Rugby News from unexpected places

[Tip]

USAR sanctioning isn't remotely important in the big scheme of things though.

You can't blacklist players for wanting to be paid. You can't stop two privately funded teams playing each other. You can't stop a privately funded league competing in the US either.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

USAR sanctioning isn't remotely important in the big scheme of things though.

You can't blacklist players for wanting to be paid. You can't stop two privately funded teams playing each other. You can't stop a privately funded league competing in the US either.

No, but they could just elect not to select players who compete in the rival league in representative teams like the USA Selects or Eagles.

However, before they could ever dream of competing they need to essentially build the necessary infrastructure. Only one of the clubs the French have spoken to has ready access to professional facilities. With another in Austin in the planning stage of theirs.

 

[amirite]

PRO Rugby wouldn't have cost RC a dime.

For the league, not RC.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

For the league, not RC.

Sorry, misread.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Harlequins have just signed on as a minority shareholder of USA Rugby's commercial wing Rugby International Media.

https://www.usarugby.org/2016/11/harlequins-invests-in-the-future-of-american-rugby/

Personally I think TRC would be a good option for the NRC in the short term as a means of distribution into the US. They are certainly looking for content.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Should also add the owner of PRO Rugby is also in talks with the SARU to buy the Southern Kings. Part of it is for access to the EP academy system evidently.

 

[Lindommer]

This could be a backward move for SANZAAR in my opinion. One could imagine a guarantee of continued Super Rugby participation in the sale of the Southern Kings, something which should be very critically adjudicated. I realise someone has to come last but the Southern Kings are far from competitive. Let's hope Pulver and his equivalents have had a good look at the licensing conditions of Super Rugby franchises.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

After watching Canada against Ireland just reinforced to me how Pro12 would benefit from a couple of Canadian teams and vice versa to develop game in Canada.

Vancouver yes likely to enter a team next year I would have thought...

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

After watching Canada against Ireland just reinforced to me how Pro12 would benefit from a couple of Canadian teams and vice versa to develop game in Canada.

Vancouver yes likely to enter a team next year I would have thought.

Not going to happen. At least not invthe next 5 years. The Pro12 are eyeing up the US as the primary location with Canada as their secondary and woth the sanctioning of PRO Rugby in the US for at least another 2 season plus an option to extend for a further two it won't be soon.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

In other international news. A young Japan overcame a physical Georgia in front of a packed house (there were even people sitting in the stairwells) in Tbilisi 28-22. Romania got the best of the USA 23-10 in Bucharest. Second game in a row the USA hasn't fielded their strongest team and have paid for it. Spain fell to Tonga in Madrid again by 23-10 and again in front of a full house. Score actually flattered Tonga a bit.

And in the biggest upset so far, Germany defeated Uruguay with a late penalty to clinched in 25-22 in Frankfurt.

 

[Omar Comin']

Great result for Germany and good to see Spain so competitive with Tonga. Results like these support an increase in the world cup to 24 teams from 2023 (even if most of the new teams will probably have to come from Europe). It's good to see Tier 2 and 3 teams getting more games.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Great result for Germany and good to see Spain so competitive with Tonga. Results like these support an increase in the world cup to 24 teams from 2023 (even if most of the new teams will probably have to come from Europe). It's good to see Tier 2 and 3 teams getting more games.

There does seem to be an increased effort to get more T2 & 3 nations more Tests post RWC 2015. Which is great. It also appears that there's less and less than ever between T2 & 3 nations on the field. The trick now will be to transfer that grpwing competitiveness to being evident against T1 opposition.

I forgot to mention above that Germany/Uruguay was broadcast on German TV.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Didn't more Germans watch the RWC 15 final than ANZACS?

 

[Highlander35]

24 Teams please.

Just lock in the number of teams from each region regardless of how they qualify. Rather than have the funky situation this time where teams seem to qualify at random.

Say:

Europe: 9.5
Oceania: 5.5
Africa: 2.5
North America: 2.5
South America: 2.5
Asia: 1.5

Rather than a Repêchage the teams just get drawn against each other randomly for 3 playoffs.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Didn't more Germans watch the RWC 15 final than ANZACS?

They did. Actually turned in record viewership for the event.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Great result for Germany and good to see Spain so competitive with Tonga. Results like these support an increase in the world cup to 24 teams from 2023 (even if most of the new teams will probably have to come from Europe). It's good to see Tier 2 and 3 teams getting more games.

Germany have another 2 matches against Brazil as part of 3 match south american round of matches in preparation for Rugby European Championship.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

I know it won't happen but would love to see a relegation/promotion system between 6 Nations (England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France, Italy with Italy well and truly favourites for wooden spoon next year) and Rugby European Championship (Belgium, Germany, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Spain - Georgia probably favourites this year to win Championship next year).

 

[Rugbynutter39]

24 Teams please.

Just lock in the number of teams from each region regardless of how they qualify. Rather than have the funky situation this time where teams seem to qualify at random.

Say:

Europe: 9.5
Oceania: 5.5
Africa: 2.5
North America: 2.5
South America: 2.5
Asia: 1.5

Rather than a Repêchage the teams just get drawn against each other randomly for 3 playoffs.

If we look at top 24 current rankings after weekends tests, it actually shows how plausible and realistic it is to have 24 teams for RWC. As after Uruguay's loss to Germany they have traded placed with Nambia where Nambita moves up one spot to 19th, whilst Uruguay are now 20th. And just behind them at 21 is Russia, 22. Kenya. 23. Germany (big movers up from 26th after win this weekend) and Spain coming in 24 (shifting down from 23. after loss to Tonga), with Belgium the one slipping down to 26th. Might add that this means out of those european countries in the Rugby Europe Championship (Tier 2 comp below 6 nations), only Belgium would miss out on World Cup spot.

 

[amirite]

I would like to see the WC kept at 20 but a Southern Hemisphere and Northern Hemisphere Cup played with a large number of teams (maybe 16?) - similar to the European Cup, Asian Cup, etc. in Soccer.

Reasons why:

• It's a new media product with would attract dollars into the game.
• It would develop and expose nations/athletes that don't play WCs and don't get tests against the big boys.
• It would develop the nations that just sneak into the WC, giving them crucial exposure to T1 nations in ways they don't often get.
• Everyone gets a good experience in managing athletes through a tourney workload, a difficult skill when you consider the preseason, the taper, the management of minutes throughout the tourney, etc.
• We could park the tourney in secondary rugby markets, growing the game's footprint.

Where would this sit?
Perhaps in the November/December test window we're playing now in the year before the Lions, meaning the calendar would revolve around the Hemisphere Cups in Year 1 of a Cycle, the Lions in Year 2, Development of the WC squad in Year 3, and the World Cup in Year 4. It's a good system.

 

[exISA]

Was at the Uruguay/Germany game last night.... good crowd, good atmosphere and in a proper stadium too . Huge result for Germany with the 15s now starting to catch up to the success of the 7s with them continuing on from the good form shown against Spain and Portugal earlier this year. Be interesting to see how they go in the ENC this time around. If they can at least compete with the likes of Georgia and Romania (like they did when they played them at home) then that will be seen as a success.