'Super Rugby' 2021
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@duluth It won't surprise you that I don't want anything to replace the NPC. To me, that's still the most interesting competition and the feeder competition to the next level, whatever that's going to look like. The step from club/school rugby to any form of Super Rugby is too big IMO.
For a SR+Japanese clubs competition, I think something like a 2-conference format with an Japanese conference and a Trans- Ta$man Pasifika conference, followed by play-offs between an x-number of highest ranked teams of each conference, culminating in a final, seems - logistically - the most feasible format. With "x" being the number of teams that allows the organisers to fit in a certain number of games in a playing window that is acceptable from a player welfare point of view and leaves enough time in-between this competition and the start of NPC. I think that also comes closest to the proposed new comp in Japan from 2022.
That World Club Competition is still on the cards, too. No idea about what time of the year that is to be played, though.
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@duluth although players do get a week off every month when they get a bye, which is the only consolation of this format, but agree completely on the lack of variety will being a huge issue, I mean looking at the results from the last week, lets say in another 6-8 weeks what would the bums on seats be like for a Chiefs v Hurricanes game in Hamilton, even eyeballs on the TV?
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@taniwharugby in another month I may be watching - I watched the cricket both times in preference (men Friday, women Sunday). I love me some rugby, but it's so early in the year. If we can't get internationals, it'll look worryingly like losing interest unfortunately.
NFL starts in September, so hanging on for that
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@stargazer said in 'Super Rugby' 2021:
@duluth It won't surprise you that I don't want anything to replace the NPC. To me, that's still the most interesting competition and the feeder competition to the next level, whatever that's going to look like. The step from club/school rugby to any form of Super Rugby is too big IMO.
That's at odds with the modern practice of school -> academy -> SR.
NPC is relegated to second chance saloon.
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You would need to have a full SR Development competition or U20 competition to bridge any gap between 1st XV and SR. Academies would only cater for the latter competition as they are usually for the 18-21 yr old players who usually develop via the provincial age-group teams (e.g. U19s) before being promoted to being full-time professionals.
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@bovidae said in 'Super Rugby' 2021:
You would need to have a full SR Development competition or U20 competition to bridge any gap between 1st XV and SR. Academies would only cater for the latter competition as they are usually for the 18-21 yr old players who usually develop via the provincial age-group teams (e.g. U19s) before being promoted to being full-time professionals.
That's straight from a SR coach's mouth.
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@bovidae said in 'Super Rugby' 2021:
You would need to have a full SR Development competition or U20 competition to bridge any gap between 1st XV and SR. Academies would only cater for the latter competition as they are usually for the 18-21 yr old players who usually develop via the provincial age-group teams (e.g. U19s) before being promoted to being full-time professionals.
an if you did that i think you'd need a draft of those development players to stop teams stock piling the youth, develop as many as you like but you can only protect so many and the rest are up for grabs in the draft
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@kiwiwomble problem is, there isnt enough money in the sport at that level to make a draft workable.
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@taniwharugby do you mean bidding wars for players? i thought drafts were a way around big money, bottom teams get first choice to rookies kind of deal
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@kiwiwomble so how do these kids, cos thats who most of those drafted will be, live in this new location, if on a dev contract which is likely to be <$30,000 a year (basic NPC contracts are <$15,000) so am just guessing.
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I'm not sure a draft would work in NZ rugby.
The issue is forcing people to move to a region they may not want to (away from family etc). The easier option would be to limit how many players you can have in your academy from outside your region to encourage franchises to identify and develop local talent. Obviously that would hugely benefit the Blues and disadvantage the Highlanders based on population. So no easy solution.
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@taniwharugby I'm talking about about after the development when they go pro.
the teams run a development comp where they concentrate on the youth in the in region, players that might be able to live at home.
@bovidae said in 'Super Rugby' 2021:
I'm not sure a draft would work in NZ rugby.
The issue is forcing people to move to a region they may not want to (away from family etc). The easier option would be to limit how many players you can have in your academy from outside your region to encourage franchises to identify and develop local talent. Obviously that would hugely benefit the Blues and disadvantage the Highlanders based on population. So no easy solution.
they already move around, highlanders famously full of people from Ta$man and HB, and drafts arent compulsory, in the AFL theyve been turned down, but its a gamble you dont get picked up by someone else
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where there is agreement aside for a second, this is a great line!
"6 Shannon Frizell (Highlanders): Came out breathing fire after halftime and started eating up Chiefs ball carriers to help shift the momentum of the game."
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@tim said in 'Super Rugby' 2021:
Grand Final Winner-Super Rugby Aotearoa 2021
Crusaders
1.80Blues
2.75Highlanders
13.00Hurricanes
18.00Chiefs
20.00Chiefs are massive unders there
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@tim said in 'Super Rugby' 2021:
Grand Final Winner-Super Rugby Aotearoa 2021
Crusaders
1.80Blues
2.75Highlanders
13.00Hurricanes
18.00Chiefs
20.00that is huge movement from last week
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@kiwiwomble fuck I hate the Lomu comparisons. Every single time a Māori/Pasifika winger bunts a couple of players off and scores some tries, there's always a fucking idiot banging on about how they're "the next Lomu."
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This better not mess with the depth of the existing teams ...
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@tim I hope they're right about Pasifika players being keen to return from Europe and Japan, even if it means that they'll earn less.
Moana Pasifika won't lead to growth of rugby in Tonga and Samoa if they're going to sign NZ players of Tongan and Samoan descent.
I'm less worried about the Fijian team. The Fijian Drua only had players from Fiji and they may be able to get a few returnees, too. Imagine if they could convince players like Peceli Yato, Semi Radradra, Alivereti Raka, even Nemani Nadolo etc to play for them. Would be great!
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Never has a player retired and got out of touch so fast...
'They genuinely looked like the Chiefs of 2012': Early-game performance could set the Chiefs up for a comeback season
Speaking on the latest episode of the Aotearoa Rugby Pod, former All Black James Parsons has suggested that in the opening quarter of Friday's loss, the Chiefs were playing like the side that won back-to-back Super Rugby titles in 2012 and 2013.
