Cynics would be forgiven for experiencing groundhog day vibes following Rugby Australia's (RA) decision to launch a new domestic men's competition later this year. After all, four domestic — or third-tier — men's tournaments have been established since rugby union went professional in the mid-1990s, only for each to bite the dust. On Tuesday, RA announced its Super Rugby Pacific teams — the Brumbies, Reds, Waratahs and Force — will play each other in a round-robin format in September, culminating in a grand final to be held early the following month. Under the banner Super Rugby AUS, it will consist of contracted players who aren't involved with the Wallabies at the time, as well as emerging talent from the various semi-professional club competitions, and national and state pathway programs. Essentially, it's designed to increase Australia's player depth through a higher standard of rugby being played. Depth remains a constant challenge, as highlighted by the performances of Australia's teams in this year's edition of Super Rugby Pacific. Super Rugby AUS will also provide head-coaching opportunities within a professional environment, mirroring the state-based leagues in the NRL and AFL, albeit across a condensed timeframe. It is a sensible move and deserves support, as the code needs a tournament to bridge the gap between Super Rugby Pacific and the club premierships, such as NSW's Shute Shield and Queensland's Hospital Cup. The operative word here is "support", as previous domestic competitions failed to engage all stakeholders, some of whom vehemently opposed their introduction. Cost concerns were also an issue. In the professional era, the National Ricoh Championship (1998—2000) was the first crack at a third-tier tournament in Australia. It included the Waratahs, Reds and Brumbies, but struggled to gain traction. Among the arguments raised against the competition's existence were the round-robin matches carried little consequence, added to an already cluttered representative calendar and attracted meagre spectator interest. The three state unions involved rarely appeared supportive of the concept, with then-Reds coach John Connolly at one stage proposing an eight-team club tournament — featuring Shute Shield and Hospital Cup teams among others — to act as a replacement. RA (then known as the Australian Rugby Union) even voiced misgivings about the National Ricoh Championship's mid-season scheduling in 2000, which hastened its demise the same year. Lost amid the criticism, though, was the fact the competition gave the likes of George Smith and Phil Waugh their first taste of provincial rugby in 1999, helping accelerate their development before they made their Test debuts 12 months later. Short-lived ARC caused division In 2006, RA revisited the model used in the National Ricoh Championship. The Australian Provincial Championship (APC) included the existing three teams and the Force, who made their Super Rugby debut the same year. The APC lasted only one season as it was a forerunner to the most divisive attempt at establishing a national competition. The Australian Rugby Championship (ARC) was an eight-team tournament consisting of newly created entities from NSW, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia, as well as the Canberra Vikings. While the appetite for a national competition was already strong, the ARC was agreed upon following a three-day workshop involving 70 delegates in 2006. Prior to the ARC getting off the ground, however, there was opposition from prominent Shute Shield clubs, who wanted to be included as standalone teams. They were labelled the "coalition of the unwilling" by then-Rugby Union Players' Association (RUPA) CEO Tony Dempsey, whose organisation was a major ARC supporter. Dempsey had public spats with some of his fellow ex-Wallabies who opposed the ARC and it was disbanded by RA in 2007, a decision prompted by the $4.7 million loss incurred in its one and only season. At the time, RA projected the ARC would have lost an additional $3.3 million had it continued into a second year, describing it as an "untenable financial risk". RUPA, in its 2007 annual report, claimed the competition was supported by the majority of players and — with some justification — "achieved its goal in only its first year of unearthing new talent and developing existing talent". What can't be disputed, however, is the ARC couldn't replicate the sense of tribalism associated with semi-professional club rugby. Creating ARC teams such as the Central Coast Rays, Sydney Fleet and Ballymore Tornadoes was a valiant effort but achieving the rusted-on fan support enjoyed by longstanding clubs in NSW and Queensland, for example, was a bridge too far. Some of the challenges the ARC faced — including financial results, lack of fan engagement and resentment from Sydney clubs — resurfaced when RA operated the National Rugby Championship (NRC) from 2014—2019. The NRC was a worthwhile venture aimed at increasing the talent pool, but its cost was a contributing factor to its cancellation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Super Rugby AUS needs to be cost-effective because RA announced a $36.8 million deficit in the 2024 financial year, although the upcoming British and Irish Lions tour will provide a substantial cash injection to its coffers. This week's official statement announcing Super Rugby AUS's birth suggested RA and the state unions were all singing from the same hymn sheet, which is encouraging for the competition's future. But it will require sustained support from those stakeholders — as well as the semi-professional clubs and the Australian rugby fan base — if it is to succeed where previous iterations have failed. The game can only prosper in Australia if everyone is rowing in the same direction. This sounds obvious but it has been a challenge for the sport over several decades.