Jim Lamb's Contributions

Recent Articles

Jim Lamb has written a total of 2 articles

Latest Article

Now Melbourne is in, let’s take rugby national

13 Nov 2009

Common sense has prevailed and Melbourne has been awarded the 15th Super Rugby franchise. Now, what I am going to say will cause Greg Growden to blow a fuse and spit out his top dentures.

Recent Comments

Jim Lamb has made a total of 2 comments

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.

Combine ARC with new look Air NZ Cup

24 May 2009

Now that the bluff has been exposed - let us hope that common sense prevails and the new team will be a fifth Australian team based in Melbourne. There is already a strong rugby union culture in Melbourne with a great support organisation with corporate and public support assured. The new football [i.e. soccer, union and league] stadium will be a perfect size for Super15 rugby. Also, the ARU must amend their rules to allow each Australian franchise to have up to six (6) or seven (7) players not eligible to play for the Wallabies on their roster - these players should come from the Pacific Island nations and Argentina - this would provide opportunities for 30 to 35 players to gain Super Rugby experience and employment in sync with their own nation's rugby season and they would have to be available for their national team if required. This would provide better support than having an artificle "Pacific Island" team located in Australia. When it becomes financially viable expansion of Super Rugby into the Pacific Island nations and/or Argentina would be much more easily achieved.

South Africa’s rejection of Super Rugby is a big bluff

17 May 2009