Football competitions like to have their own origin-based rivalry. Most notably, State of Origin in the NRL, England versus the Exiles has been successfully brought back to the English Super League, and AFL fans continue to muse over possibilities. Could anything work for Sydney Premier Rugby?
Perhaps they could bring back the North Harbour versus South Harbour fixture.
It’s possibly the only concept that could work for Sydney Rugby.
You could do Eastern Suburbs versus North Shore, but it would look too snobbish and further make rugby look like an exclusive “latte sippers” sport, East versus West could be tried, but it wouldn’t be competitive and excludes too many players.
I know that Sydney versus Country was just played, but it doesn’t exactly stir much interest or rivalry.
Perhaps, the same could be said for North Harbour versus South Harbour, as it is possible there isn’t enough pre-existing tensions or rivalry between fans on the south harbour towards fans in the north or vice versa.
In addition, Sydney Rugby Union hardly has the money to manufacture a rivalry through beautiful hype-videos like other major competitions.
The greatest confidence that could be had for the fixture would be a competitive score-line, there is more than enough talent for both teams to choose from and should result in a great match of rugby.
When news came out that Sydney Rugby Union would take control of the Shute Shield, it was mentioned that a return of the North Harbour versus South Harbour might be on the cards. Could it be actually worth a try?
silent.one
Guest
Good question, how the hell can aussie rugby or even nz rugby afford to ditch there big international tv deal for a very small local 1? The only way it'l work is as a feeder comp like how the itm and currie cups have become, but as i always hear you aussies say this will never work? also i think that it is the right thing to change the reds and waratahs to brisbane and sydney respectively and eventually say 10-15 years bring in a further 3 teams in each conference (Aus: West Sydney Cyclones, Adelaide Angels & the East Coast Cavaliers (covering the area from central coast to the gold coast), NZ: Central Vikings (Hawkes Bay, Taranaki, Manawatu & King Country), Northen Knights (Northland & North Habour) plus the Pacifc Panthers (Samoa, Fiji & Tonga), SA: Southern Kings, Griqualand Leopards (Griquas & Leopards) & Namibian Eagles or another province) they should call that comp the Super Rugby Premiership and then make the Super Rugby Championship again featuring 8 teams from 3 conferences (South America, North America & Asia) and if they can, make a 4/5 week pre/postseason annual/biannual comp called the Super Rugby Challenge/Knockout Cup between the top 4 teams from each conference and the the hosts alternating between prem and champ nations. Also sanzar should ditch the june internationals for All-Stars comps (Aus: NSW vs QLD or East Vs West, NZ: North Island Vs South & SA: East Vs West) and host november matches every second year aswell as halving all revenue from them so we get more of the NH pie...
Working Class Rugger
Guest
Johnno Exactly how will they fund this?
Johnno
Guest
This is the way of the future for australian rugby at a grass roots level and national level. Ditch the super 15 when the SANZAR tv deal ends in 2015, and go to a national comp or even just sydney or old comp at full strength professional level, like AFL and NRL, i'd much rather watch a full strength full time pro squad form RANWick V Gordon, or a randick V syd UNI full strength , than a Waratahs v CHIEFS MATCH. Renovate chatswood oval which mind if it was rectangular and was modern would fill up if tahs played there faster any day than at more park, considering most tahs fans are form north shore. But yes club football works, better than provincial nonsense that si the super 15 , and with all the problems with time zones. No sports comps survive long time with extreme time zone difference except international and short tremors like world cups. Bt yes would love to see rANWICK v Parr 2 blues at full strength.Bring it on. aND soUTH AFRICA CAN GO BAKC TO THERE FULL STRENGTH CURRIE CUP and NZ or maybe have a few nz TEAMS, IF NOT THEY CAN HAV THERE npc and the winners form each country add japan in to pay off for a rich southern conference title winner, with big pay day.
Sam el Perro
Guest
Speaking from a Qld perspective, the rivalry transcends league, per se, and is more of a us and them situation. The same emotion is tickled by politicians up here all the time from Joh (who disparaged southerners), to Beattie (who channelled Joh) to Anna (and her Queenslander speech during the natural disaster season this year). North of the border, this is why Qld/NSW works so well. Personally, I think the ARU should dig into this deep vein and make a Qld/NSW "event" separate from Super Rugby.
Carl Unger
Roar Pro
Yeah it's a fair point, I'd imagine only very few supporters from each club would make a journey. Which brings out another point of discussion, where would the match be held. North Sydney Oval would probably be the most central location for supporters but too big.
Carl Unger
Roar Pro
I said it was "successfully brought back" which I think was a fair statement just by reading thoughts of English fans. The game was very tight going down to the final minute when the exiles were able to get the victory. This should stir some extra interest for future games. There is even talk of making it a 2 or 3 game series. I was more talking about origin based rivalries then just local derbies but they do highlight the interest they bring from people just by pitting 2 close geographical locations against eachother.
daryl
Guest
I agree with the small suburban ground, it would be a good change from a half empty stadium pre-wallabies game. the only problem with that is are people not in the immediate area of the ground willing to travel to watch the one off game? im not so sure...
steve ellis
Guest
strange you say something called England versus the Exiles in super league as a 'succesful' rivalry ? hard;y would not even make the top 1-200 in any sports .. surely England v France and Scotland tests....with literally centuries of tradition ( not all about sports ofcourse ..! ) would be way way ahead ..... ..also a few other vastly more high high profile drbies that part of the world.. Man U v Liverpool and the 'Old firm' derby to name a but a few..
Bay35Pablo
Roar Guru
I think the point is that it has been manufactured from something only lague fans would understand (NSWRL teams stealing Queensland players for years, and then using them against Queensland in the state games), to something non-league supporters get caught up in. Ask your average Sydneysider or Brisbanite why NSw and Queensland have been rivals for 100 years on league, and they'll be challenged, but they like the rivalry concept!!!
Carl Unger
Roar Pro
Sam el Perro, The Exiles vs England match is more of a "manufactured" rivalry. I am aware they have had England vs Other Nationalities in the past but I don't think any feeling would be leftover from that. I watched the game on Monday morning and they ran a video package pre-game, that would be an example of manufacturing a rivalry but absolutely with SoO there was already a pre-existing rivalry and history for the concept to help it gain popularity and is part of the reason why state of origin is so succesful but there is no denying that the media has had a big role to play in fueling the rivalry to the extent it has today. Of course, it was never in my thinking that a SPR origin based competition would be in the "big league" of rivalries. It doesn't matter how small a competition is there is always value in having large rivalries. Not expecting national attention but would like a match thats gets all SPR fans interested. Obviously not expecting 80,000 at ANZ but would love to see a vocal 5,000 turn up like the Manly vs Warringah rivalry often attracts. Daryl, I'm usually a fan of putting these type of matches as curtain raisers as I like to see larger crowds and prestigious venues to give the match more value but I still like the idea of playing such a clash at a small and vocal suburban ground in front of fans who are actually there to see the rivalry played out.
Denby
Guest
I agree re the Sydney Waratahs. They hardly ever play outside Sydney (except pre season). Most Saffas call them the Sydney based franchise anyway. This could open the door for the Western Sydney super team hopefully based in Parramatta.
daryl
Guest
would be good to see, as a curtain raiser to a wallabies match possibly? would also be a huge plus if it were televised. It would have to be done in the right way though, and would need that x-factor that would bring in other fans, not just fans of sydney club rugby.
Sam el Perro
Guest
"In addition, Sydney Rugby Union hardly has the money to manufacture a rivalry through beautiful hype-videos like other major competitions." The rivalry in, for example, State of Origin, was not manufactured. It grew out of nearly a hundred years of interstate rivalry between Qld/NSW. This is where RU in Australia has messed its own nest. They had this rivalry between Qld/NSW and have almost completely trashed it by turning their State teams into club-like franchises. If RU really wants a rivalry, maybe it is time to bite the bullet and turn the Tahs and Reds into Sydney and Brisbane. I know this is slightly off-topic as you were talking about Premier Rugby in Sydney. To comment there, a third tier competition is never going to be in the big leagues of rivalries, so it is a bit of a moot point to be honest.