Super expansion: send rugby back to its roots

Roar Rookie

25th November, 2011

2140 Reads

Anyone can contribute to The Roar and have their work featured alongside some of Australia’s most prominent sports journalists.

DeSvarta new author

Roar Rookie

25th November, 2011

2140 Reads

Let’s face it, there’s endless positives and negatives to Super rugby expansion and in the end, we get what we get. So far it hasn’t got any better. Yet the ITM Cup and Currie Cup remain strong, staying true to their rugby roots.

Provincial and international rugby is where it’s at, and not in between.

Sure, it’s not all bad, and as a keen rugby follower, I am forced to enjoy Super rugby because that’s what served up.

But nobody can say they get the same amount of blood running when watching the Chiefs, Hurricanes, or the Sharks instead of Waikato, Wellington or Natal.

Talks of USA, Japan, Canada, Argentina and the Pacific Islands joining Super rugby sounds good, but how do you work out a fair competition played over continents?

I understand the need to grow rugby and strengthen their national teams, but it’s not the answer.

So dump Super Rugby in name and begin with a Heineken Cup-style competition. That way you can include as many teams and countries as you like, uncomplicate things, and reduce the number of games as nations need only one domestic competition.

You’d strengthen international rugby at the same time.

Also, design a better international season which enables promotion to the top tiers and more opportunities for second tier teams to get games against the big boys.

It would work something like this:

Africa: South African provinces plus Namibia and African Jaguars (16 teams)

Australia and Pacific: 1 Fiji, Tonga and Samoan team each, plus 10 Australian (13)

New Zealand: ITM teams (14)

Asia: Japanese competition plus Hong kong and Korea teams (approximately 12)

North America: USA and Canada super league teams (approximately 14)

South American: Argentina (8), Uruguay, Chile and Brazil (1 each)

So you would have around 80 teams. But let them play their normal domestic competition, with around 24 to play in the Heineken Cup-type finals.

International Competition:

Pool A: NZ, Aus, SA, Arg, Samoa, Tonga
Pool B: Fiji, Japan ; USA, Canada, Namibia, Uruguay
Pool C: Chile, Brazil, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Hong Kong, Korea

with promotion and relegation and warm up games against teams from other teams in other groups.

What do you think?

Join the conversation

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.