Create a Super Rugby conference in Argentina
Roar Guru By rugbyfuture, 4 Dec 2009 rugbyfuture is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- Argentina, Los Pumas, Rugby Union, SANZAR, Super 15, Super Rugby, Super Rugby 2011, Tri Nations
Forget about expansion of the Super 14 (soon to be 15) to 18, forget about giving the South Africans, Japanese and Islanders teams. A whole new conference should be created, all in Argentina.
With the expansion of the Tri-Nations to the Quad Nations, and the hope to create professional structures in Argentina, it is the only, and most viable, option.
A further reason for such a case is the fierce defence of the current amateur structure in Argentina.
A Super Rugby conference can create the professional tier, above the current top championship In Argentina, with 5 of the 25 teams contributing to each team, and the top Zona Campeonato expanded into 10 teams from the current 8, the top two from each conference.
The 5 Argentinean sides will be broken up into the 5 regions; North West, North, Cuyo, Patagonia and Buenos Aires-Pampas.
This conference could be set-up within a few years of the Argentinean inclusion in the Quad Nations. Furthermore, regulations such as used by the current Tri-Nation’s teams should be enforced onto Los Pumas, where within a set transfer period, only players playing within the Super Rugby competition can play for the national team.
Of course, this would mean an expanded finals series.
But really, who’s complaining?
Buenos Aires-Pampas | Buenos Ares, Centro, Sur, Oeste, Mar Del Plata
Patagonia | Tierra Del Fuego, Austral, Chubut, Lagos Del Sur, Alto Valle
North | Entrerriana, Misiones, Noreste, Santafesina, Rosario
North West | Santiaguena, Tucuman, Formosa, Jujena, Salta
Cuyo | Cuyo, Cordoba, Riojana San Luis, Sanjuanna
This system would encourage competition internally, broaden commerciality and support the need for professionalism and entry into the Quad Nations for Argentina.
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- Explore:
- Argentina, Los Pumas, Rugby Union, SANZAR, Super 15, Super Rugby, Super Rugby 2011, Tri Nations
December 4th 2009 @ 3:18pm
DELL said | December 4th 2009 @ 3:18pm | Report comment
I’d rather see 4 regional teams from Argentina compete against the 8 South African teams (currie cup) in a super 12 Atlantic Conference, while another 12 from a Pacific Conference (trans-tasman with possible asian team) compete in another – and then meet in a finals system. That way the Currie Cup continues.. travel costs are reduced. would make sense with the expansion of tri-nations. – something like Beunos Airies,Cuyo, Tucuman-Salta, and central (Cordoba, Roario, Santa Fe). The South african teams could have seperate finals for Currie Cup as well as Super 12.
4 professional argie teams would take time to be competitive with the Bulls/Sharks etc.. but wouldn’t be embarrassed by the lower half of the Currie Cup teams.. boland/Leopards etc.
December 4th 2009 @ 3:24pm
rugbyfuture said | December 4th 2009 @ 3:24pm | Report comment
probs wouldnt develop enough revenue and populairyt and probably make the competition too complex, the currie cup is continuing though even with the new conference system isnt it?
December 4th 2009 @ 3:29pm
Darwin hammer said | December 4th 2009 @ 3:29pm | Report comment
and where does New Zealand’s NPC fitl into this plan ?
December 4th 2009 @ 3:56pm
JF said | December 4th 2009 @ 3:56pm | Report comment
Argentina have a similar problem to Australia in that their great domestic strength is in a single city club competition, the URBA very much resembles Shute Shield. Although they have a provincial competition aswell, I imagine the clubs of Buenos Aries wield all the power in Argentine Rugby. This is a significant hurdle to overcome, how will argentina spread the talent across all provinces? A team in Patagonia? How will they compete? Where will they be based?
IMO the grand plan for SH rugby should include the inception of an eight team south american provincial competition, 6xArg, 1 each for Uruguay and Chile, with the top 4 qualifying for SH Super Rugby. Leave Canada and the US out – they are in a completely different environment to Sth America and must develop their own provincial comp.
December 4th 2009 @ 4:09pm
rugbyfuture said | December 4th 2009 @ 4:09pm | Report comment
actually the strength is spread over 3 cities, tucumun, buenos aires and another in the north i think from what i read before, the nacional competezione is the top tier sortof provincial comp, although its more like the NRL or english premier league, this is what i suggested be used to feed into the regional super rugby teams, they also have a system currently of promotion/relegation, whilst the nacional competizione is 8 teams right now the ascendo competezione is made of 16 teams, these are all spread across the nation there is another union which does not compete. The way it works to spread union throughout the argentinean teams is by using the conferances created by the regional teams to see who goes into the nacional competizione, two per regional team, with three from each conferance part of the ascendo
December 4th 2009 @ 7:04pm
steve said | December 4th 2009 @ 7:04pm | Report comment
Here is an idea…. stop using the super 14 as away to develop rugby in a country.
It has only had limited success in Australia in the period from 1996 to 2004. Along came the Western Force and the wheels fell off in Aus.
Another thing one must not forget is the new Melbourne based team will be heavily reliant on Argentine imports to prop up its numbers and not dilute Aus playing ranks. Its time for Arg and Aus to sort out their internal competitions, it would make the super14/15/20 whatever it will be a lot more competitive and wont damage the collective pyshicy of the nation when none of their teams makes it to the play offs.
Super rugby should be the icing not the filling…. we killing our players through the amount of rugby and travel.
Super rugby should follow the Heineken cup format
But I am truly excited to see the Argentines in four nations.
December 4th 2009 @ 7:29pm
rugbyfuture said | December 4th 2009 @ 7:29pm | Report comment
Argentina are pretty set methnks, its just about attracting the players back to the country, otherwise, i might agree
December 5th 2009 @ 7:55pm
Gho said | December 5th 2009 @ 7:55pm | Report comment
Creating a whole conference is too risky to ever take of. When Super Rugby expands to 18 teams, the Kings or spears should get the south african spot, with one team from buenos airies and another pacific islander team filling the spots in the nz and aus conference (unless nz can find a region with a significant economy to support a super rugby side)
December 6th 2009 @ 3:52pm
Angus Boyle said | December 6th 2009 @ 3:52pm | Report comment
Personally I’d love two specially created teams playing from southern Brisbane and western Sydney. They would be able to tap into the rich rugby (mostly league at the moment) playing stocks of Melanesian and ,especially, Polynesian families.
So in the spirit of London Irish, London Scottish and London Welsh, I give you the idea of Brisbane Pacific and, most essentially, Sydney Pacific.
With a three conference Super 18 in the pipelines, these two teams would enable both the Australian and New Zealand conferences to have six teams, in line with the six from South Africa with the eventual inclusion of a Southern Kings/Spears.
Sydney Pacific and Brisbane Pacific would alternate between the Australian and New Zealand conferences.
Not only would Australian rugby gain a better foothold in the relatively untapped southern suburbs of Brisbane and Logan, but also the western suburbs of Sydney, where the NRL is currently able to attract great players from a Pacific heritage.
February 21st 2010 @ 12:28pm
PRSancho said | February 21st 2010 @ 12:28pm | Report comment
RugbyFuture,
That’s a dream. Unworkable in short term. Argentina cannot afford it.
I have some thoughts about it, and my impression -knowing Argentine economical conditions- is that an expansion team (perhaps two) would fit better. Not counting that could be very useful to the PLADAR project, using the professional players under contract with UAR.