ARU invites fans to help shape the future of Australian rugby

The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) is encouraging fans, players and stakeholders to join the conversation on the future of the game by completing the just opened Australian Rugby Survey.

Feedback from the survey will be incorporated into Australian rugby’s next five year strategy from 2016-2020.

Explaining that its passionate fan base is one of Australian rugby’s greatest strengths, ARU Chief Executive Bill Pulver stated “we know we have a passionate and enthusiastic fan base full of ideas and views on Rugby - from grassroots to the elite.

“The Australian Rugby Survey provides our fans and all Rugby stakeholders the opportunity to have their say on the future of our game and how we should prioritise our investment at all levels and formats of the game to coincide with our next broadcast cycle from 2016-2020.

“Feedback from the survey will help inform this strategy, along with workshops with Rugby stakeholders nationally so we can assess the views of the Rugby community about all levels of Rugby including grassroots and club competitions, development competitions, Super Rugby, Sevens and Wallabies.”

The 10-minute survey is now online and will be open until Friday 5th June.

The public survey follows extensive market research that has been undertaken about grassroots Rugby and interviews and workshops with senior executives from Super Rugby clubs and Member Unions.

Fans who complete The Australian Rugby Survey will also be able to register their interest in undertaking additional consultation activities to create the 2016-2020 Australian Rugby Strategic Plan.

As part of the strategic review, the ARU Board has also commissioned an independent cultural review of professional Rugby in Australia.

ARU Chairman Michael Hawker said the review will be conducted by independent not-for-profit organisation, the St James Ethics Centre.

Hawker stated “this cultural review will examine the extent to which the values of Rugby Union in Australia are aligned and being applied by both players and administrators in the professional game. In other words, we want to know, if what we do and what we say are aligned.”

Around 400 people involved in professional rugby in Australia will participate in the cultural review through an online survey and one-to-one interviews.

Findings and recommendations of the cultural review will be incorporated into the broader Strategic Plan for Australian Rugby, which is expected to be developed by November 2015.

Click here to view the Australian Rugby Survey.

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