RUGBY LEAGUE NEWS:
| A message from Storm CEO Matt Hanson | ||
| Written by: Chris Couch | ||
| January 18th 2010 06:25 PM | ||
The Board of the Melbourne Storm fully supports the implementation of an Independent Commission to manage the game of Rugby League. It is imperative that this Independent Commission be able to focus on three of the most important challenges facing our game today. They are our brand, culture and game development. These three ingredients make up the majority of the recipe that is responsible for the livelihood of our game and the commercial impact they bring to our game can never be underestimated. We need an improved brand and culture that is all encompassing and are able to attract an audience truly representative of contemporary Australian society. In mainstream sport, the commercial reality of life today is that you must have a product attractive to both men and women and one that parents will encourage their children to participate in and support. The days of having a lopsided appeal to one sex and not the other is a commercial liability and one that is detrimental to the future of our great game. Our competitors have made no secret of where their future lies geographically and they are attempting to not only encroach on our traditional support base but to destroy it. One of these competitors has committed funds in excess of $350 million in game development in NSW, QLD and the Pacific Islands over the next ten years. We have to stand and fight for what we believe is ours, listen to our stakeholders and ask an Independent Commission to do everything in its power to meet the expectations of those who represent our game at the grass roots level. It is imperative that we must not turn our back on our traditional support base that is being attacked by our competitors, but also continue to grow the game geographically by funding significant game development in the high growth areas of Victoria, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. We need an Independent Commission that will implement structures and processes that will help make our game the first choice of athletes who wish to experience the high altitude of elite sport in the Southern Hemisphere. Our game is made for television and we must make sure we have an Independent Commission that has the skills and influence to negotiate a media rights deal with traditional and new media that in turn will provide the game with the best reach and best financial return for all the great assets of our game. We in Victoria may be one the youngest members of the NRL but our dreams and aspirations are no different to those who have been with our game since its inception. We want our game to grow in our state and we want our game to be the first choice of as many of our athletes in this state that we can introduce the opportunity to. We want home grown athletes and we are confident we can achieve this dream with the support of an Independent Commission that will fund further significant game development in Victoria. We want to be the team that is the number one financial contributor to our game via media rights and other auxiliary financial contributions. We want the people of Victoria to be proud of their premier Rugby League team and we aspire to have the largest support base of any football team in this state. We want an Independent Commission that will achieve billion dollar media rights deals and mentor a brand and culture that will attract audiences and increased financial support from the Australian and Pacific Island population that has never been experienced before. We at Melbourne Storm want a future and we believe that an Independent Commission is the best vehicle to provide the future we so enthusiastically seek. |
