Firstly, to the Sydney Morning Herald, having a front page teaser of “League’s desperate recruitment drive” really distorts what is a good article on how the NRL clubs are building membership numbers.
For example:
Paul Osborne is staring out of a 24th floor hotel room overlooking Mumbai Harbour when an eagle flies past his window. This is not where he expected Parramatta’s membership drive to reach. ”This is surreal,” Osborne concedes.
He is in India spruiking membership of his club. As you do. You read right – he has spent the past few days in Hyderabad and Mumbai attempting to convince a Bollywood star to spruik rugby league to potential Parramatta fans. Which means that after signing Jarryd Hayne, Osborne’s next signature has been Nandamuri Balakrishna, the new face of rugby league in the west. Way west. In India.
The plan has worked. In the next few months, Balakrishna will travel to Sydney to sell the sport of rugby league to thousands of people of Indian heritage living in the Parramatta district. The idea occurred to him after witnessing thousands converge on Parramatta Park for a concert last month. Data showed many of them lived around Harris Park, Guildford and Parramatta, which makes them all potential members.
And if you want to talk to Souths’ Shaun Richardson you better be a member:
Closer to home yesterday was South Sydney chief executive Shane Richardson, but spreading the same message. Richardson was at the Murwillumbah races, where he came across a man who introduced himself not by his name, but by his member number – 9508.
Membership was important to this man, and it is equally so for Richardson. He does not respond to emails, phone calls or even fans on the street unless they can quote their member number.
”If you’re not a member, I don’t want to talk to you,” he says.
The article makes the point that clubs realise they cannot rely on pokies down the line. Memberships will be what sustains clubs in the future. Having a good membership base will also mean larger crowds. So the long term looks good. The NRL clubs aren’t just looking at how AFL clubs attract and retain members but also are looking at American football.
For the record, I’m an Eels Blue Blood Supporter. It is a non-ticketed membership but there are still advantage in terms of buying tickets and other goodies from the club.
Whether you can attend games or not, I do recommend (if finances allow) taking out a membership. Not only are you showing support for your team, you are helping change the NRL for the better.
3 responses so far ↓
Sassy // Feb 23, 2010 at 1:06 pm
Sup Shaun, IT’S OKAY I’M A MEMBER.
is it just me or does his stance on membership seem hypocritical? I don’t think you can demand membership from a fan unless the club (and the league they’re part of) are already prioritising fans. The membership process has to be a two-way street.
And if clubs are making their money predominantly out of ticketed memberships (as opposed to non-ticketed ones) then there has to be some kind of pay-off for fans from the decisions that the clubs and the NRL make.
Yes it includes a club that’s well-run and resonably successful, but also just as an example: what about increasing the priority of attending fans when determining game times and locations rather than tv audiences?
If clubs are only just NOW starting to push for independent governance of the game which may or may not give them more freedom to pay attention to fans and members … how can they expect the paying public to move any more quickly?
If membership numbers have fallen it’s because members didn’t feel they were getting anything in return.
What do you reckon Shaun?
Shaun // Feb 23, 2010 at 4:44 pm
Thanks for stopping by Sassy. Great questions. What I reckon is:
1. As membership grows fans will get a say in the club by being able to vote. I think that was what Richardson was getting it. If you want to be heard then be a member and you will be heard. As membership grows I’d say that fans will get a bigger say as they will have the power to elect boards, be able to vote on decisions etc
2. Good point re game times. Trouble is that I’d say that the new TV rights will have some clause that they get to choose when and where games are played. But I do think Nine abuse this and play favourites. I mean, why are last year’s wooden spooners getting most of the Sunday slots for the first 5 weeks.
And why is the Sunday game on delay? Just for the Nine news? No other code does this. Ridiculous. And I’m off on a tangent here.
But to allow fans to choose games venues and times would mean a balancing act with commercial interests. Even though I’m an Eels fan, I love going to see games at Leichardt. And even through the games are packed, the Tigers are reluctant to stage more than a handful of games there a season for commercial reasons (corporate boxes, sponsors etc). Plus by limiting games they are almost guaranteed a full house.
3. The public may not move as quickly.But clubs see membership as a long term plan. I believe some want to get to the 30,000 member mark eventually. If the majority of Sydney clubs achieve this, it will really change the game.
As for the rise and fall of membership numbers, some of that can be put at the feet of fickle fans. I do think that as memberships become a bigger part of the league, the fans will start to get more out being a member as the clubs tweak things to ensure continued growth.
Mountain Boy // Feb 23, 2010 at 11:27 pm
I agree Sass. The game for years now has fallen short in regard to giving the fan what they want out of the game.
Season Memberships needs to offer more for the huge price thats asked each year. The equivalent of one free home game if you happen to make it to every home game of the season is hardly value for money. Maybe if the season pass gave you the equivalent of half a dozen free entry’s then I would say you would have a lot more season ticket holders. Season Memberships are dying because there’s more value in paying entry for the games you can actually make. General Club Memberships are dying because the rugby league fan doesnt associate a requirement of being a club member before being a fan. We could learn a lot from Victorian football culture, where someone’s club membership is worn as much more a badge of honour. You know which club someone supports by their club membership. I am married to a family of died-in-the-wool fans of a certain vocal but not as mighty as they say, footy club, yet not one of them has ever been a club member, let alone stepped foot inside their Leagues Clubs (that there are two of).
So make membership mean something to the holder. Hate to say it, but not only have the Vics got a superior finals format, they also know how to attract the fan. Free entry to watch training sessions – offering a much closer association with fan and player. Open sessions are of course just to watch skills sessions, (so secret plays are never revealed). Cheaper gate entry. Get the crowds in (standing room only, I say) and you then have a sea of excited people that can’t wait for the next game. Thats where I see the game becoming better. My guess is, things are only headed in the opposite direction – more emphasis on stay at home viewing / extra buttons on your remote to simulate sex while watching rugby league / all of this a discouragement from joining your favourite club and from there, becoming win, lose, or golden-point-draw, a part of your team.