Super Rugby 2024
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@taniwharugby said in Super Rugby 2024:
@Nepia MP are hosting the Reds up here next month, so be interesting to see what crowd we get along.
I think you'll get a decent one, I think we would have got a decent one at McLean Park. I think the smaller provinces will turn out for games between teams not from the area more than a franchise base for another team with apparently no marketing.
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@Kiwiwomble said in Super Rugby 2024:
@Nepia said in Super Rugby 2024:
I have no idea how a Rebels-MP merger would work.
i can never remember how MP are funded....at least partially NZR? if so maybe they make it a joint NZR/AR team (like that would run smoothly) and try and connect with the expat community in melbourne....stupid...but better than trying to convince melbournians to support rugby?
Would NZR finance them if they were mostly Oz based, as that would what would happen I assume.
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@Nepia current thinking maybe not, if they thought that a base in aussie that players could do sabbaticals close to home and stronger teams make a strong competition...then maybe....so almost certainly not
side note, anyone see that the Warriors have bought a bar in kingland to connect with the fanbase up there, give them an option to watch games in a "home" environment....i like it
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@Kiwiwomble said in Super Rugby 2024:
@Nepia current thinking maybe not, if they thought that a base in aussie that players could do sabbaticals close to home and stronger teams make a strong competition...then maybe....so almost certainly not
side note, anyone see that the Warriors have bought a bar in kingland to connect with the fanbase up there, give them an option to watch games in a "home" environment....i like it
I notice on their tweet they said "for all sports".
In all honesty I'm such a pessimist with that team that I still think the wheels completely fall off in the next 12-24 months even with RL Coaching Jesus.
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@Nepia said in Super Rugby 2024:
@Kiwiwomble said in Super Rugby 2024:
@Nepia said in Super Rugby 2024:
I have no idea how a Rebels-MP merger would work.
i can never remember how MP are funded....at least partially NZR? if so maybe they make it a joint NZR/AR team (like that would run smoothly) and try and connect with the expat community in melbourne....stupid...but better than trying to convince melbournians to support rugby?
Would NZR finance them if they were mostly Oz based, as that would what would happen I assume.
They own the drua licence, but I am not sure how much money NZR part for the drua, who were based in Oz most of last year's
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@Machpants oh, in my head i thought the drua were an aussie licence and MP were a NZR one
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@Kiwiwomble said in Super Rugby 2024:
@Machpants oh, in my head i thought the drua were an aussie licence and MP were a NZR one
I am pretty sure NZR own both. WR are paying some money in, and Ozzie Govt are doing some Fiji sport funding. It would be nice if this was all transparent, but nah
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From what has been seen so far, I think it is a reasonably safe bet to say that the Top 4 (in no particular order) will be the Chiefs, Blues, Hurricanes and Reds. I would suggest the Brumbies are highly likely to come 5th.
On the assumption the Crusaders probably drop their next two, just due to the amount of catch-up required, I think you can then make a pretty fair argument the Highlanders and Waratahs fill 6th and 7th. Whether the Crusaders can sneak into 8th, will come down to both how quickly they turn things around after going 0-6, and how consistent the Drua are. Chances are, the number ends up being 5 or 6 wins, and that will be decided by the Drua I'd suggest.
So basically, I'd be willing to stick my neck out on the line to say that either the Crusaders miss the 8, or they'll sneak 8th, which with players coming back and momentum from having been in good form could end up being the absolute worst booby prize for coming 1st.
There'd be something really funny about the Blues going 11 in a row, only to fall to the Crusaders in the quarter-finals... if the Reds could nick 2nd by virtue of all the New Zealand sides beating each other, then they are a red-hot chance at a home final...
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Last year five wins was enough to be 8th on the table (Reds), but also saw the Force finish 10th. Six wins might be needed to make the playoffs.
The Crusaders' remaining matches are:
Chiefs (A)
Bye
Waratahs (A)
Force (A)
Rebels (H)
Reds (H)
Highlanders (A)
Brumbies (A)
Blues (H)
Moana Pasifika (H)Beating Waratahs (A), Force (A), Rebels (H), Highlanders (A), and Moana Pasifika (H) would give them five wins, so they'd probably have to pick up another win.
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