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In case many may have missed it, our new leader Bill Pulver has returned from his expedition to the land of milk and Guinness in his efforts to gauge the temperament of the IRB on his proposed law variations for his Super B brainchild.
Perhaps of little surprise to many, they really had no issue with his alterations of laws that include the removal of shots for goal from penalties and 25 minute halves in a developmental competition.
Which begs the question, why the need to fly when a simple phone or conference call would have been sufficient? Something to be pondered for another day.
The main thing is that it now appears that Super B (not the greatest of working titles) will become a reality from as soon as next season. Love it or hate it, it seems to be our stop gap alternative to a true third tier.
Apparently set to run for eight weeks (two rounds) the entire purpose is to provide the necessary level of competition above that of Club Rugby in an attempt to better prepare up and coming talent for the riggers of Super Rugby.
Many may look at this in scorn and continue to call for a re-visit of the old ARC concept. And fair enough. It’s a vital step that must be addressed. However, it might be worth taking this into account.
At present, rugby isn’t exactly cash rich, it’s not exactly asset rich either. So to take the risk of establishing an eight team tournament is an expense too far.
Perhaps this move can initially satisfy the need in the short term and be evolved in time into a new version of the ARC.
With initially the five franchises entering their ‘academy’ squads it will provide a competition to ply their wares while developing the level of competitiveness within each squad.
Questions surrounding its appeal have been tabled, however, it’s quite evident that apart from being a development tool with the proposed law alterations it is clearly also a product destined for TV.
Its whole purpose is to promote running rugby for the sake of entertainment to new and established audiences. Like this or not its a commercial reality but I think the primary issue for many will be its lack of scope.
Five teams, just five. Well, that’s true at least initially.
After contemplating the issue I come to the conclusion that as a start, it isn’t a bad one. In fact, its a road map to an ARC in time if done correctly and gradually over say a three to five year period.
In year one, the sole purpose is to get it up and running. The idea behind using Academies and playing before Super Rugby games is purely to keep the costs as low as humanly possible.
So to get five teams (hopefully named after the cities in which the are situated) will be the primary objective.
In year two, with the two largest playing pools both NSW and Queensland would look to effectively split their initial academy teams with the intention of running two separate squads to add further depth to the situation.
This would bring the competition from seven to 12 weeks. Too large for the proposed time frame. This is where the new TV deal will come into play.
The third season will fall in 2016 and the beginning of the new TV deal.
As part of the negotiations provisions for the Super B concept to grow into a stand alone competition separate of the Super Rugby season to one after all club commitments should be included.
In time it should be set that each Super Rugby franchise should have two direct squads feeding into its main roster to provide the necessary depth to maintain a strong competitive level.
At this point the Brumbies should look to introduce their second side and the competition look to use the better club grounds to play and broadcast from.
By the fifth year, the number should total 10 teams across nine rounds.
The point is that while the Pulver plan isn’t perfect but if done correctly can evolve into the third tier we have been calling for. And a step in the right direction.
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.