Australian Rugby / RA

[dru]

US is too far away

It's a lot closer to the c enter of rugby in Aus than South Africa. Up above we were discussing relocating to Japan in a Champions league, what difference? Anyway I'm not convinced that the JRU doesn't have it's own thoughts on the future. USA on the other hand would probably have interest.

We did not build to a Japan future well. Maybe we can improve wrt USA.

 

[Rebel man]

It's a lot closer to the c enter of rugby in Aus than South Africa. Up above we were discussing relocating to Japan in a Champions league, what difference? Anyway I'm not convinced that the JRU doesn't have it's own thoughts on the future. USA on the other hand would probably have interest.

We did not build to a Japan future well. Maybe we can improve wrt USA.

Nobody has interest in games on Monday morning at 4am. Japan is in our time zone

 

[Braveheart81]

USA isn't close to being competitive at the moment.

Japan should definitely be on the table for the Rugby Championship and a Champions League style tournament. I'd say the biggest reason that it hasn't happened already is that contracts and broadcasting is agreed for a number of years and it is really only post 2015 that Japan has started being competitive.

The 2015 RWC victory over South Africa was a bit of a miracle and they still didn't make the quarter finals there. It's probably post 2019 that the consideration that they have to be included has become really clear.

 

[Braveheart81]

Nobody has interest in games on Monday morning at 4am. Japan is in our time zone

A Saturday evening game in the US works fairly well though.

 

[dru]

USA isn't close to being competitive at the moment.

Japan should definitely be on the table for the Rugby Championship and a Champions League style tournament. I'd say the biggest reason that it hasn't happened already is that contracts and broadcasting is agreed for a number of years and it is really only post 2015 that Japan has started being competitive.

The 2015 RWC victory over South Africa was a bit of a miracle and they still didn't make the quarter finals there. It's probably post 2019 that the consideration that they have to be included has become really clear.

I like the idea. Certainly JRU would surely be crazy not to consider hooking up to the Rugby Championship. But a Champions League? Love the idea, but I'm just not convinced they won't see it as interrupting their domestic comps. It would be great if it happened though.

 

[Rebel man]

A Saturday evening game in the US works fairly well though.

But the US will have games on for them not for us. It will be like going to South Africa all over again. We need to play games in our time zone

 

[Dan54]

I like the idea of US and Japan, with Canada , Samoa, Tonga , Urugyay etc etc and have a 2 tier comp with promotion relegation. Stuff what time games are on, record them of you need to!

 

[Adam84]

It may be too late to expect a linkage with Japan. JRU would surely ask "what's in it for us?" In the past that was a comfortable question. No more.

Higher quality opposition in both club and test arena would be the clear one..

 

[Adam84]

I like the idea. Certainly JRU would surely be crazy not to consider hooking up to the Rugby Championship. But a Champions League? Love the idea, but I'm just not convinced they won't see it as interrupting their domestic comps. It would be great if it happened though.

They’ve demonstrated if anything, they’re happy to tinker and evolve their domestic competition, even shifting the dates to better align with the Southern Hemisphere calendar

 

[Braveheart81]

I like the idea. Certainly JRU would surely be crazy not to consider hooking up to the Rugby Championship. But a Champions League? Love the idea, but I'm just not convinced they won't see it as interrupting their domestic comps. It would be great if it happened though.

If we did go back to a domestic comp and NZ did the same and then had two tiers of Champions Cup/Pacific Cup (6 teams in the top division and 6 in the bottom as every team needs to participate to make up the right number of games) running through May and June then I think it would work timing wise.

But the US will have games on for them not for us. It will be like going to South Africa all over again. We need to play games in our time zone

Why would Saturday night be a bad time for the US to play home games?

 

[dru]

If we did go back to a domestic comp and NZ did the same and then had two tiers of Champions Cup/Pacific Cup (6 teams in the top division and 6 in the bottom as every team needs to participate to make up the right number of games) running through May and June then I think it would work timing wise.

THIS I like.

 

[Rebel man]

If we did go back to a domestic comp and NZ did the same and then had two tiers of Champions Cup/Pacific Cup (6 teams in the top division and 6 in the bottom as every team needs to participate to make up the right number of games) running through May and June then I think it would work timing wise.



Why would Saturday night be a bad time for the US to play home games?

I like the idea of the pacific and champions cup.

They don’t play many night games in the MLR even if they did they still come in here at early morning. The times just don’t line up nicely like Japan does

 

[Rebel man]

Other thing I would do if we had a domestic comp and a champions league with NZ and Japan

Anyone that was capped Wallaby and plays for a club in the champions league system is wallabies eligible. Then allow us to pick 3 players for the wallabies from anywhere regardless of caps

 

[PhilClinton]

But the US will have games on for them not for us. It will be like going to South Africa all over again. We need to play games in our time zone

It wouldn’t be as bad. A west coast of America prime time game (8pm) would be around midday in Brisbane/Sydney/Melbourne. And East coast games over there would be a couple of hours earlier. Unlikely you’d have a game played before 10am or so.

Im not necessarily advocating all the USA chat, but I think those times are much better suited than say the 2am games we had when in SA.

 

[Rebel man]

It wouldn’t be as bad. A west coast of America prime time game (8pm) would be around midday in Brisbane/Sydney/Melbourne. And East coast games over there would be a couple of hours earlier. Unlikely you’d have a game played before 10am or so.

Im not necessarily advocating all the USA chat, but I think those times are much better suited than say the 2am games we had when in SA.

EST is 3 hours earlier, most of their games are earlier than 8 but even if at 8pm there it’s 9am here. Wouldn’t want to have a beer Saturday night at all

 

[Dan54]

EST is 3 hours earlier, most of their games are earlier than 8 but even if at 8pm there it’s 9am here. Wouldn’t want to have a beer Saturday night at all

Yep but let's hope they never decide a comp on someone's ability to have a beer Rebel

 

[Rebel man]

Yep but let's hope they never decide a comp on someone's ability to have a beer Rebel

You think for the NZ sides the games are at 5am and that’s the latest possible games

 

[Dan54]

You think for the NZ sides the games are at 5am and that’s the latest possible games

Yep though I haven't ever thought of it before a game on West Coast at 8pm Sat night is 3 pm Sunday here, or 8Pm New York is 12 pm here so they would be 1 pm and 10pm AEST, so not too bad.
Anyway all only a pipe dream at moment so guess not worth worrying about.

 

[PhilClinton]

EST is 3 hours earlier, most of their games are earlier than 8 but even if at 8pm there it’s 9am here. Wouldn’t want to have a beer Saturday night at all

Fair enough, I was more commenting on your point comparing the time zone to South African games. Watching a live game at brekky or over a few beers at lunch is much more palpable than having to stay up/wake up at 2am.

 

[Rebel man]

Fair enough, I was more commenting on your point comparing the time zone to South African games. Watching a live game at brekky or over a few beers at lunch is much more palpable than having to stay up/wake up at 2am.

I actually use to like the South African games. If you go out on a Saturday night and don’t kick on too late you could put one on as you are going to sleep.

They were terrible for general fans but