Super Rugby Women's Competition
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@kiwiwomble said in Super Rugby Women's Competition:
@bovidae ok, so when they say "draft" they mean just for those..."unwanted" is too strong a word, those on the fringe in their home unions, rather than everyone goes into a hat
Back in 1996 the teams could protect the majority of their preferred squad, but for the last few positions you could use the draft if required. I would imagine it would be something similar so, in theory, the best 112 players are involved.
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@yeetyaah said in Super Rugby Women's Competition:
Feels a bit short tho eh? Surely play everyone twice with top 2 playing a final.
Yes, I agree. Obviously, it will be longer in the future when they join Super-W in Australia, but until then, a home and away round robin would have been more attractive. Four weeks is really short and it will be over before some people realise it has even started. I guess, it has a lot to do with money and the difficult logistics of a semi-professional comp in which the players will have to keep their normal day jobs/study to survive. Pay will be peanuts.
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Hopefully, the talent identification in the Hurricanes region will be better than in the men's comp. Obviously, the Hurricanes women's team will consist mostly of Wellington Pride and Manawatū Cyclones players, and fair enough, they are the best teams. But in the Hawke's Bay Tui team there are some really talented players and a good coach would pick them up; I should add that some of them may be too young, as they're still at school (16 and 17 years old). Not sure players that young will be picked.
Keeping an eye on you Mr Wesley Clarke!
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@bovidae said in Super Rugby Women's Competition:
@kiwiwomble said in Super Rugby Women's Competition:
@bovidae ok, so when they say "draft" they mean just for those..."unwanted" is too strong a word, those on the fringe in their home unions, rather than everyone goes into a hat
Back in 1996 the teams could protect the majority of their preferred squad, but for the last few positions you could use the draft if required. I would imagine it would be something similar so, in theory, the best 112 players are involved.
....i support the Highlanders...trust me...i know how the draft use to work
it use to be like xmas, a nice surprise who will be making up a third of the team this year -
Media release on the Hurricanes website about the appointment of Wes Clarke:
Media release on the Chiefs' website about the appointment of Allan Bunting:
https://www.chiefs.co.nz/news-item/olympic-gold-medal-winning-coach-announced-as-chiefs-women-head-coachMedia release on the Crusaders' website about the appointment of Blair Baxter:
https://crusaders.co.nz/latest/news/blair-baxter-appointed-head-coach-of-new-south-island-womens-team-for-super-rugby-aupiki/Media release on the Highlanders' website about the appointment of Blair Baxter:
Media release on the Blues' website about the appointment of Willie Walker:
https://blues.rugby/walker-named-as-nib-blues-womens-head-coach-for-super-rugby-aupiki/ -
@kiwiwomble said in Super Rugby Women's Competition:
@bovidae ok, so when they say "draft" they mean just for those..."unwanted" is too strong a word, those on the fringe in their home unions, rather than everyone goes into a hat
Yep, I get that, I just doubt it will be used much. There aren't going to be many strong candidates that don't make their local side and teams aren't going to necessarily want too many from far away when they only assemble for 4 days a week.
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Stuff is firing out the articles today. The 4-week format is locked in for 2 years, and the teams can also have 2 overseas players.
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I think it's a good first step.
Not perfect, but you'll get yuor top players together in teams for an extended period, play against good competition, and get some real life experience of playing and travelling.
So I'm in, wil lbe good fun, and I think yuo'll see some real improvements in the players as a result.
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@nzzp said in Super Rugby Women's Competition:
I think it's a good first step.
Not perfect, but you'll get yuor top players together in teams for an extended period, play against good competition, and get some real life experience of playing and travelling.
So I'm in, wil lbe good fun, and I think yuo'll see some real improvements in the players as a result.
It’s still a step back from that though. More like men’s NPC.
Team only together for four days a week, for four weeks.
They get to play and travel at FPC.
What this does add is a concentration of talent so the experiences go up a notch for those that haven’t played in the BFs or BF7s -
@crucial said in Super Rugby Women's Competition:
@nzzp said in Super Rugby Women's Competition:
I think it's a good first step.
Not perfect, but you'll get yuor top players together in teams for an extended period, play against good competition, and get some real life experience of playing and travelling.
So I'm in, wil lbe good fun, and I think yuo'll see some real improvements in the players as a result.
It’s still a step back from that though. More like men’s NPC.
Team only together for four days a week, for four weeks.
They get to play and travel at FPC.
What this does add is a concentration of talent so the experiences go up a notch for those that haven’t played in the BFs or BF7sand also: showcase some womens rugby to a wider audience, test a wider pool of players at a higher level. It's a step forward, and I think a good one.
The difference with FPC is quality of players and coaches. I think being in a more professional setup will be important - and also provides a pathway to Black Fern selection. Star in the FPC, get picked up for Super, same as ABs (but with smaller, shorter windows at this stage).
You just need the rugby to be of a decent quality now, and keep building depth and capability in the playing ranks
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cant help but think it would have been god to have the brand of the South Island team sorted for the announcements...make a bit show of it all rather than drip feeding things
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@bovidae said in Super Rugby Women's Competition:
Allan Bunting also dropped a hint that one of his assistant coaches is a women. I am picking that is La Toya Mason, who was involved with the Chiefs women's team for the Blues game. She is a NZ-born ex-England player who is now based in Taranaki.
Most will have women within the coaching/management team. The RPA have done a lot of work around environment needs etc for women in the game right down to understanding things like hormonal ups and downs so that coaches can understand why some players may be having a bad day at training.
That works much better with a trusted woman in the management.
Then there are practicalities like changing room management. -
Canterbury coach Blair Baxter was announced as the inaugural Matatū coach last week and on Tuesday the appointments of two assistant coaches and the signings of five players, including Black Ferns halfback Kendra Cocksedge, were confirmed.
Whitney Hansen and Tony Christie will join Baxter’s staff while Pip Love, Steph Te Ohaere-Fox, Grace Brooker and Te Rauoriwa Gapper will join the playing ranks.Matatū also confirmed that Bayleys Canterbury will be the team’s principal sponsorship partner, with their logo to appear on the front of the playing jerseys, and that the University of Canterbury will be another partner, with their logo appearing elsewhere on the kit.
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NZR's media release: https://www.superrugby.co.nz/news/south-island-womens-team-named-for-super-rugby-aupiki/
It confirms the signing of Canterbury players Kendra Cocksedge, Pip Love, Steph Te Ohaere-Fox, Grace Brooker and Te Rauoriwa Gapper and the appointment of two assistant coaches, Whitney Hansen and Tony Christie.
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i'm in, all the social followed
i hope it wont just be the crusaders with a different name, i know largely it will be, would love to seem at least a nod to the regions, colours on the sleeve cuffs or something
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@kiwiwomble The colour is teal, not red and black.
Head Coach of new South Island Women’s team appointed | Highlanders Rugby Club Limited Partnership
