Melbourne must secure next Super Rugby franchise
Roar Rookie By Jim Lamb, 18 May 2009 Jim Lamb is a Roar Rookie
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- Argentina, Rugby Union, Super 15, Super Rugby, Super Rugby 2011, Victoria
110 Have your say
Melbourne must be the location of the next Super Rugby franchise in Australia. It has a long history of rugby culture – there are over 25 teams in Victoria and the VRU is a very well organised and run union.
With the building of the new purpose-built football stadium (Rugby Union, League and Association Football) a rectangular ground with more than adequate capacity to attract the support of sports-mad Victorians.
There is strong support from the local business community and the State Government.
To provide a larger pool of players and to support rugby in the Pacific Island nations and Argentina, all Australian franchises should be permitted to have up to seven players from these countries on their player roster.
This would be a much better option than an artificial ‘Pacific Island’ team located in Australia.
These players would only be eligible to play for their home nations if selected.
They would be playing in the same season as their home countries and would have to be available for international duty as required.
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May 18th 2009 @ 9:09am
sheek said | May 18th 2009 @ 9:09am | Report comment
The fate of the 15th super franchise has already been decided. Most of us are hoping it will be a Victorian team playing out of Melbourne. Let me repeat that:
Most of us hope it will be a Victorian team playing out of Melbourne.
Whether Melbourne/the ARU will have some other kind of team imposed upon it, will be revealed soon enough – a South African or Pacific Islands team, maybe. Both unlikely, but I’ve seen authorities make mind-blowing stuff-ups in the past, in the name of compromise.
We will know soon enough. Any speculation in the meantime is pissing into the wind!
May 18th 2009 @ 11:06am
wallythefly said | May 18th 2009 @ 11:06am | Report comment
Jim i too hope it goes to Victoria, and I strongly support us getting a 5th side but we need to open the gates either let more foreigners into all our teams or have the 5th side with unlimited ‘imports’
May 18th 2009 @ 11:30am
Redb said | May 18th 2009 @ 11:30am | Report comment
I hope Melbourne gets the Super 15 licence and agree with the general sentiment of most AFL fans towards the rugby codes that union is far better to watch due to the contest for the ball. We have a long history of playing rugby union in Melbourne it never made sense to get a rugby league team here first.
Ironicially, the Storm’s grindingly slow acceptance into Melbourne’s sporting landscape probably contributed to Perth being awarded the last Aussie Super rugby licence. 3-4 years later RL has a much bigger head start on union in Melbourne now.
They will need deep pockets and success but the opportunity to be the premier rugby code in Melbourne is still there if the ARU and rugby union generally wants it.
Redb
May 18th 2009 @ 11:56am
Nicholas Piva-Giblett said | May 18th 2009 @ 11:56am | Report comment
Im from Melbourne and if we were to get a franchise I think we could easily put together a decent team that will compete.
This team would however need to be around for a good 2 or 3 years before they become compeditive, in a similar vein to the force and the lions (who actaully arent shocking, despite results)
I could picture a squad of 30 consisting of around 5-10 of the Victorian Axemen squad (selected based on a talent V age type process to see what they can offer the franchise in the future), 3-5 League converts (surely we could pinch at least one reasonably high profile leaguey, a couple more up and comers that have played union in the past… like Rocky Elsom and Josh Tatupu were and a couple that look like they would simply be suited to union), 5-10 of the up and comers in the Queensland/NSW club competitions, 1-3 Capped Australians, 3-5 consistant (rather than OUTSTANDING) Super 14 preformers, at least 1 outstanting marquee foreigner and a couple of tier 2 internationals (i.e Pasific Islanders, Japanese, Americans, Canadians, Romanians ect.
To reiterate 5-10 Locals, 3-5 Leaguies, 5-10 from the Heartland, 1-3 Wallabies, 3-5 with S14 experiance, 1 outstanting Marquee players and the remainer of the squad should be made up rep players from tier 2 nations.
What do you guys think?
May 18th 2009 @ 11:56am
Nicholas Piva-Giblett said | May 18th 2009 @ 11:56am | Report comment
… that may be a touch over 30.
May 18th 2009 @ 12:50pm
craig said | May 18th 2009 @ 12:50pm | Report comment
Nicholas, Having seen the Axemen play several times, There is NO WAY anyone of them are good enough to play S14.
May 18th 2009 @ 1:18pm
sheek said | May 18th 2009 @ 1:18pm | Report comment
I don’t want to get ahead of myself here, but the ARU can’t allow a repeat of 2005-06, when the Reds were decimated by player defections to the Force.
Some kind of draft must be implemented. Apart from the Reds, who need help themselves, the other Provinces might have to give up some key players to Victoria. This might require each of Waratahs, Brumbies, Force & Reds giving up one-two x top 20 players, one-two players ranked 21-40, & perhaps two players each ranked 31-60 & 61-80.
This then gives the Rebels 4-8 x 1-20 ranked players, 4-8 x 21-40 ranked players, 8 x 31-60 ranked players & 8 x 61-80 ranked players. This then gives the Rebels 24-32 players ranked 1-80, which basically makes up their squad. But remember, this is only a suggestion.
Recruitment of Aussie players overseas is a must. I also agree with John Mitchell that you will see more players moving between countries. That is, SA & NZ players appearing for Aussie provinces while being able to represent the Boks & ABs, & so on.
I think there might be plenty of Saffies for example, looking to settle in Australia, after their playing days are over. But of course, this is all speculation for the future.
May 18th 2009 @ 1:44pm
Greg Russell said | May 18th 2009 @ 1:44pm | Report comment
I agree with Jim that Pacific Island (and Argentinian) players should be spread around all Australian franchises rather than being concentrated in the new franchise. With the large PI communities in Sydney and Brisbane, it would be brilliant for them to have quotas of PI players in the Waratahs and Reds respectively. 7 (Jim’s suggestion) is probably too large, but allowing up to 4 per franchise (20 altogether) would probably be about right.
I agree with Sheek that the new franchise (shall we already call it Melbourne?) should not be allowed to decimate the playing stocks of one particular existing franchise. Sheek’s suggestion of a draft is a good way to deal with this situation.
My only word of caution about a draft is that we don’t to create the situation where all Australian teams are mid-franchise in standard. Already that has been the problem a bit this year: the Waratahs, Brumbies and Force are all about as good as each other, and just outside the top 4 in standard. The average standard of the Australian teams this year is better than the average South African standard (the Australian teams averaged 6.625 wins each, South Africans 5.8). However the South African teams have a very wide spread in standard, resulting in one of them topping the round robin, and therefore being likely to win the title.
May 18th 2009 @ 1:56pm
Redb said | May 18th 2009 @ 1:56pm | Report comment
it doesn’t matter where the players come from, it didnt worry rugby league, they parachuted the Storm in with mercenaries and in 12 years have still not played a born and bred Vic.
However, at least with a long standing structure underneath the pathway will be more solid and in years to come attract those more suited to the game.
Redb
May 18th 2009 @ 2:29pm
Peter said | May 18th 2009 @ 2:29pm | Report comment
Should an Super Rugby franchise be based in Melbourne that would not only hurt the Storm but will stunt the growth of the proposed Union side forever.
Melbourne for all its size doesnt have enough rugby followers (or most importantly Kiwis) to justify one rugby side[NRL-Storm] let alone another Rugby team in union.
You may get a few thou non Storm fans going to the game but realistically the two codes will cannibalize their own small fan base.
But we know the ARU will never create another second Sydney side to compete with the Tahs, and GC doesnt have the Interest for the game. So VIC seems to be the only Aussie option.