Full Steam Ahead for WA League Campaign
The WA Rugby League is ready to take the next step in its campaign to become part of an expanded national competition.
It will open talks with the State Government next month, hoping to secure a $300,000 fighting fund loan to finance its bid for a side in the National Rugby League that is set to grow from 16 to 18 clubs in 2013 under a new television deal.
Perth has not had a professional rugby league team since the Super League Western Reds folded in 1997, but the WARL is armed with a business case study it believes presents solid arguments for a new NRL side.
It commissioned market researchers Synovate to prepare the report and WARL Bid project manager Ralph McManis said the WARL pleased with the outcome.
“There were certainly no surprises and many positives,” McManis said.
“We’ve done financial modelling on what we believe is needed for a national team and we are on course.”
The WARL bid has gathered strong support from within NRL ranks including chief executive David Gallop, who said earlier this year that Perth was a frontrunner in the race.
He said a new franchise would have to produce a $15-20 million a year turnover but McManis is confident they can achieve that target.
“We’ve punched the numbers and we believe we can jump through all the financial hoops,” McManis said.
“We believe it would be more than feasible otherwise we would not be proceeding.”
The report, that said a new side would pump $22 million a year into the WA economy, found:
- 38 per cent of the public support the NRL expansion into Perth
- 6 per cent of the public state they are likely to become members
- 31 per cent of 18-34 year-olds would attend a home game.
- 15 per cent of those surveyed follow the NRL
- 8 per cent were strong and passionate rugby league supporters.
But the report said that if the WARL was successful it would need to ignite an interest and passion in the game and build momentum and support among the public and business community.
McManis said he was encouraged by the number of 18-34 year-olds who would go to a game.
“That’s the next generation. Had the report come back and said the great bulk of support was over 50 then we’d have a problem.
“But when you know the next generation wants to come your way then that’s really good news,” he said.
“It’s also encouraging to see how many people would take up membership. One would think the possibility of 20,000 plus members down the track is not unrealistic.”
The three seasons of the Western Reds was clouded in controversy but McManis said lessons had been learnt.
“As far as the Western Reds are concerned they are history. They are confined to history. There’s nothing we can take from them,” he said.
The report says that rugby league trails rugby union by just 3 per cent in terms of interest, support and appeal in the metro area.
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