Short answer - no, although someone will suggest building on the existing club competitions...
It depends what follows it.
I would be happy to run a reverse of the super rugby teams (so Tahs play the Rebels in Melbourne) and also have the Force & Fijian Drua from GRR included playing the Super teams home & away.
That would be about another 7 rounds + finals.
This would allow the super and GRR tams to include more matches for their members and give more opportunity for the Mick Mason's to get game time against decent opposition.
It also gives allows casual fans a team they have actually heard of to follow as opposed to the Melbourne Rising or Sydney Rays.
It's nice idea. Probably runs into problems when looked at closely.If this were how it was to work out I would prefer to see it at the start of the season instead in the back end of it. Would give our team 7-9 weeks of Rugby before their first game of Super Rugby/GRR
Isn't the point of the NRC to mix our Super Rugby quality who are trying to crack a wallaby gig in form + see who can make the jump? Could be wrong
It's nice idea. Probably runs into problems when looked at closely.
9 weeks. Lets see where round 10 is this year (then add 14 weeks) … 19 April – 27 July … and that's with no byes or finals.
Maybe if the fixtures were somehow interleaved?
I don't think anybody, least of all RA, has ever set out precisely what the NRC is for - which is why it's failing.
If the purpose was/is to raise the standard of super rugby teams, then it's failed, if it was to build a higher profile for rugby, then it's failed in that too.
Summer is a no go, at least in my view.Somewhat unpopular might be starting our season earlier. I know it would still be summer (which is a big deal apparently to some)
Summer is a no go, at least in my view.
I think rugby union and the players involved in it (even moreso than rugby league) is not well suited to the Australian summer
In the British Isles, I could see it.
Petaia, just as an example, really demonstrated what he could do from 13 in the NRC.Purpose 1 was to provide a pathway from club to Super. Many examples of this being successful.
Purpose 2 was to provide a returning pathway for injured or out of form WBs. Plenty of examples there.
Purpose 3 was local content to balance claims in RSA - paper win
Purpose 4 relates to fans - not much achieved there especially in Sydney where the clubs or elements of their self-proclaimed leadership were openly at war with NRC.
Issues around quality in Super are more about a more general (and more malignant) demise led by RA.
NRC has been a long shot short of perfection, but it’s ignorant to claim there has been no success.
Yeah, I don't buy that argument to be honest. Especially now both the Kings and Cheetahs play in the Pro14 throughout the Sth African summer which is fairly similar to what we get here. You would just need to ensure you're scheduling is correct and mandate water breaks for players.
Southern Kings average attendance this year = 2,986,Yeah, I don't buy that argument to be honest. Especially now both the Kings and Cheetahs play in the Pro14 throughout the Sth African summer which is fairly similar to what we get here. You would just need to ensure you're scheduling is correct and mandate water breaks for players.
Southern Kings average attendance this year = 2,986,
Cheetahs average attendance = 4,567
Both significantly inflated by all reports
Look this is all good. But what were the home ground figures for Kings in Super? It’s not a normal place with Canberra size largely manufacturing population inside a a province of much greater population and low income well beyond what we think is poor in Australia.
With the Cheetahs can someone remind me what their ave home ground attendance was in their last year of Super? I honestly can’t recall but I won’t be surprised if someone comes back with figures similar to what we see here.
What is impressive is how SARU has handeled their rejected franchises.
I’ll stop there.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby...od-but-south-africa-australia-on-life-support
Kings were 10,000 and Cheetahs were 14,200 in 2017
Heheh. Guess who's taking looong breaks in the South African summer …
Stadium attendees/
“I'm telling you, my friend.”
Brisbane Tens? … they got fookin' cooked, mate. Sydney Sevens will hold on longer, but I reckon even February is curtailing its appeal.
In Punta del Este (back in history when it was the place to go) they played their sevens tournaments just about near midnight
If this were how it was to work out I would prefer to see it at the start of the season instead in the back end of it. Push to have Super Rugby start as late a possible and run the NRC or whatever this would be called run leading into it. Would give our team 7-9 weeks of Rugby before their first game of Super Rugby/GRR which should put them in good stead for both campaigns while at least from an Australian perspective providing us with a sense of a proper season.