- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The rugby union schedule for Australia next year seems perfect. And John O’Neill is the new Australian sports hero for consistently pushing for Australia’s best interest within SANZAR.
The Super Rugby competition has been expended and pushed back so far that Australia doesn’t even need a domestic competition anymore. Everything seems to be about Australia.
And so the question beckons, “What about South Africa and New Zealand?”
Although I can’t speak for my Kiwi counterparts, SARU have literally bent over backwards to aid our cousins across the Indian Ocean.
I must admit, I have always supported the notion of South Africa leaving SANZAR. Not because I hate Australia or New Zealand, but I don’t see it (SANZAR) ever benefiting South African rugby.
Watching rugby on television for the first time in 1992 as a six-year-old, I have always recognised that the team playing in green were the good guys and the teams playing in black and yellow were the bad guys.
So as a post apartheid youngster, many others and I have become familiar and so to say fed up with constantly playing Australia and New Zealand. The inclusion of Argentina may bring about a Latin flavour to our southern pie.
But we are in the minority, even in South Africa. And since the “join them in the case of being unable to beat them” rule applies here, I have derived a schedule which I think is fair for all.
A lot of players and teams (especially from South Africa) have complained about the increasing amount of rugby they have to play, as well as the injury toll.
And they feel the increasing derby matches devalue in stature. For an example, the Bulls versus Sharks five times in one year is not appealing. The same could be said about ITM provinces.
The Super Rugby tournament is a championship and not a national domestic cup, and so it’s quite obvious that one country receives the largest piece of the pie.
I suggest Australia set up their own domestic championship to help develop their players.
The Shute Shield could possibly be nationalised in Australia, as this current Super Rugby format has decreased the team numbers and matches of both the Currie Cup and ITM Cup.
A Heineken Cup-style format would be appropriate, or if you’re keen on watching your team play everyone, then we could always go back to the single round robin format of old.
Apart from the name, the new/former Tri Nations seem to be a step in the right direction. Argentina is of course the biggest benefactor, but they came at a right time as the Tri Nations began to become a bit stale.
I would also like to have the traditional threematch June Tests and also the autumn four matches. This could be right opportunity to have prolonged Test series again.
In a perfect Green Lantern world, where I to head the Southern Hemisphere Rugby Union schedule department, things would be a little different:
1. Super Rugby starts mid-February and ends early June, followed by two weeks of rest.
2. Three consecutive June Tests run into July.
3. The Rugby Championship starts immediately after the last Test. (At which the Australian, South African, Argentine and New Zealand domestic competitions could begin as well.)
4. The Rugby Championship ends in early September followed by seven weeks of rest. (At which players could return to their provincial competitions and finish it strongly.)
5. Autumn Test starts on the first week of November.
Any questions?
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.