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Who? A Japanese and American club. What? Super Rugby. When? In 5-10 years. Where? Some say Tokyo, some say LA. Why?
“Why?” indeed is the question that I cannot seem to fully comprehend.
It doesn’t seem to be the opinion of an overwhelming majority, but I am seeing a call for it online.
Why a Japanese and/or an American rugby union club would have a place in Super Rugby in the next 5-10 years is something that appears to have little motive apart from either rugby development, or the one thing that is often described as “the root of all evil”.
Money, geld, dinero or whatever you choose to call it, looks to be one of the main reasons for suggesting the entry of a Japanese or American club into Super Rugby. There are suggestions entering a team would quite likely give the competition a huge financial boost.
However, are the big bucks really worth it? Would the rapid influx of money really change the competition that much and how would a Japanese or American club even do in Super Rugby?
Apart from the monetary incentive of course, there is also the other reason for a possible entry of a Japanese or American club, which would be to improve the standard of rugby within their respective nations.
Although there is an obvious need for the improvement of rugby in tier-two and tier-three countries, should Super Rugby, which is arguably the premier (or next-best, depending on which side of the equator you happen to live in) club competition of the world be diluted with lesser teams?
The US is yet to win the Churchill Cup and Japan is the big fish in the pond of Asian rugby, but still a minnow in a vast ocean. Clubs from these countries would most likely be even weaker than their national teams and would be thrashed on a regular basis. This is unless the teams were to be filled with foreign players, much like football.
If this were to be the case, then it would probably not develop Japanese rugby anyway by giving foreign players priority rather than their younger local talent.
Please don’t get me wrong, I am all for the development of rugby within Japan and America, as well as other “minnows”. All I am trying to say is that in the next 5-10 years a Japanese or an American club would be better off in another competition rather than making the leap to Super Rugby where they would become nothing more than cannon-fodder.
If the Southern Kings, a club from two-time world champions South Africa, are looking like probable walkovers in Super Rugby, then we’ve got to ask ourselves: how would a Japanese or American team fare?
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.