European Club Rugby

Kiwiwomble

Starting to look like Super 18 rugby!

but no guaranteed conference winner into playoffs and you do play everyone else at least once....if we'd done this it might have actually worked

I'm a bit jealous, they just have a big old comp with loads of rugby to watch, maybe the key isn't to have only the highest quality team in a small comp...but to have enough teams at all levels so everyone has competition around them so you only really see the difference we you look at the top and bottom

mariner4life

pretty cool looking comp to be fair

i wonder how long until the South Africans whinge about their travel schedule when they have to travel to Europe (11,000-odd kms) every 2nd week. Which is way worse than travelling to NZ (11,000-odd kms) once for a couple of weeks.

Machpants

@mariner4life I dunno the time zone is the same, so that will help. Tournament costs will be very high though

Stargazer

@kiwiwomble To the contrary, it has the same conference problem as we had with Super 15-18.

Kiwiwomble

@stargazer oh, the explanation I read this morning said it was one combined ladder with the top 8 going through to play offs

Each conference winner goes through to the champions cups or what ever it’s called

Edit: just re read your original post

“ Final Series/Play-Offs: One league table will be used to rank teams and after 18 rounds the top eight sides will qualify for the Play-Offs”

Doesn’t sound like guaranteed finals spot for each conference

And they do play every other team at least once so they won’t have that situation where the sharks made the final without having to face the crusaders

Kiwiwomble

@machpants said in NH club rugby:

@mariner4life I dunno the time zone is the same, so that will help. Tournament costs will be very high though

Yeah, get on a plan and go to sleep, gets off and carry on, much easier than coming to nz

Stargazer

@kiwiwomble Yeah, it's confusing. To determine which team gets a spot in the play-offs, they're using one league table to rank teams. But for qualification for the Heinken Cup (first 4 of 8 spots), they're using the conferences:

All points won during the URC season will contribute to rankings in the regional pools and the highest-ranking team in each of the four pools will earn a place in the Champions Cup for the following season. This addition to the format is expected to add even greater intensity to these age-old local rivalries.

The remaining four places in the Champions Cup will be awarded to the four highest-ranked teams from the single-standing league table who have not already qualified through the four regional pools.

Kiwiwomble

@stargazer yeah, choosing to ignore the champions cups situation for a second and just look at the league

mofitzy_

@kiwiwomble
Time zone isn't an issue but what about climate? Probably it's been addressed but if they want games in European winter then it will be a killer playing in SA summer.

Kiwiwomble

@mofitzy_ I have to say that doesn’t really effect me as a viewer, if the teams are happy with it that’s all good

mofitzy_

@kiwiwomble
Easy to be happy with it now though. Wait till they are on multiple flights totalling over 12 hours one way, to a dusty, scorching hot, empty stadium in a country that hasn't got a handle on COVID. Then go back again and repeat in a few weeks.

Stargazer

@stargazer said in NH club rugby:

@stargazer said in NH club rugby:
I'm keeping an eye on the announcements from Top League clubs about players and staff leaving the club.

Obviously, some of these players may just go to other Japanese clubs, but others may come back to NZ (like Perenara and Retallick). Some of those coming back may retire because they're older; others may be available for NPC.

Here's the first list of names:

DoCoMo Red Hurricanes: TJ Perenara, Marty Banks, Tom Marshall

Mitsubishi Dynaboars: James Wilson

Canon Eagles: Jesse Parete

Kobe Kobelco Steelers: Brodie Retallick

More names of players/coaches leaving their Japanese clubs (some already back in NZ for a while):

Kintetsu Liners: Pasqualle Dunn, David Milo
Coca Cola Red Sparks: Jotham Wrampling (now coaching Te Awamutu Sports)
Shimizu Blue Sharks: player/coach: Luke McAlister; coach: Steve Jackson
Kamaishi Seawaves: Oliver Polson, Sam Malcolm; coach: Scott Pierce
NTT Comms Shining Arcs: Fletcher Smith, Piri Paraone (former Wellington player)

Next on the list:

Toyota Shokki Shuttles: Tusi Pisi, Levi Aumua (now playing club rugby in Ta$man)

Honda Heat: Shaun Treeby (now appointed defence coach of the club)

Ricoh Black Rams: Elliot Dixon, Ben Funnell

Suntory Sungoliath: Beauden Barrett, Richard Judd, Jordan Smiler

Daffy Jaffy

Has Faf lost his powers with his hair?

Stargazer

Leaving London Irish:

Motu Matu’u
Waisake Naholo

Jun 17, 2021 / Rugby

London Irish confirm departing players | 18th June 2021 | News

London Irish can today confirm the players that will depart the Club following the conclusion of the 2020/21 campaign.

Margin_Walker

@stargazer said in NH club rugby:

Leaving London Irish:

Motu Matu’u
Waisake Naholo

Jun 17, 2021 / Rugby

London Irish confirm departing players | 18th June 2021 | News

London Irish can today confirm the players that will depart the Club following the conclusion of the 2020/21 campaign.

Missed this before posting on the other thread. Naholo has had a horror show injury wise. Matu’u has been okay, but has copped two reds (and bans) for high shots this season.