Fiji into Super Rugby?

[RugbyReg]

A revolutionary plan is being worked on to end the player drain from the Pacific Islands by establishing a Super Rugby franchise in Fiji – and it has already secured more than £20 million (NZ$35m) of backing.
It is understood that more than four global companies and two leading kit manufacturers have pledged to fund the proposal to -create "the best club side in world rugby" on the island.
The new team, which could be operational by 2018, would be based in a new 20,000-seat stadium included in plans to develop the Port Denarau Marina in Fiji, close to the island's airport in Nadi.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...rugby-plan-to-secure-fijis-place-on-rugby-map

 

[Twoilms]

How do you accommodate them in the already bloated and awkward competition?

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...rugby-plan-to-secure-fijis-place-on-rugby-map

There's some discussion on the 'unexpected places' thread.

 

[The torpedo]

YES!!!!!!

 

[wilful]

How do you accommodate them in the already bloated and awkward competition?

You reform the competition entirely to get rid of the bloat and awkwardness.

I reckon a new Super 14, with 6 NZ sides, 5 Aussies, 1 Fiji, 1 Japan, 1 Singapore, would be fantastic.

We could play Saffer sides in some global club championship that ought to be set up, with the new Super Pacific top teams against the top SA/Arg/US and the Top 14 etc in a round robin format.

 

[Twoilms]

Admittedly this might sound a little stupid given how last season panned out but, wouldn't those proposed teams result in a fairly noncompetitive competition.

 

[wamberal]

Singapore?


You are joking.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

You reform the competition entirely to get rid of the bloat and awkwardness.

I reckon a new Super 14, with 6 NZ sides, 5 Aussies, 1 Fiji, 1 Japan, 1 Singapore, would be fantastic.

We could play Saffer sides in some global club championship that ought to be set up, with the new Super Pacific top teams against the top SA/Arg/US and the Top 14 etc in a round robin format.

If this Fijian team came to be ideally we would revert back to the three conference system that existed up until this year. The Sunwolves would join our conference, the Fijian squad the NZ and SA would cull one of their franchises to bring that conference to 6. same as before. Two rounds of in conference derbies alongside playing three teams from each of the other two conferences for 16 teams.

This way each team would get at least 13 games in more ideal timezones for viewers.

In the future hopefully we'll see the emergence of a 4th conference and then Super Rugby can be split into two timezones based divisions of two conferences each.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Singapore?


You are joking.

Sunwolvew drew about 8,000 a game. Which looked poor in the 50,000 seat National Stadium but in a smaler stadium such as Jalan Besar it would be a good fit. Would have to be a largely imported team of course. If not entirely imported.

 

[wamberal]

The National Stadium is air conditioned, I suspect that would be the only possible venue to play elite rugby.


My rule of thumb would be, Singapore could apply for a team when they produce some Soup standard players of their own. Not a whole squad, but some. What would be the point of a wholly imported squad?


Has there ever been a Singaporean who played professional rugby?

 

[Twoilms]

If this Fijian team came to be ideally we would revert back to the three conference system that existed up until this year. The Sunwolves would join our conference, the Fijian squad the NZ and SA would cull one of their franchises to bring that conference to 6. same as before. Two rounds of in conference derbies alongside playing three teams from each of the other two conferences for 16 teams.

This way each team would get at least 13 games in more ideal timezones for viewers.

In the future hopefully we'll see the emergence of a 4th conference and then Super Rugby can be split into two timezones based divisions of two conferences each.

US/Argentina?

Or maybe Asia

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

US/Argentina?

Or maybe Asia

Americas.

 

[dru]

and SA would cull one of their franchises to bring that conference to 6.

Irrespective of desire, I honestly believe that SARU simply does not have the where-with-all to be able to do this. Their provincial unions are set the way they are, its taken decades to solve the franchise promotions, and you have heavy political influence on what happens.

There is imho a greater chance of dropping Africa from Super Rugby than dropping a franchise from within the Republic.

There would also be renewed expectation for Aus to match the situation.

Singapore was meant to be (OK this is being rough) a defacto Pacific Islands team but placed in a spot with some commerce. If Fiji is up you could forget all about Singapore I reckon.

I also think there should be plans for Japan and Argentina to host second teams.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Irrespective of desire, I honestly believe that SARU simply does not have the where-with-all to be able to do this. Their provincial unions are set the way they are, its taken decades to solve the franchise promotions, and you have heavy political influence on what happens.

There is imho a greater chance of dropping Africa from Super Rugby than dropping a franchise from within the Republic.

There would also be renewed expectation for Aus to match the situation.

Singapore was meant to be (OK this is being rough) a defacto Pacific Islands team but placed in a spot with some commerce. If Fiji is up you could forget all about Singapore I reckon.

I also think there should be plans for Japan and Argentina to host second teams.

There's little to no chance of dropping a franchise from SA without dropping Africa completely.

 

[TOCC]

I'm all for Fiji getting a professional rugby team...

But continual expansion of Super Rugby has degraded the quality and competitiveness of the comp..promoting a new team so soon after the Sunwolves, Kings and Pumas will only exacerbate the lack of competitiveness.

Super Rugby needs to become the 'European Championship' of Southern Hemisphere Club Rugby..only the best teams/s from each conference/country play in Super Rugby, bring it back to 12 teams and make it a best of the best comp. obviously that would require a massive reform of club rugby, but I think it's about due anyway.

 

[Mr Wobbly]

*snip

I also think there should be plans for Japan and Argentina to host second teams.

Japan, at the moment are struggling to field a single team. AFAIK, they only have one player signed for next year (Moli) and have verbal agreements with about 14 others. The players don't seem too keen on the ridiculous travel requirements, the clubs don't seem all that keen either.

 

[dru]

Japan, at the moment are struggling to field a single team. AFAIK, they only have one player signed for next year (Moli) and have verbal agreements with about 14 others. The players don't seem too keen on the ridiculous travel requirements, the clubs don't seem all that keen either.

Yes Mr W, I'm with you there. For me though if they are doing Soop, then it's two teams. Strangely though they seem held back by the domestic comp, rather than it being something that promotes it.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Japan, at the moment are struggling to field a single team. AFAIK, they only have one player signed for next year (Moli) and have verbal agreements with about 14 others. The players don't seem too keen on the ridiculous travel requirements, the clubs don't seem all that keen either.

The Top League underwent a recent reshuffle in order to accommodate the Sunwolves pre-season needs.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

I'm all for Fiji getting a professional rugby team.

But continual expansion of Super Rugby has degraded the quality and competitiveness of the comp..promoting a new team so soon after the Sunwolves, Kings and Pumas will only exacerbate the lack of competitiveness.

Super Rugby needs to become the 'European Championship' of Southern Hemisphere Club Rugby..only the best teams/s from each conference/country play in Super Rugby, bring it back to 12 teams and make it a best of the best comp. obviously that would require a massive reform of club rugby, but I think it's about due anyway.

I'm not against this at all. The question how best to go about it?

We could go down the path of looking to split Super Rugby into four 6 team 'conferences' with the Sunwolves joining Australia, Fiji joining NZ, SA by itself and Argentina using their Compenato Argentino structure as their entrant. Each 'conference' plays a home/away schedule.

This 'phase' would be to determine rankings for the second 'phase' which would see the top 3 from each conference enter a 12 team Cup competition and the bottom 3 into another 12 team Shield competition.

From there you could structure it one of three ways. First, two pools of 6 teams each. Playing each other once for a total of 5 games each. Top 2 qualify for the semi-finals. Second, three pools of 4 teams playing each other h/a for 6 games. Top 2 from each qualify and then are ranked 1-6 using overall competition points accumulated during the second phase and if need be for and against. Third and final, 4 pools of three. H/A for 4 games. Top team from each qualify. Same format run in both competition levels.

 

[Mr Wobbly]

The Top League underwent a recent reshuffle in order to accommodate the Sunwolves pre-season needs.

Yep, about the minimum they could get away with. The restructure allows the Sunwolves a three week pre-season including one trial game.

Anyhoo, this forum isn't about Japan sooooo, go Fiji!