Learning from the past: is a third tier rugby competition viable?

James Bijen There has been much written recently about the supposed need for a third tier championship in Australian Rugby. Overwhelmingly the consensus has been that in order to stay competitive as a rugby power, a third tier competition similar to New Zealand’s ITM Cup and South Africa’s Currie Cup is a vital undertaking. However, before proceeding, it must be ensured that the appropriate frameworks are in place to foster a successful and financially viable competition.

Drugs in sport saga: do the fans really care?

Heath McDonald When the drugs in Australian sport investigation was announced in early February, much was made of the importance of protecting fans from the actions of wrongdoers. But here we are, three months into this investigation and attendance records are being set, membership sales are strong and public interest in sport seems solid. It raises the question – do sport fans really care?

When law, business and media collide, is sport the only loser?

Brett Hutchins Cricket Australia’s recent decision to take legal action against its host broadcaster of the past 36 years, Channel Nine, has brought into question issues regarding when law, business and media collide. No matter how much money or power they possess, no single organisation or media company can claim total control over popular sports content. So just what does this conflict mean for the future of cricket in Australia?

‘Culture’ in team sport: corporate speak or vital for success?

Gary Wickham The culture of sport is the process by which sport produces (or enhances or reduces) in its participants and followers certain attributes or character traits, which they may or may not have had before. Is there a link between culture in team sport and on field success? or is culture simply a buzzword to reassure fans and players of the clubs future?

Is the AFL Blanding its Brand?

Anthony Costa It seems the AFL decided a decade ago that the best way to market Aussie rules is to mute its physicality. Recent concussion concerns have warranted some worthy changes. But is today’s all round softer, stricter game more palatable and pleasing? Or has constant tinkering turned the rulebook and into a gluggy trifle; a layered mess of touchy technicalities that could turn fans off the AFL brand?

Governing sport: A misunderstood challenge

Dale Wood It has been an interesting time in Australian sport over the past few years; we’ve experienced the drugs controversy in AFL and Rugby League, Super Rugby players have been fighting in public, and our Cricket and Swimming teams have experienced major declines in form. But what is to blame? Dale Wood examines the many and varied issues of governance in Australian sport, in the hope of providing a better appreciation of the ways to fix ineffective or broken governance, and highlight the difficulty of changing it.

The Lions are coming

James Bijen The Lions are coming. With these four words comes the promise of a cash injection the ARU coffers have not seen in quite some time. Building off the resounding success of the last tour in 2001, the ARU is filled with great optimism for an improved financial standing as they move toward the 2015 World Cup.

Game Over: Indigenous athletes transitioning out of sport

Megan Stronach - UTS Sydney In Australia, three sports in particular – boxing, rugby league and Australian Rules football – have attracted many Indigenous competitors, both in professional and elite amateur ranks, yet little is known about the adjustment to life after sport of Indigenous athletes.