Nations Championship?
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@taniwharugby Yup. Of those 4 countries, only Scotland would still be interesting for me to watch. I really am not interested in games against Italy, Japan and the USA; much rather watch games against Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.
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@Stargazer yeah the Jocks have a bit of appeal purely cos we never play them.
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Yeah the Pacific Islands are getting the screw job, yet again.
I am not opposed to giving the concept a shot. Outside of the Lions and RWC the international game (in Australia) stumbles from year to year. You have bursts of interest (series like Ireland, the first 20 minutes of Bled 1), and then weeks of nothing much.
Having some sort of binding narrative to the season, plus a wider variety of opponents could be a good thing. All the better if it puts more money in the bank.
I am very uncomfortable locking it down for 10 years though. That's a big red flag right there. Give it 2-3 years and then go from there. But of course that would be a logical decision, which is not really World Rugby's forte...
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@barbarian yep, by all means give it a shot, but 10 years is an eternity. And shutting out the Pacific Islands for 10 years is a death sentence.
3 years. Bottom team gets rissoled for highest ranked team not involved.
Given November's "test" against Japan their fixture in NZ should be a massive earner. Fuck what happens if you get the US and Japan at home in the same year?
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@barbarian opens the door for plenty of 'poaching'
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Tests against Japan and USA in NZ:
Negative: more fringe ABs players will be capped, who would not make the squad for the interesting test matches against better opposition
Negative: these tests won't be more than warm-up matches for tests against stronger opposition
Positive: smaller stadiums will get test matches
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@Stargazer Except the first ones a positive, it will help with depth. As it won't be like the one off EXTRA tests where we have to swap around people like last year, just play a lot more B team- who can be needed come the real games.
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@Stargazer said in World League Rugby:
Tests against Japan and USA in NZ:
Negative: more fringe ABs players will be capped, who would not make the squad for the interesting test matches against better opposition
Why is that a negative?
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@barbarian said in World League Rugby:
Yeah the Pacific Islands are getting the screw job, yet again.
Are you proposing Nukuʻalofa have six tier one tests a year or something?
I'm yet to see a model that can integrate the Pacific Islands. It is a false indignance as well; their national teams performance is absolutely not built on the strength of their national union - quite the opposite.
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I can't see the Home Nations voting for this. The 6 Nations and the current November internationals are enormous money-generators for them. Why risk compromising those successful products? No mention of the B&I Lions. The treatment of Fiji, Samoa and Tonga is shameful.
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@Hooroo said in World League Rugby:
@Stargazer said in World League Rugby:
Tests against Japan and USA in NZ:
Negative: more fringe ABs players will be capped, who would not make the squad for the interesting test matches against better opposition
Why is that a negative?
For the same reason as several Ferners considered it a negative that players were capped in the 2018 test in and against Japan. Players may be capped only to play these games, but may never play against stronger opposition.
I guess we'll have to wait and see what the selection "policy" for these games will be.
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@barbarian said in World League Rugby:
@rotated No. But there needs to be some sort of middle ground between Tonga hosting six tests and the Pacific Island teams being locked out for 10 years while the USA and Japan get a full dance card of games each year.
How are they going to be locked out? This model accounts for 11 fixtures per year. New Zealand have played 14 tests every non-RWC year since 2009 (in 2008 they played 15). I do not envision a set up where test teams are playing less rugby - so where are those additional fixtures coming from?
I am almost certain there will be provision for additional discretionary tests. I'm not naive to think one won't be an additional Bledisloe, but I can see the appeal of scheduling fixtures against the PIs for a good hit out too.
Looking at how the US College Football is scheduled; it seems a likely model. They play 10 conference games (same every year) and then four discretionary games out-of-conference which are ideally tune up games. A potential play-off game after all of that.
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@rotated said in World League Rugby:
@barbarian said in World League Rugby:
@rotated No. But there needs to be some sort of middle ground between Tonga hosting six tests and the Pacific Island teams being locked out for 10 years while the USA and Japan get a full dance card of games each year.
How are they going to be locked out? This model accounts for 11 fixtures per year. New Zealand have played 14 tests every non-RWC year since 2009 (in 2008 they played 15). I do not envision a set up where test teams are playing less rugby - so where are those additional fixtures coming from?
I am almost certain there will be provision for additional discretionary tests. I'm not naive to think one won't be an additional Bledisloe, but I can see the appeal of scheduling fixtures against the PIs for a good hit out too.
Looking at how the US College Football is scheduled; it seems a likely model. They play 10 conference games (same every year) and then four discretionary games out-of-conference which are ideally tune up games. A potential play-off game after all of that.
Five games against TRC teams
Six games agains 6N teams
Possibly a semi-final and final
Probably a second Bledisloe testThat would be 12-14 tests, depending on whether the ABs play the semi-final and final.
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Welp some people don't like it, who have a better idea than me
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Perhaps this could be used to give NZ players more money to keep them in NZ. If they somehow used the extra income to pay the players more it may help to get them interested.
It really needs some sort of relegation system but it will never happen because imagine if Scotland/France/Australia has a shocker and somehow end up in the bottom 2, it would be financial suicide for those unions the following year.
This also makes it extra hard for that end of year tour, imagine 5 hard games in a row for the eventual winner. I understand they want the money but perhaps a simple round robin would be better.
Each SH team, well the ones with a shot at the top 4 would have to take almost WC level squads to manage 5 games in a row.
Maybe do this like Euro in soccer where it is every 4 years which would be in between World Cups.
Did they say what happens to this tournament in World Cup years? Disregard, doesn't happen in WC years.
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@Machpants said in World League Rugby:
Welp some people don't like it, who have a better idea than me
Read says ""Fans want to see meaningful games; they don't want to see fatigued players playing a reduced quality of rugby as part of a money-driven, weakened competition that doesn't work for the players and clubs."
Is he talking about the current June tests and the meaningless end of year tours or the new format?
