Ace it up fellas, “The Rugby Championship”. That’s the meaningless title given by SANZAR to replace the 16 year-old Tri-Nations of South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand with a new tournament including Argentina, kicking off next year.
The concept is great, with one reservation: the title is pathetic.
The Rugby Championship isn’t indicative of what the tournament is all about. It’s very title suggests it’s more important than the Six-Nations, and even rivals the Rugby World Cup.
Which, of course, is a load of bollocks.
The Four-Nations says it all, accurate to the last decimal point. But no, SANZAR had to be different.
The reservation?
Travel.
In the Six Nations, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France, and Italy are the equivalent of travelling to the next “suburb” they are so close.
Perfection.
But The Rugby Championship is travelling between continents: time consuming, and very physically debilitating.
* It takes 19 hours flying time from Sydney to Buenos Aires.
* Another 12 hours 18 minutes from Sydney to Cape Town.
* The shortest trip is 7 hours 43 minutes from Cape Town to Buenos Aires (excluding the flight across the ditch)
Just remember how many injuries the Wallabies suffered during the RWC. And that was played virtually next door with next to no travel.
But Kurtley Beale, Drew Mitchell, Rocky Elsom, Dan Vickerman, Paul McCabe, and Sekope Kepu will all the miss the two-match spring tour to Twickenham and the Millennium Stadium by the Wallabies in November and December.
Which begs the question: how much carnage will there be to the four sides during The Rugby Championship, after the toughest provincial rugby tournament on the planet – Super Rugby – and the four-Test winter home series in June against Scotland and three against Wales?
On that account, Argentina will be well-placed by not playing Super Rugby.
That’s countered by the vast majority of the Argentinean squad who will be playing in Europe under contract during The Rugby Championship.
At long last the IRB has found some long lost teeth, and have ordered European clubs to release their Pumas for the TRC lasting eight weeks.
The draw, with so many grounds to be confirmed:
* August 18 – Wallabies-All Blacks in Sydney, and Boks-Argentina in South Africa.
* August 25 – All Blacks-Wallabies at Eden Park, and Argentina-Boks in Argentina.
* September 1 – Travel bye.
* September 8 – Wallabies-Boks in Perth, and All Blacks-Argentina in Wellington.
* September 15 – Wallabies-Argentina at Skilled Stadium on the Gold Coast, and All Blacks-Boks in Dunedin.
* September 22 – Travel bye.
* September 29 – Boks-Wallabies in South Africa, and Argentina-All Blacks in Argentina.
* And October 6 – Argentina-Wallabies in Argentina, and Boks-All Blacks in South Africa.
A magnificent amount of international rugby in store in 2012.
Hopefully the players will survive the ordeal. It’s a huge physical ask.
Kiwiboy
Guest
I think everyone has got it all wrong. What david was trying to say, i believe, is not that Wales is not identified as a country but the fact that only three of the four nations are competitive and that Wales are simply there to make up the numbers.
Kiwiboy
Guest
Look at the size difference between Argentina and Samoa. Although they produce alot of talented players, there is no growth potential in Samoa or any of the Pacific Islands whatsoever. They simply do not have the financial backing or population base to be consistently competitive. However I do believe that Samoa, Fiji and Tonga do need more exposure to tier 1 teams, and that is something that needs addressing rather quickly.
Kiwiboy
Guest
Even if the first few years Argentina does play against second string teams, it is the regular competition against world-class opposition (second string or not), that will ultimately improve the game in Argentina. This tournament was not conceived with the idea that Argentina would be competitive from the outset, it was formed with the future in mind, that by the time RWC 2015 comes around Argentina will well and truely be on par with NZ, Aus, S.A, England & France. The growth potential of this tournament, or rather this 'brand', is massive in terms of Argentina and the America's. Argentina could well be a gateway into the U.S. market although this is in the distant future.
Kiwiboy
Guest
Who care's what the competition's called, its just excellent to finally see Argentina in a regular tier one tournament! A great step in the global development of the game.
Terry Rinsy
Thats clever my first note on ROAR and I reply to myself.
Terry Rinsy
Guest
David is right , I am from Wales , dont support rugby league as such coming from the union orientated south , but what the hell are Wales doing in this Four Nations tournament , when the bulk of the players are semi professional at best. If you mentioned it in a bar in Wales , the majority would say exactly the same. Returning to union , travel logistics apart as a lover of rugby I love watching the Tri-Nations for its intensity and skill levels , but from afar it was begin to lose its appeal as a spectacle , so the inclusion of the Argentine I believe can only be a positive for the tournament as a whole. However saying that what was wrong with including Samoa in the set up , surely worthy opponents for all SH sides. May struggle early on but will develop through the seasons as will Argentina , much like Italy up north , to eventually prove good opponents.
Terry Rinsy
Guest
David is right , I am from Wales , dont support rugby league as such coming from the union orientated south , but what the hell are Wales doing in this Four Nations tournament , when the bulk of the players are semi professional at best. If you mentioned it in a bar in Wales , the majority would say exactly the same. Returning to union , travel logistics apart as a lover of rugby I love watching the Tri-Nations for its intensity and skill levels , but from afar it was begin to lose its appeal as a spectacle , so the inclusion of the Argentine I believe can only be a positive for the tournament as a whole. However saying that what was wrong with including Samoa in the set up , surely worthy opponents for all SH sides. May struggle early on but will develop through the seasons as will Aregentina , much like Italy up north , to eventually prove good opponents.
Green Lantern
Roar Pro
Welcome to my world Mike. Iam fearless and sensitive.
Mike
Guest
Green Lantern, Fair enough on keffir, but since when was Jappie considered offensive? I picked up the word via a lady friend who hailed from Durban many years ago. She seemed happy with it. And I note a few on Keo are happy to use it about themselves. I am starting to think you must be the most sensitive metro saffa on the planet... :)
Green Lantern
Guest
Dont call me keffir Ian. Bad form mate. Its exactly the kind of statement that ads feul to our love-hate relationship with Australians. Our poor cricketers had to endure these kinda verbal discriminations. Andre Nel and Hershelle Gibbs did not deserve it, and bet your hair that Australia on their current cricket tour to South Africa wont suffer the same faith. 'N mens maak mos nie so nie, ek is 'n baie goeie swemmer, ek kan nou oor die Indiese oseaan swem,net om jou 'n lekker warme klap oor jou GEVREET te gee. NAAI
Parisien
Guest
"Southern Unions Rugby Festival" is perhaps more relaxed and friendly!
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Mike, You shoulda called him a biltong-munching keffir then ... that said, I am in awe of South Africa. It is a country that looked into the abyss, and all decided they were better than the monster they saw. The Springboks, and the South African cricketers, and their football sides, all not only carry but also justify all the hopes and dreams of this world.
Mike
Guest
My luck - a saffa who is offended by jappie. :/ Consider it withdrawn from use.
Kuruki
Roar Guru
I honestly cant see how adding Argentina to this comp is going to do anything for anyone other then Argentina. They will get flogged week in week out and it will be a good oppotunity for the reserves to get game time. This move was about growing the game i dont think it is going to grow the Tournament as a spectacle at all.
Green Lantern
Guest
Hey Mike, why not try calling us South Africans rather then jappies.
Matthew Skellett
Guest
On da button Onor ; anyone who thinks at any length about the future of world rugby knows that this is a MASSIVE opportunity for Argentina and indeed the whole of the Americas . In one fell swoop the highest level of world rugby competition is accessable to millions upon millions of real and potential fans . Also; I think it was named 'the Rugby Championship " with a real eye to expansion -utlimately nations either playing each other once and/or a promotion/relegation system that gives REAL hope for the 'tier 2"and "tier 3" to improve and get regular ,good competition . I firmly believe that the USA and Russia will make a concerted effort to be part of the competition in a few short years . I also see that this competition is a massive "throwing down of the gauntlet" to the IRB nad the Six nations to make world rugby more equitable and just for everybody. "tier 2" european countries whio are tired of waiting for the Six Nations to "open up " to them will offer the new RC a whole new paradigm of world competition. "The Rugby Championship" is not only a new and exciting opportunity for millions more it is also one of the means that spells the beginning of the end for the 'Grand Old Order' and may it hurry in it's way to be so :-)
Steve R
Guest
How about the Southern Nations?
Chris
Guest
Well when that happens in 100+ years we can cross that bridge...
WQ
Guest
DC a Pacific Islands Team would draw excellent crowds not only in Australia but also New Zealand. I would not mind betting they would draw a crowd in South Africa and Argentina as well. The key to this however would be similar to that of Argentina, the European clubs would have to be forced to release their players to allow the Pacific Islands Team a chance to be competitive. This would also give these Pacific Island players a chance to be playing top level Test Rugby more often than they currently do which has to be good for World Rugby. One of the issues would be the potential drain on the likes of the All Blacks and the Wallabies whom have both drawn heavily on these Pacific Island talent pools for years. Probably not such a big issue for New Zealand given the depth of New Zealand Rugby.
Dc
Guest
WQ ...you are So right about the creation of a Pasifika team ... I have a family network of Samoan in-laws in sydney and the support would be immense .. The IRB would grow the game globally if they funded such a team ...I agree it would ignite rugby union ..there would be no shortage of coaching or player talent ..home games could be split between the islands and Auckland/Brisbane ...every rugby fan would watch the games making it a boon for advertisers ... Money would be ploughed into island rugby ..it would be immense ..given the amount of revenue in these tv and corporate sponsorship deals the set up and operational costs would be a drop in the bucket ...