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Waratahs' centre Tom Carter center bottom battles with Stormers' wing Bryan Habana left and team mate Gio Aplon during their Rugby Super 14 semi finals match in Cape Town, South Africa, Saturday May 22, 2010. Stormers won the match 25-6.(AP Photo/Rob Griffith)
Not too long ago I was dead-set against Super rugby. I’m a Kiwi and, as I’m sure many SA brothers can appreciate, I felt Super rugby cheapened our already existing historical competition. The simple fact is it did and still does.
But maybe that is not such a bad thing.
On the surface it looks suspiciously like Australia, for lack of their own domestic competition, are piggybacking off our collective goodwill. It looks like over a century of rugby history has been arbitrarily replaced with a competition resembling a haphazard NFL. These observations definitely have elements of truth to them. But again, maybe that is not such a bad thing.
We need to step back and look at Super rugby for what it actually is and what it does. What it is, is a hugely successful money spinner for our three rugby unions. What it does is it allows the best quality rugby in the world to miraculously continue to be played down south. Make no mistake, Super rugby is the only thing keeping our players in our respective countries.
My view regarding Super rugby has done a complete 180. I originally thought, Super rugby is what you get if you give a bunch of cauliflower-eared, aging, amateur-players-turned-suits too much money all at once. Surely it would have been better to invest the money in each of our domestic competitions (or potential domestic competitions). I have, however, recently been swayed.
Super rugby is a radical departure from what we were used to. The Europeans laugh at it, and many of us Southerners find it contrived. What it really is, is inspired. As crazy as this sounds the potential for Super rugby is to be the premier rugby competition worldwide. Even one of the premier sporting-in-general competitions worldwide.
This latest revamp has signaled SANZAR’s intent, and I believe it is imperialistic. “Super rugby” sans number leaves unlimited possibilities. The SANZAR partners have shown their hand, and I believe revealed the intentions they have harboured from the beginning.
It is safe to assume that Australia, NZ and SA will eventually expand to at least eight teams each. Now imagine a conference each in Japan, the Pacific Islands (including Hawaii), South America, and the western seaboard of the USA. No doubt to eventually reach this stage the competition will undergo numerous restructures to account for the logistics involved, however the end goal is entirely plausible.
The broadcasting deal from such a competition would be phenomenal. SANZAR’s place in the hierarchy of world rugby would be guaranteed forever.
Maybe Super rugby isn’t such a bad thing after all. I have come to view it as a bold decision at the dawn of professionalism to take our limited means (comparatively) and transform them into something unprecedented in world sport: a truly international domestic competition.
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.