'Super Rugby' 2021
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It's a good idea to read the article instead of only Liam Napier's tweet:
Impey confirmed his board had rubber-stamped, subject to certain caveats involving broadcasters, the players’ association and the Sanzaar collective, its professional franchise competition for next year, and it would look decidedly similar to this year’s post-Covid solution, but with a couple of important improvements.
“There has been a lot of speculation around our keenness to include a Pasifika team in Super Rugby, and we’re still committed to getting that across the line at some point. But the board believes we must get this right,” he added.
“Yesterday the NZR board short-listed four preferred [candidates] for 2022 and beyond, subject to those caveats mentioned previously. We hope to announce them shortly, but some are subject to commercial confidentiality at this point.
“The board is committed to approving a minimum of three teams from the shortlist, with that decision to be made on 30 November.”
In terms of the makeup of those potential expansion franchises, all Impey could say was: “They are a combination of New Zealand and broadly Pasifika-based teams around the Asia-Pacific region. It’s not just New Zealand [teams] and not just Pasifika.”
Told the Hawaii-based Kanaloa outfit had indicated they were ready to proceed next year, Impey reiterated NZR’s view: “The board wasn’t satisfied at this point that any of applicants were able to put a team or provide the necessary financial backing. The last thing we want is for any team to come in and get smashed. Yes, there were parties that wanted licences for 2021, but we considered ... none were ready.”
Based on this I think they're not likely to approve the addition of any of the teams mentioned, unless they can be competitive. -
I have had a few beers tonight, but the only new NZ team should be North Auckland based in Albany. There should be a serious effort at elevating touch rugby style games and under 85 kg rugby to build youth support in an area that has almost jettisoned rugby (but is massively into basketball and football).
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Lets not kid ourselves here - the only loss is the SA money.
Outside finals, crowds at NZ-SA matches in super rugby could measured in the 100's in SA and barely in the thousands in NZ. NZ needs to jump on the Japan train, before the 6N do and literally setup a rich country tournament (for growing the game, obviously).
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@MajorRage said in 'Super Rugby' 2021:
Lets not kid ourselves here - the only loss is the SA money.
Outside finals, crowds at NZ-SA matches in super rugby could measured in the 100's in SA and barely in the thousands in NZ. NZ needs to jump on the Japan train, before the 6N do and literally setup a rich country tournament (for growing the game, obviously).
Japan works with our timezones. I wonder how the Japanese would feel about jumping back into bed with us again given how badly the Sunwolves were treated?
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@MajorRage said in 'Super Rugby' 2021:
Lets not kid ourselves here - the only loss is the SA money.
Outside finals, crowds at NZ-SA matches in super rugby could measured in the 100's in SA and barely in the thousands in NZ. NZ needs to jump on the Japan train, before the 6N do and literally setup a rich country tournament (for growing the game, obviously).
I can't fathom how NZ rugby hasn't offered a 4 team plus pasifika set-up to Japan, including support to get them in the Rugby Championship. It's ridiculous.
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@Derpus said in 'Super Rugby' 2021:
@gt12 how does that work for Japan's current domestic comp which is owned and controlled by their major corporations?
They could keep the Top league on at a different time to Super Rugby, and have the two top red and white league placegetters join Super rugby (perhaps with some allowance to get a bigger squad).
Or they could pick winners and get bids from 4 teams to join Super rugby, which would leave them with a 12 team competition for the Top league - whether those teams could join other competitions would be another conversation.
Given that the Top League was designed to bring up the standard of Japanese rugby, I'm reasonably sure (I only know a few people involved in a roundabout way) that teams would want to be in Super Rugby if they could be, and there would be some support for it in the JRFU. I spoke with a coach of TL team not that long ago and he was telling me that the SWs were great, but always destined for failure because they didn't open up enough spots to get some of the strong company teams involved - and the better players that they have available.
It was somewhat understandable though as picking one winner (probably Panasononic) would have been very hard. However, choosing four well-financed squads though some application process would, I hope, be more manageable and would lead to Japan having a gradation in the professional leagues of its players. If they scheduled the games right, they could make the Top league the premier domestic competition, and Super the international competition. Plus, of course, the All Blacks could offer to support Japan joining the Rugby Championship, which would be a massive boost to Japan if it happened. That's a lot of dollars and sold out stadiums for the Japan NZ and Oz games, and with SA being World Champs, that would sell out too.
Whether it would work or could happen, I obviously don't know - I'm not in the industry, but if the NZRFU hasn't been actively trying to make it happen, they are idiots.
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@gt12 Sounds pretty reasonable - I think a champions league style format would make more sense personally, but either way i agree they should be trying to make it happen. I was always of the understanding those Top league teams had little interest.
I also agree that Japan would be a perfect addition to the RC.
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Sorry, I didn’t mention that as it doesn’t seem to be ok the radar, but I agree that a Champions/Ueda cup style competition would also be a great idea - probably my favored idea - as then new conferences could be added. It would also allow for an Oz conference
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@Cantab79 said in 'Super Rugby' 2021:
@MajorRage said in 'Super Rugby' 2021:
Lets not kid ourselves here - the only loss is the SA money.
Outside finals, crowds at NZ-SA matches in super rugby could measured in the 100's in SA and barely in the thousands in NZ. NZ needs to jump on the Japan train, before the 6N do and literally setup a rich country tournament (for growing the game, obviously).
Japan works with our timezones. I wonder how the Japanese would feel about jumping back into bed with us again given how badly the Sunwolves were treated?
Were they badly treated by us or SANZAAR? Hopefully they can differentiate.
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Working with Japan to create a champions league style cherry on top, would be great. And it appears this is in fact exactly what has been happening until the NZRU v ARU bitch fight drowned out all other news.
But, trying to create a round robin super tournament with 3 or 4 Sunwolves teams in it would be both shit, and madness. You'd be
a) battling the financial power of the Top League owners, who aren't interested, and would see it as a threat.
b) working with a union partner who appears to be totally indifferent to it (The JRFU).
c) Keeping all the disadvantages of inter-contintental travel costs.
d) Keeping all the fan engagement disadvantages of inter-contintental franchise tournaments where fans don't give a crap about opposition fake teams from countries a hemisphere away from them. -
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@Tim said in 'Super Rugby' 2021:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12369850
Rob Nichol making more sense in his collaborative rather than combative approach for me. Watching NZ and Aus currently is like a poor version of US politics....handbags from 5 paces, both trying to undermine each other and one dick may come out on top, but rugby wont.
