When the Super 14 expanded at the beginning of 2006 to include a fourth Australian team, it was meant to usher in a golden era for Australian rugby and finally make Rugby Union Australia's premier football code, above rugby league, AFL and soccer.

Instead it had the opposite effect, showing what little depth the Australian unions had. In 2006 the Waratahs finished third, the Brumbies sixth, the Reds 12th and competition newcomers the Force dead last, managing just one win and two draws. The 2007 picture is even worse, with the Brumbies finishing fifth, the Force seventh, the Waratahs 13th and the Reds dead last.

Games between Australian teams also proved especially hard to watch. The Reds and Brumbies battled to a 6-3 scoreline while fans battled to stay awake. The Waratahs vs Force game was even harder to watch as both teams desperately tried to lose the game, only to fail when the game ended in 16-16 draw. And finally the Reds' slaughter at the hands of the Bulls was a mismatch of epic proportions, resembling a game between men and boys.

So what has happened to Australian rugby? Firstly money happened; the Australia Rugby Union (ARU) went on a big spending spree bringing over several former league players, such as Ryan Cross and Clinton Schifcofske. And then the Force went on a spending spree of their own, buying in big-name players like Matt Giteau and Drew Mitchell. But in a team sport, big money players do not always equal success.

The other major issue facing the ARU is the lack of development of young players. Instead of focusing on top age group players to replace retiring stars like Stephen Larkham and George Greegan, the ARU has signed more league players like Timana Tahu and is rumoured to have signed Eric Grothe.

The result of these mis-steps from administrators has led to poor results on the field, which starts a fairly vicious cycle. Poor results leads to lower attendance, lower attendance leads to less money for administrators, less money leads to top players leaving for overseas clubs, which leads to poor results.

Attendance at Australian Super 14 venues has been down this season, by as much as 27 per cent. In fact, with the exception of the Force, all the Australian teams saw attendance drops of over 20 per cent for the season. Ratings on television have taken a similar hit.

A drop in both ratings and attendances have also occured in New Zealand, although nowhere near as dramatic as Australia, and some of this has been attributed to fan apathy. Fans have seen the same teams with the same players for a number of years now and some are now simply bored with rugby.

Without Super 14 semi-finals to boost their coffers, administrators are now looking to offer discounted tickets to the Wallabies' Test against Wales in an effort to avoid a half-empty Telstra Stadium. The stadium holds 86,500, but only 40,000 tickets have been sold so far.

So where to from here for Australian rugby? Firstly, the ARU needs to nurture their young talent instead of trying for quick fixes by signing league players. Secondly, they need to be up-front with the fans and not accept mediocre performances from teams, players or coaches. How Reds' coach Eddie Jones kept his job after guiding his team to a 12-game losing streak remains a mystery to many fans.

Of course the blame for the awful performances by Australian teams cannot be placed on the coaches alone. Players and administrators must take a look at themselves and evaluate their own performances too. Australian rugby is in need of a rebuilding phase, put old players and coaches out to pasture and bring through some new blood. In its current state, Australia is heading for an early exit at the World Cup and may even struggle against an under-strength Welsh team later this month.

What do you think should be done to revive the Union code in Australia? Post a comment below or submit an article to Sportingo.