Dan54
Tim Horan (67)
Didn't realise the Lions were struggling too. as you say the perfect storm!
Where to for Super Rugby?
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Didn't realise the Lions were struggling too. as you say the perfect storm!
sendit
Bob Loudon (25)
You’re going to use the top of the table clash as a metric for super rugby AU as a whole?
Tomikin
Simon Poidevin (60)
Maybe something like the FA Cup in English (soccer) and Hockey, basically any team can enter, and then play against your local teams to progress then the winner there plays against the teams nationally. We did well in Hockey in the UK and had a bus trip up from Surry to Manchester were we hammered 23 - zip by one of the top teams in the country. We had snuck through and knocked off some of the top division teams us being from Surrey 3rd grade it was alot of fun.
Then if you do that, and you have these teams play off through the year to get to the big national final of usually the top teams in the country. Way more feasible then trying to organise a ongoing comp with byes and everything. You keep winning you get to the final, you lose your out.
I don't think you can do this in rugby. The size and skill discrepancy creates a safety issue pretty quickly.
Dan54
Tim Horan (67)
They do ot in Wales, they have got a comp like the FA cup where I think all clubs can have a crack.
Dan54
Tim Horan (67)
For sure the answer is being a winning team, but Broncos etc struggling would usually help
WorkingClassRugger
David Codey (61)
The only way I could see that happening is if it were a mix of Clubs and rep squads. So instead of Knox Old Boys playing Warringah it could be NSW/Sydney Suburban vs Warringah. Or Penrith vs the Illawarra. But it would still be limited to purely the semi-pro/amateur levels as there's no way I'd want to see a club side face off against a Super Rugby squad. Bloodbath.
But as I said, it may be more workable mixing the Premier clubs and rep set ups. Could set it up into four regions to start. NSW, ACT/SNSW and Vic, Central (SA Falcons and Darwin Mozzies)/Perth and Qld.
Aim for 16 teams a piece. Straight knockout competition. The respective regional champions play in the National finals.
WorkingClassRugger
David Codey (61)
Dan54
Tim Horan (67)
I not sure exactly how it works, I do know there is a comp where the lower teams play the better ones. I would of seen one of them a couple of years ago if I hadn't broken my ankle.
I not sure if pro 14, but tend to suspect were maybe equivalent it was more say subbies to say Shute Shield/Hospital cup range. I may investigate, just to answer quetion in own brain. But you right, you couldn't involve super clubs in it.
Tomikin
Simon Poidevin (60)
Arrrhhhh yes, you are right, wouldnt be nice having a subby scrumed into the ground.
but maybe you could limit it to the first/2nd division teams in each state city/country teams..
EDIT: I just think it has more legs then trying to merge sydney/brisbane/canberra teams into some kinda weekend warrior comp where they need to travel a fair distance each weekend, and work during the week. I dont think most people could commiit to it without being paid to do it.
FA Cup style could mean you are really just in your area to start with then maybe if your good enough you can get to travel one or two weekends.
Adam84
Nick Farr-Jones (63)
logistic costs are the biggest issue, Wales is barely bigger then Greater Sydney, teams can bus it on the day of the match from their home ground. A FA style cup would require a squad of 35 flying in and out, potentially staying overnight as well. $14,000 just for each team to fly interstate.
hifflepiff
Charlie Fox (21)
I would compare it to a top of the table clash pre Super AU, but I'm struggling to find any examples of two Australian teams being at the top of the table at the same time.
People will watch rugby if Australian teams are winning every week, rather than once in a blue moon.
Rugbynutter39
Michael Lynagh (62)
For quite a while Brumbies been the only performing oz super rugby franchise now we have 2 quality rugby franchises that provide great derby clashes. They have set the bar of where Rebels, Force and Tahs need to get to.
kiap
Steve Williams (59)
They don't.
Nowadays it's called the Specsavers Cup. The top tier knockout bracket (i.e. for the cup) is open to their top level clubs ....... maybe 26 or so(?) in Wales.
Back in the amateur days, when it was the Schweppes Cup(?), village teams might've got a shot at it, but time has moved on.
As per BH, due to safety reasons, those teams don't compete with proper semi-pro/pro sides anymore.
WorkingClassRugger
David Codey (61)
Which is why you try to limit the distances by splitting the country into regions. Like something similar to how I suggested above. Not perfect but you could cut a lot of the cost of the travel down.
Tomikin
Simon Poidevin (60)
Exactly Regional games to get the cream then bus/travel for the finals
A lot of rugby is already regional so would there be much attraction at the early stage if it's just a knockout competition against the teams you already play? Lots of those competitions already include reasonable travel distances.
E.g. Central West NSW Rugby which is quite strong already involves travel times of up to 2.5 hours between games.
It would probably make more sense to get the winners of each of these comps into the knockout competition but then the start date is probably too late in the season.
Scheduling games among the normal season is also difficult. It's difficult to slot in an extra game during the week both due to recovery times and work/travel.
Even doing a few interstate games at the end would be very costly. If RA was funding it I'd suggest that the money would be far more beneficial for rugby if the teams were just given direct grants rather than flying them interstate for a single game.
E.g. Central West NSW Rugby which is quite strong already involves travel times of up to 2.5 hours between games.
It would probably make more sense to get the winners of each of these comps into the knockout competition but then the start date is probably too late in the season.
Scheduling games among the normal season is also difficult. It's difficult to slot in an extra game during the week both due to recovery times and work/travel.
Even doing a few interstate games at the end would be very costly. If RA was funding it I'd suggest that the money would be far more beneficial for rugby if the teams were just given direct grants rather than flying them interstate for a single game.
WorkingClassRugger
David Codey (61)
How often does the Central West play say Penrith. Or the Two Blues? It won't be a case of them playing another country region more than an opportunity to play one Sydney clubs.
And for those kind of games I'd actually give them the benefit of hosting. If thought out there wouldn't be any interstate travel before the final stages.
And for those kind of games I'd actually give them the benefit of hosting. If thought out there wouldn't be any interstate travel before the final stages.
Dan54
Tim Horan (67)
Yep adam, I wasn't suggesting it good idea , just from what I knew Wales had some kind of thing like it. But soccer have it in Aus , and not sure how they get around it, think mainly the Qld teams knock each other out first. I would add soccer is a lot easier to do it than rugby as you can play extra games midweek (when Aus seem to have theirs) and not have the physical damage of backing up on weekend.
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