'Super Rugby' 2021
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@bovidae said in 'Super Rugby' 2021:
For those living in North America.
Fans in the USA and Canada will be able to get their Sky Super Rugby Aotearoa fix from this weekend with news that all games will be broadcast live into North America on ESPN.com.ar/rugby. It shapes to be an action-packed weekend for fans in the USA and Canada with the Hurricanes taking on the Chiefs in Wellington on Saturday night (NZT) before the Blues face the Crusaders in a blockbuster top of the table clash at Eden Park on Sunday afternoon (NZT). Visit ESPN.Com/rugby for more details and to get specific match links closer to the game time. This weekend’s schedule is: Saturday 20 March, 7.05pm NZT: Hurricanes v Chiefs Sunday 21 March, 3.35pm NZT: Blues v Crusaders NOTE: Super Rugby Australia games are also broadcast live on ESPN.com.ar/rugbyWith a VPN, you can still watch the SRA games for free on the "ESPN Fans" YouTube Channel.
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I would’ve liked to see the Development teams the likes of the Hunters, Bravehearts etc play a super rugby style competition that runs parallel to Super rugby and be the curtain raiser would be great to give the fringe super rugby players game time....ideally also would’ve like the franchises U20s play before the the development team again for the experience, league did it before they canned the 20s used to be the 20s the development team and the main game, ok won’t bring more people into the ground but in the long run can only benefit the franchises.
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SRTT (I guess, Super Rugby Trans Ta$man) has ditched the super wekkend in one city, so some teams will get 3 home, others 2. SANZAAR encouraging teams to talk about revenue sharing. Who gets the home game not decided, good idea make them negotiate before they know who has the home game
From Paywalled NZH
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@machpants said in 'Super Rugby' 2021:
Who gets the home game not decided, good idea make them negotiate before they know who has the home game
Spot on, great call! Agree the distribution so it's fair to both parties, then do the draw
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@mofitzy_ said in 'Super Rugby' 2021:
All 4 games this weekend were 3 point margins or less, good for the comp.
Meanwhile the saffa teams will have to wait till next season to join the NH comp due to covid restrictions.
Or maybe not at all
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@machpants ... and are we surprised? Again - what's in it for the Pro14 ... vast travel expansion, and seasons that don't align. It only makes sense if you are desperate for the money the South Africans have
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@nzzp i think the timeszones made it attractive too, could have been quite the rugby comp
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@kiwiwomble said in 'Super Rugby' 2021:
@nzzp i think the timeszones made it attractive too, could have been quite the rugby comp
Timezones and (possibly) money. Maaaybe Pro 14 are keen, but neither seems particularly attractive to the 6N.
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@nzzp yeah given one of the great things (pre-covid) about the NH Club comps was travelling fans, this would have hindered that massively.
I think it was always SA talking tough that we needed them more than them us when they threatened to leave, and now...they could have a strong domestic comp, but it wont generate the same money for them that even Super rugby did will it
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@taniwharugby said in 'Super Rugby' 2021:
@nzzp yeah given one of the great things (pre-covid) about the NH Club comps was travelling fans, this would have hindered that massively.
I think it was always SA talking tough that we needed them more than them us when they threatened to leave, and now...they could have a strong domestic comp, but it wont generate the same money for them that even Super rugby did will it
Or playing different stlyes of teams
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The trans-hemispheric Pro14 was always a terrible idea, IMO. Was doomed to fail. Both sides have dodged a bullet if it never even gets off the ground.
I'm a bit envious of that South African position to be honest.
Can make a their own pro domestic comp. They can't compete on money, so let it settle to it's own level. Can pick players from overseas if they want. Will have an even stronger Springboks team with restrictions removed.
Best of both worlds. A domestic comp they will/may care about if they base it on Currie Cup, and a strong test team.
Test players will only travel from Europe to Saffaland once for an international window (and from then on to away games in the SH), instead of zooming all around the Southern Hemisphere all season. Their players will be drawn from top teams in about 4 different leagues with different styles and ideas. I'd predict a decade of dominance for them coming up, if it weren't for the unknown of racial/political meddling.
Meanwhile. NZ will be picking from (the normal) depleted player depth due to exodus, plus have invited some of their own racial/political meddling into their own camp with Moana Pacific. Admittedly will have less tired players du to less cross-Southern_hemisphere SR travel (compared to pre-covid / pre-SR disintegration).
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@rapido I totally disagree. For the moment the pro players in the prem have to fly back and forth in the down weeks of international rugby, it is not ideal at all. EDIT: it works better in for RWC, but outside that, it is a nightmare for teams. Planing, bonding, training - no time. A global season will ameriolate that, admitedly. But basically they’ll end up like the islands. they count as Euro for there, so why would young up and coming Boks fuck around on a pittance in a country on its knees when they can play in EU or Japan for a wodge. And 5 years is not too long with the right incentives for a teen/20s player to wait for international honours.
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There's lots of unknowns. Cant predict with much certainty.
But can definitely predict with certainty they'd be nothing like the islands. They are still a large country, 4th biggest 'rugby economy', who play in an annual international competition that makes good money. The Island's problem is it isnt worth any player's time to travel back in june/July.
Free of attemoting to prop up 6 teams at pay rates to match Euro and Japan levels, they could afford huge match fees. And (apart from Japan based players) the travel is quite short. No way woul players return to Europe in bye weeks if the match fees are good enough. Agents and the market will sort that out.
But. All speculation. I wouldn't know what sort of domestic comp they would set up and how much money that may suck out of the cash generating pot of test rugby.
Either way. Its 200% more attractive than the abomination of whatever the Pro14 was trying to be.
Is it as good as 1996 to 2006 Sanzar? No.
But better than Pro18 and probably better than what SR had become.
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Imagine picking a team with all 23 players probably sprinkled around the top 4 teams in 4 or 5 different leagues. With experience of winning tournaments and knockout games. No chokers likely to slip into that team.
Instead we will be picking the Crusaders plus x number of hangers on, playing one trick pony SR style with zero posession.
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@rapido said in 'Super Rugby' 2021:
Imagine picking a team with all 23 players probably sprinkled around the top 4 teams in 4 or 5 different leagues. With experience of winning tournaments and knockout games. No chokers likely to slip into that team.
Instead we will be picking the Crusaders plus x number of hangers on, playing one trick pony SR style with zero posession.
Except oputside RWC you do not get good access to those players. And without good players in NZ, with the carrot of an AB shirt, NZ rugby goes down the drain fast. It would be an every decreasing circle especially with our worrying reduction in playing numbers. IMO it would be a disaster, the only thing keeping NZ rugby in it's place is the black jersey only being available in NZ.
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If anyone thinks it is a problem that NZ players only get to play one style of rugby (I'm not so sure it's a problem), then you can also appoint a NH coach at each franchise as assistant-coach, like the Crusaders have done with Ronan O'Gara and Mark Jones. Or lure NZ coaches back from the NH.
