Expansion- AFL/NRL/Super 12

[BhoysFC1995]

big news this week for both rugby's as they are to announce if they will be expanding.

latest out of NRL is no-
http://www.scrum.com/news/news_detail.asp?newsid=26426

and Super 12 (announcement tuesday)
http://www.scrum.com/news/news_detail.asp?newsid=26426

so, what does everyone think? i know most people think the gold coast can't handle a team, partial based on passed failures, but does the central coast area really need a team? would wellington be able to support a team?

[SportBoy333]

15 is an odd number of teams to have in your comp. No more Sydney area teams there's enough already. Queensland needs another team thats why Gold Coast should get it.

[BhoysFC1995]

well, no go for NRL in 06.


Wellington remains 'commited', Gold Coast 'bitter' (http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,10459813-32464,00.html)


The partnership has decided that the issue should be re-examined in 2005 to assess whether a team should be introduced in 2007. (http://www.nrl.com.au/news.cfm?ID=9544)

interesting note in the article-
'it is to be remembered that the partnership had neither sought nor invited expansion submissions'
'The partnership has said that the Telstra Premiership should be represented on the Central Coast, the Gold Coast and Wellington at some time in the future'

[BhoysFC1995]

as for Super 12 or should i say Super 14?-

From Queensland Courier-Mail (http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,10465841%255E10389,00.html)

the articles first sentence says its already done-
"WHEN Super 14 is given the go-ahead today as rugby's future..."

"Melbourne, Perth and Gosford are the chief contenders to play home to Australia's new Super 14 side once the green light is given.

The Queensland Rugby Union is considering pushing the Gold Coast as a viable fourth option."

jeez, AFL, Super 12, and League- the gold coast just seems to throw their name into everything these days, huh? .

[SportBoy333]

By denying a NRL team to the Gold Coast the AFL is gonna seize the oppertunity and give the Gold Coast a team now.

[westcoast929406]

Interesting decision by the NRL board. However the vast majority of the NRL club chiefs did not want this expansion currently because of financial concerns apparently.

The AFL will not move into that area permanently for quite a while. They are checking out the possible scenario of a AFL club playing a couple of regular season games a year like they do now in Canberra and Tasmania.
Apparently on this point the success of the AFL Darwin game last weekend 2 regular games are now likely in that city.

[BhoysFC1995]

glad to have see you found this forum westcoast, welcome!

i recall reading what you just said as regards to AFL and expansion. i think i read the earliest they plan to expand is '07.

is the NRL that unstable financially, thus the majority of owners were against it?

as for AFL and games on the gold coast-

from the Gold Coast Bulletin-
AFL football will return to the Gold Coast in 2006 with Hawthorn playing premiership matches here.

Hawthorn superstars such as Shane Crawford, Nathan Thompson, Peter Everitt and Jonathan Hay are set to become household names on the Gold Coast should the AFL give the go-ahead. Hawthorn's plans were also given a boost yesterday when it was revealed an agreement between the State Government's Major Sports Facilities Authority and the AFL does not apply to them.

The agreement states all AFL premiership matches in Queensland have to be played at the Gabba but that only pertains to teams based in Queensland.

A spokesman for Sports Minister Terry Mackenroth confirmed the Hawks could play games anywhere in Queensland provided they remained based in Melbourne.

Hawks president Ian Dicker was on the Gold Coast yesterday to resume talks with Southport Sharks chief executive Paul Wyatt with a view to brokering a financial settlement to suit both parties. The settlement centres around the Hawks playing at least one premiership match on the Gold Coast in 2006 with a view to playing more games here after that.

[OldFanatic]

is the NRL that unstable financially, thus the majority of owners were against it?
From what I remember reading a while back, all of NRL was kept alive purely based on Rupert Murdoch's (or News Corp) money. If Murdoch had lost interest, NRL was going to be dead. Don't know if that is still the case.

[ArsenalTexan3]

Personally I am glad the Super 12 is expanding. Should help South Africa better as a whole.

[Bison1997]

Personally I am glad the Super 12 is expanding. Should help South Africa better as a whole.

I thought part of the reason for Super 12 expanding was to give the Pacific Islanders a team, with the Aussies apparently getting the other.

Am I incorrect and South Africa's getting a team? Or are you just referring to the fact that there'll be increased competition on the whole?

[ArsenalTexan3]

I thought part of the reason for Super 12 expanding was to give the Pacific Islanders a team, with the Aussies apparently getting the other.

Am I incorrect and South Africa's getting a team? Or are you just referring to the fact that there'll be increased competition on the whole?

At one point it was talk that South Africa would also get a team. Maybe I'm way off and soemthign changed. I have not heartd anything about the Pacific Islanders even joining the Super 12.

[BhoysFC1995]

New Super 12 team step closer (http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,10483076-23217,00.html)
While there was no announcement that the tournament will be expanded for the 2006 season, it is understood only the final details have to be ironed out.

based on the article, it seems like they don't know where the two teams will play, but it seems highly likely that australia will get one of them.

one aussie city that won't get a team will be Parrametta- Story (http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,10487817-23209,00.html)

THE NSW Government's controversial poker machine tax has hit rugby union, forcing Parramatta Leagues Club to abandon plans of bidding for a fourth Australian Super 12 team.

The Victorian and West Australian rugby unions as well as the Central Coast are now the remaining three contenders for a new franchise.

no mention of the gold coast (which makes sense).

[westcoast929406]

The NRL is not financially unstable as such. Chandu is correct that News Ltd does put in money and also the NRL TV rights do contribute as well.
Just think the 15 clubs want things to stay put for a while.

Apparently a Super 12 team out of Perth is a strong possibility. Big South African and NZ expat communities and a large English migrant population live in Perth.
They would need it is thought a crowd of at least 20,000 to each game to make it feasible. Its proximity to South Africa is always mentioned as well.

The AFL local cross town derby this weekend has been sold out for 3 wks (44,000). The Subiaco ground capacity is not enough. They are now trying to get private sponsorship to expand to 50,000 in short term.

Super 12 would benefit from that. All of the Wallabies games in Perth have been sold out in recent times.

[Crowdie]

Interesting that the Aussie media is pushing it as the Kiwi media has been silent on any expansion. Could it be that the typical Aussie cockiness is reading too much into this?

[BhoysFC1995]

**Mod Note- i added AFL to the Subject line***

found this at the Gold Coast Bulletin (full article posted b/c the site doesn't archive)

it mentions how a guy who used work for the NRL Gold Coast Bid is now trying to get the AFL to Southport/Gold Coast

FORMER detective Paul Wyatt's life was once based around chasing convictions. Now there's just one.

The Southport Sharks Aussie rules club boss is hunting Gold Coast's sport's Most Wanted a national football licence.He's not alone.

Other bounty hunters from rugby league and rugby union have also staked a claim. Their prey has proved elusive but like any good cop, Wyatt doesn't measure success by the clock.

"A second AFL licence will come to Queensland and the licence will be based at this club,'' said Wyatt, as the early morning pensioner crowd hums excitedly behind him in the plush interior of the Sharks' Musgrave Hill headquarters.

"I can't give you a when. The when is the unknown that we are dealing with at the moment. All I can say is that a national (AFL) licence will come to the Gold Coast and that Southport will be the holder of that licence.'' Like most Aussie rules fans, the Sharks CEO watched with interest as the Gold Coast Dolphins' bid for an NRL licence was denied last week.

Wyatt, a former Victorian policeman, was closer to that action than most. He was a long-time director on the Coast Bid Team.

A devout rules man in the league camp. He had been headhunted by Dolphins chairman Paul Broughton because of his business acumen and for good reason. When Wyatt took over at the Sharks in September 1992, the club was barely above the financial break-even line.

Its membership stood at 400. This year Queensland's most successful licensed club boasts a membership of about 50,000. In the week leading up to the NRL's August 16 decision on expansion, Wyatt resigned from the Dolphins board citing `personal reasons'.

Both he and Broughton confirmed the split had been amicable.

But you would not have needed a crystal ball to see storm clouds on the horizon. On key issues, the Bid Team and Wyatt were growing wider apart.

For starters the Bid Team has openly stated whoever won the race to be the first national team on the Coast would gain a vital edge over the rival codes.

Second, and just as crucially, the Dolphins want the Gold Coast Stadium at Carrara redeveloped as a rectangular, league specific ground, ruling it out as an Aussie rules venue. Wyatt disagrees on both fronts. "I have advocated for a number of years that two national licences could very successfully co-exist on the Gold Coast,'' he said.

"I base that on how the Gold Coast and its population has evolved over the past decade. There are now close to 500,000 people on the Gold Coast and the split is about 50-50 in relation to league and rules supporters.

"Geelong has a population of about 180,000 people and they are vying for (AFL) premiership favouritism.

"In the next five years we will overtake Adelaide as far as population goes and they have five national licences (two AFL, basketball, soccer and netball).

"For the Gold Coast community not to have a national licence means that as a city we are being denied the right of having a sporting identity which enhances the profile of the Coast and which brings a binding spirit to the city.''

[westcoast929406]

A word of caution on the above newspaper article- The only figures that are credible are the areas present population and the membership of the Southport Sharks Australian Rules Club.

To say that the area is split 50/50 in support is pushing things a bit. There is a large Victorian AFL expat community and growing in that area, but R/League is still well established and would be number one in my opinion.

The local authorities will be under a lot of pressure to have a multi purpose stadium as per Stadium Australia in Sydney where the 2000 Olympics were held.

[BhoysFC1995]

A word of caution on the above newspaper article- The only figures that are credible are the areas present population and the membership of the Southport Sharks Australian Rules Club.

To say that the area is split 50/50 in support is pushing things a bit. There is a large Victorian AFL expat community and growing in that area, but R/League is still well established and would be number one in my opinion.

The local authorities will be under a lot of pressure to have a multi purpose stadium as per Stadium Australia in Sydney where the 2000 Olympics were held.

that what i was under the impression- that queensland is more of 'League country' than Aussie Footy. isn't the gold coast also a hotbed for soccer?

anyway, i know the GC League advocates want to reconfigure the stadium to be more league friendly.

is it safe to safe within the 5 years, there will be some sort of pro sports on the Gold Coast?

as for the local authorities being under pressure, isn't the current stadium already multi-configured?

also, since i am already just blurting out random things, i know i read somewhere one of the GC's expanision groups wanted to build a new stadium in Carerra (sp?).

(edited in later) i know there was a carerra thread, its in regards to AFL here
http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=127862

[Los Libero]

also, since i am already just blurting out random things, i know i read somewhere one of the GC's expanision groups wanted to build a new stadium in Carerra (sp?).

Yep ... Stade de France style. Oval shaped stadium able to be converted to a rectangular pitch for Rugby League.

[westcoast929406]

Heard on radio today -- Its official- Super 12 to become Super 14 in 2006
Perth or Melbourne in Oz and Bloomfontein pushing hard to fill 2 new spots they said. Are there any other locations trying to get selected??
Final decision in about 3 months on new teams.
I only know that in Oz Rugby U is pushing hard to capitalise on success of 2003 World Cup.

[lollies]

Yeah I just read this not long ago:

Fans the winners in SANZAR rugby expansion

1:01PM 6/9/2004
Story by: ARU


Rugby fans across Australia will be the big winners from today's decision by SANZAR to expand to a Super 14 and extended Tri Nations series from 2006.

rest of article here (http://www.rugby.com.au/news.rugby/article/20920)