As our game moves towards new development and expansion in this crucial time of growth, we’ve seen many fans and administrators come up with new ideas to improve the profile and also the bottom line of the game.
I’ve seen many ideas that would be construed as ‘pipe dreams’ recently and thought it was about time to share mine.
Last week I was watching a recording of the NBA all star weekend in the Good old U S of A.
For those of you that don’t know about it, it’s a weekend where the best of the NBA are voted (by the fans!) to participate in a game between the two conferences (east vs west) in an exhibition game.
Before this game, various stars from the game participate in skills games against each other for smaller trophies. The main two being the slam dunk contest and the three point shootout.
For fans, these 2 competitions provide an answer to the questions that permeate through bars all over America:
‘Who is the best dunker in the NBA?’
‘Who is the best 3 point shooter?’
The pros of this competition are blatantly obvious to anyone that happens to watch it.
– Mass fan participation
– Huge self and game promotion
– And, most importantly, $$$.
The Tri Nations already provides a competition where the best play the best, but I was thinking more along the lines of splitting the teams down some imaginary line, that mixes players from each country, into the two best teams possible from all three countries.
It would be hard obviously to decide which teams go where, but Northern vs Southern is a start.
Northern:
Blues
Chiefs
Hurricanes
Reds
Force
Bulls
Cheetahs
Southern:
Waratahs
Brumbies
Crusaders
Highlanders
Sharks
Stormers
Lions
Like i said, it’s an imaginary line, but generally correct.
As in the NBA, an online voting system may work, or a panel of former stars and recognised scribes.
The weekend itself could be shared out each year between the three countries, shifting each year accordingly.
The game on its own would be a sellout in any of the three countries, but to spread it over an entire weekend, with the ultimate game being played on a Sunday afternoon, puts you into the pay per view realm.
And if not, then something like this included in a package presented to broadcasters at renegotiation time would certainly be a big ribbon on an otherwise unchanged presentation.
What would we fill the rest of the weekend with I hear you ask?
A kicking competition between the games kicking stars?
Carter, Giteau, Steyn, M. Steyn, Donald, Barnes, Mortlock etc.
Sprint comp between the game’s fastest?
For those of you who saw the Lions tour of NZ and the Adidas commercial that promoted it – A giant game of bullrush?!
For those of you that don’t know bullrush, its a game where one person stands in the middle of the field, then all the others must run past him to the other side of the field and not be tackled by that person.
Whomever is tackled joins the original in the middle, and then the remaining players run back against the now two tacklers, and so on and so forth. The number should double each time the wave runs past.
Until, of course, there remains only one player who is declared the winner.
Habana, Tuquiri, Rokocoko, Sitivatu etc running into up to 30 of the games best trying to tackle them?
You could literally invent a whole raft of skills based games to fill in the weekend.
On top of that, introducing ex players into the ‘Super rugby hall of fame’. Various dinners; presentations; charity work; celebrity game etc. The city that gains the weekend would make an absolute killing.
When would we fit this in? Why during June of course.
Forget half baked teams from the part of the world that can’t win with full strength teams. I know which I’d prefer.
That’s all I have. I only thought of it yesterday.
Like i said, its a pipe dream, but I’d certainly like to see it. Any rugby purist would, like me, be foaming at the mouth thinking of the possible combinations for the all star game between the stars on offer.
Habana and Sitivatu or Ioane playing outside Kahui and Nonu?
Ndungane and Tuquiri outside DeVilliers and Mortlock?
The possibilities and combinations are endless.
Feel free to slate and say why it wouldn’t and shouldn’t work. Like i said, its my ‘pipe dream’ and I’m just sharing.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
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