Clubs need to change.
And it could be as simple as free Wi-Fi, a coffee machine and a play area tucked away in the corner.
At least, that is all it would take for former Central Districts cricket representative Ian Sandbrook to head back down to his local club.
He has been watching from afar as the nine Dunedin premier rugby clubs wrestle with how to remain relevant in a rapidly changing sporting environment.
The 35-year-old Waikato sports consultant contacted the Otago Daily Times after reading the stories to provide "some potential ideas" and to "shake things up".
He started with some home truths. Clubs need to come to terms with the idea the world has changed and they need to change with it.
"What we are finding is the clubs which reconnect with their communities are doing the best," he said.
"There needs to be a mindset shift in my opinion and to get back to what grassroots sport was like 20 or 30 years ago.
"The biggest issue is the drop off in the people who aren't coming into the game and propping clubs up.
"We see lots of clubs that are down to one or two teams, so then when you lose two or three guys to competitions like [Global Rapid Rugby] it actually really hits hard.
"What I try to work on with clubs is around their community and social connection and bring that back in. What about your second, third and fourth XV guys who aren't going into clubs any more?"
"By focusing just on the top end, they are actually missing out on the 80%-90% of guys that used to come into club rugby."
South Pacific sports club is in many ways the perfect example of how Sandbrook believes clubs should approach the task of remaining relevant.
South Pacific was named grassroots club of the year at the New Zealand Rugby League awards last week.
The club's roots are in rugby league but it has grown to include basketball, netball and softball.
It has a strong family-orientated culture and has put an emphasis on mental wellbeing and helping create social opportunities for its members.
It is getting back to the core values of sport, which is to foster social ties and encourage healthy lifestyles.
"Some clubs are not the most welcoming environment any more if I'm honest," Sandbrook said.
"They are still a little bit stuck when society has moved on.
"My background has mostly been in cricket and that sport has had huge challenges.
"Take my example. I stopped playing club cricket when I had my two little girls.
"My wife does not want me down at club cricket all day and that is really common.
"I'd love to go back but if the club had free Wi-Fi and I could do a little bit of work as well, and there was a coffee machine instead of a bar and an area for the kids to play, my wife would come down.
"But she couldn't think of anything worse than coming down to a traditional clubrooms and spending the afternoon."
