'Super Rugby' 2021
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@tim I hope they're right about Pasifika players being keen to return from Europe and Japan, even if it means that they'll earn less.
Moana Pasifika won't lead to growth of rugby in Tonga and Samoa if they're going to sign NZ players of Tongan and Samoan descent.
I'm less worried about the Fijian team. The Fijian Drua only had players from Fiji and they may be able to get a few returnees, too. Imagine if they could convince players like Peceli Yato, Semi Radradra, Alivereti Raka, even Nemani Nadolo etc to play for them. Would be great!
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Never has a player retired and got out of touch so fast...
'They genuinely looked like the Chiefs of 2012': Early-game performance could set the Chiefs up for a comeback season
Speaking on the latest episode of the Aotearoa Rugby Pod, former All Black James Parsons has suggested that in the opening quarter of Friday's loss, the Chiefs were playing like the side that won back-to-back Super Rugby titles in 2012 and 2013.
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@stargazer said in 'Super Rugby' 2021:
@tim I hope they're right about Pasifika players being keen to return from Europe and Japan, even if it means that they'll earn less.
Moana Pasifika won't lead to growth of rugby in Tonga and Samoa if they're going to sign NZ players of Tongan and Samoan descent.
I'm less worried about the Fijian team. The Fijian Drua only had players from Fiji and they may be able to get a few returnees, too. Imagine if they could convince players like Peceli Yato, Semi Radradra, Alivereti Raka, even Nemani Nadolo etc to play for them. Would be great!
Have to say I’d be delighted with a super 12 round robin format with our Aussie neighbours and added pacific flair. No travel burden, no South African politics, no turgid NH style box kicking rugby, no southern kings. If the Fiji expats you listed above returned they would be dynamite to watch.
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@stargazer
I'm hoping the Moana Pacifika team is largely capped internationals or not NZ-born. Otherwise you are creating another franchise in an already diluted player pool, and weakening other teams in the process. -
@mofitzy_ said in 'Super Rugby' 2021:
@stargazer
I'm hoping the Moana Pacifika team is largely capped internationals or not NZ-born. Otherwise you are creating another franchise in an already diluted player pool, and weakening other teams in the process.Considering that Fiji have their own SR team and have the 6th most registered players by country, and the Tongan and Samoan international teams rely on NZ born players (Madagascar has more registered players than either country), this will be another dilution of our SR teams. There is no way you'll have big name players taking 75%+ pay cuts to play SR. This is just another Auckland based team, taking mostly NZ players, and fans from the blues.
I would imagine the team will have similar rules to other SR teams, limited to those eligibile to play for a Pacific team. Otherwise how is it a Pacific team? Think about that, that will rule out any capped internationals from other nations, like Kahui for ex, who could be good for the team. The already capped Samoan and Tongan players are on mostly good to excellent money in the NH, so they won't come. So you need a team of players, that haven't had their eligibility captured, that are professionals, or almost, and are SR level. Where are those players? Obviously there will be a few from the islands, but their comps are not anywhere near NPC level. You could do it with locals of you accepted getting spanked for a lot of years and someone had the big pockets to pay for a losing team for those years until hopefully the base had improved. Argentina proved it could be done, but that was one Union and a good player numbers base.
If it was based in the islands with local players (like the Drua), then it could be different, but I don't think it is. This is sunwolves Mark 2, at least those guys played their home games in Japan.
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@machpants said in 'Super Rugby' 2021:
@mofitzy_ said in 'Super Rugby' 2021:
@stargazer
I'm hoping the Moana Pacifika team is largely capped internationals or not NZ-born. Otherwise you are creating another franchise in an already diluted player pool, and weakening other teams in the process.Considering that Fiji have their own SR team and have the 6th most registered players by country, and the Tongan and Samoan international teams rely on NZ born players (Madagascar has more registered players than either country), this will be another dilution of our SR teams. There is no way you'll have big name players taking 75%+ pay cuts to play SR. This is just another Auckland based team, taking mostly NZ players, and fans from the blues.
I would imagine the team will have similar rules to other SR teams, limited to those eligibile to play for a Pacific team. Otherwise how is it a Pacific team? Think about that, that will rule out any capped internationals from other nations, like Kahui for ex, who could be good for the team. The already capped Samoan and Tongan players are on mostly good to excellent money in the NH, so they won't come. So you need a team of players, that haven't had their eligibility captured, that are professionals, or almost, and are SR level. Where are those players? Obviously there will be a few from the islands, but their comps are not anywhere near NPC level. You could do it with locals of you accepted getting spanked for a lot of years and someone had the big pockets to pay for a losing team for those years until hopefully the base had improved. Argentina proved it could be done, but that was one Union and a good player numbers base.
If it was based in the islands with local players (like the Drua), then it could be different, but I don't think it is. This is sunwolves Mark 2, at least those guys played their home games in Japan.
Maybe wait and see before being a merchant of doom?
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@billy-tell said in 'Super Rugby' 2021:
@machpants said in 'Super Rugby' 2021:
@mofitzy_ said in 'Super Rugby' 2021:
@stargazer
I'm hoping the Moana Pacifika team is largely capped internationals or not NZ-born. Otherwise you are creating another franchise in an already diluted player pool, and weakening other teams in the process.Considering that Fiji have their own SR team and have the 6th most registered players by country, and the Tongan and Samoan international teams rely on NZ born players (Madagascar has more registered players than either country), this will be another dilution of our SR teams. There is no way you'll have big name players taking 75%+ pay cuts to play SR. This is just another Auckland based team, taking mostly NZ players, and fans from the blues.
I would imagine the team will have similar rules to other SR teams, limited to those eligibile to play for a Pacific team. Otherwise how is it a Pacific team? Think about that, that will rule out any capped internationals from other nations, like Kahui for ex, who could be good for the team. The already capped Samoan and Tongan players are on mostly good to excellent money in the NH, so they won't come. So you need a team of players, that haven't had their eligibility captured, that are professionals, or almost, and are SR level. Where are those players? Obviously there will be a few from the islands, but their comps are not anywhere near NPC level. You could do it with locals of you accepted getting spanked for a lot of years and someone had the big pockets to pay for a losing team for those years until hopefully the base had improved. Argentina proved it could be done, but that was one Union and a good player numbers base.
If it was based in the islands with local players (like the Drua), then it could be different, but I don't think it is. This is sunwolves Mark 2, at least those guys played their home games in Japan.
Maybe wait and see before being a merchant of doom?
Where's the fun in that?
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do they have link to the full lists?
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@kiwiwomble it's available on the All Blacks app.
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interesting re the u-20 tournament but on a personal level good to see the Highlanders giving some thought to the future
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@kiwimurph fuck really?
What planet am I on?
Must have been thinking about Saturday night footy then? -
@stargazer said in 'Super Rugby' 2021:
I hope they're right about Pasifika players being keen to return from Europe and Japan, even if it means that they'll earn less.
It won't happen. It might stop a small number heading overseas though.
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6 games into the season and we haven’t had a close contest yet
Closest score so far was the first match - Crusaders beating the Highlanders by 13
SR Results
