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Super Rugby 2022

Super Rugby 2022

  • Go Blues

    Votes: 7 7.4%
  • Go cantabs

    Votes: 1 1.1%
  • Go other NZ team.

    Votes: 1 1.1%
  • Go Force

    Votes: 15 16.0%
  • Go Tahs

    Votes: 21 22.3%
  • Go Brumbies

    Votes: 9 9.6%
  • Go Reds

    Votes: 30 31.9%
  • Go Rebs

    Votes: 13 13.8%
  • Go new PI teams

    Votes: 9 9.6%
  • Go any team that plays the cantabs

    Votes: 12 12.8%

  • Total voters
    94

Clubhouse coach

Sydney Middleton (9)
I wonder how much a future PE partner has to do with this. I don’t see it as a bad thing exploring all our options and then choosing what is best for RA.
We don’t get a lot of respect from across the ditch sometimes.
 

Adam84

Nick Farr-Jones (63)
They definitely read this forum for alll their ideas. Dan's posts in particular.
Hmm not saying it was an idea they’ve taken, just that it was clear an independent body to govern the competition was required at least 12 months ago. Establishing it after the fact creates even more issues, especially when it comes to revenue sharing/equity split given how broadcast/sponsorships
are bundled.
 

Derpus

George Gregan (70)
Hmm not saying it was an idea they’ve taken, just that it was clear an independent body to govern the competition was required at least 12 months ago. Establishing it after the fact creates even more issues, especially when it comes to revenue sharing given how broadcast/sponsorships/private equity
Is bundled.
Was joking man
 

zer0

Jim Lenehan (48)
There's a GPaul piece on the hurld website saying SANZAAR are about to be replaced as the governing body for Super Rugby by "an independent transtasman governance group..." rest is paywalled.

Any similar chat over Straya ways?

Abracadabra.

Super Rugby Pacific is set to make one giant post-season change by effectively firing Sanzaar as manager of the competition. The vexed Sydney-based body will be replaced by an independent transtasman governance group that is expected to have a remit to drive commercial revenue for the competition, oversee rules and regulations, shape the future strategic direction and generate fan-first initiatives.

The move is happening as the key initiative in a strategic plan to win back fans and return Super Rugby to being the world's best club competition rather than an elongated trial for the All Blacks and Wallabies. It is also being viewed as a means to provide Rugby Australia with greater confidence that they should remain part of Super Rugby beyond 2023 – following news that some of their board are keen to pull out in 2024 and build their own domestic competition. RA chairman Hamish McLennan told Fox Sports that they are strongly considering ending the partnership after 2023. "We'll honour our commitments in '23 but we need to see what's best for rugby in Australia leading up to the RWC in Australia in '27," McLennan said. "All bets are off from '24 onwards with NZ." Parting ways with Sanzaar, which has run, managed and administered Super Rugby since its launch in 1996, is the second biggest change in the competition's history behind the unilateral decision by New Zealand Rugby in 2020 to no longer include South African teams.

The decision to set up a new company to run Super Rugby has been driven by a newfound desire among the national unions of New Zealand and Australia to give the competition a stronger, independent identity and the clubs greater say and control in what they want. Sanzaar, which runs with a small body of full-time staff based in Sydney, is governed by a nine-person executive committee, eight of whom are the chief executives and chairs of the New Zealand, Australian, South African and Argentinean national unions. It is deemed by the clubs to be conflicted as it primarily exists to protect and promote the interests of the national bodies it represents and its decision-making over the last two decades has reflected its desire to put the international game ahead of Super Rugby.

Super Rugby has been detrimentally impacted by ongoing national body-enforced restrictions on how often specific test players can play, the granting of sabbaticals to chosen individuals so they can skip seasons and yet still be eligible for test rugby and in 2007, NZR sanctioned a plan to keep 22 All Blacks out of action for more than half of that year's competition. The competition has also been a victim of ill-conceived expansion plans that were devised by the national bodies and in the last few years, Super Rugby has experienced a sharp drop-off in audience interest, with stadium attendance and broadcast figures both in decline.

While Sanzaar will continue to manage the Rugby Championship, its conflicted governance and failed history has left it as an untenable option to continue to manage Super Rugby. The new body, which as yet does not have a name, is expected to have a small number of full-time staff – operating under secondment from their national bodies at first - on both sides of the Tasman, who will be overseen by a board of directors drawn from New Zealand and Australia. Nominations for the board have already opened and the final composition is likely to include a professional player representative and someone with extensive political experience as the competition is looking to forge closer ties with the governments of Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and New Zealand and Australian states.

The primary focus for the new group will initially be establishing a new, unified marketing, communications and digital strategy for Super Rugby.
As a sign of how poorly Sanzaar has performed, the competition doesn't have a universally-recognised official source of information where fans can find fixtures, team news, statistics, and highlights. Nor does it have a centralised communication team empowered to unveil key initiatives and happenings – but instead some updates come via Sanzaar's media officer, while others are left to the national unions of New Zealand and Australia. One other key priority for the new company will be to quickly become a leading voice in establishing a global club championship. Negotiations have already begun at World Rugby level to free up space in the international calendar for potentially a biannual competition where the leading Super Rugby clubs are pitted against their equivalents from Europe and Japan.

The possible financial returns from such a venture are significant and the Super Rugby clubs, aware of how previous attempts to launch something of this scale have failed, want a strong advocate around the table to represent their interests. The new company is hoping it will have a board in place by August this year.

 

Dismal Pillock

Simon Poidevin (60)
Come On, Mods.

You know what has to be done.

Time to unlock
Thee Headless Beast Which Hath No Name.

do-it-come-on.gif


Time to feed the python.

GAGR's Signature Thread.

You know what I'm talking about.

Cometh The Hour, Cometh The Thread.


gagrflow.png
 

Dismal Pillock

Simon Poidevin (60)
LOL@NZ. They fuck off the bokke, they fuck off the Argies, they dictate to Straya with a "yeah, we might let you keep your 2 best teams" then Straya turn around and say "you arrogant dumbarse sheepshaggers, do you realise how big our economy over here is? Your 5 franchises can't just play each other all fucken year. Meanwhile, we'll set up our own rugby NRL while you dumbfucks pray your AB's will stick around for long enough to play for Counties Manukau vs the Onehunga Mall Rec Centre 1st XV and not bugger off to Japan oops sorry, there goes the last of the pricks now RIP rugby in NZ LOL".
 

Derpus

George Gregan (70)
LOL@NZ. They fuck off the bokke, they fuck off the Argies, they dictate to Straya with a "yeah, we might let you keep your 2 best teams" then Straya turn around and say "you arrogant dumbarse sheepshaggers, do you realise how big our economy over here is? Your 5 franchises can't just play each other all fucken year. Meanwhile, we'll set up our own rugby NRL while you dumbfucks pray your AB's will stick around for long enough to play for Counties Manukau vs the Onehunga Mall Rec Centre 1st XV and not bugger off to Japan oops sorry, there goes the last of the pricks now RIP rugby in NZ LOL".
I don't think RA have the balls to pull the trigger - nor do I think NZRU have the self-awareness to realise the weaknesses in their bargaining position.

This whole conversation has at least another decade in it.
 

qwerty51

Stirling Mortlock (74)
So we all wanted to know who the broadcaster would back...

Rugby Australia has received the backing of its broadcaster and billionaire mining magnate Andrew Forrest to go it alone in Super Rugby next year.

As New Zealand Rugby called an emergency meeting with under-fire All Blacks coach, Ian Foster, RA was boosted by comments from Stan Sport and Forrest, whose company Tattarang funds the Western Force, encouraging it to do what’s right for the game in Australia.
 

dru

Tim Horan (67)
I don't think Rugby Australia have the balls to pull the trigger - nor do I think NZRU have the self-awareness to realise the weaknesses in their bargaining position.

This whole conversation has at least another decade in it.

NZRU and their self awareness is an apt observation. Ditto the starting time frame - if we are deciding to wait for NZRU to catch up and proactively contribute to our non-negotiables. At the end of the day the issue is just not of NZ making and there will always be an initial response of, "come on Aus, sort your shit out". That self awareness is not an easy pill for NZRU to swallow.

I'd like that all options were on the table and it may not be what happens. RA seem already to be getting caught in their own momentum here.

RA has uncorked the bottle. I'm starting to wonder if, far from not having the balls to proceed, I'm not sure it's going to be so easy for RA to put the genie back.
 

Dismal Pillock

Simon Poidevin (60)
Let’s chuck this here.


A survey on the future of Super Rugby Pacific. An offical one.
I have completed the survey and look forward to receiving a full Crusaders matchday kit, including matchday socks, all of which I will childishly vandalise then use to fashion a makeshift scarecrow for the balcony with the intent of terrifying local neighbourhood children who happen to pass by.
 

RugbyReg

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
Honestly really glad to see that they're doing this, and doing a pretty comprehensive job of it at that

I’d suggest it was on the back of then 3 day (I think) conference they had with all the Coms people from all teams, SANZAR and home unions. Another very good initiative to try to come up with a Unified approach to promotion.
 
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