Where to for Super Rugby?

[I like to watch]

Blame everybody you like, mate. But have you actually talked to some of your friends and neighbours and asked them whether they like rugby? And if you say they all do, fair enough.

On the other hand, if you live in the real world, and talk to real people, you will discover that the game is indeed the problem.


Soccer is simple to watch, and understand. Ditto Netball. Ditto all the games that are popular in Australia. That is a fact. F.A.C.T.


Do you accept this?

In my real world, some league fanatics hate the game, because it's not league.
Everyone else, just don't think about it, it just doesn't feature in their consciousness.Its not about the rules or tactics, they just don't think about it,cos it's never in their face.
Apart from RWC, or Girls Olympic 7s final, where there is a flurry of interest,that evaporates with the press coverage.

 

[kickedmyheight]

Blame everybody you like, mate. But have you actually talked to some of your friends and neighbours and asked them whether they like rugby? And if you say they all do, fair enough.

On the other hand, if you live in the real world, and talk to real people, you will discover that the game is indeed the problem.


Soccer is simple to watch, and understand. Ditto Netball. Ditto all the games that are popular in Australia. That is a fact. F.A.C.T.


Do you accept this?

This is a stunning attitude to have. Are you seriously implying that the major reason that the game is struggling currently is because the rules can be confusing?!?

This is a cop-out option that ignores every other factor out there influencing the state of the game in Aus. It is an excuse. A poor excuse in fact. It is a lazy argument to say that the game cannot e popular so nothing we do can or could have prevented this.

I reject your presupposition.

Every country in which rugby is played has other sports and yet rugby still manages to thrive elsewhere. Every sport has rules that can be confusing to someone unfamiliar with the game. This is in our ability to control somewhat, not by changing the rules, but by making the game and the rules more familiar to people by increasing their access to games. Get the game in front of more people in an accessible way and more people will understand and enjoy it. I have seen this first hand on many occasions.

The rules of the game could be simplified and this would help in some areas, but the effect would be minimal if everything else is left as is. You greatly overstate the importance of this matter.

Don't blame the game for the way we have run it.

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[Slim 293]

This is a stunning attitude to have. Are you seriously implying that the major reason that the game is struggling currently is because the rules can be confusing?!?

Wambers repeats this ad nauseum, despite regularly being presented with all the evidence disputing such a silly claim.........

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

SARU President Mark Alexander says all six SA franchises will remain:

http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/SuperRugby/sa-rugby-rules-out-merging-of-franchises-20170517

Four in Super Rugby, other two in an unspecified foreign comp, presumably Pro12. I can just see the Sethfrickan players lining up to play in (no offence, H35) Glasgow in mid-January & the Glaswegians will, of course, just love the idea of running around say Bloemfontein in the return match the following month.............

 

[Strewthcobber]

Global season, here we come (and it's not going to suit us!)

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[James Pettifer]

SARU President Mark Alexander says all six SA franchises will remain:

http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/SuperRugby/sa-rugby-rules-out-merging-of-franchises-20170517

Four in Super Rugby, other two in an unspecified foreign comp, presumably Pro12. I can just see the Sethfrickan players lining up to play in (no offence, H35) Glasgow in mid-January & the Glaswegians will, of course, just love the idea of running around say Bloemfontein in the return match the following month.....

Doesn't anyone else find this bizarre?

I have never heard of any country in any sport having teams in 2 separate competitions in this manner. How on earth is that going to work in practice?

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Global season, here we come (and it's not going to suit us!)

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I really don't think that the proponents/ architects of the not-quite Global Season had these kinda Franken-comps in mind, it was always about ideally creating a mid- to late-year international window which they've gone a long way towards achieving without quite getting there (yet). And obviously those same proponents/ architects never factored the current SANZAAR/ ARU/SARU clusterfuck into their calculations

 

[Quick Hands]

We see on display the complete organisational disconnect from reality in Clyne's latest intervention.

Bring on the revolution.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Doesn't anyone else find this bizarre?

I have never heard of any country in any sport having teams in 2 separate competitions in this manner. How on earth is that going to work in practice?

It also occurs to me that SARU bitched for years about the travel imbalance between their Super Rugby teams & the Australasian ones, how're they gunna deal with having two of their teams spending every second weekend in Ireland/ Wales/ Scotland/ Italy?

Assuming one of the SA Pro14 (as it would then probably be) is the Kings, AFAIK to get from Port Elizabeth to say Cardiff you must first get to Jo'burg then to Heathrow or Gatwick. Every. Second. Weekend. How long are the players gunna stomach that before they join the "chicken run" & play in the NH every week instead.

 

[RedsHappy]

Clyne's offer of a vague update to avoid an EGM has been rejected.

If so, smart and appropriate. At last some party in this quagmire is showing some serious spine (well, to be fair, the Own the Force crews and related parties have shown plenty).

RUPA is seeing Clyne's 'must meet sooner' tactic for what it clearly is: a device to avoid serious scrutiny coupled with the avoidance of 'embarrassing confrontations with ARU directors over their positions'. How distasteful that all might be.

Clyne will be far more motivated by doing anything to avoid the humiliation and disgrace in front of his peers entailed in his potential ouster from the ARU than in truly doing the right thing by 'our little rugby folk' like players, support staff and so on.

Clyne so invokes in me the resonances of classic big Australian bank (from whence he came) arrogance and detachment from stakeholders. They mastered the Australian corporate version of the sly craft of never having to truly respect their customers yet looking like they were through slick, insincere 'we love our customers' ads and disingenuous 'mission statements'.

 

[todd4]

SARU President Mark Alexander says all six SA franchises will remain:

http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/SuperRugby/sa-rugby-rules-out-merging-of-franchises-20170517

Four in Super Rugby, other two in an unspecified foreign comp, presumably Pro12. I can just see the Sethfrickan players lining up to play in (no offence, H35) Glasgow in mid-January & the Glaswegians will, of course, just love the idea of running around say Bloemfontein in the return match the following month.....

So strengthening the remaining 4 teams was never part of the logic ?

 

[James Pettifer]

So strengthening the remaining 4 teams was never part of the logic ?

You think there is any logic left in this process?

Obviously they were trying to do that initially but then realised that it would be impossible to drop 2 teams entirely so have gone for a completely random solution.

Why not create a seventh team and put 1 team in the Pro12, 1 team in the Aviva Premiership, 1 in the top 14 and keep 4 in Super Rugby.

 

[James Pettifer]

It also occurs to me that SARU bitched for years about the travel imbalance between their Super Rugby teams & the Australasian ones, how're they gunna deal with having two of their teams spending every second weekend in Ireland/ Wales/ Scotland/ Italy?

Assuming one of the SA Pro14 (as it would then probably be) is the Kings, AFAIK to get from Port Elizabeth to say Cardiff you must first get to Jo'burg then to Heathrow or Gatwick. Every. Second. Weekend. How long are the players gunna stomach that before they join the "chicken run" & play in the NH every week instead.

I assume that they would do tours - base themselves somewhere and play 3-4 games away at a time. Maybe even play some "home" games in London.

Surely this just becomes Super Rugby Mark II with all the same issues ...

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

So strengthening the remaining 4 teams was never part of the logic ?

Originally, yes. But then Politics so now, no.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

I assume that they would do tours - base themselves somewhere and play 3-4 games away at a time. Maybe even play some "home" games in London.

Surely this just becomes Super Rugby Mark II with all the same issues .

And they bitched for years about spending 3-4 weeks in Australasia, now they're gunna do 2 x 3-4 weeks in Europe? I can't see that lasting too long, either. Let's be honest, it's a sop to appease the about-to-be-cut franchises & an attempt to save some face: "see, we kept our six franchises AND got two of them into an exciting new competition".

 

[Dan54]

On the other hand, if you live in the real world, and talk to real people, you will discover that the game is indeed the problem.


Soccer is simple to watch, and understand. Ditto Netball. Ditto all the games that are popular in Australia. That is a fact. F.A.C.T.


Do you accept this?

I disagree Wamberal, the games that are the most popular in Aus (in winter anyway) are AFL and League, and why? Because Australia is top at them because basically noone else plays the games!! Soccer I know breaks the rules, and is truly popular, but I not that high with 2nd/3rd generation Australians, but will always have a good start because it a non contact sport which will always attract a lot of kids (parents usually lean towards them).

 

[Strewthcobber]

And they bitched for years about spending 3-4 weeks in Australasia, now they're gunna do 2 x 3-4 weeks in Europe? I can't see that lasting too long, either. Let's be honest, it's a sop to appease the about-to-be-cut franchises & an attempt to save some face: "see, we kept our six franchises AND got two of them into an exciting new competition".

Werent they bitching because 2/3 of their opposition are on the other a side of the world v 1/3 for us.

Under this setup the games are in the right timezone . No jetlag, good tv time. Much better for for them really.

If it works it's the beginning of the end for Super Rugby

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[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^ well, yes, but if Pro14 happens then 6/7 of their opposition will be in the opposite hemisphere. Same time zone, yes, but still similar travel times so both the things they hated about the full round-Robin versions of Super Rugby will apply. I just don't think their players will wear it for long, if at all.

 

[Strewthcobber]

^^^^^^ well, yes, but if Pro14 happens then 6/7 of their opposition will be in the opposite hemisphere. Same time zone, yes, but still similar travel times so both the things they hated about the full round-Robin versions of Super Rugby will apply. I just don't think their players will wear it for long, if at all.

Playing after a SA to London flight is far far less onerous than the flight out here. Plus they get to catch up with all of their mates in the UK and put their wares on show for the pound payday

The players are going to have to do one or the other. I reckon they'll be jumping over themselves on to the Euro flight.

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[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^ I don't think the actual playing is the issue, any more than it was in the early days of Super Rugby. It was then & will again be about the travel & consequent time away from home. Plus of course the expense. I guess we'll find out if and when it happens.