National Rugby Championship 2014

[mst]

Why not the Canberra Griffins, after good ol' Wally B-Griffin who had the idea to dig a pond in the middle of the town back in the olden days?

Its UC Viking country!

This is Canberra. It's twelve days north of Hopeless and a few degrees south of Freezing to Death. It's located solidly on the Avenue of Administration. Our home. In a word? CBR. It's been here for seven generations, but every single building is new. It is freezing six months of the year, and its cold the other three. Any food that grows here is tough and tasteless. The people that grow here are even more so. We have fishing, porn, and a charming view of the sunsets. The only problems are the politician’s. The only upside to all of this is the rugby. While other places have Izzy or a Cooper... we have... McCabe! We are first UC Vikings then Brumbies! Getting smashed on a rugby field is merely an occupational hazard.

Pat McCabe told me his father told him bang his head against a rock and he did it! He thought his father was crazy, but Pat didn't question him. And you know what happened? That rock split in two! It taught him what UC Vikings and Brumbies can do. We can crush any city, conquer any country, roast rams on the spit, realign the stars, deflect the rays, quell any rising, and destroy your spirit on the Rugby field! We are first UC Vikings then Brumbies! Getting smashed on a rugby field is merely an occupational hazard.

 

[Slim 293]

Extremely disappointed by this. The teams are all just a giant mess of club affiliations linked together with shit names and the the non nsw/Qld teams just have shit names and weak links to the super rugby sides that have already developed the local connections to fans and clubs.

It should have been:
Perth Force
Melbourne Rebels
Canberra Brumbies
Brisbane City
West Brisbane/Ipswich
North Sydney Rays
Western Sydney rams
Sydney City
Newcastle or Wollongong

This is Just going to be another full plastic comp with empty seats everywhere and a drain on resources while we waste our time with super rugby and it's current expansion fantasies.

The teams being run by their Super Rugby franchises have weak links to the Super Rugby sides?

It would be a mess if we had club affiliated Sydney regions playing Super Rugby B teams........

The current format looks excellent, although I have to admit the NSW Country/Randwick/Easts thing is a bit strange........

I don't see the obsession with needing "country" teams at this stage........

 

[Hugh Jarse]

We have fishing, porn, and a charming view of the sunsets.

You used to have fireworks too. You still have Australia's leading Craft Beer Bottlo.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

<snip>

I don't see the obsession with needing "country" teams at this stage....

Probably a spelling mistake from the unpaid interns.

One of them reckoned that their Van Dyk style goatie beard made them look like a real count. He couldn't spell either.

 

[Bruce Ross]

There seems to be near-universal - and well-merited - rejection of the name Sydney Stars, and it has previously been suggested that it was just a working title which would be replaced by something more suitable.

I would like to propose a name which is evocative of the Sydney University and Balmain areas and their historic associations with colonial days. That name is the Sydney Coves. There are good reasons for the choice:

• The site of Australia's first European settlement was Sydney Cove within walking distance of both the Uni and Balmain;
• "Coves" is distinctive and not used by any other sporting team anywhere;
• At the time of the formation of the Sydney Uni club and the original Balmain club, the word "cove" was in everyday usage meaning a bloke or a chap.

Importantly, the word "cove" features in the first verse of what should have been Australia's national anthem, penned by our Poet Laureate, C.J. Dennis:

The Austral—aise​

(Sung to the tune of Onward Christian Soldiers)​

Fellers of Australier,
Blokes an' coves an' coots,
Shift yer - carcases,
Move yer - boots.
Gird yer - loins up,
Get yer - gun,
Set the - enermy
An' watch the blighters run.
Chorus:
Get a - move on,
Have some - sense.
Learn the - art of
Self de- - -fence.

Have some - brains be-
Neath yer - lids.
An' swing a - sabre
Fer the missus an' the kids.
Chuck supportin' - posts,
An' strikin' - lights,
Support a - fam'ly an'
Strike fer yer - rights.
Chorus:
Get a - move, etc.

Joy is - fleetin',
Life is - short.
Wot's the use uv wastin' it
All on - sport?
Hitch yer - tip-dray
To a - star.
Let yer - watchword be
"Australi- - -ar!"
Chorus:
Get a - move, etc.

'Ow's the - nation
Goin' to ixpand
'Lest us - blokes an' coves
Lend a - 'and?
'Eave yer - apathy
Down a - chasm;
'Ump yer - burden with
Enthusi- - -asm.
Chorus:
Get a - move, etc.

Wen the - trouble
Hits yer native land
Take a - rifle
In yer - 'and.
Keep yer - upper lip
Stiff as stiff kin be,
An' speed a - bullet for
Pos- - -terity.
Chorus:
Get a - move, etc.

Wen the - bugle
Sounds "Ad- - -vance"
Don't be like a flock uv sheep
In a - trance.
Biff the - foeman
Where it don't agree.
Spifler- - -cate him
To Eternity.
Chorus:
Get a - move, etc.

Fellers of Australier,
Cobbers, chaps an' mates,
Hear the - enermy
Kickin' at the gates!
Blow the - bugle,
Beat the - drum,
Upper-cut and out the cow
To kingdom- - -come!
Chorus:
Get a - move on,
Have some - sense.
Learn the - art of
Self de- - -fence!

(Wordsworth, eat your heart out)​

 

[Melbourne Terrace]

I disagree and believe using Rebels, Brumbies and force would infringe SANZAR rights and possible trademarks.

Guess we better shut down that old curry cup then, those sharks, bulls, lions and cheetahs that play in it must be getting on sanzars nerve

 

[Melbourne Terrace]

The teams being run by their Super Rugby franchises have weak links to the Super Rugby sides?

It would be a mess if we had club affiliated Sydney regions playing Super Rugby B teams....

The current format looks excellent, although I have to admit the NSW Country/Randwick/Easts thing is a bit strange....

I don't see the obsession with needing "country" teams at this stage....

It's already a mess. Victoria and WA hardly have the clubs to step up to such a competition while NSW does. All the "rebrand" does is weaken the pro rugby brand in these states rather than make an effort to strengthen it. At least in Victoria, more people would the rebels in the NRC than yet another franchise they have you switch their support between.

 

[Melbourne Terrace]

How many Lions have you seen on safari in Great Britain and Ireland?

I hear there are tigers in Leicester... and Balmain...

Have you done the running of the bulls in Chicago? Been dwarfed by giants in San Francisco?

So I point out that it's a daft name and the response is "well it's ok because there are other teams that have stupid names picked by thick marketing undergraduates"

Just because other teams have form for stupid names doesn't mean Australia has to follow them.

 

[I like to watch]

It's already a mess. Victoria and WA hardly have the clubs to step up to such a competition while NSW does. All the "rebrand" does is weaken the pro rugby brand in these states rather than make an effort to strengthen it. At least in Victoria, more people would the rebels in the NRC than yet another franchise they have you switch their support between.

Well,we need a T3 in NSW & Qld.
If they excluded Vic & WA there would have been tantrums galore.
You can't have the Rebels competing in two comps of differing standards.
Don't like it?
Don't go,but don't stop us from getting on with it.
It's the best thing that the ARU has done for years.
Glad to see Flowers involved with this year Premiers as well,there's a nice symmetry to it.

 

[Intruder]

Just quickly, what is going to happen to the leftover players at the Rebels and Force after each of their NRC franchise chooses their top 16 players on contract (Given that 16 players is delegated to each side). Is it then on the player to find another NRC club willing to take them on board ?

I say Perth and Melbourne on the fact that not many Wallabies will come out of those squads.

 

[kiap]

Just quickly, what is going to happen to the leftover players at the Rebels and Force after each of their NRC franchise chooses their top 16 players on contract (Given that 16 players is delegated to each side). Is it then on the player to find another NRC club willing to take them on board ?

It seems that all Super players will be assigned to an NRC side, so reckon they will go to the Rays, Rams, Stars & Cockatoos.

I did a blog article a few weeks back on the distribution of players (it's a bit out-of-date now as it was for 10 teams not 9, but the difference is not huge and the ARU's intentions haven't changed much).

Based on that, you could see something like the squads in the spoilers below -
. . . don't worry about the exact "what names go where" because this is just an exercise to see how overall squads numbers might look . . .

Rays/Rams/Stars

Spoiler

Melbs/Perth

Spoiler

 

[Dave Beat]

GAGR - now it has been confirmed any chance we can add an NRC Forum to the cover page of the Rugby Forum and then shift the relevant threads to that forum.

 

[kiap]

add an NRC Forum

Disagree with this, mate (although obviously it is not up to me).

Keep it in the main Rugby Discussion forum. Does Super Rugby have its own sub-forum? Hell no!

There is no surer way of reducing the number of views for something than to bury it in a sub-forum. People don't visit them as much (I certainly don't, even after posting here for years).

The NRC season takes up after the Super Rugby season ends so it shouldn't be a problem having both in the main forum. The Soup traffic goes down and the NRC traffic goes up, and vice-versa.

 

[Quick Hands]

So I point out that it's a daft name and the response is "well it's ok because there are other teams that have stupid names picked by thick marketing undergraduates"

Just because other teams have form for stupid names doesn't mean Australia has to follow them.

True, but I think that after death and taxes, another certainty was the use of stupid names for some/all of the teams. We're so used to it now, most of us just shrug our shoulders.

 

[Quick Hands]

Glad to see Flowers involved with this year Premiers as well,there's a nice symmetry to it.

Thank I predicted the Flowers involvement months ago . Good to see him on board.

 

[Slim 293]

So I point out that it's a daft name and the response is "well it's ok because there are other teams that have stupid names picked by thick marketing undergraduates"

Just because other teams have form for stupid names doesn't mean Australia has to follow them.

Those are all very successful and widely identifiable sports brands........

If you think they're "stupid" maybe that's a clear sign that this is a subject you're not qualified to judge?

 

[Hugh Jarse]

In the team lists being posted in the various club threads, I can't see too many bolters from Clubland being named.

So far it seems only the Soup Players, EPS and WTS will be filling most slots in the various Gaggerlander fantasy teams for the franchises.

I reckon there will be a stack of the pros unavailable for the NRC due to the effects of Team Rehab selection, and player rotation and rest requirements.

The NRC Clubs will need to be dipping into clubland playing rosters.

 

[couldabeen]

The NRC Clubs will need to be dipping into clubland playing rosters.

I hope so.

 

[fatprop]

While nice to see, I am pretty disappointed with the premise of requiring a number of rule changes.

I just don't see the point, rugby at the moment is fine with them as they are

Some of the changes considered are reducing penalty goals from 3 to 2 points, increasing conversions from 2 to 3 points, preventing penalty goals outside the 22, stopping the clock for the duration of scrums and more immediate yellow cards for breakdown penalties.

nup, it is like they don't trust the game

 

[Hugh Jarse]

There seems to be near-universal - and well-merited - rejection of the name Sydney Stars, and it has previously been suggested that it was just a working title which would be replaced by something more suitable.

I would like to propose a name which is evocative of the Sydney University and Balmain areas and their historic associations with colonial days. That name is the Sydney Coves. There are good reasons for the choice:

• The site of Australia's first European settlement was Sydney Cove within walking distance of both the Uni and Balmain;
• "Coves" is distinctive and not used by any other sporting team anywhere;
• At the time of the formation of the Sydney Uni club and the original Balmain club, the word "cove" was in everyday usage meaning a bloke or a chap.

Importantly, the word "cove" features in the first verse of what should have been Australia's national anthem, penned by our Poet Laureate, C.J. Dennis:

<snip>

​

@Bruce Ross, I'm going to have to revisit the works of that other great Australian Laureate, Arthur Davies (AKA Steel Rudd).

IIRC, Dad and Dave made frequent reference to the word "cove" to describe some of their acquaintences, but my hazy memory seems to recall that Dad and Dave's used the term "cove" for blokes or chaps that were at the ratbag end of the bloke spectrum.