Northern Hemisphere Rugby

[Wallaby Man]

Yes - quite small and 2/3s full average is impressive - but once again, this is Club Rugby and there is tribalism (that word again) in the support.

They have Pros, Journeymen, U20s Players, and workhorses (who'll never player international) all mixed up in that league playing against each other - why we can't manage the same thing here as opposed to trying to concentrate our talent into four (was five) sides in Super Rugby is beyond me.

Look I’m all for a change in format here as I believe Super Rugby is busted and is contributing to some of our issues. But you can’t really call these clubs “club rugby” in the same terms we do. The English sides for example don’t have any juniors, their academy sides are made up of players invited into the program and haven’t run an amateur program for almost 30yrs and even then it was ‘shamatuer’. They are more like the Reds and Tahs than like Manly and Eastwood.

 

[Italophile]

Cheika -v- player safety.

 

[Steve_Grey]

Very simple - if the Super Rugby players moved to Club Rugby it would be identical. And btw Club Academies in England are brutal - no cronyism - meritocracy; if you don't meet your KPIs you are out and replaced - Super Rugby Academies (NSW) choose players based on Gen Blue but never jettison the poor ones.

At Easts Colts 1s this year the BackRow JWB wasn't even 2nd choice, let alone 1st choice for Colts.

There is a reason England won U20s WC this year; Australia U20s picked the wrong players and suffered for it - beating SA in the 5 to 8 playoffs is no kudos for Aus or SA.

 

[Wilson]

Swinton cops a 5 week ban, downgraded from 10 due to mitigating circumstances (guilty plea, conduct before/during the hearing and show of remorse). I think he can probably count himself very lucky to get a 50% discount without a clean record to lean on.

Swinton (UBB) suspendu cinq semaines

Le troisième ligne de l’Union Bordeaux-Bègles a été suspendu cinq semaines par la Commission de discipline de la LNR suite à son carton rouge reçu face au Racing 92 lors de 3e journée.

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