Developing club rugby the right way

Is it better for a club to have a strong first XV and a weaker 2nd & 3rd XV so it receives press attention and potentialy win the odd trophy or should a club strive to be competitive across all grades?

This is the dilema facing many of the clubs in the Sydney Shute shield competition at the moment.

Warringah as an example have a very strong first XV but have barely won a grade match below the first grade all season. Where as teams such as Gordon, Eastwood and Easts may not be in the running for the title but they are performing reasonably well across the grades.

So what is the solution?

Personally I believe Eastwood have the right mix, they are a successful club built on a good junior section with not too many players “bought in”, they perform consistently well each year, some years better than others but they are always hard to beat.

A lot of clubs would be well served looking at their model closely and mirroring it.

It may not bring the instant success that the media and sponsors may desire however it will ensure much success in the years to come.