Argentina's expansion could open new world for rugby

Great article WCR , have seen ome of this mentioned before in dispatches , can only be exciting -may world rugby go ever forwards and upwards !!!!! Equity, Justice and Empowerment !!!! :=) and be blessed :-)

WQ i would be shattered too , i think pacific islander players offer the most genetically suited to rugby more than nay other human race. Melenesian and polynesian people majority are more so naturally designed ot rugby than white players in australia for example. The IRB recognise this to a degree i would say they are spending quite big on development of rugby around the world. And they built a rugby academy that cost at least $3.5 million dollars, thetas quite a lot for a sports academy. And the polynesian players have got better it was obvious in Samoa and tonga teams, the benefits of full time professionalism was there for all too see. Where samoa and tonga will struggle in world cups is a few things, internal politics, and coaching quality. Samoa or tonga or Fiji unless there is a rich benificator willing ot spend up big, ala Aussies did signing guss hiding to a rich short team deal, FiJI,samoa,Tonga, highly highly highly unlikely to sign a coach like graham henry standard for the world cup. Michela foley helped Fiji out apparently in a consulting role or samoa one of the 2, and totaui kefu helped tonga out, but a graham henry standard would be nice but dream on for the pacific island teams to attract a coach like graham henry a lot of $$$$$ dollars it would cost.

Just one little note in your article WCR - I would suggest that Rugby already is the second most popular football code in South America, unless you consider Futsul(?) to be a separate sport to Football. Perhaps you meant the second most popular sport over all - i.e. overtaking Basketball (I assume)? A good development. Presumably the final step has to be the professionalisation of the competition as the clubs are clearly (based on comments by Sharminator) never going to make this transition.

FYI: A Chilean Test player (the 2m tall Pablo Huete) played for Tasman in the 2011 ITM Cup and impressed European scouts to such an extent he is now playing for Castres. Sothland's Paul Henderson is currentl developing Chilean rugby at a junior level (schoolboy). http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=10768939

fiji played in the original super 6; I covered their fiji-based games for the paper I was working for

Good point Johnno and I do accept that the big bucks will struggle to come from small population bases. However I think that the IRB needs to get the balance right between funding the development of Rugby in emerging Rugby playing Countries and the ongoing development of Rugby in existing Test Rugby playing Countries. It is fine to accept that the big money is with the bigger developed population bases but I for one would be very disapointed to see the IRB stop developing the Pacific Island Countries. Some of the greatest players the World has seen come from these Countries. The other point I would make on this issue is that this type of inclusion i.e. Team in the Rugby Championship for the Pacific Island Nations, would have an enormous and immediate effect on their Test performances. The same level of support for emerging Countries may take decades to improve their Test performances.

Exactly WCR. Thanks. Club, region. Doesn't matter. They ain't national teams. In fact, given the Super comp is a "provincial" comp, my point about Fiji etc was on point.

"Since 2007 Agustin Pichot and various other players have been calling for a professional league to replace the campeonato Argentino as the top level of Argentinian rugby." "The present campeonato is amateur and only lasts 2 months after which players go back to their club." In some ways making that pro wouldn't be too different to NZ but minus super rugby i.e. a split season with amateur clubs in one half of the season and professional/semi-professional provincial rugby in the latter half. You could always have the lower divisions of the campeonato staying largely amateur, analagous to the NZ heartland championship/ the old NPC 2nd and 3rd divisions where the likes of buller and Wairarapa bush play. Alternatively some of the smaller provinces could field joint teams, although the distance involved even within argentina might be a problem.

Fiji never did but Samoa and Tonga played in the original super 10. I'll wager if there was money in it they would be in the super 15 right now.

Website of brazil rugby confederation, in portages but great website when you do the translate like google translate and read the articles some great stuff about brazil rugby, there really excited about 7evens olympic's in RIO, and make mention of the climbing uo the IRB rankings massively in last 3 years. Brazil is a hot bed for rugby in next 20 years no doubt huge population too. http://www.brasilrugby.com.br/

HE HE yes NF I couldn't help slipping in a little gift into rugby league's christmas stocking. You use use snide manner and you right NF, but i'd like to use bedside manner to RL. I knew it would get a reaction that's also why i simply could not resist giving rugby league some free publicity, and giving them a sip of fruit "Punch", and a gift in there christmas stocking. Many years ago NF, in a glassy far far away like 10 years ago, i used to be a league man who watched rugby union, but wanted league ot be global aka super league dream, i was shattered when super league re- merged without he ARL i could not stand the ARL administrators and club admin aligned with the ARL, i knew they would send rugby league backwards and delaying the iniveitbale of rugbyleauge becoming a global sport just when it was priming big time 94-95. Now in reality super elate has won the war news limited has ht emost power in rugby league, and all clubs love pay tv money and would not cross news limited as they need the cash they realise rugby league is a business and the players want $$$$ no matter where it comes from or by who, they don' want to be controlled by some old dinosaurs telling them how much money $$$$ they can earn. And rugby via sevens olympics and good world cups , and sound development models is beating league, but league 4 nations recently was good. Leaug eis a good sport it just lacks the variety for me, and different syles one can play and multiple body shapes that rugby offers. 1 thing i would like brought into rugby union is to be able to legally do a shoulder charge, i have loved SBW doing his shoulder charges in rugby , they seemed pretty flexible on SBW doing shoulder charges in rugby but no one else, loved some of SBW rugby shoulder charges. But yes NF global rugby union via 7evens and now south america and not america stuff and Asia is really exciting, rugby league's show piece has to extend beyond a 2 state state of origin im sorry to small tv ratings $$$$. ANd showing tv ratings of origin $$$$ is not the same for americans coz in rugby world cup they are par tof it, and soon south america teams will get better chance to qualify NF. Like super leagues vision i dreamed of super style matches in LA and NY, well rugby can do that potential SH champions league NF.

'Poor old rugby league could only dream of this development.' You just can't help yourself Johnno with another cheap shot at RL which is an constant with you it's seem every thread you go on you just have to mention RL in an snide manner one way or another.I would love to see RL get to where RU is but it's too late now if only I wish but that's life 100+ years of incompetent administration and backwards thinking does that to a sport such as RL.

AndyS I'd add in another team from Canada and a Brazilian team.

Actually, they don't play in opposite seasons. There would be little or no change for the US, as their Rugby Super League runs March to June. The Canadians would need to do a bit more, as their Canadian Rugby Championship runs July to September. But unlike others they both seem to have enough brains not to want to play in the snow, so it isn't that big a leap to a Pan-American Rugby competition. As to the benefits, that is obvious. Argentina has had a strong domestic competition for a long time, but it has never become professional. It is naive to think they can now just wave a wand over it and it will be a thriving economic entity. But give them regular matches in a televised competition paid in US dollars and the future would look a lot rosier. It might split into separate North/South competitions (conferences?) later, but I suspect the it would be the international aspect that would differentiate it in the crowded US sports market.

WCR Great article and just era you link and saw the video clips as well . Love the brazil rugby jerseys too. South american rugby and north american rugby and latin america central amrica rugby bring it all on in the AMERICA'S. Great you tube clips too WCR on that link. SO exciting. I can wait to like RWC 2035 it is going to be abosloutly amazing all this quality teams with big populations, maybee even earlier a team like brazil will challenge for the title or russia or USA, brazil rugby is certainly going forwad not backwards. Poor old rugby league could only dream of this development.

Would also like to add that resulting from there attendance at the Emirates Cup of Nations, Brazil stocky 1st 5 Lucas Duque and his brother Moises have won themselves trials with a number of undisclosed Top 14 and ProD2 clubs. Here is a link to highlight of Lucas Duque http://rugbyworldcup-argentina2023.blogspot.com/2011/12/duque-brothers-to-have-trial-for-teams.html

I think what Bay is trying to allude to is that the teams from Chile, Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay should enter under either the capital they'll play out of or the region it falls into instead of there national colours

Great for rugby looking forward to Argentina in the Tri nations next year or four nations w\e its called now. Good to see Argentina taking a leadership role 2.

And mexcio rugby is developing too 113 million population, the IRB have sounded out Mexico for rugby development and money, and if the IRB could also make inroads into jamaica where rugby league is taking off that would be good, and cuba too has 11 million people on USA doorstep as well, cubans very talented at sports, baseball, and boxing, and marital arts among others. Wow and here is an article on cuban rugby they have held an IRB sanctioned 7evens rugby tournament wow. Teams form USA texas, and other states, a mexican select team and cuba wow http://texasrugbyunion.com/2010/03/12/texans-invade-cuba/

I can’t really see the benefits of integrating South and North American provincial competition, especially as they play in opposite seasons. I would much rather see each continent develop their own SR/NPC, and subsequently develop their own styles. North America could easily develop an international competition along the same lines as the Campeonato, Canada already have 4 provincial teams, the US could have 6 – resulting in a similar East/West conference 10 team comp. East – New York, New England, Mid-West, Ontario, Quebec/Maritime Provinces, and West – California, Pacific Nth West, Colorado/Rocky Mountain, BC and Prairie Provinces. The Americas is such an exciting area for rugby development, it is completely possible for both North and South to have their own professional provincial competitions within the next 10 years, imagine how that would change the whole professional rugby world.