Global Rapid Rugby

[RugbyReg]

Perhaps Western Sydney won’t happen?

https://coupler.foxsports.com.au/ap...3d65dff6b3b271f7b11?__twitter_impression=true

 

[kiap]

Perhaps Western Sydney won’t happen?

https://coupler.foxsports.com.au/ap...3d65dff6b3b271f7b11?__twitter_impression=true

Yeah. I suspect Western Sydney could be too big a hurdle.

Not for WSR, mind you, but for the Shute guardians and the likes of Rugby Australia. Let's hope the SRU look after Western Sydney instead and Raelene can chuck 'em a few quid.

The main thing for WSR is just to get the ball rolling for 2019.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Yep and western Sydney can be an expansion team to join later.

Pity though as western Sydney team would provide a boost for nsw rugby with more professional pathways, especially when seeing rays and eagles doing so poorly in nrc and nrc u19s

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Watching Hawkes Bay v Manawatu over a few beers last night some random thoughts & info sorta kinda came together:

* Manawatu are crap, made a loss last year & according to someone who's normally on the money in this regard will make an even bigger loss this year that may even force them to ask NZR for a loan;

* Hawkes Bay have Premiership aspirations but don't really have the player base to be competitive, nor the finances to recruit the players they'd need to make them competitive.

* NZR could, therefore, lean on Manawatu & play to Hawkes Bay's aspirations & "suggest" that they re-boot the JV they had back in the late '90's. This would of course create an imbalance in the Mitre 10 Cup, but:

* Southland haven't won a game in about two years & according to my source re: Manawatu's problems are in real danger of defaulting on the loan NZR gave them in 2011;

* NZR apparently want a NZ presence in WSR should it get up & runnng (which it looks increasingly likely to);

* NZR could therefore "suggest" that Southland withdraw from M10 & join WSR. You'd make it more palatable by offering some debt relief & maybe giving them first dibs on loan players, plus offer them a way back into M10 by way of a playoff v whoever finishes last in the Championship.

I think the above makes more sense than some kinda "Mitre 10 Cup All Stars" that, once you've taken out all the Super Rugby- & NZR-contracted players, will mostly be journeymen at best with no natural support base.

 

[RebelYell]

I have heard North Harbour are the team likely to join WSR

 

[Forcefield]

The WSR team has to be based in Auckland. Giving Aucklanders an alternative to the Blues is the humane option.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

The WSR team has to be based in Auckland. Giving Aucklanders an alternative to the Blues is the humane option.

Wouldn't have anything to do with it being the only true international city in the country either, would it?

 

[Forcefield]

It doesn't hurt, but seriously, Auckland works because it has a big population. Watching the Blues over the past decade, I reckon they'd love the excuse to support a different team. I imagine they'll try to make the team representative of all of New Zealand to not alienate fans from other regions.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

I am not surprised western Sydney off the table for next years wsr as nsw rugby too many layers of complex politics to do anything quickly but I hope this is only a deferment and work to having western Sydney involved the following year in WSR as I have more confidence of twiggy’s team doing something positive to tap into latent potential this area offers then sru, nswru and ra.

Also would help create more oz interest in in wsr by having second oz team and local derby rivalry which we know is always popular.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

It doesn't hurt, but seriously, Auckland works because it has a big population. Watching the Blues over the past decade, I reckon they'd love the excuse to support a different team. I imagine they'll try to make the team representative of all of New Zealand to not alienate fans from other regions.

Basing it in Auckland esp the North Shore is the surest way to alienate fans from other regions. All of them.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Basing it in Auckland esp the North Shore is the surest way to alienate fans from other regions. All of them.

Where would you base it? Serious question.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^ see my post #124 above. Or, if it's the "All Stars" option, given who's likely to be in it, Palmerston North & tie it in with Murray Mexted's International Rugby Academy.

 

[kiap]

Invercargill? Yeah nah.


The thing with New Zealand, as WCR said above, is they've got one biggish city and then two (or at a push, three) other metropoles of note before places start getting quite small.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

I've been thinking about WSR and the NRC a bit over the weekend while tuning in. And I've come to the conclusion that not only do I want a WS team in WSR but I'd be all for a Gold Coast team in WSR as well. Both could then look to replace QLD and NSW Country in the short term in the NRC with Brisbane and Sydney effectively being their Super squads sans Wallabies. It would help deliver a fully professional NRC of significant quality.

 

[Brumby Runner]

^^^^ The NRC would then just become a watered down version of the current Aus conference in Super + the Force. Is that what is needed? I would rather see the NRC expanded, not diminished.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

^^^^ The NRC would then just become a watered down version of the current Aus conference in Super + the Force. Is that what is needed? I would rather see the NRC expanded, not diminished.

How would it be diminished? With the likes of the Force and Fiji being part of WSR and WS being slated for the future if they did the same with say the GC then you're looking at essentially a fully professional structure. Part of it would require allowing for WSR teams to access emerging talent from Sydney and Brisbane (they could set a maximum number) alongside returning Australian players.

With Sydney and Brisbane essentially being the Reds and Tahs without their Wallabies much the same as both the Vikings and Rising are now I'd argue we'd see an overall lift in the competition. With 7 professional teams in Australia it wouldn't result in much of a reduction in opportunity for players while providing players with the professional environments. In a podcast from a few years back Peter Playford made the suggestion that we needed to evolve the NRC into a structure similar to that of the Mitre 10 in being able to offer players the ability to be true professionals.

Would you call the Mitre 10 Cup a watered down version of the NZ conference? It has consistently produced entertaining Rugby year on year. This would be what the NRC in the form I'm suggesting would hopefully provide. A structure that allows it to take the next step and provide an even tougher environment to blood talent while with any luck developing something people want to tune in to.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Invercargill? Yeah nah.


The thing with New Zealand, as WCR said above, is they've got one biggish city and then two (or at a push, three) other metropoles of note before places start getting quite small.

Have you ever watched a Bloos game at Albany? Or a Clan game in Invercagill? Aucks are notorious for not getting out to support anything even if they're winning. Southlanders on the other hand will get right behind it - even on a 19-game losing streak the Stags are still pulling decent crowds. Harbour, potentially a week away from finals footy, continue to draw the proverbial two men & a dog. It's just how things work here.

 

[kiap]

on a 19-game losing streak the Stags are still pulling decent crowds.

You've said it yourself:

They're broke.

Can't really sustain a team.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^^ they're only broke if NZR play hardball on the loan & I doubt they'd drive a member Union into liquidation.

Southland's problems started with them over-reaching in trying to be a Premiership team which clearly they're not. With a reduced salary budget & some NZR help on the financial & recruitment fronts I think they're a good fit for WSR & could potentially benefit the Highlanders, too.

 

[kiap]

I think they're a good fit for WSR & could potentially benefit the Highlanders, too.

Well, for my opinion on that, see post #117.