Perhaps this comment is for the unpopular opinion thread, but maybe we should do away with Super Rugby altogether. The major difference between the League, AFL comp and the rugby comp is that the former 2 focus on domestic competitions. Maybe all super rugby players should go back to SS (which would need to be expanded to other states) and every weekend we have say 10 domestic rugby games. There could be a rugby state of origin series and say some international games each year.
I know I prefer watching SS and even schoolboy rugby to Super Rugby.
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The major problem is that there'd be no broadcasting revenue associated with this transition which means we'd only be able to pay the players peanuts which means almost every Super rugby player in the country would go off shore.
In 15 years time following that path may represent 10 steps forward from where we are now, but we'd need to take about 20 steps backwards in the short-term to pull it off.
This is the progression I see Australian Rugby heading in. No one is brave enough to make the call (it'd be career suicide) but we'll slowly peter out until the ARU files for bankruptcy in 2021/2022.
There'll then be a total rebuild of the game in which it'll essentially be semi-professional, much like the A-Leagues revitalization, whereby a 15-20 team national competition will emerge from the various club scenes around the country.
The players will be on $20k each per year, but slowly interest in the competition will build (because at the end of the day, no one really cares about the standard of play, its about the product) and Australian Rugby will climb out of its self made ditch.
I wouldn't mind the NSWRU / QRU / SRU etc. going bankrupt in the process because lord knows they're also a cancer on the game.
