Try Super 15 why are well looking for something else we don't need. The comp exists already.
I really would love to agree with you TH, but if we examine other sports, very few have evolved without a national bridge between an international provincial comp and a city-based district comp.
Netball, for example, has instigated a national league to sit under its trans tasman championship. They believe that it is too much of a leap to ANZ championship from State League.
AFL is talking about bringing back reserves, as the VFL has proven too much of a leap. So too is NRL. The Toyota Cup has been established to bridge the gap between NSW/QLD Cup and the NRL.
In short, the next level of players, who are just short of Super level need to be competing against each other in the one consolidated competition.
That could mean the Shute Shield is expanded to include interstate teams and rationalised, or even current sides may be encouraged to form allegiences with Super sides as feeder teams.
Neither these options are palatable for current Shute Shield teams.
And yes, I have no idea where the money is going to come from to build a national comp.
However, I think we need to understand that the Shute Shield in its current form, with its current teams is not the best possible competition in terms of serving the Super franchises.
There is no evidence to suggest that by keeping the pool of emerging talent in 3 or more separate competitions (as happens now) is the best way of developing that talent. Moreover, concentrating that talent within each comp into half the teams is even worse.
Don't get me wrong. I love the Shute Shield. I miss not being involved, as it has given me a great deal of joy for decades. Nor am I having a shot at any club- the haves- or the have- nots.
I just think we need to work out what it is supposed to do. If it is to feed the Super franchises with talent, all the talent should play in the one comp.
Look forward to some healthy, well reasoned discussion.