Auckland Rugby League are refusing to hide behind Covid-19 as they try to halt a 'startling' decline in male playing numbers.
The Glenora Bears and Pt Chevalier Pirates in action in the 2022 Fox Memorial Final in Auckland. Photo: Photosport/Craig Butland
Sport New Zealand statistics show playing numbers in rugby league have declined faster than any sport in the country's biggest city during the past 10 years.
But it's since 2019 where the situation has become most concerning for Auckland Rugby League (ARL) administrators, with participation figures dipping by almost 10 per cent during those four seasons.
ARL chief executive Rebecca Russell said the board were "very up front" about the issue when she started in the job in March, and insisted it was at the centre of the new strategy they were developing.
"We can all hide a little bit behind Covid.
"It has been hugely disruptive for all of New Zealand, and in particular Auckland, given the length of time we were in lockdown, but if you really look at the numbers and the trends going back even 10 years you can see this slight decline year-on-year.
"It's been a little drip, so not enough to really make it standout, but when you look at the last four years and see a nine per cent decline, that becomes a bit startling."
It's a decline entirely attributable to the boys and men's game.
Female numbers have almost tripled between the start of the 2019 and end of the 2022 seasons, a boost Russell puts down to the introduction of new women's competitions and the influence of the NRL-W.
In contrast, male numbers are down by almost 2000 players, or 23 per cent.
While acknowledging the impact of Covid-19, Russell believes there are several other reasons for the decline.
Increasing concern and discussion around concussion was effecting numbers in many contact sports, including rugby and rugby league.
But Russell said the difference between those two sports in Aotearoa came down to image.
"One thing with rugby is they have such a strong brand ... rugby league suffers from a perception issue.
"There's a perception the game is tough and aggressive and you're going to get hurt. We watch the NRL and think maybe the grassroots game is going to be the same ... but the game has done a lot to mitigate some of those things.
"Our under-6s play tag not tackle, we have tackle confidence programmes where every player learns how to tackle properly...
"We haven't done a good enough job to change that perception and talk about all of the really good things we're doing and the good things that come with being part of a team sport and a club in your local community."
Fox Memorial Shield. Photo: Photosport
That difference between the two oval-ball codes is perhaps, in part, evidenced in the latest figures out of Auckland Rugby.
In contrast to the ARL, that organisation's senior playing numbers were up 12 per cent this year, while secondary school numbers experienced a small but still notable three per cent rise.
Russell said they've looked closely at what Auckland Rugby have done to arrest dipping participation in the 15-player code, with a lot of the players rugby league is losing going across to union.
She said the issue is particularly worrying for the ARL at the secondary school level, another area where they have work to do.
"When they move into high school you have a school sports programme, which is dictated by the principal or the director of sport.
"If they don't like rugby league then it won't be offered at that school. It comes out of the club system and into the college sport space, and rugby league is only offered in 13 of 110 high schools in Auckland.
"We don't have a big enough penetration there, so that will be really key focus for us."
And a long-term focus, at that.
Russell said successful strategies in other sports had taken up to 10 years to bear fruit, proving there was no silver bullet to a problem many codes were experiencing.
But she was optimistic if the ARL got it right, rugby league could once again flourish in the city of sails.
"My vision is to make Auckland the greatest rugby league region in the world.
"We have a massive depth of talent. Our focus needs to be on how we attract that talent, retain it and develop it.
"There's a lot of investment that's going to be going into our pathways and development programmes, as well as how do we ensure the experience players have is really positive and what people are seeing are all the really great things that come with being part of a rugby league club."