diversity (women and Indigenous) as well as cultural perspective • Improve peripheral entertainment and build more anticipation ahead of big games • Engage more broadly with sponsors – communication, PR, player education • Importance of grassroots in building a strong fan base

What Our Fans And Corporate Partners Want

10

Our Strategy This is a Strategy designed for Australian Rugby, by Australian Rugby.

As we embark on a new era for our game, our efforts and investment will be focussed in the key areas that will make Rugby a game for all, ignite Australia’s

11

Our Strategy

passion for the game and build sustainable elite success, while creating excellence in how the game is run.

All of these Strategic Pillars are important and reinforce each other. However, given the current state

of the game, we will focus a greater proportion of our energies in the first key area – driving participation and making Rugby a game for all. Also explicit in this Strategy is growing different formats of the game over the next five years in order to attract and grow a more diverse participation and fan base.

Our Vision

Inspire all Australians to enjoy our great global game Our Strategy

12

Strategic pillars

Make Rugby A Game For All

Underpinning Themes

Formats

National, Super Rugby and NRC teams with an identity that make Australians proud

XVs

Ignite Australia’s Passion For The Game

Diverse Rugby community, with more women playing and involved with the game

Sevens

1

Build Sustainable Elite Success

High performing organisations to match high performance teams

VIVA7s

1

13

Our Strategy

Create Excellence In How The Game Is Run

Contemporary relationships with fans through improved digital capabilities

This is a substantial change from our current approach, the most prominent areas where change will be effected are:

From

To

Focus on elite success

Balanced focus on participation, fans and elite success

“Real Rugby” being XVs Rugby

3 distinct and complementary formats – XVs, Sevens, VIVA7s

Reducing the cost to play and attend Rugby

Focussing on providing better value for money

A game for men

A game for men, women and children

Consuming through attendance and viewership

Consuming through attendance and viewership and experiencing through digital platforms on the fans’ terms

Conservative and traditional thinking

Embracing heritage, whilst driving innovation

Wallaby program

High performance unit servicing all elite teams

Funding focussed on professional game

Professional game helping fund community Rugby

Pockets of good leadership and governance

Leadership excellence at all levels and industry best practice in governance across the game

Our Strategy

14

Make Rugby A Game For All Our XVs game and Club Rugby is at the heart of Australian Rugby and keeping it strong must be central to ongoing success. However, it looks increasingly likely that, on its own, the traditional male XVs game in Rugby heartlands will be insufficient to grow our clubs and base of participants, particularly with the changing demographics of Australia. Our target is to reach new markets of people not currently participating in organised sport to build a more diverse participant base and ultimately, increase the number of players entering Rugby clubs.

To do this, we need to scale-up our development workforce across the country and introduce new forms of the game that will appeal to groups that have not traditionally engaged with Rugby. These are not types of Rugby designed as an entry into XVs, but games that stand on their own feet. These formats need to reach into our network of clubs to reinvigorate their playing base, help them become more sustainable and use their infrastructure 12 months a year instead of 6.

15

Make Rugby A Game For All

Development Workforce grow and shepherd participants through the pathway

Build and enhance our clubs and the XVs game

Introduce non-contact versions of the game with VIVA7s

Build Rugby into the public schools system with Game On

Make Sevens a year round sport

Clubs grow by having a new audience and new formats of the game

Developing these new formats along with a workforce to support them is a key focus for our Strategy over the next five years as we look to significantly grow and diversify our participant base.

Further, with a greater focus on diversity and choice of Rugby formats, schools present a prime opportunity for Australian Rugby to engage with boys and girls and provide them with opportunities to play and experience a global sport, whether at a social, competition or elite level. Schools Rugby plays a unique and important role in the Australian Rugby landscape – it has a direct impact on the health of the game, particularly in relation to developing the current and next generation of participants (players, coaches, match officials, administrators, and supporters), the cultivation of the talent pool, fan attraction and engagement.

Accordingly, a key focus for Australian Rugby in the short term must be to develop a national blueprint for the game at the schools level – for both boys and girls.

At present, ground is being lost due to aggressive competition, lack of exposure in the schools market, lack of visible, valued and sustainable investment, perceptions about the health-related risks involved and uncertain roles and responsibilities between schools and the governing bodies of the game.

As a priority, Australian Rugby will develop and implement a National Schools Strategy focussed on providing access for public and private school students, to quality competitions and Rugby experiences at a local level (through access to participation programs – Game On, and quality and balanced competitions and formats – VIVA7s, Sevens and XVs) and elite level (through access to competitions, facilities and infrastructure and connections with state and national pathways). In the first instance, this may involve pilot programs and competitions in particular markets (such as a “Girls’ Sevens in Schools” competition) to test and refine proposed delivery models.

Another key part of the overall plan will be developing and supporting a workforce and quality coaching program to nurture and encourage students to participate and stay involved in Rugby through school and into the club environment. A focus on this will be to provide safe environments for school participants and best practice player wellbeing programs.

For more information on Game On and VIVA7s: Game On – aru.com.au/gameon VIVA7s – VIVA7s.com.au

Make Rugby A Game For All

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Focus Area

Rationale

Grow the game through XVs, Sevens and VIVA7s to meet the consumer’s changing needs

Provide different products to make Rugby more accessible to different groups and address concerns about the physicality of the XVs game

Expand school footprint through initiatives such as national Game On program for schools

Organise Rugby’s delivery system through building a high quality workforce

Need to secure the next generation of volunteers to grow our game

Need to develop tools to assist volunteers in the administration of Rugby

Increase focus on the role of development officers shepherding boys and girls from sampling Rugby to joining local junior Rugby clubs

Requires co-ordination of a whole-of-game plan, digital tools and bringing other bodies (TAFEs, RTOs etc) closer into Rugby

Promote the benefits of playing and being involved in Rugby

Communicate the health benefits of Rugby, whilst promoting the work we are doing globally and nationally to improve player wellbeing and the safety of the game

Closer links to the professional game to create heroes for the next generation

Diversify Rugby so that the game reflects the communities in which we live

Focus on women, which is the fastest growing Rugby segment in other markets and an untapped opportunity

Step-change in our Indigenous programs and focus on growing and celebrating the critical role Pasifika peoples play in Australian Rugby

Make Rugby A Game For All

Focus Area

2020 Targets

Grow the game through XVs, Sevens and VIVA7s to meet the consumer’s changing needs

356,500 participants across three formats of Rugby – XVs, Sevens and VIVA7s: - 115,000 Club XVs / Kids Pathway participants - 75,000 Schools XVs - 75,400 community Sevens participants - 41,100 VIVA7s participants - 50,000 Game On participants

Organise Rugby’s delivery system through building a high quality workforce

Promote the benefits of playing and being involved in Rugby

500,000 promotional participation experiences Increase male player to population rate from 4.1% to 4.9%

Diversify Rugby so that the game reflects the communities in which we live

Increase total female participation rate to 15% of all participants across three formats Elevation from Category B to Category A of Australian Sports Commission NSO Participation Investment Categorisation based on current ASC classification scales

Make Rugby A Game For All

18

Ignite Australia’s Passion For The Game Rugby’s attractiveness comes in part from the complexity of the game. It is not a simple game to watch, participate or learn, but the complexity of it

19

Ignite Australia’s Passion For The Game

generates a richer game than other codes. While we need to protect Rugby’s heritage, we must work hard, particularly around our core products of Super Rugby

and the Wallabies, to make these games and the experiences around them better for all stakeholders, most particularly our fans – at home and abroad.

Focus Area

Rationale

Make Rugby a more entertaining game to watch by working on law variations and innovation

Rugby needs to be a more exciting game to watch While protecting its unique points, we need to ensure that we provide fans with fast-paced running Rugby

Increase attendance by giving fans a better match day experience by improving the stadia we play in and the value we provide through digital experiences

The in-stadium experience is critical to how fans enjoy the game and we are lagging behind global sports e.g. NFL and NBA

Increase interactions with Rugby by enabling fans to be digitally connected with the game and improve the relevance and quality of information we provide

Digital media is part of the fabric of life for our fans and players We need a presence to engage with our fans on their terms – wherever they are, whenever they want it

Revive the Rugby Union brand by being smarter about promoting the game and more consistent about the way we use the brands we have

Rugby has positive messages to deliver, we have positive brands and heroes (including former Wallabies) to promote the values of the game, pride and excitement it can generate

Ignite Australia’s Passion For The Game

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Focus Area

2020 Targets

Make Rugby a more entertaining game to watch

Increase % of Rugby fans agreeing with the following statements: - Rugby has the best entertainment value live at the match from 39% to 52%* - Rugby matches are innovative and dynamic to watch from 51% to 60%* Level of interest in Super Rugby is >50% year on year* Level of interest in The Rugby Championship is >60% year on year* Achieve average Australian TV viewership of 100,000 for every Super Rugby game played in Australia Achieve average Australian TV viewership of over 1 million per Rugby Championship Test match played in Australia

* As per Repucom Brand Tracker

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Ignite Australia’s Passion For The Game

Focus Area

2020 Targets

Increase attendance by giving fans a better match day experience

Increase % of the Rugby fans attending Super Rugby from 37% nationally to 40%* Increase the average number of Super Rugby games attended by existing Rugby fans from 1.2 to 2.2 games per season* Retain 100% of full season members year on year* Achieve 1.1 million ticket sales for Wallabies Test matches over the period of 2016-2020 Achieve level of satisfaction with the Test match day experience of 90% or more (top 2 box)* Achieve level of satisfaction with the Super Rugby match day experience of 90% or more (top 2 box)*

* As per Repucom Brand Tracker Ignite Australia’s Passion For The Game

22

Focus Area

2020 Targets

Increase interactions with Rugby by enabling fans to be digitally connected with Rugby

Rugby.com.au and Super Rugby team sites the first place fans visit for Rugby news as measured by brand tracking and claimed online activity Achieve 1 million visitors per month to rugby.com.au and Super Rugby team websites Generate $250,000 in new revenue streams via digital channels Generate a loyalty subscriber base of 500,000

Revive the Rugby Union brand

% of Rugby fans claiming they saw a Rugby advert from 58% to 70%.

Wallabies: Ranked #1 as Australia’s most recognised national team brand Super Rugby: All Australian Super Rugby teams ranked within top 40 Rugby brands internationally

23

Ignite Australia’s Passion For The Game

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1

Build Sustainable Elite Success

Elite Rugby is the engine room of the Rugby economy and has expanded from men’s XVs to include the professional men’s and women’s Sevens program following its inclusion in the Olympic and Commonwealth Games. Combined with difficult financial circumstances, this has stretched the resources available to service high performance (HP) needs.

The start-stop history of centralised HP programs has inhibited co-operation, communication, knowledge management, and the realisation of economies of scale that could have greatly assisted the on-field performance and financial impact of Australian Rugby teams and franchises. Consistently delivering

25

Build Sustainable Elite SuccesS

positive on-field results, over an extended period of time, requires all parts of the elite game to be aligned, supported by significantly improved systems, communication channels, technology and infrastructure. Moving forward, one of the most important opportunities available to the game is, as pragmatically as possible, attaining seamless alignment from a HP perspective between the Wallabies and Super Rugby teams.

We have created a new strategic approach with stakeholders across the game at the elite level to resolve these challenges. This will involve the adoption of a continuous learning and performance management philosophy to embed systems

development and optimisation of capabilities across the game to maximise the effectiveness of the Wallabies, Sevens, Super Rugby and other elite team programs. Such elite team success will be a central driver of Rugby’s ecosystem, integrated with and feeding participation, community development, fan engagement and financial sustainability.

Generating sustainable high performance outcomes requires more than being competitive on the field on any given day. It requires all parts of the game to be aligned and better systems, processes and infrastructure to exist.

Focus Area

Rationale

Talent Identification: Enhance existing systems and introduce new systems

So at all times Australian Rugby understands what constitutes the ideal Rugby player by position, the supporting rationale for the ideal Rugby player, and where these athletes can be found and suitably engaged

Athlete Pathway: Ensure clearly defined and easily understood pathways are available

To attract, develop, contract and retain quality athletes in Australian Rugby for the duration of their careers

Athlete Development: Establish performance protocols for each critical athlete development functional area

To provide athletes the best opportunity to realise their full potential as Rugby players

Team Dynamics & Technical Development: Create an environment where game oriented information is readily accessible

So coaching inputs and outputs maximise player learning

Build Sustainable Elite SuccesS

26

27

Build Sustainable Elite SuccesS

Focus Area

Rationale

Event Focus: Build competencies and systems that enable seamless preparation for major Rugby events e.g. Rugby World Cup, The Rugby Championship, Super Rugby, Olympics/Commonwealth Games, World Rugby Sevens Series, World Rugby U20s Championship

So teams can be best prepared to perform and achieve success at the highest level

Resource Inputs: Put in place robust and tested systems across Rugby in coaching development, performance and medical science, technology and infrastructure and culture, strategy and people

So teams have the required resource inputs to build player and team capabilities needed to achieve success at the highest level

Focus Area

2020 Targets

Talent Identification

Embedded systems to identify, recruit, develop and succession plan international level players across XVs and Sevens for men and women

Athlete Pathway

Accessible, attractive and integrated talent development and competition pathways across XVs and Sevens for men and women commencing at 14 years of age; >85% of players in national team programs having graduated through state and national pathway programs Systems-led contracting model to recruit and retain talent targeted to achieve elite team success

Athlete Development

Researched and benchmarked player development systems enabling in-depth analysis of player pool depth (3+ players per position for each national team) and enhanced challenge for elite team positions (selection choice)

Team Dynamics & Technical Development

Integrated coaching and analysis systems to measure and drive performance across all elite team programs

Build Sustainable Elite SuccesS

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Focus Area

2020 Targets

Event Focus

Win 2019 RWC Win The Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup 3 Australian teams in the Super Rugby finals Olympics (2016 & 2020) and Commonwealth Games (2018) medals for women’s and men’s Sevens

Inputs: Coaching Development Performance Science Medical Science Technology & Infrastructure Culture, Strategy & People

Strategically led and performance managed high performance funding systems Integrated systems and high performance support services between national teams and Super Rugby programs Formal education and development programs for elite program staff across coaching, performance and medical science and leadership Advisory councils across all high performance ‘service’ areas

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Build Sustainable Elite SuccesS

our player pathways One of the most crucial aspects of this Strategy is to create clear, sustainable pathways across Rugby.

This builds a link from the community side of our game to the elite level and provides a route for boys and girls – from the first time they pick up a Rugby ball at Game On – to develop through our network of schools and clubs, before moving into under age national programs, and then into Super Rugby clubs and senior national teams. As we grow the community side of the game, the pathways to elite Rugby exist to provide players with the best possible

opportunities to become successful professional and national athletes in our game.

The path for players to be introduced to the game, and to develop and graduate through to higher levels of programs, teams and competitions, must be an ongoing priority for Australian Rugby. Significant work has been done since 2013 to expand the men’s pathway including the: • Re-introduction of the National Rugby Championship (formerly the Australian Rugby Championship)

• Addition of the Junior Gold Cup – a national competition for U15 and U17 year old players • Restructure of the national U20s program Collaborative research and development must continue in order to provide a pathway by 2020 that contributes strongly to the attraction, development, contracting and retention of quality athletes for the duration of their sporting careers – on and off the field – and across XVs and Sevens.

Build Sustainable Elite SuccesS

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2020 Men’s Rugby – National Pathway Traditional

TBD - Uni Comp

Exisiting Future

super rugby teams

wallabies

nrc Club Rugby XVs & 7s

Super u20s comp

aust u20s

nrc u19s

Junior Club & School comps - xvs

State XVs Champs Junior Club & Schools

nat schools champs

JUnior club & school comps - 7s

aust schools team

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Build Sustainable Elite SuccesS

Olympic / Cth Games 7s World Cup

7s world series NAT 7s champs Open & Youth

Aust 7s Team Nat 7s series

Nat Emerging & Youth 7s Teams

Domestic Competitions,Teams & Programs

Jnr (U20) World Cup

Jnr gold cup

VIVA7s Game on

the Rugby Championship

Super Rugby Comp

Rugby World Cup

National Competitions, Teams & Programs

Youth Olympics Youth Cth Games

International Competitions

Over the next 18 months, major projects in the elite environment will include: • In-depth development of a vision for Super Rugby • Evolution of the contracting system to meet the needs of the current and future elite Rugby landscape • Defining the roles and responsibilities at each level of the pathway and the various important levels that contribute to the broader development of talent and elite teams • Structural development of a domestic Sevens pathway from youth through to elite, male and female • A re-design of the national U20s program including the introduction of a “Super U20s” competition structured for future growth and alignment with underpinning club and school development systems • The second major iteration of the National Rugby Championship • Centralising the capture, management and analysis of data sets to enhance player wellbeing and development for high performance

Build Sustainable Elite SuccesS

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2020 women’s Rugby – National Pathway TBD - Uni Comp

Traditional Exisiting Future

Olympic / Cth Games 7s World Cup

women’s 7s world series

TBD - Uni Comp

7s school comps

State 7s Champs open youth

Nat 7s champs open/youth

aust 7s team nat 7s series

Youth Olympics Youth Cth Games

VIVA7s Game on

club rugby -7s

XVS world cup women’s xvs program

club rugby - xvs

Domestic Competitions,Teams & Programs

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Build Sustainable Elite SuccesS

nat xvs champs

National Competitions, Teams & Programs

International Competitions

To remain relevant as a code, Rugby needs to ensure that by 2020 (and importantly by the Tokyo Olympics), there is an established and flourishing pathway for women’s Rugby so that we are able to attract and retain players and provide a career choice for female professional athletes. While there is plenty of work for Australian Rugby to undertake in this area over the next 12 months, establishing the pathway will ensure that Rugby is positioned to become a sport of choice for women and girls and the only code that can be played from the schoolyard and club playing fields to the ultimate world stage, the Olympic Games.

The work in this area is to establish pathways to the same level of capability and competence that exists in the men’s game.

Build Sustainable Elite SuccesS

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1

Create Excellence In How The Game Is Run

Australian Rugby currently operates in a federated structure, with the States – the Member Unions – responsible for implementing participation programs, club competitions and high performance teams (i.e. Super Rugby teams), and the national body (ARU) driving research and development, strategy, governance and integrity, co-ordinating national teams, competitions and programs and acting as the ultimate ‘keeper of the code’.

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Create Excellence In How The Game Is Run

While more complicated to operate within, the strength of the federated arrangement is the ability for the Member Unions to respond more closely to local market factors and provide a closer link between state governing bodies and local stakeholders, most particularly local clubs and affiliates. Ultimately, we need strong profitable Super Rugby teams, NRC clubs and Member Unions and a structure and way of working to ensure this.

The current set of arrangements has evolved over time and there is a lack of clarity across accountabilities in the federated structure. To run the game effectively, it is imperative that all parts of the game interlock in a clear manner, under a common ambition, values framework and unity of purpose.

Focus Area

Rationale

Implement the Australian Rugby National Charter

To provide clear roles and responsibilities across all parts of Rugby Give clarity of purpose and decision rights

Create a common values framework for the game

To help guide decision making and the way we collectively behave as a sport To be clearer about what we expect and the right behaviours

Form and operate the Australian Rugby Strategy Group (ARSG)

To create an entity representing the constituents of Rugby to guide national strategy for the growth of the game To make decisions in the best interests of the whole-of-Rugby

Create Excellence In How The Game Is Run

36

Focus Area

Rationale

Establish a whole-of-Rugby strategic planning process

Have a single, aligned and transparent process for setting targets and allocating resources To ensure investments in Rugby are focussed on the key strategic imperatives

Drive administrative excellence in Rugby through establishing a high performance culture; drive the Rugby economy; and effective global and domestic partnerships

37

Create Excellence In How The Game Is Run

To develop administrative structures and skills to help deliver our Strategy To interlock effectively with government, commercial and broadcast partners and governing bodies / Rugby partners

Focus Area

2020 Targets

Implement the Australian Rugby National Charter

Rugby organisations continuing to operate in accordance with the National Charter (as amended from time to time)

Create a common values framework for the game

Values framework implemented across Australian Rugby >95% ARU / SR / MU stakeholders agree there is compliance with values framework across game

Form and operate the ARSG

100% compliance to whole-of-Rugby strategic planning process by ARSG

Establish a whole-of-Rugby strategic planning process

Drive administrative excellence in Rugby through establishing a high performance culture; drive the Rugby economy; and effective global and domestic partnerships

Compliance to ‘Elite Sport Male Champions of Change’ benchmark indicators, including: - 30% of women in Board roles - 30% of women in senior management roles - 30% of women in staff Growth of Future Fund to $10m by 2020 Financially sustainable Super Rugby Clubs – each club making a positive contribution to the Rugby economy through reporting a surplus

Create Excellence In How The Game Is Run

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Inspire all Australians to enjoy our great global game

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