Where to for Super Rugby?

[p.Tah]

I'm amazed SANZAAR have managed to keep the decision quiet so far.

That's a good thing, because if they leaked their preferred option and it didn't get up because it wasn't supported by one of the unions or the broadcasters it would have been very messy.

As painful as this process is, i'll give them credit for keeping it quiet until the key stakeholders have agreed to it.

 

[Gnostic]

In all honesty after another weekend of a total of 30 minutes of good rugby from the Australian sides (from the Reds) we really have to move past our own ideas about what is "best" for Australian Rugby and the obsession with a National footprint. The fact is that not only is the playing depth poor, it is being poorly developed. The Tahs for instance were never in the game against the Sharks, they were woeful. The Reds played well for a bit under half a game. The Force v Ponies was about as unwatchable as we have come to expect from our local matches (though I expect the usual objections to that - only fans of those respective teams will object). The Rebels will be lucky not to have tripped over their own feet to get past the bye.

So what do we have realistically, a product that isn't going to appeal to many outside of the rusted on viewership that is left in Australian Rugby, as evidenced by the figures for last week, and a system that is not developing players, a "third tier that is also not for player development (see my arguments about the NRC not being long enough for development purposes) and a civil war with the clubs which are the main senior development system.

I don't know what the solution is, I don't know honestly if it can be salvaged. This has been coming for 15 years and it may well be just too late now.

 

[KOB1987]

I really hope they go to the 3 x 6 conference system others have alluded to here. It keeps everyone in for the next few years to prove their worth, is a lot simpler, and aligns the franchises with their supporter bases.

 

[mudskipper]

I think SARU just want us to play over there on the weekends and not come here any more,,,

 

[No4918]

I really hope they go to the 3 x 6 conference system others have alluded to here. It keeps everyone in for the next few years to prove their worth, is a lot simpler, and aligns the franchises with their supporter bases.

I find that unlikely after reports of NZ requesting 3 teams be cut. That the SARU in particular did not immediately veto says to me this is a real chance. I never would have thought they'd be open to the idea. Maybe they are sick of not having a team or two that can compete at finals time or verse the Kiwis in general as well. Not sure how much the decline of the Boks has been attributed to the expansion or if that's just coincidence. Be interested to hear from some of the SA posters there thoughts and what they expect to happen.

 

[mudskipper]

FORM SANZAAR WEB PAGE TO EXPLAIN THE NEW 18 Team COMP.
The Kings from South Africa returned to the fray, along with new teams: the Jaguares from Argentina; and the Sunwolves from Japan, taking Super Rugby to new places, new markets and new crowds.

 

[mudskipper]

New markets and crowds at the expense of established loyal crowds

 

[Mortal Wombat]

With 10 out of the 23 players coming through the WA development system in their game vs the Brumbies, plus Kyle Godwin, I don't see how any impartial judge can justify cutting the Force.

Considering the Foley style rugby the fans in WA have had to put up with, they've supported their team extremely well over the history of the franchise, in my opinion.

The quick and dirty solution is to get the Kiwis to agree that all their guys who play super rugby are eligible for the All Blacks, and make the strength of the Aussie dollar work for us, but I doubt NZ will come to the party.

 

[half]

I am reminded of the old saying "Its always darkest before the dawn"

Do I have faith in the ARU board to do the right thing by Australian rugby?

Do I trust NZ admins to create and manage and advise Australia and South Africa on what to do?

Do I trust the SA government to support rugby?

Do I trust the broadcasters to do the right thing and continue to fund at the same level?

What will be will be.

Lets put our faith in the combined wisdom of each nation and the broadcasters in their own self interest to get it right.

I hope they don't get it too wrong as we can't loose to many fans which we will happen if its to wrong.

 

[p.Tah]

^^^ hope. That's pretty much all we've got at the moment Half

 

[TOCC]

Well, the general consensus seems to be that we have over-extended ourselves both financially and in terms of talent. That's why we are talking about a contraction in the first place?

Presumably, if the ARU moves to remove a team a cost-benefit analysis has been conducted. How much Revenue do the Rebels really bring in?

How can you presume that the ARU have done anything except bend over the table and let the SARU/NZRU take turns on them.. Why should we presume that they have conducted their due diligence when this current format and structure was only agreed too less then 18months ago.. they have completely butchered their handling of this whole process and they have done nothing to instil confidence in Rugby fans in this country that they are actually considering all options... instead of discussing the start of the season, half the articles are covering the possibility that the team fans support won't exist in 12months time.. what an absolutely clusterfuck!

 

[Slim 293]

The Force v Ponies was about as unwatchable as we have come to expect from our local matches (though I expect the usual objections to that - only fans of those respective teams will object).

This pessimistic Kiwi disagrees.........

The Brumbies v Force was a good game, far better than the Blues v Highlanders match on Saturday, and you could make a solid case that the Brumbies and Force are the pick of Australian bunch so far.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/u...-poor-waratahs-in-durban-20170311-guw627.html

 

[The torpedo]

^^^ hope. That's pretty much all we've got at the moment Half

Hope dies last

 

[Dctarget]

Could someone a bit more informed explain why Racing 92 and Stade Francais are merging and if the situation is analogous to Aus Rugby at all?

 

[Twoilms]

How can you presume that the ARU have done anything except bend over the table and let the SARU/NZRU take turns on them.. Why should we presume that they have conducted their due diligence when this current format and structure was only agreed too less then 18months ago.. they have completely butchered their handling of this whole process and they have done nothing to instil confidence in Rugby fans in this country that they are actually considering all options. instead of discussing the start of the season, half the articles are covering the possibility that the team fans support won't exist in 12months time.. what an absolutely clusterfuck!

Yeah bro it's pretty grim.

I was living in England during the RWC and remember reading a Guardian article claiming the key difference between the hemispheres was our elite club game. How the mighty have fallen since. One can only hope the Kiwi's belt the BIL.

 

[p.Tah]

Hope dies last

 

[Quick Hands]

Could someone a bit more informed explain why Racing 92 and Stade Francais are merging and if the situation is analogous to Aus Rugby at all?

The short answer is that even though Paris is the largest city in France that the rugby population is comparitively small. Racing 92 was formed in 2001 by a meger of Racing Club de France and US Metro. In the amateur era, Racing was a leading French club, largely because of its influential members. Once the professional era began, the club slipped down into second division until the above merger. Both the Parisian clubs struggle to compete with the regional clubs in the South West, south and east of the country.

Essentially it's now an economic and logistical necessity for Racing and Stade to merge at the elite level. The big difference to the Australian context is geography; i.e both clubs are in Paris. Two Aussie super clubs merging would not have this advantage.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

You know when you see JON opening his mouth on this subject it really does give me the shits as he was the bastard on the big pay who had the RWC surplus to make a difference and did SFA......

 

[Quick Hands]

You know when you see JON opening his mouth on this subject it really does give me the shits as he was the bastard on the big pay who had the RWC surplus to make a difference and did SFA..

Or to use a Pulverism, he pissed it up against the wall

 

[NTT]

How can you presume that the ARU have done anything except bend over the table and let the SARU/NZRU take turns on them.. Why should we presume that they have conducted their due diligence when this current format and structure was only agreed too less then 18months ago.. they have completely butchered their handling of this whole process and they have done nothing to instil confidence in Rugby fans in this country that they are actually considering all options. instead of discussing the start of the season, half the articles are covering the possibility that the team fans support won't exist in 12months time.. what an absolutely clusterfuck!

Couldn't agree more.
Instead of looking forward to this season and rallying the supporter base we have been badly let down by the ARU's lack of clarity or stance on what they are going to do. Add in the obituaries being written daily in the media about Australian Rugbys supposed impending death, its no wonder fans, hardcore and casual, are walking away.
If any Australian franchise is culled then the entire ARU board need to be culled too. They have shown no respect to its supporters, you know the people who buy tickets to games and tv subscriptions, and continue to let them down by being silent on their preferred position. The ARU leadership has been pathetically weak in recent years in terms of sorting out the structures needed to develop talent for the future, with state parochialism still allowed a place in decisions that are in the interest of the future of the game nationally. The ARUs 5 year plan is increasingly looking like a smoke screen as the ARU struggles to sort out its own governance structures and finances. The ARUs only stance seems to be to take whats given, not fight for anything and become a token organization that is losing control of and relevance to its own product and its supporters.
The ARU is increasingly looking weak to Australian rugby fans, would it be any real surprise if they folded in the face of the pressures of a SANZAAR meeting? I mean they can't even get partisanship in its own backyard, theres no way they could do it at a higher level.