A summer competition to introduce spectators from both codes to the next evolution for Rugby League & Rugby Union (spectators from these codes are generally starved of their favourite games of Union & League during the Australian summer). Initially, this would be the Combined Rugby Codes version of Crickets I.P.L. As is with the I.P.L this is by invitation all players are selected & contracted for the duration of this competition & will return to thier respective codes & organisations at the end of this competition.
4 Franchises in total: QLD, N.S.W, Indigenous Aust & the Pacific Island Nationals which is made up of players from Fiji, Solomon’s, Cook Group, Samoa, Tonga, Thursday & New Zealand any others that I may have forgotten or missed, my apologies) all franchises will have an equal number of staff 30 in total; 10 players from Union, 10 players from League & 10 coaching staff. Each team would require 20 players each (10 players from each code) to play with 10 players on the field with 5 interchange players & 5 players on standby as backup replacements to cover any possible injuries requiring a player to be replaced. Teams picked to play the weekly games will be required to be made up of an even balance between the 2 codes, teams will have to nominate for a game 8 League players & 7 Union players or vice versa for each game. This format would require recruiting the top 80 players from Rugby League & Rugby Union to represent the 4 Teams; QLD, N.S.W, Indigenous Aust & the Pacific Island Nationals. The selection criteria will be modelled on State of Origin qualifying guidelines & the players’ cultural heritage. 80 of the best players from both Rugby League & Rugby Union (40 from each code) from all corners of the globe & 4 coaches and their support staff made up of no more than 10 personnel per team. The best from both Rugby League and Rugby Union will be represented as well as every culture that plays both codes in the Southern Hemisphere.
4 Franchises in total: QLD, N.S.W, Indigenous Aust & the Pacific Island Nationals which is made up of players from Fiji, Solomon’s, Cook Group, Samoa, Tonga, Thursday & New Zealand any others that I may have forgotten or missed, my apologies) all franchises will have an equal number of staff 30 in total; 10 players from Union, 10 players from League & 10 coaching staff. Each team would require 20 players each (10 players from each code) to play with 10 players on the field with 5 interchange players & 5 players on standby as backup replacements to cover any possible injuries requiring a player to be replaced. Teams picked to play the weekly games will be required to be made up of an even balance between the 2 codes, teams will have to nominate for a game 8 League players & 7 Union players or vice versa for each game. This format would require recruiting the top 80 players from Rugby League & Rugby Union to represent the 4 Teams; QLD, N.S.W, Indigenous Aust & the Pacific Island Nationals. The selection criteria will be modelled on State of Origin qualifying guidelines & the players’ cultural heritage. 80 of the best players from both Rugby League & Rugby Union (40 from each code) from all corners of the globe & 4 coaches and their support staff made up of no more than 10 personnel per team. The best from both Rugby League and Rugby Union will be represented as well as every culture that plays both codes in the Southern Hemisphere.
Universal Pro League: as the NAME suggests is the best of the best of both codes.
Each of the 4 Franchises of 30 staff, totalling (120 personnel in all) will receive an equal share of one third of the profits from the gate takings. This 33.3% of the gate profits will be as a bonus from the promoter & will be on top of what the team owners have paid their personnel in the way of salary or remunerations, the disbursement of these funds will be equally divided up to the 120 personnel, 120 equal shares. The other two thirds 66.6% of the gate profits will be divided equally between the promoter (Universal Pro League) & the Universal Pro League development fund (invested by the board for the future development of this concept) & a charity nominated & agreed on by the board made up of the 4 franchisees & the director of Universal Pro League. Other income disbursement will be decided upon by the 5 board members.
The concept: The Universal Pro League competition for a season. Games played on Friday Night & Saturday Nights only:
Friday Night Game Saturday Night Game
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Week 1. QLD V NSW IND V PIN
Week 2. NSW V IND QLD V PIN
Week 3. IND V QLD NSW V PIN
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Week 4. Rest Week for all sides Rest Week for all sides
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Week 5. IND V PIN QLD V NSW
Week 6. QLD V PIN NSW V IND
Week 7. NSW V PIN IND V QLD
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Week 8. Rest Week for all sides Rest Week for all sides
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Week 9. QLD V NSW IND V PIN
Week 10. NSW V IND QLD V PIN
Week 11. IND V QLD NSW V PIN
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Week 12. Rest Week for all sides Rest Week for all sides.
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12 weeks of regular season games including 3 rest weeks, all teams have played each other 3 times, a virtual series made up of 3 SOO series x 3. The 2 top teams (the 2 teams that have scored the most points on aggregate minus points scored against) will participate in a best of 3 game series played over 21 days, starting exactly 2 weekends immediately after the regular season has finished. Both teams will receive a rest week immediately on the 12th week of the season then the following week the 3 game series will commence. The 1st game will be held at the home ground of the team that finished highest on the count (for & against). After the 1st game is played both teams will have a rest week then play the 2nd game at the opponents’ home ground. If after the second game both teams are on a win each & the series has to go to a decider both teams will receive a rest week. The 3rd game will be played at the same venue as the 1st game if it is required. Total length of season would be a possible 17 weeks if the 3rd playoff game is required. Fewer games played over a season using fewer players’ will fill stadiums each week because there is only 2 game to cover each weekend (expenses V revenue, TV rights, pay per view, commercials, broadcasting rights) etc, etc, etc.....
Spectators (drawn from both codes, Union & League) will respond because this will feature the best of both codes playing totally new rules representing an entire state or Nation and only having 2 games per weekend (1 Friday Night & 1Saturday Night) in a different state each week. Season runs from approximately the 1st Saturday in October or November through to January/February with no competition from rivals (Rugby League & Rugby Union) at all. Season finishing approximately a week or 2 before the N.R.L starts their regular season. Depending on spectator support & demand (public voting poll to decide) whether to go head to head with the N.R.L & Rugby Union for the regular season.
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The team winning this tournament will receive $1,000,000 in prize money. Runners up will receive $250,000 prize money. The M.V.P for the series will be voted by the public and will have to be a player from the winning team; the player scoring the most amounts of public votes from the winning team will be deemed the tournaments M.V.P; even if there is a player who scored higher in the voting but is on the losing team. This will eliminate a popularity contest based on over voting by zealous fans for a particular individual player. Voting for the tournament M.V.P will commence at the start of the competition & will be via SMS same as for all reality TV public voting shows, phone lines will be opened midday each Friday & will close Midday on the Sunday immediately after the SaturdayNight game. All players registered with each club will be assigned an SMS voting number which will be listed on the website specifically built for this tournament, listed in the print media before each weekly game, featured on the weekly TV show, etc, etc. Lines will be open for the duration of the tournament and will be live & in real time on the big screen at each game so it can be interactive with the spectator.
The M.V.P for the tournament will receive a cheque for $1,000,000. With a carrot of this size, less games, more rest & recovery time between games, a less physical more skilful game, a faster & more interesting game who wouldn’t want to be involved. This entire competition requires far less numbers to produce the spectacle therefore it shouldn’t be too difficult to interest elite players from both codes to make the transition, after all they will play this in their off season. Extra income for less work, what professional athlete wouldn’t accept that offer?
As for the investors, the franchisees, the setup costs to own a team in this competition Vs the percieved revenues for the entire concept should be very attractive compared to having to employ & register at least 60 players on incomes, then a swag of coaching staff to be involved in an N.R.L franchise (estimates of $15-$20m for the start of a Rugby League club) or a Super 16’s franchise. Anyway, this concept will poach the best that they have so they can be the nursery for the Universal Pro League. Income generated from this concept has only been casually estimated on gate takings. SMS voting for the M.V.P for the tournament would generate a sizable income & it is highly probable that other streams of income will be possible generated from merchandising, television rights, the sale of advertising space during televised games & corporate sponsorships, just to think of a few.
The best players in the world from both codes will accept this challenge if the rewards & incentives are great enough, with fewer games, less travel, less injuries, greater remuneration.
