'We need respect back': Super Rugby has changed again, but will it work?

The ACT Brumbies should be galloping around Canberra with a good story to tell. They start their season at 2pm on Sunday against an Australian opponent, they play four of the first five games at home and a coronavirus-forced change has brought legitimacy back to Super Rugby.

Day-time rugby - tick. Games in Canberra earlier in the year to avoid the winter chill, no more token finals spots to make broadcasters happy and no middle-of-the-night games in South Africa. Tick, tick, tick!

Change, however, hasn't been Super Rugby's friend in the past and the truth is no one really knows if this year will be any different.

Super Rugby officials have made plenty of blunders over the years and the constant pursuit of expansion and increased broadcast revenue was perhaps the biggest.

Rugby lost its fans, its relevance and its soul. The addition of teams, a confusion three-conference format and a made-up finals system to suit television executives cost rugby so much more than it got in return.

There have been some promising signs in the past 12 months, with broadcast numbers improving thanks to a free-to-air deal and. About 1.3 million people watched the Australian grand final between the Brumbies and the Reds.

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The Brumbies lost that night, but the Reds winning in front of 41,637 fans in Brisbane. As much as it probably still stings the Brumbies, that night showed there was a pulse.

But up until last week, none of the Australian teams had secured front-of-jersey sponsors for this season. The Brumbies got theirs over the line on Friday, but it's clear rugby has become a tough sell.

Here we are in 2022, hopefully nearing the end of a global pandemic, and we're still asking questions rugby administrators were pondering when the game went professional 26 years ago.

Will a trans-Tasman competition work? Can Australian rugby survive? Will fans come come to the stands? How to the Brumbies find a way to re-engage with a community which used to adore them?

Brumbies coach Dan McKellar is used to them by now. He's been answering them, or trying to at least, since taking the coaching reins five years ago.

It must be frustrating for players and coaches. The Brumbies have, in recent years, restored some pride on the field with the way they've played under McKellar's tutelage.

For a long time many thought attacking rugby was the key to getting bums on seats. Then it became attacking rugby and warmer weather. Now we know it's neither, because domestic rugby in Australia and New Zealand isn't able to attract the crowds we thought they could.

Maybe it's time to accept that reality and view 9000 or 10,000 as a good crowd at Canberra Stadium.

The problem is we know it's not, because the Canberra Raiders are proof you can turn things around, connect with a supporter base and grow fan and membership numbers when everyone else struggles.

For McKellar's part, he hopes bringing a legitimate finals series back is the first small step to proving to rugby fans the game is about the game, not about television.

There were times when the Brumbies were making finals and ranked higher than Kiwi opponents in the old Super Rugby format (let's not talk about all of the format changes since 2007) when they hadn't beaten a New Zealand team all year. Fans rightly raised their eyebrows.

"I think all Australian teams are determined to get back and perform better so we can get a bit of respect back," McKellar said.

"This is the competition that I've supported all along. I just think the travel and expense of going to places like Argentina and South Africa ... they're memorable trips and great experiences, but they cost a lot of money.

"A competition against New Zealand teams with Fiji and Moana Pasifika, this the comp we need to back and get behind."

SUPER RUGBY ROUND ONE

Sunday: ACT Brumbies v Western Force at Canberra Stadium, 2pm.

Brumbies team: 1. James Slipper, 2. Folau Fainga'a, 3. Allan Alaalatoa (c), 4. Darcy Swain, 5. Cadeyrn Neville, 6. Rob Valetini, 7. Rory Scott, 8. Pete Samu, 9. Nic White, 10. Noah Lolesio, 11. Andy Muirhead, 12. Irae Simone, 13. Len Ikitau, 14. Tom Wright, 15. Tom Banks. Reserves: 16. Lachlan Lonergan, 17. Scott Sio, 18. Tom Ross, 19. Nick Frost, 20. Ed Kennedy, 21. Ryan Lonergan, 22. Ollie Sapsford, 23. Jesse Mogg.

Force team: 1. Tom Robertson, 2. Feleti Kaitu'u (c), 3. Santiago Medrano, 4. Fergus Lee-Warner, 5. Izack Rodda, 6. Brynard Stander, 7. Kane Koteka, 8. Tim Anstee, 9. Ian Prior, 10. Reesjan Pasitoa, 11. Manasa Mataele, 12. Bayley Kuenzle, 13. Kyle Godwin, 14. Toni Pulu, 15. Jake Strachan. Reserves: 16. Andrew Ready, 17. Harrison Lloyd, 18. Greg Holmes, 19. Ryan McCauley, 20. Ollie Callan, 21. Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, 22. Jake McIntyre, 23. Richard Kahui.

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