Super Rugby News
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@MajorRage You aren't alone. Aus rugby is at it's lowest point since Super Rugby started 20 years ago. Crowds are dire, the quality of rugby is terrible and there is very little media coverage, what coverage there is at the moment is negative. They would be much better off with 3 or 4 stronger teams than the 5 poor teams they have at the moment. The Super Rugby structure at the moment isn't helping either.
A lot of this is down to poor ARU leadership since the 03 World Cup - it's been a long downward spiral.
None of this is good for NZ Rugby either.
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@MajorRage It's been here before. The (then) NZRFU were so concerned they agreed to play a Bledisloe every year to help maintain interest and improve the quality of Australian Rugby. We've been doing that for ~35 years.
At the club level, it's Kiwis and PI with the odd South African and Pom.
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Tupou Sopoaga (yes, the brother of) has been signed by the Highlanders on a month to month contract as injury cover. He signed earlier with Southland for the Mitre 10 Cup.
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SA Government fights to keep Kings
Hopefully NZ continues playing hardball because the stupidity of potentially dropping the Cheetahs while retaining the EP Kings seems proposterous.
On the other side I've got my eye on Perth and my own selfishness would prefer they kept all 18 sides if the Force were to be the side that makes way (as stated in the article)
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Cut all 3
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Go back to Super 12.
Bring back the Cats (or a draft system for the Cheetahs). Lions would have a Springbok worthy starting-midfield if they could pick up Francois Venter.
Move the Brumbies to Melbourne. Rugby a dying game in Australia and they need the exposure in a bigger city.
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@cheetahsBO The DailyTelegraph in Oz is reporting that the Force are the team to go, which if true is equally idiotic. Given the competence of the ARU, it's probably true...
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@mariner4life said in Super Rugby News:
maybe we just fuck Australian rugby off for good?
That would also be the best option for Australian rugby.
The sooner the ARU exits Super Rugby, the better.
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@mariner4life It won't matter whether there's 15 teams or 12 teams. Revenue generation will only keep going down. It's losing money and will continue to haemorrhage. As a regular season comp, Super Rugby's time is up. Frankly it's surprising it lasted 20 years. I suspect even Steve Tew will realise that by 2020.
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@antipodean Aren't the Force relying on ARU money to survive? And the ARU doesn't have any.
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Rugby-Western Force reject report of Super Rugby exit
"Under no circumstances do we believe... speculation around the future of the Western Force to be true," the team said.
"Two and a half weeks ago, through a national phone link-up, all clubs were told that the ARU (Australian Rugby Union) through the governing body, SANZAAR, was investigating a number of issues and those issues had to be resolved prior to a decision being made to reduce any of the Australian franchises.
"There has been no further contact from the Australian Rugby Union to any of the Western Force players or staff, so at this time there is no further comment on the matter until substantiated facts are put forward."
Rugby-Western Force reject report of Super Rugby exit
The Western Force have issued a strongly worded statement rejecting a media report that they are about to be axed from Super Rugby as the governing body looks to shake up the competition from as early as next year.
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ARU reaffirms position amid Force axe report
The ARU has clarified its position on the future of Super Rugby amid reports the Western Force could be cut, saying no decision has been taken on the removal of one of Australia's franchises.
ARU clarifiies Super Rugby position; no decision made on axing teams
"As announced by SANZAAR following the SANZAAR Board meeting in London earlier this month, the four member nations have undertaken a period of stakeholder consultation to work towards an agreed outcome on the competition format for the 2018 season," ARU chief executive Bill Pulver said.
"This stakeholder consultation, which has included consultation with broadcast partners in each territory, is ongoing. At this point, there has been no determination on the future competition format or the teams involved in the competition.
"We also wish to confirm for the public record that no decision has been taken on the removal of one of Australia's Super Rugby teams.
"ARU, as a joint venture partner of SANZAAR, is working towards a final resolution in the shortest timeframe possible and will inform Rugby fans as soon as an outcome is reached."
The Force had earlier responded to the report themselves with chief executive Mark Sindeberry saying: "Under no circumstances do we believe today's speculation around the future of the Road Safety Western Force to be true.
"Two and half weeks ago, through a national phone link-up all clubs were told that the ARU, through the governing body SANZAAR, was investigating a number of issues and those issues had to be resolved prior to a decision being made to reduce any of the Australian franchises.
"There has been no further contact from the Australian Rugby Union to any of the Western Force players or staff, so at this time there is no further comment on the matter until substantiated facts are put forward."
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ah unions, how good are they?
The Aussie players union has started a petition to call for all 5 teams to be retained. They have threatened strike action if a team is cut.
Is there anything more "uniony" than throwing a tantrum to get what they see as the rights of the individual, be damned what is good for the industry?
Also, if the Aussie players went on strike, would we notice the difference?
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@mariner4life said in Super Rugby News:
ah unions, how good are they?
The Aussie players union has started a petition to call for all 5 teams to be retained. They have threatened strike action if a team is cut.
Is there anything more "uniony" than throwing a tantrum to get what they see as the rights of the individual, be damned what is good for the industry?
Also, if the Aussie players went on strike, would we notice the difference?
I think it's nice they're fighting to protect the jobs of guys like Mafi, Garden-Bachop, C Retallick etc.
In all seriousness, the fact that WA is actually producing home-grown talent suggests they should be retained. While it would be incredibly harsh to kill the Brumbies, one of the best ever Super franchises, all financial and forward thinking logic would justify this. Ultimately the Brumbies were originally the little ginger bitch of Aus rugby but together with a great coach, a team of rejects and some extraordinary, once in a generation local talent (Gregan and Larkham) they built a goddam dynasty. But that doesn't take away that Canberra is a miniscule market with pretty zero scope for growth.
Oh yeah, Canberra is also a stupid, pointless, freezing, soulless arsehole of a town. In my humble opinion of course
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@Rancid-Schnitzel said in Super Rugby News:
But that doesn't take away that Canberra is a miniscule market with pretty zero scope for growth.
Oh yeah, Canberra is also a stupid, pointless, freezing, soulless arsehole of a town. In my humble opinion of course
Sounds like most of NZ, to be fair. Outside of Auckland, of course.
A transplanted Canberra-Queanbeyan would be the biggest city in NZ.
Outside of Auckland, of course.
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@Kiap yes but those shitholes have good rugby teams
Outside of Auckland of course
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@mariner4life Even the Aucks have a passable team ;–)
But that's not the criterion, is it?
If you purely chopped the weakest rugby teams, the Sunwolves, Kings, Rebels, et al., would all be out before the Ponies - not that the Brumbies are actually going.
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@Kiap said in Super Rugby News:
@Rancid-Schnitzel said in Super Rugby News:
But that doesn't take away that Canberra is a miniscule market with pretty zero scope for growth.
Oh yeah, Canberra is also a stupid, pointless, freezing, soulless arsehole of a town. In my humble opinion of course
Sounds like most of NZ, to be fair. Outside of Auckland, of course.
A transplanted Canberra-Queanbeyan would be the biggest city in NZ.
Outside of Auckland, of course.
That's not the issue. The issue is that an Aus team has to be cut and a decision has to be made about which one should get the arse. NZ has nothing to do with it.
