Omar Comin'
Chilla Wilson (44)
This competition really does have the potential to work out extremely well for not just the ARU, but SANZAAR as a whole. It's very difficult for each union to hold onto guys around the fringes of national selection, either on a small top up or none as the money in Europe for those guys is significantly greater. But with a 6 team competition financed by a billionaire (potentially multiple) you can effectively have all those guys supplementing their super rugby wages to a level that makes staying here much more competitive financially. A bit like what some players do by playing in the Japanese Top League, but at a better time of year (so players get a proper off season).
And on top of that it will test the waters in potentially lucrative Asian markets, which has to be the future in this part of the world if we're going to have any chance of competing financially with European rugby. All at no risk to the SANZAAR unions.
I expect the Force, if the only Australian team will effectively become like an Australia A side, and hopefully the rest of the competition will be made up of similar level players from NZ, SA and Argentina, plus PI's as well as the better players in Asian countries. It could also be an ideal competition for big name players at the end of their careers who don't want to put their bodies through the long European season. Like the sort of semi-retirement of ageing cricketers who play in the IPL and big bash for a couple of seasons after retiring from international cricket. These guys could basically have a 6 month off-season and 3 month pre-season each year. And for that group you're talking about former test stars from all around the world.
And because the competition is so concentrated the effect on the NRC, Currie Cup and M10 Cup would be fairly minimal if all the unions get behind it. You'd only be removing the top 5-10% of players from these leagues.
And on top of that it will test the waters in potentially lucrative Asian markets, which has to be the future in this part of the world if we're going to have any chance of competing financially with European rugby. All at no risk to the SANZAAR unions.
I expect the Force, if the only Australian team will effectively become like an Australia A side, and hopefully the rest of the competition will be made up of similar level players from NZ, SA and Argentina, plus PI's as well as the better players in Asian countries. It could also be an ideal competition for big name players at the end of their careers who don't want to put their bodies through the long European season. Like the sort of semi-retirement of ageing cricketers who play in the IPL and big bash for a couple of seasons after retiring from international cricket. These guys could basically have a 6 month off-season and 3 month pre-season each year. And for that group you're talking about former test stars from all around the world.
And because the competition is so concentrated the effect on the NRC, Currie Cup and M10 Cup would be fairly minimal if all the unions get behind it. You'd only be removing the top 5-10% of players from these leagues.