European Club Rugby
-
@mariner4life
OK that does sound similar to WalesI reckon the thing that NZ got right that Wales ballsed up was that you bit the bullet when the game went pro, created your Super teams and stuck with it.
In Wales we faffed around for years, and had 9 pro teams even though we lacked both the money and the cattle to properly support half that number. So fans of Bridgend, Ponty, Ebbw Vale, Caerphilly were told they could have a pro team. Then in 2003 they were told they couldn't, they'd have to pick one of the 5 new "regions" to follow. Then, just to rub salt into the wound, a year later the WRU killed off one of them, the Warriors (officially a Bridgend-Pontypridd joint team, but more generally a de facto valleys team). So those folks were pretty disillusioned by the whole thing.
If they'd just said in 1996 "sorry, we can only afford 4 teams - Bridgend, Ebbw etc you didn't make the cut" then it would have been painful but at least they'd have got it over with. Drawing it out over 8 or 10 years was a disaster.
-
@rapido said in NH club rugby:
@machpants said in NH club rugby:
@mariner4life said in NH club rugby:
@gibbonrib said in NH club rugby:
still obviously Cardiff, but not Cardiff enough so that it alienated a lot of Cardiff fans. If that sounds like a lot of garbled nonsense then that means I've accurately described it.
welcome to the Super rugby sides
"We're the Waikato Chiefs, i mean The Chiefs! We are based in the Waikato, play in predominantly Waikato colours, and have mainly Waikato players, but we represent you guys from the BOP/Counties (now)/Harbour (before)/Taranaki (for some reason)! see, we included this tiny bit of your colours on our jersey. Support us! love us! and occasionally we'll throw you a home game against the worst touring side on the schedule"
This made me think, what unions have never had a franchise game (pre season doesn’t count) in their region. I don’t think the ‘rapa has, unless it was when I was overseas. In addition are there any unions that have never been on a franchise when it has been super rugby champ? I don’t think Taranaki has?
Wairarapa used to get an annual pre-season game at Mangatainoka. Tui Brewery etc. Paddock with bleachers and hay bales etc
Yeah I went to all the ones at the brewery, great fun, and there ones at Masterton. But the bush has not had a full game, not a huge surprise
-
@machpants said in NH club rugby:
@rapido said in NH club rugby:
@machpants said in NH club rugby:
@mariner4life said in NH club rugby:
@gibbonrib said in NH club rugby:
still obviously Cardiff, but not Cardiff enough so that it alienated a lot of Cardiff fans. If that sounds like a lot of garbled nonsense then that means I've accurately described it.
welcome to the Super rugby sides
"We're the Waikato Chiefs, i mean The Chiefs! We are based in the Waikato, play in predominantly Waikato colours, and have mainly Waikato players, but we represent you guys from the BOP/Counties (now)/Harbour (before)/Taranaki (for some reason)! see, we included this tiny bit of your colours on our jersey. Support us! love us! and occasionally we'll throw you a home game against the worst touring side on the schedule"
This made me think, what unions have never had a franchise game (pre season doesn’t count) in their region. I don’t think the ‘rapa has, unless it was when I was overseas. In addition are there any unions that have never been on a franchise when it has been super rugby champ? I don’t think Taranaki has?
Wairarapa used to get an annual pre-season game at Mangatainoka. Tui Brewery etc. Paddock with bleachers and hay bales etc
Yeah I went to all the ones at the brewery, great fun, and there ones at Masterton. But the bush has not had a full game, not a huge surprise
have any heartland unions had one?
-
@mariner4life said in NH club rugby:
have any heartland unions had one?
Timaru in 2011 (x2). The Crusaders took their home games on the road because of the earthquake in Chch.
-
@machpants said in NH club rugby:
@rapido said in NH club rugby:
@machpants said in NH club rugby:
@mariner4life said in NH club rugby:
@gibbonrib said in NH club rugby:
still obviously Cardiff, but not Cardiff enough so that it alienated a lot of Cardiff fans. If that sounds like a lot of garbled nonsense then that means I've accurately described it.
welcome to the Super rugby sides
"We're the Waikato Chiefs, i mean The Chiefs! We are based in the Waikato, play in predominantly Waikato colours, and have mainly Waikato players, but we represent you guys from the BOP/Counties (now)/Harbour (before)/Taranaki (for some reason)! see, we included this tiny bit of your colours on our jersey. Support us! love us! and occasionally we'll throw you a home game against the worst touring side on the schedule"
This made me think, what unions have never had a franchise game (pre season doesn’t count) in their region. I don’t think the ‘rapa has, unless it was when I was overseas. In addition are there any unions that have never been on a franchise when it has been super rugby champ? I don’t think Taranaki has?
Wairarapa used to get an annual pre-season game at Mangatainoka. Tui Brewery etc. Paddock with bleachers and hay bales etc
Yeah I went to all the ones at the brewery, great fun, and there ones at Masterton. But the bush has not had a full game, not a huge surprise
Sorry, miss-read your post.
-
@rapido said in NH club rugby:
@machpants said in NH club rugby:
@mariner4life said in NH club rugby:
@gibbonrib said in NH club rugby:
still obviously Cardiff, but not Cardiff enough so that it alienated a lot of Cardiff fans. If that sounds like a lot of garbled nonsense then that means I've accurately described it.
welcome to the Super rugby sides
"We're the Waikato Chiefs, i mean The Chiefs! We are based in the Waikato, play in predominantly Waikato colours, and have mainly Waikato players, but we represent you guys from the BOP/Counties (now)/Harbour (before)/Taranaki (for some reason)! see, we included this tiny bit of your colours on our jersey. Support us! love us! and occasionally we'll throw you a home game against the worst touring side on the schedule"
This made me think, what unions have never had a franchise game (pre season doesn’t count) in their region. I don’t think the ‘rapa has, unless it was when I was overseas. In addition are there any unions that have never been on a franchise when it has been super rugby champ? I don’t think Taranaki has?
Wairarapa used to get an annual pre-season game at Mangatainoka. Tui Brewery etc. Paddock with bleachers and hay bales etc
Last preseason game at Mangatainoka was in 2019. And then, in 2020, this happened:
-
English Premiership clubs to be loaned £88 million by the UK Government:
-
-
@sparky said in NH club rugby:
Maa Nonu facing a lengthy ban after being red carded for smashing his elbow into an opponent's face playing for Toulon against Lyon:
On 27 seconds:
Firstly, how soft has French rugby gotten when you can't elbow someone in the face? All the books by non Frenchies playing in France will be half the size going forward without all the filth.
Stupid by Ma'a. If he was going to respond to the shoulder he should have at least just shouldered him back.
-
@nepia said in NH club rugby:
@sparky said in NH club rugby:
Maa Nonu facing a lengthy ban after being red carded for smashing his elbow into an opponent's face playing for Toulon against Lyon:
On 27 seconds:
Firstly, how soft has French rugby gotten when you can't elbow someone in the face? All the books by non Frenchies playing in France will be half the size going forward without all the filth.
Stupid by Ma'a. If he was going to respond to the shoulder he should have at least just shouldered him back.
Ma’a thought the Genge-Sexton protocol had already been adopted in France.
-
@pakman said in NH club rugby:
@nepia said in NH club rugby:
@sparky said in NH club rugby:
Maa Nonu facing a lengthy ban after being red carded for smashing his elbow into an opponent's face playing for Toulon against Lyon:
On 27 seconds:
Firstly, how soft has French rugby gotten when you can't elbow someone in the face? All the books by non Frenchies playing in France will be half the size going forward without all the filth.
Stupid by Ma'a. If he was going to respond to the shoulder he should have at least just shouldered him back.
Ma’a thought the Genge-Sexton protocol had already been adopted in France.
It should just be the Anyone-Sexton protocol.
-
According to French media (RMC Sport), but not yet confirmed by his French club Racing 92, Dominic Bird will be coming home at the end of the Top 14 season!
He had re-signed with Racing 92 in November, but has reportedly been released from his contract to return to NZ to be closer to family.
This season alone, he has played 18 games for Racing 92. Surely, he can still play Super Rugby? The Hurricanes should go after him, but they'll probably find him too tall!
-
@stargazer said in NH club rugby:
According to French media (RMC Sport), but not yet confirmed by his French club Racing 92, Dominic Bird will be coming home at the end of the Top 14 season!
He had re-signed with Racing 92 in November, but has reportedly been released from his contract to return to NZ to be closer to family.
This season alone, he has played 18 games for Racing 92. Surely, he can still play Super Rugby? The Hurricanes should go after him, but they'll probably find him too tall!
Has been very good for Racing.
-
@pakman said in NH club rugby:
@stargazer said in NH club rugby:
According to French media (RMC Sport), but not yet confirmed by his French club Racing 92, Dominic Bird will be coming home at the end of the Top 14 season!
He had re-signed with Racing 92 in November, but has reportedly been released from his contract to return to NZ to be closer to family.
This season alone, he has played 18 games for Racing 92. Surely, he can still play Super Rugby? The Hurricanes should go after him, but they'll probably find him too tall!
Has been very good for Racing.
Bird is still only 29, plenty of miles left if he is injury free and mentally up for it.
-
-
@bovidae said in NH club rugby:
Hopefully Bird's time in France has given him a harder edge. He never played like a lock of his size.
I reckon he was starting to just before he left.
Racing: Dominic Bird sur le départ
