With the recent news that Super Rugby will finish in early August from 2012 onwards, questions remain as to the best structure of New Zealand’s national domestic rugby tournament and also whether Australia should attempt to re-establish its own national domestic tournament in order to provide a stepping-stone between club and Super rugby.
Such a tournament in Australia would provide a more competitive environment, which would help to further develop the more serious club players.
They would have the opportunity to play alongside the returning Super players not selected for the Tri-Nations in a narrower competition. This was perhaps the major success behind the now defunct ARC.
While most agree that the format and structure of the ARC was fine, and the rugby was very entertaining, few seem to realise that the tournament only needed one major sponsor and a major broadcaster to get behind it and it would probably still be up and running today.
One suggestion is to resurrect the ARC and somehow combine it with the new ANZC.
If it so happens that the ANZC settles on 8-10 teams, as many of the experts have suggested is the ideal, then it opens it up for some very exciting possibilities.
If both countries have eight teams, they could play a simple round robin between the teams within their own country (seven weeks), and then have the top four teams from the ARC play the top four from the ANZC in a knock out format (over three weeks) for the Trans-Tasman Cup.
The first week of this knock out format would look as follows:
AUS1 v NZ4
AUS2 v NZ3
NZ2 v AUS3
NZ1 v AUS4
At the same time, the bottom four teams from the ARC could play the bottom four from the ANZC in a knock out format (over three weeks) for the Trans-Tasman Shield.
The first week of this knock out format would similarly look as follows:
AUS5 v NZ8
AUS6 v NZ7
NZ6 v AUS7
NZ5 v AUS8
This ten week competition would be sure to create a lot of interest and raise a little more revenue on the side, whilst providing a strong, entertaining and developmental tournament to run alongside the Tri-Nations tournament.
The games could act as curtain-raisers for the tests in Australia and New Zealand.
Surely, with his experience and credibility in establishing the A-League, John O’Neill could establish a more financially sustainable ARC compared to his predecessor.
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The Crowd Says (10) | Page 1 of Comments
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May 22nd 2009 @ 9:19am
LeftArmSpinner said | May 22nd 2009 @ 9:19am | Report comment
Simon, cash, cash and cash. the netballers did it, but only after years grinding away as a local comp. What about club rugby? how does that dovetail?
In principle, it is a good idea. lots more to be considered tho.
May 22nd 2009 @ 11:50am
GilesG said | May 22nd 2009 @ 11:50am | Report comment
Brilliant idea.
i do however doubt Australias ability to produce 8 quality teams. and i think if the ARC does get resurrected (my dream come true- i loved that comp!) then it shouldn’t have a Perth teams but still have a Melbourne team (travel costs and time zones).
May 22nd 2009 @ 12:05pm
Jeff said | May 22nd 2009 @ 12:05pm | Report comment
Combine ARC with new look Air NZ Cup???
We realise that Australia wants to take over NZ, but trying to take over a successful competition for John O’Neill,s benefit is the last straw. We got “done over” with the World Cup shared and I believe that in dealing with O.Neill NZ would be done again. If Australia can not get their rugby competitions sorted out, that is their problem, not NZ’s. We have a good competition and don’t need it butchered by Australians.
May 22nd 2009 @ 12:08pm
Hemjay said | May 22nd 2009 @ 12:08pm | Report comment
Simon,
I must say not to bad an Idea at all.
However I would also have to look at this from the point of view that some of the provinces that may get cut from the ANZC will be strongly oppossed of having to make way to accomodate teams from Australia. While I like the sound of the round robins then a Trans tasman cup and shield it is another step in the direction of doing away with what is the foundations of what is and has been NZ rugby for years. I personally would be disappointed to see a sole NZ finals series disappear as that what the ANZC is all about.
Basically I’m excited about the potentials a ANZAC competition could offer however I think NZ has given far too much of itself already and recieved stuff all.
NZ has done alot for Australian rugby over the years especially in the bleaker times of the 50′s through 70′s and early 80′s and again now in the new Super structure it appears NZ has got nothing except a little more money when arguably some would say that due to the ABs involvement is why it rates so highly thus generating huge sums of money for all involved.
Sorry I digressed there for a moment.
Steve tew told the G9 summit that the Integrity of the New Zealand domestic competition would not be jeopardized but it clearly has been by this new super deal. Will the G9 and the other unions accept the competition becoming a non-nz competition could be opening up a huge can of worms.
i’ve suggested that until Australia can get on its feet that maybe it wouldn’t be a stupid idea to align the clubs with NZ provinces and have. Super players and up and comers playing in the ANZC with the certain province that an alignment could give. re Randwick – Taranaki, Paramatta – Canterbury
May 22nd 2009 @ 4:11pm
katzilla said | May 22nd 2009 @ 4:11pm | Report comment
No.
If the NZRU ever let anything like this happen they’d be stoned in the streets.
May 22nd 2009 @ 4:49pm
Hemjay said | May 22nd 2009 @ 4:49pm | Report comment
Katzilla
You can breathe easy mate Tew has come out to night and drip fed us some rugby news re the ANZC
Looks like one or two unions may be shipped back to the heartland actually its hard to tell he’s not very forthcoming with information because in his eyes we will work it out before they want us to know.
Super rugby players have to be available to the provinces none of this i need a rest rubbish.
It has to have a guaranteed window which has obviously been determined hence the half arse media release tonight.
It could be a reduction or remain status quo. The unions agree that it is not sustainable as is.
However they have demanded the following
# Super players involvement
# Have a stand alone window
# Feature full round robin and play offs
# Affordable and sustainable kind of goes with out saying really
I’d be more inclined to say its going to be two conferences again
Supposedly this is the final time it will be remodeled
May 22nd 2009 @ 11:22pm
Working Class Rugger said | May 22nd 2009 @ 11:22pm | Report comment
Simon
Your idea whilst a good one will never come to fruition. Firstly the NZRU nor the NZ public for that matter would view such an idea kindly. With the Super Series set to consume more of the Southern Hemisphere Rugby calendar I’d imagine the NZRU will not want to stretch a valuable development and entertainment asset by forming a even closer relationship with the ARU and a possible ARC formatted comp structure. Alienation is not in the games best interest.
The facts are simple. If we are ever to have our own significant National Championship it will need to be grown organically. Involve all partner’s and will have to start at the grassroots levels. There will be many obstacle’s. We in Australia have to deal with a enormously political Rugby landscape. Clubs like Randwick, Easts and Sydney Uni will inevitably insist on going it alone even if it’s clear that the stance is against the greater good.
May 24th 2009 @ 10:41am
Jim Lamb said | May 24th 2009 @ 10:41am | Report comment
This concept has a great deal of merit, An expanded Trans-Tasman comp would be great and should attract television support. However, it is easier for NZ as they have a sensible provincial structure – Australia doesn’t have an easily defined geographical structure – and in NSW country rugby has been totally ignored by the Sydney-centric NSWRU and ARU. But with a divisional structure with promotion and relegation, it could be possible to have teams from the Hunter, Illawarra, Central Coast and the ACT, plus teams from the Gold Coast and North Queensland. If these started off with divisions of ten teams, after three or four years the top provinces would be settled in, and the teams in the second and third divisions would be striving to build their strength and climb the ladder to the top division.
May 27th 2009 @ 10:24pm
Bay35Pablo said | May 27th 2009 @ 10:24pm | Report comment
Part of the problem with the ARC was travel costs. Teams travelling Australia wide costs a lot more than club games.
Adding in the cross Tasman travel adds another level of expense for a level of the game (at least in Australia) that currently lacks the funding to even be semi or full pro.
As such, while I would love to see this comp, I think the necessary step for Australia is to expand the professionalism at the club level, a la ARC or seomthing slightly less.
Of course the chicken and the egg problem arises. Where do you get the money for that?
May 28th 2009 @ 2:30pm
Simon said | May 28th 2009 @ 2:30pm | Report comment
I think I’ll leave the combined idea for a bit. But I do think the ARC is still a good concept, even on it’s own. I’m pretty sure this will be the way to go, at least for the sake of better developing new players, and putting good rugby structures in place in strategic locations around the country. There still needs to be a structure between club and Super rugby.