Where to for Super Rugby?

[Dan54]

If RA and NZRU agree to a single round robin competition and a time period in which it is to run, why would NZRU have any say, or perhaps even want to have any say in, what RA does beforehand in relation to a possible domestic competition? Why would we care if NZRU decide to abandon its SRAo or to reduce it to two teams only or include the whole of their next tier down. Their business just as running an abbreviated SRAu competition would be our business only.

True, and have we heard NZR have an opinion on it? I think whatever NZR and RA comp decide on neither one will give a rats what the other one does. I have never seen either comment on other's comp.

 

[Dan54]

Dan, not saying you are wrong, as I can no longer recall the exact details, but it seems logical to me that if there was a cut to be made to the SANZAAR sponsored competition, it would have been initiated by SANZAAR. If I do recall correctly, there would have been some financial penalty applied to RA (and presumably to SARU too if they were behind the move to axe the Kings) if they had taken a decision to reduce their contracted level of involvement.

Just all I remember RA had to cut a team for financial reasons, to avoid going to deep in the crap(bankrupt) and so Force was chosen (wrongly in my opinion), I more or less thought SA decided same thing, Kings were getting arse kicked by all and sundry and had no support, so were costing too much.

 

[Merrow]

No I can't be buggered looing it up, but all I said was RA cut Force noone else, to try and blame NZR for it is ridulous.

It was a SANZAAR decision. RA just had to decide who the unlucky team was. If you’ll remember 2 SA teams had to be cut at the same time.

 

[dru]

It was a SANZAAR decision. RA just had to decide who the unlucky team was. If you’ll remember 2 SA teams had to be cut at the same time.

Same issue in RSA. There were major politics around rugby related to black participation and franchises in areas that suited - Kings on top of the list. The only way they were able to pull it off was through opening up Euro comps for those teams.

It opened the door to Europe, something that elements in Africa had wanted for a while, and to the extent that SANZAAR truly wanted RSA in Super, it was a home goal.

At the time SARU had been trying to clarify franchise status and structure around the traditional 14 rugby provinces.

 

[Dan54]

It was a SANZAAR decision. RA just had to decide who the unlucky team was. If you’ll remember 2 SA teams had to be cut at the same time.

My point remains, if it was a SNNZAAR decision to blame NZR is ridiculous. But I remeber RA saying they had to cut one as they were broke, and were making noises about maybe another one beginning of last year, or at least there was talk and even had discussions in here about it at times.

 

[Adam84]

But I remeber RA saying they had to cut one as they were broke, and were making noises about maybe another one beginning of last year, or at least there was talk and even had discussions in here about it at times.

Governing body discussing a topic, versus a couple of punters discussing it on the internet carries vastly different credibility lol

 

[Rugbynutter39]

I think after our first round of matches TT and we go down 5-0 against kiwi sides we are Fiji going to have another billion pages here.

Reality is all the options been tabled in the billion pages here..

 

[liquor box]

I think after our first round of matches TT and we go down 5-0 against kiwi sides we are Fiji going to have another billion pages here.

Reality is all the options been tabled in the billion pages here..

Losing every game was always a better than average chance of happening, even the best two teams in Australia dropped a lot of ball, had the ball stolen from them and kicked away possession all season, these are the three things you don't want to do against NZ teams as they are especially dangerous on turn over ball.

 

[hoggy]

2 games and 26 tries, not sure we should be judging anything after last night. But it was entertaining.

 

[Derpus]

I think after our first round of matches TT and we go down 5-0 against kiwi sides we are Fiji going to have another billion pages here.

Reality is all the options been tabled in the billion pages here..

All i can say is, fuck i didnt miss nights like last night. At all.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

All i can say is, fuck i didnt miss nights like last night. At all.

Given we were being hammered by kiwis with 4 sides with now 5 sides and 5 kiwi sides should we expect much to be different. I think we finally have realised 5 sides makes sense with super rugby au but not necessarily with TT where nothing changed except saffas out of the picture. Enough been said on what should do on these threads as time to just let TT infold and trust in Hamish to make the right decisions as at least believe got someone with more confidence in to lead us forward. Maybe broadcasters will also put pressure on to get right formula as well.

 

[Derpus]

Bin TT i reckon. Didnt watch last night because of the inevitable, and i wasnt wrong.

At least playing ourselves is enjoyable, which is what this shit is all about im pretty sure.

 

[Dctarget]

Bin TT i reckon. Didnt watch last night because of the inevitable, and i wasnt wrong.

At least playing ourselves is enjoyable, which is what this shit is all about im pretty sure.

You missed out on two great contests in the Brumbies & Force games. We might never be NZ's equal but we can still have close games. Do you reckon the fans think English premiership teams should leave the Heineken Cup after an all French finals series?

 

[Dan54]

Bin TT i reckon. Didnt watch last night because of the inevitable, and i wasnt wrong.

At least playing ourselves is enjoyable, which is what this shit is all about im pretty sure.

Naa leave TT, and perhaps you should find something like reality tv programmes to watch, not something where you have to actually learn to support teams win or lose.
I mean Wallabies haven't won Bledisloe for a few years so no doubt you will not be watching that either.
Boy I would hate being part of any club you support, just sitting home sulking if they playing a hard team.

 

[Derpus]

Naa leave TT, and perhaps you should find something like reality tv programmes to watch, not something where you have to actually learn to support teams win or lose.
I mean Wallabies haven't won Bledisloe for a few years so no doubt you will not be watching that either.
Boy I would hate being part of any club you support, just sitting home sulking if they playing a hard team.

Oh please, ive watched us lose to you fluffybunnys for 20 years. You can spout your fucken 'through thick and thin' nonsense all you like. Here in reality everyone has switched off.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Dan, not saying you are wrong, as I can no longer recall the exact details, but it seems logical to me that if there was a cut to be made to the SANZAAR sponsored competition, it would have been initiated by SANZAAR. If I do recall correctly, there would have been some financial penalty applied to RA (and presumably to SARU too if they were behind the move to axe the Kings) if they had taken a decision to reduce their contracted level of involvement.

As was well reported at the time, SARU (two) & RA offered to cut teams without any SANZAAR or NZR prompting. I seem to recall the NZR rep(s) at the meeting expressing their surprise at RA's offer & at SARU offering up two teams for the cull, as they went in thinking it'd be just one SA team & probably the Sunwolves getting cut.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

You missed out on two great contests in the Brumbies & Force games. We might never be NZ's equal but we can still have close games. Do you reckon the fans think English premiership teams should leave the Heineken Cup after an all French finals series?

It might be that a Heinenken Cup is what ends up best option. I am (in case not clear already) in favour of a domestic competition and something with NZ. I have concerns that a TT as per current designs is not optimal but again the answer can't be we just cut oz teams and commercially NZ not positioned to provide more teams. Anyhow got to just let this TT run and then re-evaluate I guess. I think based on how this TT goes will determine whether RA under Hamish goes with domestic and TT, but if I was betting man I expect they will have short form domestic and full round robin TT.

 

[Dan54]

Oh please, ive watched us lose to you fluffybunnys for 20 years. You can spout your fucken 'through thick and thin' nonsense all you like. Here in reality everyone has switched off.

I don't think you actually being very honest if you reckon you watching NZ teams beat Aus teams for 20 years. You obviously must of been watching something else when Reds, Tahs and Brumbies won the comp. But by all means keep playing the hard done by supporter and you may find some others who abviously have been only watching for last few years.
ABs have held Bledisloe for a longer time so I ask again, do you watch that?

 

[Derpus]

I don't think you actually being very honest if you reckon you watching NZ teams beat Aus teams for 20 years. You obviously must of been watching something else when Reds, Tahs and Brumbies won the comp. But by all means keep playing the hard done by supporter and you may find some others who abviously have been only watching for last few years.
ABs have held Bledisloe for a longer time so I ask again, do you watch that?

I dont even understand what you are trying to say? That a commercially viable comp can be built out of such a lopsided set of teams?

Of course it can't. And you can slag on me all you like. No ones going to tune in and watch Aussies get white washed every week. We already know this from past years.

As soon as we stopped playing you interest sky-rocketed.

 

[hifflepiff]

I dont even understand what you are trying to say? That a commercially viable comp can be built out of such a lopsided set of teams?

Of course it can't. And you can slag on me all you like. No ones going to tune in and watch Aussies get white washed every week. We already know this from past years.

As soon as we stopped playing you interest sky-rocketed.

Agreed. At the end of the day the number one thing we need to focus on is making professional Rugby a commercially viable product in this country.

Playing in a predominantly non-domestic competition for over two decades (despite the supposed "higher level of competition") has actually sent the sport backwards rapidly.

If we play an only Trans Tasman competition, I promise you we will see calls for the Force and Rebels to be cut again within 10 years.

The Australian media landscape isn't going to wait for an Aussie team to win a trophy once every 5 years at best. The Australian public isn't going to give a shit about "ah well you got so close to actually winning a game, chin up champ".