After Next year, what's going to happen?

[RugbyFuture]

Whilst many are pissed off at the frequency of the bledisloe etc currently, their seems to be a conundrem approaching in 2012

With the admittance of Los Pumas in the soon to be Quad Nations, and the format being speculated upon being a home and away series, this leaves a question as to whats going to happen to the bledisloe, Mandela Plate and Freedom cups? all of which have become three (and four) match series?

The format proposed, from what im reading is a home and away series

4 teams

six games each

12 matches in total

played from mid august for eight to ten weeks.

is there a chance for an anzac day test?

the mandela plate played on the day of breaker morants execution?

the freedom cup on the day of south african democracy?

any ideas?

 

[TOCC]

Whats the conundrum, the Bledisloe, Mandela Plate etc will all revert to 2 match series as it was in 1995-2005.... You need to win 2 games to win the trophy off the it her country, or win one match if you are the reigning trophy holder,..

As you pointed out the 4 nations tournament window is from mid-aug, so why are you proposing a ANZAC Day test match? Likewise breaker morants execution was in Jan or feb as well, so neither of those dates are practical.

 

[RugbyFuture]

just putting forward suggestions for days, a 3 match series for the bledisloe would make more sense, maybe not the ones which were only started a while ago

 

[Bowside]

I have a feeling they might keep playing a bledisode cup game in asia. The other option if they want to play 3 bleds is to alternate between who gets to host the third game.

I dont really mind either way, as long as they dont play 4 games which I think is silly.

 

[Jnor]

Bled should be three games, making it two just doesn't work. They'll find a place for a third, the revenue is too good (you would think)

I like Madela plate on Morant's execution - classy

 

[TOCC]

There wont be a 3rd Bledisloe in 2011, there wont be enough time with the expanded Super Rugby series and the RWC.

There is room to do it from 2012, however nothing has been set in stone, and the NZRU and ARU have come to a agreement that less is best when it comes to the Bledisloe, it has been over exposed the last few years and they want to bring some mystique back to the whole trophy by not playing it as much. In saying that, we will probably see a 3rd Bledisloe in 2012 but unlikely to see one in 2013 due to the British Lions tour.

 

[da_grubster]

3 series is great as it always gives us a winner. The format or one hone, one away and one on neutral ground would be the fairest way to have the 3 match series. There can be no complaints from the challenger that it is too hard to get it back off the holder as we have seen over the last 11 years.

I would prefer to see it go towards the US if we have another neutral game. Hong Kong with half a stadium and crap pitch means it may not be a viable option for next year.

Considering that there is a strong chance that the next world champs will be either NZ or AUS then I am sure it will be the country that offers the best financial package - i.e. it will go to the highest bidder

 

[disco]

2011 will be best of two but outside of world cup years they should have two of the three games fall under the Four nations ladder & the 3rd game which would have no bearing on the Four Nations table & played at the end of the four nations only.

 

[RugbyFuture]

but when would they play it?

 

[Richo]

The best way to bring some mystique back to the Bledisloe is to make it a 3 game series so that the bloody thing changes hands sometimes. I'm not whining about us not having it, but it just seems to me that winning 3 out of 4 is simply too high a threshold for the competition to actually be competitive. Stupid to have two dead rubbers like this year.