Super Rugby General Chat

[LeCheese]

It's hard to see a heritage round jersey because they'll still want it produced in the modern tight athletic cut and material as it has performance benefits, and it's also plastered with 40% sponsor coverage.

But, all teams should produce a heritage supporters jersey in the cotton relaxed cut like the Reds did last year.

I think a heritage 'design' in the modern materials would tick the nostalgia box for most punters watching - similar jerseys have been a success in the NRL.

I do love my cotton long sleeve though - won't be surprised if more teams follow suit after the success of the Reds' last year.

 

[Adam84]

The retro/heritage round is more or less a thing now, though it's not exactly a round because every team wants to do a home game for it. I know some of the kiwi teams have announced retro jerseys for this season already and most of the Australian sides have been doing it for a couple of years now. Hopefully the new super rugby commission will see Heritage round, Pasifika round, etc. better organised and consistent across the comp going forward.

I think they need to be wary of 'theme' fatigue...

If you throw in Women's Round, Kids Round and ANZAC Round, then the volume of 'themed rounds' begins to detract from one another. And many have somewhat questionable commercial/charitable balances, the premiums & profits charged against these bespoke one-off jerseys often aren't going to the charitable cause they're marketing, it's going back to the coffers of the club selling the jersey.

ANZAC Round in the NRL has become about commercialization of the 'ANZAC Brand', rather then a solemn tribute and recognition of the ANZAC Memory. The debacle with the West Tigers last year highlighted this; they used US soldiers on the jersey and then lied by claiming it was endorsed by ADF(it wasn't).

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

I do agree about too many themes and ceremony can diminish the value of all of them over time. Especially if you are a multi sport viewer, its a something round every week.

In regards to ANZAC Day I'm in support of it being a showpiece as I think it does expose a wider and younger audience to the idea even if it has been commercialised to a point. Far less people now have exposure to family who have served/serve or lived through war effected times domestically just through the nature of age. I can completely get others view of it not being appropriate though.

The Wests Tigers debacle was more endemic of them as an organisation over anything else. The fact they lied about its endorsement just makes you shake your head.

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

I think they need to be wary of 'theme' fatigue...

If you throw in Women's Round, Kids Round and ANZAC Round, then the volume of 'themed rounds' begins to detract from one another. And many have somewhat questionable commercial/charitable balances, the premiums & profits charged against these bespoke one-off jerseys often aren't going to the charitable cause they're marketing, it's going back to the coffers of the club selling the jersey.

ANZAC Round in the NRL has become about commercialization of the 'ANZAC Brand', rather then a solemn tribute and recognition of the ANZAC Memory. The debacle with the West Tigers last year highlighted this; they used US soldiers on the jersey and then lied by claiming it was endorsed by ADF(it wasn't).

Agree but I have to say I've really liked the club round the tahs have done the last couple of years.

 

[KevinO]

Anzac day falls on a Thursday, what does Super Rugby fixture you ask? 2 Friday and 4 Saturday games. Surely a Thursday game should have been scheduled.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Bizarre ain’t it. Should be at least a game in Aus and one in NZ.

Doesn’t even have to be locked in like the NRL & AFL. Let all the sides rotate through the fixtures and experience hosting and playing away every few years. Might get a decent crowd if say the Reds are only going to host an ANZAC game at Suncorp once every 5 years.

 

[Slim 293]

Scheduling has never been one of their strong points…

Several years of Super Rugby without a prime time Friday night game in Australia for many weeks…

And remember when Super 14 literally ran the same fixture every year, just alternating it in reverse… soooo lazy.

 

[Dan54]

Anzac day falls on a Thursday, what does Super Rugby fixture you ask? 2 Friday and 4 Saturday games. Surely a Thursday game should have been scheduled.

Am I the only person who abhors using ANZAC day as a marketing tool? Just me, but I think it is the most inportant day for NZ and Australia and dislike the idea of those soldiers deaths etc to be used to market any game.
Only personal, just seems completely wrong and I know AFL and NRL do it, just I found the excuses etc they used about having a ceremony etc crap.

 

[Adam84]

Am I the only person who abhors using ANZAC day as a marketing tool? Just me, but I think it is the most inportant day for NZ and Australia and dislike the idea of those soldiers deaths etc to be used to market any game.
Only personal, just seems completely wrong and I know AFL and NRL do it, just I found the excuses etc they used about having a ceremony etc crap.

I despise the increasing commercialisation of ANZAC Day, many of these organisations are just seeking to profit from the day and the window dressing they do is just tokenism, and i believe it’s contributing to a level of community fatigue towards veterans entitlement.

But it can be done respectfully and appropriately.

 

[dru]

Personally I think trans Tasman rugby is doing the ANZAC concept a disservice by not thinking through the schedule better. It is one day of the year where NZ v Aus teams aught come together and show respect.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Am I the only person who abhors using ANZAC day as a marketing tool? Just me, but I think it is the most inportant day for NZ and Australia and dislike the idea of those soldiers deaths etc to be used to market any game.
Only personal, just seems completely wrong and I know AFL and NRL do it, just I found the excuses etc they used about having a ceremony etc crap.

Dan, what should happen then if ANZAC day falls on a Saturday?

I was in Dunedin in 2003 for the Highlanders v Brumbies game which happened to be on ANZAC Day. It would have been a very poor look to have ignored the day with a ceremony.

 

[Dan54]

Dan, what should happen then if ANZAC day falls on a Saturday?

I was in Dunedin in 2003 for the Highlanders v Brumbies game which happened to be on ANZAC Day. It would have been a very poor look to have ignored the day with a ceremony.

Reasonably relaxed with the idea of playing ANZAC day (arvo or night), just abhor the use of it as marketing tool, which in general they tend to be with AFL etc.
It even pisses me when people talk of an ANZAC team vs Lions etc , the AC stands for Army Corps FFS!! Mate I am happy if people disagree or with me, just my belief on what ANZAC day and even the word ANZAC mean!!
In USA they played games on Xmas day, they weren't Xmas matches, just games played that day.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

We’ve started Xmas games in the NBL right? They wanted to do it in the Big Bash but the players kicked up a stink. It’ll happen though

 

[Dan54]

We’ve started Xmas games in the NBL right? They wanted to do it in the Big Bash but the players kicked up a stink. It’ll happen though

Yep they have, once again they didn't use Xmas as the theme for the games (which doesn't worry me anyway) as I said to me ANZAC day for kiwis and Aussies is way more (or should be) meaningful than the likes of xmas.

 

[Slim 293]

Yep they have, once again they didn't use Xmas as the theme for the games (which doesn't worry me anyway) as I said to me ANZAC day for kiwis and Aussies is way more (or should be) meaningful than the likes of xmas.

 

[PhilClinton]

Thinking outside the box and around some of the chat that Super Rugby team jerseys not really relevant in 'pop culture'.

Super Rugby could do worse than having a televised jersey launch event for all teams at a single venue (maybe where Super Round is due to be played that year), where they showcase their home and alternate strips for the year, alongside any strips such as heritage and pacific islands.

Would also be good if each team had a custom Super Round jersey that took inspiration from a different aspect of their home city. The NBA currently has a CITY edition jersey and most of them look really good and they change them up quite frequently. Those jerseys would be the ones to push on socials to the younger generation.

It's something that none of our competitors are actually doing at the moment as a large scale event.

 

[LeCheese]

Thinking outside the box and around some of the chat that Super Rugby team jerseys not really relevant in 'pop culture'.

Super Rugby could do worse than having a televised jersey launch event for all teams at a single venue (maybe where Super Round is due to be played that year), where they showcase their home and alternate strips for the year, alongside any strips such as heritage and pacific islands.

Would also be good if each team had a custom Super Round jersey that took inspiration from a different aspect of their home city. The NBA currently has a CITY edition jersey and most of them look really good and they change them up quite frequently. Those jerseys would be the ones to push on socials to the younger generation.

It's something that none of our competitors are actually doing at the moment as a large scale event.

Not a bad suggestion, at the very least each team could do a live-streamed event (a la F1 livery reveals; unsure if any of the teams have started doing this yet). However, the cynic in me asks whether anyone would actually tune-in with current levels of enthusiasm - a bit of a chicken and egg situation I guess.

The downside to revealing any 'round' jerseys (Indigenous, Super, Heritage, etc.) at the start of the season is that they'd miss out on the mid-season exposure and engagement boost of a reveal in the lead-up to the round.

 

[PhilClinton]

Not a bad suggestion, at the very least each team could do a live-streamed event (a la F1 livery reveals; unsure if any of the teams have started doing this yet). However, the cynic in me asks whether anyone would actually tune-in with current levels of enthusiasm - a bit of a chicken and egg situation I guess.

The downside to revealing any 'round' jerseys (Indigenous, Super, Heritage, etc.) at the start of the season is that they'd miss out on the mid-season exposure and engagement boost of a reveal in the lead-up to the round.

Yep I considered this - my thought kind of mirrors what you say in the top line. There is so little engagement at the moment anyway, why not try and harness it all at once at a big showpiece to build up some excitement for the upcoming season. Let Super Rugby as a brand drive this initiative to build that exposure.

Teams can then put those revealed jerseys in their back pockets until later in the season and do their own social media campaigns when needed.

 

[Adam84]

Thinking outside the box and around some of the chat that Super Rugby team jerseys not really relevant in 'pop culture'.

Super Rugby could do worse than having a televised jersey launch event for all teams at a single venue (maybe where Super Round is due to be played that year), where they showcase their home and alternate strips for the year, alongside any strips such as heritage and pacific islands.

Would also be good if each team had a custom Super Round jersey that took inspiration from a different aspect of their home city. The NBA currently has a CITY edition jersey and most of them look really good and they change them up quite frequently. Those jerseys would be the ones to push on socials to the younger generation.

It's something that none of our competitors are actually doing at the moment as a large scale event.

It’s a decent idea, but Super Rugby can’t even coordinate or agree on a single time for naming team lists virtually, hard to see them coordinate a jersey launch.

 

[dru]

It’s a decent idea, but Super Rugby can’t even coordinate or agree on a single time for naming team lists virtually, hard to see them coordinate a jersey launch.

Every now and then I see something that I don't simply agree with but on reflection says something really explicit and pertinent about Super Rugby. This is one of those.