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Rugby hasn’t learned anything from cricket.
Cricket Australia is to be complimented for not expanding the Big Bash League in the foreseeable future despite huge crowds this season. They must have been tempted, but sensibly resisted.
Not so with rugby and the expanded Super 18 draw for this season with Japan’s Sunwolves and Argentina’s Jaguares included.
SANZAR’s interim chief exec Brendan Morris was almost doing cartwheels when he said “as we stand eagerly on the cusp of a new era of Super Rugby, fans can look forward to the upcoming season with a great deal of optimism and enthusiasm.”
“We are in the envious position to be delivering our great brand of rugby to new cities and international markets, unlocking a host of commercial opportunities and delivering the international excitement of Super Rugby to a legion of new and existing fans”.
Those two pars translate to ‘we have raised the bar on our greed’.
No mention of the huge increase of travel wear and tear on the players by admitting the Sunwolves and Jaguars – totally overlooking the fact the players are rugby’s greatest asset.
The tournament has been increased from three conferences to four.
Australia’s the same: Reds, Waratahs, Brumbies, Rebels and the Force.
New Zealand is also the same: Blues, Crusaders, Hurricanes, Highlanders, and the Chiefs.
But South Africa has been split into two Conferences. The first: Bulls, Cheetahs, Stormers, and Sunwolves. The second: Lions, Sharks, Kings, and Jaguares.
Where SANZAR’s new push for greed comes unstuck, the Australian Conference won’t play any regulation games against the second South African Conference, the New Zealanders won’t play any regulation games against the first.
How can that be an equitable draw?
The Force and the Rebels are the worst affected of the Australian Conference with eight away games, while the Reds, Waratahs, and Brumbies have seven away. Those stats will be reversed next season.
The Force, based in Perth, face a heavy travel schedule with their eight away games – the Reds, Hurricanes, Chiefs, Highlanders, Tokyo, Rebels, Cheetahs, and Brumbies. It is a frequent flyers delight.
The Rebels aren’t much better off with the Force, Bulls, Tokyo, Waratahs, Blues, Chiefs, Crusaders, and Reds.
The Reds’ away games are against the Waratahs, Rebels, Bulls, Stormers, Crusaders, Hurricanes, and Brumbies.
The Waratahs’ away schedule includes Brumbies, Reds, Force, Stormers. Crusaders, Tokyo, and Blues.
The Brumbies will travel to the Force, Stormers, Cheetahs, Waratahs, Highlanders, Rebels, and Blues.
The tournament kicks off on February 26 through to the final on August 5 with June the window for three Tests against England for Australian fans, and three Tests against Wales for All Black fans.
Last year Super Rugby was 120 games in regulation, this year it will be 135 with seven finals games, compared to five last year.
Eight teams will qualify for the finals – five from Australasia and three from South Africa.
In other words the four Conference winners, plus the next three highest on the ladder from Australasia, and the next highest from South Africa.
A mess? You’d better believe it.