Aussie Player Exodus

[Omar Comin']

I don't really care if the NH changes their season or not. I just think it would be the best thing for the global game. What I want to see is rugby grow around the world. I want to see world cups where there's 10, 12, 15 potential winners. I want popular professional rugby clubs or franchises to exist all around the world. I want rugby to open up and not be so insular.

 

[Westie]

The likes of Boudjellal, Lonzeretti, Craig and the charm school that own Saracens do not believe that the International game compliments the club game. They are quite openly hostile to the international game.

Now, maybe you are right about the balance in Australia, but why should the NH compromise their season to sort out the SH's problem? And I say that as someone who thinks it is important that all the unions work together for the good of the game (and marginalize the scum bags who the Scots put in charge of the NH club game).

The problem is, whether we like it or not, and I don't particularly like it myself, the RFU are far and away the most powerful union and if they don't want something to happen it won't happen. The English establishment, who buffoon Twickers on match days with their pink trousers and car boot picnics, are still some of the RFU's biggest stakeholders, because of the debenture system, and if they don't want something the RFU won't do it.

Well fuck the r fucking u, fuck their stakeholders and fuck Twickers too.

 

[Quick Hands]

I don't really care if the NH changes their season or not. I just think it would be the best thing for the global game. What I want to see is rugby grow around the world. I want to see world cups where there's 10, 12, 15 potential winners. I want popular professional rugby clubs or franchises to exist all around the world. I want rugby to open up and not be so insular.

I think my suggestion does that by providing Sept and Oct for the Pacific Nations Cup. The Sept/Oct test window allows this (and similar tournaments in Europe with Spain, Portugal, Georgia etc) whilst the Jun?Nov window doesn't. Valuable opportunity for T2 countries.

 

[the plastic paddy]

Well fuck the r fucking u, fuck their stakeholders and fuck Twickers too.

While I agree with you, rugby has got to live in the real world and, that real world is one in which the RFU have massive amounts of power. I would add that it would be easier to sell sand to Saudi Arabia than to sell no rugby in the NH in December and January and rugby over the summer instead, to NH rugby supporters. Not even Nigel Wray or Edward Griffiths in their more "banterish" moments would suggest such a thing.

 

[Omar Comin']

I think my suggestion does that by providing Sept and Oct for the Pacific Nations Cup. The Sept/Oct test window allows this (and similar tournaments in Europe with Spain, Portugal, Georgia etc) whilst the Jun?Nov window doesn't. Valuable opportunity for T2 countries.

Yep, I just fear the implications of there being an increased amount of weeks where international rugby would clash with European club competitions. Essentially you'd have international rugby clash with the first 2 months of the European season. For it to truly work I think the European clubs would have to alter their season at least a little bit.

The ENC competition between Georgia, Romania, Russia, Portugal etc is played at the same time as the 6 Nations. What these countries need is some more opportunities to play tier 1 opposition with their strongest teams and a decent preparation. Otherwise they just spend their time playing each other. Or tier 1 A teams which no one gets excited about.

 

[the plastic paddy]

Yep, I just fear the implications of there being an increased amount of weeks where international rugby would clash with European club competitions. Essentially you'd have international rugby clash with the first 2 months of the European season. For it to truly work I think the European clubs would have to alter their season at least a little bit.

The ENC competition between Georgia, Romania, Russia, Portugal etc is played at the same time as the 6 Nations. What these countries need is some more opportunities to play tier 1 opposition with their strongest teams and a decent preparation. Otherwise they just spend their time playing each other. Or tier 1 A teams which no one gets excited about.

It would be three weeks difference, realistically. And they would get the players back for a huge block of three months. Plus, the English clubs would probably get slightly more cash from the RFU which is vital to their existence and all they really care about.

 

[Omar Comin']

The French clubs are the bigger obstacle IMO. They could influence their players, particularly those that represent tier 2 teams to make themselves unavailable for test rugby in September and October. I still think the season would work best if there was a separation of test rugby and top tier club competitions (as happens in SANZAR). It's only really possible if there's an aligned NH/SH season or if the Top 14 reduces its season (and plays a secondary competition during the international season).

Another option is a soccer type season, where instead of having large international windows you just have international weekends spread out a bit. Then the weekends might go club, club, international, club, club, club, international, international, club etc for a few months. Has some advantages but I don't think I like it. Could work though.

 

[the plastic paddy]

I think push could come to shove in France if Les Bleus continue their fairly woeful run of form. The FFR have quite a lot of power over the clubs, many of which are supported by Municipalities so cannot just do as they please.

 

[Quick Hands]

I think push could come to shove in France if Les Bleus continue their fairly woeful run of form. The FFR have quite a lot of power over the clubs, many of which are supported by Municipalities so cannot just do as they please.

The biggest problem les Bleus face at the moment is that in PSA they have a Gallic Robbie Deans. (And the results and the on field chaos are classic RD)

 

[Quick Hands]

I think the dead horse is a reference to me bringing up Scotland's back stabbing of all the other unions for a bribe from their masters in England. Flower of Scotland will have a very artificial feel in the upcoming six nations, it would probably be more realistic if the Murrayfield crowd just sang God save the Queen from now on.

The English have been paying the Scots off at least since Robert the Bruce and John Baillol. The Scots always take the money, it turns out badly for them and they then blame the English for their predicament. This sounds like it's going to follow a familiar path, with the same unhappy ending for the Scots.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

In your opinion it is a better game in decent weather on a firm pitch. There are many, many rugby supporters in the NH who can see a great deal of beauty in a 3-0 win on a cabbage patch, in a hurricane, with the backs requiring treatment for hypothermia.

and they're able to sell al the rugby they are able to make.
Leaving aside the population oddity in Seth Erika - why would the northerners move their season to attract 30m Kiwis and Ozzies: there's 250m yanks in the same season

 

[Omar Comin']

Leaving aside the population oddity in Seth Erika - why would the northerners move their season to attract 30m Kiwis and Ozzies: there's 250m yanks in the same season

What does the season a sports played in have to do with attracting an overseas audience?

Also, a lot of American rugby isn't played over winter. In much of Canada and the northern parts of the US the winter is too harsh for rugby. Plus, the NFL is played over winter and none of the groups trying to get pro rugby started in the US are going to want to clash with it. Professional American rugby would match up with the Super Rugby season better than it would the European season.

 

[Lee Grant]

The FFR have quite a lot of power over the clubs, many of which are supported by Municipalities so cannot just do as they please.

Sorry to disagree but I think they have SFA power over the clubs.

.

 

[the plastic paddy]

Sorry to disagree but I think they have SFA power over the clubs.

.

My understanding is that, under statute, any club has to do as it is told by the governing body. But things could well have changed since they took control of the European game.

 

[Marcelo]

The biggest problem les Bleus face at the moment is that in PSA they have a Gallic Robbie Deans. (And the results and the on field chaos are classic RD)

In the Robbie Deans Era we were seconds at the IRB ranking, we beat to Saffers and the Europeans more times than they to us. Since he left, now we are fifth in the IRB ranking, we have beaten South Africa only once by a point, and this year we lost against almost all 6N teams.

The biggest mistakes of Robbie Deans: The defeat against Ireland at RWC 2011 and couldn't beat the ABs regularly. Oh I forgot, with Robbie we won the last Tri Nations and the last victory against ABs (Brisbane 2011).

Apparently the Robbie Deans Era was not too bad, we are now much worse

 

[Dctarget]

Apparently the Robbie Deans Era was not too bad, we are now much worse

Robbie Deans actually had an era to work with. Link and Cheika have shared a season between them. Give Cheika the time Deans had (5 years), then you can compare.

 

[Quick Hands]

My understanding is that, under statute, any club has to do as it is told by the governing body. But things could well have changed since they took control of the European game.

I think that's right, although the bigger clubs with the mega rich private owners such as Stade Francais and Toulon have a degree of economic independence but most of the other clubs rely on FFR and their local government and/or community to a much greater degree.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

What does the season a sports played in have to do with attracting an overseas audience

Wasn't that your major premise?

 

[Omar Comin']

Wasn't that your major premise?

No, my premise is that an aligned global season would be good for the global game because it would allow for proper elite club and international windows without overlap. While there is overlap it's always going to work against the developing nations in particular.

I think that most major sporting competitions or events could be played at pretty much any time of year and still have a big global audience.

 

[the plastic paddy]

No, my premise is that an aligned global season would be good for the global game because it would allow for proper elite club and international windows without overlap. While there is overlap it's always going to work against the developing nations in particular.

I think that most major sporting competitions or events could be played at pretty much any time of year and still have a big global audience.

So play the Rugby Championship in Feb/ March and we can do the tours in October/ November.