Rugby union is being crushed in youth participation by the NRL and AFL, so the combative football code has recruited a rugby league superstar to turn things around.
According to recent Federal Government data, 173,000 children aged 0-8 play Australian rugby, while 108,000 children aged 9-14 play rugby league.
Another 125,000 teenagers aged 15 to 17 play Australian rugby and 84,000 participate in rugby league.
Rugby fails to crack the top 10 in any youth demographic, with recent Australian Sports Commission data showing only 95,000 children play the game across all youth groups.
Problems at the top level have been well documented.
The Wallabies failed to escape the pool stages of the 2023 Rugby World Cup for the first time in history, resulting in the sacking of coach Eddie Jones.
Debt-ridden Melbourne Rebels have been dumped as Super Rugby struggles to maintain relevance following the departure of South African sides along with Argentina’s Jaguares and Japan’s Sunwolves.
Rugby Australia announced a massive $9.2 million loss in 2023 and the code is struggling to find its way back following heavy setbacks.
To achieve this, they have recruited the services of NRL great Mark Gasnier.
Former NRL star Mark Gasnier introduces new junior rugby sport Tri Tag at Woodville Wasps Rugby Club
Gasnier spent most of his playing career in rugby league, but finished his career playing rugby for Stade Français in France.
Gasnier was one of the most impressive NRL players of his generation and was regularly selected to play for State of Origin and his country.
While Gasnier played his final two professional seasons with French rugby union side Stade Français, he played 175 NRL games, 12 State of Origin games for New South Wales and represented the Australian Kangaroos 15 times.
Not only has he been appointed the face of youth rugby, Gasnier has been tasked with creating a new sport called Tri Tag for juniors to rival the AFL’s Auskick and the NRL’s equivalent, League Stars.
Tri Tag comes in a number of formats. For six-year-olds, it can be played with five players on each team, with limited lineouts and scrums, and on half a football pitch.
The full version involves 10 players per team, five-man scrums and lineouts, and is played on a full field, including goal kicking.
It is a format that Gasnier hopes can revitalise the union in Australia.
“There is no doubt, from the outside, that there is a perception that they are having a hard time,” Gasnier said. News Corporation.
‘In my experience visiting many grassroots clubs, I see that there is a lot of good will and good people.
“When you have that, you assume it’s just a matter of time before they go in the right direction.”
New South Wales Rugby is already implementing Tri Tag and there are plans to introduce it to Australian schools
“I started doing all the trials and showing Tri Tag in clubs, then Rugby Australia approached us to have a look at the game and they loved it,” Gasnier continued.
‘They wanted to implement it as their official non-contact game, they subcontracted me to train all their member union staff and roll it out at a grassroots level across Australia.
‘I’ve been going since last September, visiting member unions, showing them what the game is all about, helping development officers understand it, showing them the belts and how to teach it in schools and clubs.’
The move has been met with divisiveness by rugby fans, who have been left frustrated more than once in recent years.
“Creating Tri Tag and using a league player to promote it seems a bit desperate to me. I guess we should try something,” one posted.
“We’re rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic,” posted one unconvinced rugby fan.