- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
In its grubby greed for the big bucks, SANZAR will add an extra team from South Africa, one from Argentina, and a third from either Singapore or Japan, starting in 2016.
First up, it’s easy to see South Africa runs SANZAR, the governing body of Super Rugby, the toughest rugby tournament in the world.
Why does the Republic gets six teams in the revamp, when it hasn’t the depth to sustain five? That decision defies description.
Australian couldn’t possibly sustain a sixth, it’s struggling with five as well, but New Zealand could easily find the depth for six, maybe seven. Obviously they chose not to do so.
Argentina? Will that be a franchise side, or the national team that plays in the Rugby Championship that hasn’t won a game in two years against the Wallabies, Boks and All Blacks?
To be fair, the Pumas had a 16-all draw with the Boks in Mendoza in 2012, the biggest shock result of the year.
Then we get to the real problem – Singapore or Japan to make up the revamped 18. Even if their national sides were to take the field, they would be the whipping boys of the tournament. A franchise side could only be competitive if foreigners flooded in.
Surely a flooding defeats the purpose, and prostitutes the value of the tournament.
Why is SANZAR embarking on this ill-conceived concept? Bigger television rights and in the process overlooking the welfare of the players who already have a debilitating assignment with Super Rugby, the Rugby Championship, and the end of year tour north.
Super 18 will shorten careers, no doubt about that. It’s not so much the 80 minutes, but the travel to and from. Anyone who constantly travels will tell you it’s debilitating. I’ve been there, done that. There are times when you wonder where you are, what city you’re in, what hotel, what room number.
After a while everything moulds into one, and you honestly feel you haven’t even recovered from the last flight. But SANZAR is going full steam ahead, they don’t give a damn about player welfare.
The six South African teams will be split into two groups, with Argentina joining one, and the Asian team the other.
It’s intended to be a 15-game tournament with two byes, over 17 weeks. And while SANZAR has no intention of backing off, they should keep in mind what a disaster Italy has been in the Six Nations.
The Italians have been there for 14 years, and managed to win the wooden spoon 10 times. And they will never get any better.
Greed for the big bucks will dramatically lower the overall standard of what will be Super 18.
A more accurate description will be Super 15 plus three hangers on, making up the numbers.