Super Rugby 2024 General Chat

[Derpus]

It's similar in Aus. NRL isn't the main threat to Rugby - its AFL.

 

[Pfitzy]

If you're in NSW or QLD the threat is always League. How do I know?

THEY KEEP SHOUTING IT AT EVERYONE HOPING IT WILL COME TRUE.

 

[Adam84]

Been reading that kinda stuff since the year (1988, I think) TV2 started showing Winfield Cup highlights on a Monday night & televising the GF live. Can also remember the foundation CEO of the Warriors (came from AFL marketing & went back to AFL when the second set of owners fired him) declaring that within five years people wouldn't know who'd been around longer, Warriors or All Blacks. Marketing hype for sure but at the time there were those who nodded their head & said, yeah, it might take ten years but it'll happen for sure.

League used to be strong in areas (such as Taranaki per @Dan54's post but also West Coast (which used to host Test matches), suburban Christchurch, Northland & Bay of Plenty) where it's now non- or barely existent. Interestingly softball which was once the preferred summer sport for leaguies is also struggling in many of the same places.

The fact is that Loig is nowhere near the threat to men's rugby that basketball is: for the last three years at least male b'ball has had higher high school participation numbers than rugby & even if that doesn't translate to Club (which so far it doesn't seem to be) those are kids who aren't going to be playing rugby (or league).

Not talking grassroots, talking about the commercial appeal and tv audiences that continue to grow especially in the Gen Z demographic, and the subsequent fight for top tier talent that comes with ballooning salary caps.

NRLW is also an enormous threat to women's Rugby in the pacific, they’ve pillaged Australia Women’s Super Rugby teams as well as Aussie 7s fringe players, and the next natural talent pool is NZ, which has started already.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

It's similar in Aus. NRL isn't the main threat to Rugby - its AFL.

Yeah, been back in NZ for six years now but living in SEQ we had whanau with rugby-mad kids who ended up playing AFL because that was the only code sending people into primary schools in places like Marsden, Woodridge & Waterford with bags of footballs for the kids to have fun with at lunch-time. That said, plenty of them also went to b'ball & now they're at high school & back in NZ are either still playing b'ball or nothing at all as they've been left behind skills- & experience-wise for rugby.

Not talking grassroots, talking about the commercial appeal and tv audiences that continue to grow especially in the Gen Z demographic, and the subsequent fight for top tier talent that comes with ballooning salary caps.

NRLW is also an enormous threat to women's Rugby in the pacific, they’ve pillaged Australia Women’s Super Rugby teams as well as Aussie 7s fringe players, and the next natural talent pool is NZ, which has started already.

NRL audiences over here are largely Warriors-driven so, yeah, if they're having their once-in-a-decade "this is our year" season like this one was then ratings are through the roof. When they're propping up the bottom of the table, not so much. Sky keep pretty quiet about the actual numbers but I'm told the Super Rugby audience was up by around 10% this year & back to at least where they were pre-Covid & NRL is up only slightly: Warriors games get good numbers as do the other leading teams but practically no-one is watching e.g. Tigers v Bulldogs.

Agree wrt the women, hopefully WXV brings in enough revenue to make NRLW a less attractive option than it currently is.

 

[Dan54]

Head in the sand if you think the NRL isn’t making commercial inroads in NZ and the kiwi supporter base in Australia, but yeah, laugh away. Lets just pretend Super Rugby is a comparative product.

Noone is suggesting that League doesn't have it supporters, but as WOB rightfully says , we been reading this since late 80s, and I have no doubt will read it a few more times, but genuinely if you live here in the country, I genuinely think you have a pretty good idea of how it is going.
If I believed everywrite up that has seen about the end of rugby in NZ, I would have had to find a new sport years ago.
In the meantime I will just go on watching and enjoying the game.

 

[Derpus]

It's similar in Aus. NRL isn't the main threat to Rugby - its AFL.

Actually thinking about it - Rugby is the main threat to Rugby.

Even if AFL and NRL didn't exist Rugby would still be trending downwards I reckon.

 

[Dan54]

And the best news for the day is??
Roigard has extended his contract with the Canes until 2027!!!!

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

YEEHAA!

 

[Slim 293]

Australian Government announce funding for Fiji Super Rugby Pacific, Super W participation

www.rugby.com.au

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Eden Park confirmed as Loss Bleus' home ground for 2024 & '25:

Stuff

i.stuff.co.nz

 

[Dctarget]

Good to see the Drua re-sign a lot of their core players. I'm sure there would've been a bunch of French offers for substantially more.

In other news Irae Simone and Alex Newsome have each extended with Clermont for another two years.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Rivez Reihana heading to the 5/8 finishing school that is the CruSadists.

 

[Dan54]

Rivez Reihana heading to the 5/8 finishing school that is the CruSadists.

Well that's 2 10s from Chiefs region Crusaders will have, and were obviously in need of another one after Burke's injury. Also may explain Chiefs signing Jacomb from the Naki, after sending Kemara to Crusaders last year with too many 10s.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Ryan Crotty has signed on for CruSadists & will be needed with Goodhue gone to France & Ennor's knee injury likely to keep him out for most of the season.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Rumour has it Manasa Mataele is also about to be announced as returning from WA which presumably means so too will his wife Martha which would be great news for Matatū's Super Rugby Aupiki campaign.

 

[Tazzmania]

Rumour has it Manasa Mataele is also about to be announced as returning from WA which presumably means so too will his wife Martha which would be great news for Matatū's Super Rugby Aupiki campaign.

He was already farewelled by the Force at the end of the 2023 super rugby season and played for Canterbury in the NPC this year, so rumour is a very likely scenario

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^ I knew they'd played a NPC & Farah Palmer Cup for Cantabs (& Martha now with Black Ferns) but not that they weren't going back to WA.

 

[Wilson]

Looks like all the squads are being named on the 9th of November:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1719801914190410011

Really happy to see this level of organisation across the competition, hopefully this means we should see the consistent team naming deadline week to week again too.

 

[Dan54]

Aren't team naming deadlines a certain time before games? I thought had always been case and didn't know it had stopped.

 

[Dan54]

Leigh Halfpenny Welsh fullback has apparently signed with Crusaders for next season, so along with Ryan Crotty coming back , a bit of experience being signed.

 

[zer0]

Neat.

Retiring Wales centurion Leigh Halfpenny is set for a surprise move to the Super Rugby champion Crusaders. It’s understood confirmation of his signature is expected in the coming days, potentially before the 34-year-old signs off his international career against the Scott Robertson-coached Barbarians in Cardiff this weekend.

A goal-kicking ace who predominantly plays fullback, Halfpenny racked up 801 points over 101 tests for Wales, and announced his looming international retirement after their World Cup exit in France last month.

"It’s all done," Halfpenny said ahead of his Millennium Stadium farewell. "I’ve got a contract for another season, and then we’ll see what happens after that. I’m looking for that to be announced next week."

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz