TAS rugby carnival guest to fly with Eagles

The former Brumbies and Waratahs winger was recently appointed CEO of a new-look Country Eagles for this year’s National Rugby Championship (NRC), with the Eagles and Sydney Stars merging forces.

The amalgamation of the two franchises follows a review into the competition, and ARU’s subsequent decision to cut one of the four Sydney teams.

That stemmed from a concern that there wasn’t enough talent for NSW to sustain four strong teams.

Playford, who coached the Stars last season, argued against culling a side.

“What you’re theoretically doing is reducing the player pool in a pool that needs more players,” he said.

But the ARU didn’t see things the same way and the Stars were given the chop.

They were the only of the four sides aligned with only one Shute Shield team, being a joint venture between Sydney Uni and subbies side Balmain, and are arguably a logical fit, with a large proportion of the uni playing base hailing from the country.

“We’d be 60/70 per cent country-based,” Playford said.

He believes the NRC has a big role to play in growing the game.

“I see the NRC as a way to significantly help Australian rugby,” he said.

“Firstly helping the player pool and secondly helping financially.”

And he has some big, and bold, plans to take the game and the competition forward.

“My goal in the NRC is nothing related to on-field performance,” he said. “I want it to be entertaining.”

For him it’s about the whole package.

He’s even brought on a friend who’s been involved with Victoria’s Secret shows to help him deliver his vision.

“You look at the BBL. It’s the number one sporting entertainment in Australia at the moment,” he said.

It ticks all the boxes in his mind. It’s user-friendly, it’s affordable and is attracting kids in their droves.

The argument could be made that the two are different products but Playford can’t see why rugby can’t offer a more holistic entertainment package.

The challenge is catering to the different stakeholders. 

People go to the rugby for different reasons. You’ve got people that go for the social aspect. Others go purely to watch the game.

Getting it right is a process and Playford is the first to admit that sometimes he needs some reeling in as far as his ideas.

“I take it far right and then we pull it back,” he said.

He’s planning the Eagles’ game at Sydney Uni as the showcase.

“That’s our going-to-change-rugby moment,” he said.

“I want the people who are the purists to go ‘that was unusual’ and the people who aren’t purists to go ‘that was entertaining’.”

The Eagles will play one of their home games at Uni and bring the other three out into the country.

Playford is also keen to see NSW Country own a bigger stake in the Eagles.

“I’m big on making NSW Country a major stakeholder,” he said.

“The Cockatoos didn’t get the opportunity to put themselves in the NRC.”

“Now they’ve got that opportunity.”

There is a fair bit of discussion still to be had about that.

One thing the first two years of the competition has shown though is that it is a genuine pathway.

He gave the example of Eagles lock Ned Hanigan. From the Eagles last year, the Coonamble product is now playing for the Waratahs.