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We’ve read countless articles on setting up a new Australian Rugby Championship for domestic rugby, and linking up with South Africa’s domestic Currie Cup and New Zealand’s National Provincial Competition.
I can always see two big problems, and one is not the Currie Cup. They have the players, the fans and the money. The first problem is that while New Zealand has the players and the fans for 10 teams, it doesn’t have the money or the potential to grow the pie much bigger.
The second problem is Australia. It doesn’t have the players or the fans or the money. But it does have massive potential to grow all three. Here’s my solution.
When the current TV deal expires in 2015 (or maybe sooner with the noises coming from SA), SANZAR should be split in two, forming the New Zealand and Australia Rugby Union and the South Africa and Argentina Rugby Union.
This would leave both parties better positioned to negotiate their own TV rights for club competitions, only coming together to negotiate the rugby championship and a interclub competition (more on this later).
NZARU could form a PSC using the five Super Rugby teams from Australia and seven teams from New Zealand, incorporating the five Super franchises plus two extra teams.
New Zealand rugby can then restructure, making the current NPC (now named the ITM Cup) a second-tier feeder comp, and the Heartland cup a third-tier comp. So each area would look something like this
Auckland Blues (PSC Team), Counties Manukau (NPC /feeder)
Waikato Chiefs (PSC Team), Bay of Plenty (NPC/feeder)
Hawkes Bay Magpies (PSC Team), Manawatu (NPC/feeder)
Wellington Hurricanes (PSC Team), Taranaki (NPC/Feeder)
Canterbury Crusaders (PSC Team), Tasman (NPC/Feeder)
Otago Highlanders (PSC Team), Southland Stags (NPC/Feeder)
North Harbour (PSC Team), Northland (NPC/Feeder)
NPC would be semi-pro, with players not contracted to a PSC team to receive match payments only, plus NPC areas would be guaranteed at least two PSC matches a year.
The NPC could be played at the end of the PSC, using players who were not involved in the new Super Rugby tournament. I haven’t amalgamated any provinces as the model leaves room for promotion to PSC at a later date (and I still remember the Central Vikings). The reason I chose Hawkes Bay over say Taranaki or Bay of Plenty is financial: Hawks Bay is the only team to turn a profit every year for the last 10 years.
Heartland Cup would be strictly amateur, featuring South Canterbury, North Otago, Horowhenua-Kapiti , Poverty Bay, Thames Valley, Wairarapa Bush, King Country, East Coast, West Coast, Mid Canterbury, and Buller.
Australia is another beast altogether and maybe some of you Australians can set me straight on boundaries. Australia should be starting off with the five Super Rugby teams, but with a plan to bring two new teams later on. One team could represent Western Sydney or Country New South Wales, and one representing the East Coast (Gold Coast to the Central Coast).
As for the feeder comp I believe the best and cheapest option to start with would be to take the best nine club teams from NSW, Queensland and ACT, having this as a semi-pro comp like the NPC, only played on Saturdays and Sundays afternoons. Later look at bringing in the best club teams from Victoria and Western Australia.
This would also be played at the end of the PSC using players not involved in Super Rugby. Don’t know how you would pick what clubs players go to, maybe a draft or the clubs put in a wish list for players and players do the same for a club and the ARU works out the best solution? But PSC players not playing Super Rugby must be playing in this comp to make it work.
PSC would be played over 15 weeks, with all teams playing each other once then another four teams again, giving the Australian teams their home derbies, while the New Zealand teams will be done by draw.
The ANZR CUP would be given to the team that finishes on top of the table (like the English Premier League) and there would also be a Ranfurly Shield up for grabs during this part of the competition. This may not mean anything to Australians to start with (and piss off a few New Zealanders), but in time this tradition from New Zealand will have a place in Australia as well and give Kiwis a sense of joint ownership of the competition.
Also players with more than 10 international caps could play for any team in the PSC and still be eligible for the All Blacks or Wallabies.
The next part would be to have a knock-out comp including all 12 teams run over four weeks. Team one would play 12, two would play 11, and so on. The second week would have one versus six.
Leaving three teams, the top team would get a bye straight to the Grand Finial, where the second and third team would play off. This would give all teams something to play for during the season with where you finish on the table relevant to the knock-out cup.
SAARU can go back to the Currie Cup as their premier competition But with the addition of four teams from Argentina; with two teams in the top division and two in the second tier comp. This would help with the Spears and other South Africa teams getting a shot at higher honours.
PSC and Currie Cup would be run over a 20 week period which would mean that the inbound tests would have to be played during the season (maybe midweek).
Super Rugby would return but more like a Heineken Cup, with four pools of three teams incorporating the best four teams from the PSC, Currie Cup and Top 14 in Japan, with each team playing the other teams in their pool once (one home game and one away) with the top two teams going through to the quarters, then semis, then the final.
The final would be played at the home of the team with the best average. This comp should take six weeks. In time when the new USA and Canada comp is up and running they could look at inclusion in 2020. All you would need to do is just add their four top teams.
PSC and Super Rugby combined would run for 26 weeks, roughly the same as the NRL and AFL seasons including their finals. The AFL and NRL have both grown their competitions based on the strength of their heartlands in Victoria and New South Wales. Rugby union needs to do the same by using New Zealand to grow the game in Australia.
As a New Zealander living in Melbourne I’ve seen what the VFL had to do grow and survive. Some teams had to move or be dropped in order for the comp to grow, and now they have a billion-dollar TV deal.
This is something New Zealanders have to release. We can’t afford to have five Super rugby Teams plus 14 NPC teams, but we also need more than five professional teams based in just the main centres. Under this model more of the country gets to see top flight rugby live, and as the finances change you could look at adding more teams later on.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.