WorkingClassRugger
Michael Lynagh (62)
Yeah, any trans-continental part needs to be shorter, sharper IMO.
Obviously exact details would need to be hammered out.
Positives there for sure - domestic control over the national pro matches.
Personally I'm not sure about switching the NRC because 8-9 teams seems too many for mine to be feeding those same teams into transnational match-ups. But there are ways around that (as people have already proposed earlier in the thread).
I'd keep it at the current 7 plus Fiji. Fourteen week regular season plus two weeks of finals. Short break before Super Rugby and then a 10-11 (conferences would Aus/Jap, NZ/Arg and SA) Super Rugby reg. season with top 2 from each conference going through to the finals which would run for 3 weeks.
The NRC would benefit from being properly 'powered' why the best talent all available and playing. Which should boost interest.