Super Rugby 2024

gt12

@antipodean said in Super Rugby 2024:

@gt12 said in Super Rugby 2024:

@Kiwiwomble said in Super Rugby 2024:

@antipodean i think he's meaning all ABs to be selected for Aussie teams

What top quality AB wants his chances ruined ?

And how will they get paid?

I’m in favor in principle, but those feel like two pretty big questions that would need answers. It also won’t help the Oz depth now they have a more appropriate number of teams.

Players asked to play in positions that make them uncompetitive with peers, overworked and playing to look like a donkey. Our front rowers are taking a battering this year - would we have wanted the remaining fit ones over at the Tahs this season? Who thinks players like Proctor would be making a case for selection playing for the Rebels or Force?

And predictably someone will point to long term ABs who have taken sabbaticals, totally ignoring that they're a known quantity when they left and return to play in the same position having taken what we all know is a playing R&R.

My feeling is exactly that those risks would require much higher payments (i.e., to balance out the chance of losing an AB spot due to local pressure or shit coaching etc). I can't see the Oz sides having that money - or at least not spending it in that way.

If they had the money, they could have been recruiting guys like Patchell this year anyway.

One idea I think could be interesting would be if JVs could be set up between Super franchises and Japanese league teams or the JRFU. There might be some money there and access to one or two Japanese players with enough talent to contribute.

It's surprising how many people still support the Reds here after they had Goromaru, that sort of recruiting could be much more fruitful for the Oz teams.

Duluth

Rugby.com.au surveyed the captains of all the sides before the season started:

1) Which other team outside of your own is most likely to reach the Grand Final?
7 (votes): Crusaders (Ninth)
2: Chiefs, Blues (Both Finals)
1 vote: Brumbies (Semi-finals)

2) Which other team outside of your own will surprise fans in 2024?
6 (votes): Fijian Drua
2: Moana Pasifika
1: Rebels, Brumbies, Force, Hurricanes

3) Which team do you love to beat the most?
4 (votes): Crusaders
3: Waratahs
2: No answers
1: Reds, Rebels, Chiefs

4) What is the toughest away trip in Super Rugby?
3 (votes): Fijian Drua, Crusaders
2: Brumbies, Blues
1: Waratahs, Highlanders

5) Which other player from another club is most likely to win SRP MVP?
2 (votes): Damian McKenzie
1: Len Ikitau, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Luke Jacobson, Jake Gordon, Mark Telea, Rob Leota, Rob Valetini, Scott Barrett, Tate McDermott, Taniela Tele’a

6) Who is the most annoying player to face?
2 (votes): Jake Gordon, Naitoa Ah Kuoi
1: Angus Bell, Tate McDermott, Fraser McReight, Ethan de Groot, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Kurt Eklund, Du’Plessis Kirifi, Samisoni Taukei'aho

Kiwiwomble

@Canes4life said in Super Rugby 2024:

The average attendance for each NZ team in Super Rugby has been finalised below. I miscalculated the Canes one initially because I factored in too many games.

Blues: average attendance of 21k
Hurricanes: average attendance of 16.1k
Chiefs: average attendance of 14.2k
Crusaders: average attendance of 12.6k
Highlanders: average attendance of 12.5k

back on attendances, ive seen this info graphic going around

im sure cost of living is a factor....but with the Warriors going up you have to wonder how much of a factor

alt text

Canes4life

@Kiwiwomble said in Super Rugby 2024:

@Canes4life said in Super Rugby 2024:

The average attendance for each NZ team in Super Rugby has been finalised below. I miscalculated the Canes one initially because I factored in too many games.

Blues: average attendance of 21k
Hurricanes: average attendance of 16.1k
Chiefs: average attendance of 14.2k
Crusaders: average attendance of 12.6k
Highlanders: average attendance of 12.5k

back on attendances, ive seen this info graphic going around

im sure cost of living is a factor....but with the Warriors going up you have to wonder how much of a factor

Man, Super Rugby was awesome in the early 2000s. Take me back.

antipodean

@Kiwiwomble said in Super Rugby 2024:

@Canes4life said in Super Rugby 2024:

The average attendance for each NZ team in Super Rugby has been finalised below. I miscalculated the Canes one initially because I factored in too many games.

Blues: average attendance of 21k
Hurricanes: average attendance of 16.1k
Chiefs: average attendance of 14.2k
Crusaders: average attendance of 12.6k
Highlanders: average attendance of 12.5k

back on attendances, ive seen this info graphic going around

im sure cost of living is a factor....but with the Warriors going up you have to wonder how much of a factor

Graphic is utterly worthless when people select arbitrary dates to make comparisons against and exclude data. People like that should be sterilised for the benefit of mankind.

Kiwiwomble

@antipodean that seems little extreme, doesnt seem like a crazy date to look at as early 2000's often refereed to as when super rugby was at its best. its also comparing NRL from the same time period so seems like a starting point to talk about what changed to see league attendances improve whilst super rugby has declined

its just the start of a discussion, not claiming to be a definitive conclusion

antipodean

@Kiwiwomble For it to have value the Oz and NZ SR crowds would be from the same year. It wouldn't miss a sizeable input (the Blues who are in the final for this year). It would also not include a comparison for a team that has only played half a season and contrast it against a season where they came sixth, making the finals. Let's see what the Warriors' crowd is like if they continue their slide down the ladder.

I don't see what value it adds to any discussion.

Kiwiwomble

@antipodean ok, you're welcome to ignore

I was more interested in the 2003 figures as we'd already working our some rough numbers for this year, including the blues, earlier in the thread

antipodean

So you're comparing a different contest that had the benefit of South African crowds to a season rebuilding from covid absence with the "crowds" of Moana Pacifica, Drua, Force and Rebels as direct replacements? What discussion leads from that?

Nepia

@Kiwiwomble said in Super Rugby 2024:

im sure cost of living is a factor....but with the Warriors going up you have to wonder how much of a factor

The Blues have a fairly similar average to the Warriors which is the real direct head-to-head. Actually, for more perspective on the sizes, let's say you have a born and bred Cantab living in Auckland who is a rugby and league fan. He's likely going to go to Warriors matches because that's his team, he's less likely to go to Blues matches when they're not playing the inbreds because those aren't his teams.

Also, the Warriors built their crowds on discounted tickets which means their revenue is quite low. (Me stating this is not a criticism of this plan as it worked really well for them as a hype train method, especially with a fawning media.)

At any rate comparing crowds know to the golden age of Super is pretty futile, we know that there's been a decrease in fan attendance at games (this was happening way before Covid), but Sky have said multiple times (TJ has said it on air) that TV audiences are good.

antipodean

@Nepia said in Super Rugby 2024:

At any rate comparing crowds know to the golden age of Super is pretty futile, we know that there's been a decrease in fan attendance at games (this was happening way before Covid), but Sky have said multiple times (TJ has said it on air) that TV audiences are good.

It's well established the bums on seats metric isn't worth as much as TV viewership. That being said a balance needs to be struck so both are healthy.

SA isn't coming back (they like playing in URC) and Australia's administration is clearly swimming upstream. Hopefully the Rebels' demise makes the others more competitive.

nzzp

@Nepia are their seats really discounted? Season tickets sure, but full price tickets were usually more than rugby I thought

Nepia

@nzzp said in Super Rugby 2024:

@Nepia are their seats really discounted? Season tickets sure, but full price tickets were usually more than rugby I thought

They definitely were last year, not sure about this year.

I think the highest Warriors ticket when I last looked is $50 and cheapest Adult stand ticket is $20 (I had a mate going for $10 last year). Not sure what the highest Blues tickets were?