I know what you are all thinking. You’re worried about the addition of the Argentinian and Japanese teams to Super Rugby – but I’m here to tell you to R-E-L-A-X.
Share our game with the world
People seem to quickly forget that Australia, New Zealand and South Africa don’t own the rights to rugby as a whole.
We can’t afford to be selfish with rugby; we need to spread it as best we can. I’d like to think that in the not too distant future rugby becomes so jam packed full of talent that we need to allow more teams into the Rugby World Cup.
Much like the FIFA World Cup, we can create a tournament where nothing is set in stone and anybody has a real chance to knockdown anybody.
This will of course require the majority of players in each team to be playing professional rugby of some sort. This is where established club competitions around the world come in.
The benefits and my concerns
Super Rugby is doing the sport a service by expanding it’s borders and allowing pro rugby players in Argentina and Japan the opportunity to play the sport they love in the country of their birth. In Japan’s case, they are allowing the opportunity to focus solely on the sport they love rather than simply working for corporations and then playing rugby later that week, usually for the same corporation.
I am not blinded by the love of the sport however. I am aware there will be some obstacles to overcome but that is no reason to stunt the growth of the sport.
This will also open us up to different styles of rugby from different teams. The Argentinians are a good example. Although similar to the Saffas, the Pumas have an almost unstoppable scrum and maul that sets them apart from any other team.
The same goes for the Japanese, who are very quick skilful and tactical and have strong forwards that are underestimated by the majority of rugby fans.
It’s not all sunshine and lollipops though, as I too have a few issues. Firstly, I’m not really sure how Japan alternating home grounds with Singapore is going to work but I’m not going to whine about it.
I’m going to wait and see how they work their way around it, and if they don’t and it becomes a big issue, everybody can collectively moan – but let’s do it then.
But my biggest hope is that they don’t just become the national teams in the SR competition.
I’d like to see the Argentinians employ a few Uruguayans and the Japanese to employ a few Koreans or Hong Kong players.
I hope they blood new talent so they can create stars in the making who play against world class opposition for the majority of their careers.
In turn, this will create a generation of kids that want to replicate that and continue the cycle of rugby talent in these countries.
Other ways to grow the sport
I don’t think that Super Rugby should be the only competition doing this. I would love if one of the higher ranking European Leagues would take in a Georgian Team or even a Romanian team or better yet a mixture of the two.
I would say there would also be space for an American team, but they seem to be big enough to create a league on their own.
I do believe the quality of that league would increase should they choose to include the similarly ranked Canadians in their venture – adding in that strong rivalry they have in almost any sport.
I think the sport would also benefit from a Champions League style competition where the top four or so sides from every club competition get sorted into groups and we get to see who really is the best club side in the world.
Having that competition located in a different country each year we could bring world class rugby to the masses and create more of a cult following to our clubs similar to what we see in football.
Try to keep an open mind
I hope everyone can keep an open mind about Super Rugby in 2016 because I believe you will be surprised about how smoothly it runs. Yes there will be some critics but there already is.
Obviously I wouldn’t expect too much from these new teams in the first year, but I don’t believe that they’ll be complete whipping boys regardless.
In the second year they will have found their comfort zone by knowing the pace, skill, strength and tactical ability required to be competitive in the league – as opposed to the first year of diving head first into the unknown.
Some people need to realise that in any league someone has to come last. If that does happen, it is hardly a reason to freakout.
Maybe, if they get completely decimated in every match and fail to win throughout the season, there will be cause for concern but in all honesty I don’t see that happening at all.
I don’t quite understand why some people are calling for an islander team when all of those island nations are behind Japan and Argentina in rank anyway. Yes there are quite a few islanders already in the league, but their countries most likely don’t have the money to support such a team anyway.
I feel this can only grow the sport further and allow greater opportunities for the world of rugby as a whole, enticing more promising young athletes to take up our game whatever country they may hail from.
They will know that through hard work and determination they can eventually find themselves on the world stage, honing their skills against the best in the business.
Thank you for taking the time to read this – see you next year on the sidelines.
Aidan Loveridge
Roar Pro
Hahah judging by your name abdul id gather you know alot more about stereotypes than i do ;)
abdul
Guest
Don't you mean a "chup" on your shoulder?
hqsmokeshow
Guest
I completely agree with Aidan. The expansion, it can bring great exposure for the sport.some don't agree with another saffa team, but I can't wait to see what they and the argentinian and Japanese teams will bring to the table. Bring on the super 18 and 2016! Can't wait to watch how it all unfolds! We'll thought and unbiased article!
hqsmokeshow
Guest
I completely agree with Aidan, the expansion can bring great things for the exposure of the sport, but every positive has a negative, obviously some believe another saffa team isn't a good idea it'll be great to see what they and the argentinian and Japanese teams will bring to the table. Can't wait to see the action bring on the super 18 on 2016!
Aidan Loveridge
Roar Pro
Australian sporting culture you mean how we recently beat you twice in league or how you haven't won the bledisloe in like 10 years? Hey i don't have a problem with your sports teams i do have a problem with people like you who consistently whines about how unfair things are and any one who doesn't agree is "uninformed" with a "chip on their shoulder" get over yourself mate i don't have a chip on my shoulder because my countries team actually performs in sports that matter
Moderate the trolls please
Guest
I didn't think New Zealanders with chips on their shoulders was that weird a topic actually. Here we are talking about an expanded Super Rugby and again we have another New Zealander making uninformed remarks about Australia's sporting culture. Same old same old.
Mate, I am so disillusioned about SA rugby at the moment I am tired of it. Super Rugby is just one of the issues I am unhappy about, I am getting to the point where I am wondering whether all of this is worth it. The fact is no matter what we do we keep on losing players to Europe, our local rugby is being depleted of their stars and no expansion is going to halt the exodus. We are now losing 20 - 23 year old Springboks, yet SARU keeps on selecting overseas based players. I think it is time to have a rethink about this sport.
Aidan Loveridge
Roar Pro
Yeah but i think you will watch it because then you get to come on here and tell us how much you hate it. I feel like no matter how much im set on loving this competition it isnt going to change how much your going to hate it and continue to hate it as it consistently grows so i can foresee you hating this for a long time because its set in stone now its not going to change i feel like resisting it is futile your just going to cheat yourself out of the best competitive rugby in the world. Your an old school rugby fan which i get but for new school rugby fans its nothing but exciting and if it fails so what? Atleast we got to experience something different your never going to know if you like a new flavor of ice cream if you never try it? I do agree with alot of stuff you write but at the same time your very set in your ways if you don't like something from the outset your probably never going to like it. But im sure youl still watch it otherwise what will you write about during the season?
Aidan Loveridge
Roar Pro
The difference is everybody in australia knows what rugby is so if they like it they will pay for it if they don't they won't. Whereas in untapped countries such as argentina and japan not as many people know about it therefore new fans will be generated. No the opposite view would be if i wrote in my article that they should go to the islands and it will get them alot more money which i did not so your wrong there. Surely by now you should know the writer of the article on roar does not get to choose the title? That would not be bad for the game Australia falls someone else gets to take their place as ireland will probably do so then that will increase popularity of the sport there even more so i don't any bad effects on the sport itself from that outcome at all
Moderate the trolls please
Guest
RL is a sport which has shrunk in it's major competitive areas of France and England, to say it is "Australias way of being number 1 at something" just because other nations have fallen by the wayside makes me wonder what you think about the amount of times Australia won the Davis Cup or the Cricket and Rugby World Cups. I suppose what we should do is ditch baseball and cricket and concentrate on men's softball, so we can pretend to be "World" Champions at something, just like the Americans do with basketball and gridiron. We can go around patting ourselves on the back pretending the world takes the game just as seriously as we do. "BECAUSE THE YANKS PLAY it AND WE WANNA BE NOTICED BY THE AMERICANS!!!" That'll be a good way to soothe the burdens of the chips we carry on our shoulders of being from a country so inconsequential on the world stage. Oh hang on! I that's right! I'm an Aussie, not a New Zealander!
No need to wait for me, having to watch the same SA teams play each other repeatedly in Super Rugby and then Currie Cup provides little benefit to us.
Beaujolais
Guest
"if i like a sport il find a way to watch so if they don’t know it’s on they mustn’t care about it" This is precisely the problem with the current situation. The current broadcast is exclusive to PayTV, which means that rugby is screened exclusively to existing fans. This fan base is dwindling for a variety of reasons, and there is no replenishment of the rugby fan base without any FTA rugby broadcast. Therefore the current situation is NOT financially or in any other way sustainable for Australian rugby. "what do business’s thrive on? MONEY" Super rugby isn't geting enough money from broadcasting the game in Australia, because they're not broadcasting on a medium that encourages enough people to watch it. So to get more money Super rugby is expanding elsewhere. The more Super rugby expands, the less the value of Australian super games will be (because there will be more 'mouths to feed' in the Super rugby 'nest', but not enough extra 'food' to feed them all with). This creates a downward spiral for the ARU of decreasing revenues and increasing debts. "so why would they go to the islands and lose money when they can earn more money and create more exposure for the sport in more densely populated countries?" If you believe that argument, then why would you write an article suggesting exactly the opposite point of view, entitled, "The Super Rugby changes are good for the game"? If unsustainable Super rugby expansion leads to the bankrupting of the game in Australia, how will that be good for the game?
tc
Guest
Katipo Rugby Union is light years ahead of league, there is no comparison.
Aidan Loveridge
Roar Pro
To be honest i think the majority of rugby fans should just relax and wait for these changes to come about before crying about how rubbish they think this expansion is. Im saying give it a chance things have to change sometimes its the way of the world get over it. Yes like ive said many times before it is indeed about money but do you know what else has alot of money? The NBA NFL EPL NHL these are some of the top sporting leagues in the world and what do they have alot of? Money. And as for league well they've lost Burgess and SBW to rugby and Hayne to a dream of playing in the NFL so id say they must be hurting pretty bad indeed. I don't like league because if i want to watch rugby il watch rugby and if i want to watch a similiar contact sport il watch American Football. League is Australias way of being number 1 at something as with the US and NFL except that the NFL is world renowned.
Aidan Loveridge
Roar Pro
My thoughts exactly
Aidan Loveridge
Roar Pro
I don't know about you but if i like a sport il find a way to watch so if they don't know it's on they mustn't care about it. Yes clearly that is what they are doing because they are a business and what do business's thrive on? MONEY and what do all the top sporting leagues in the world have? MONEY so why would they go to the islands and lose money when they can earn more money and create more exposure for the sport in more densely populated countries?
Bakkies
Guest
Argentina don't have a professional comp whereas Japan do. You simply can't lump the two and their specific needs together.
Bakkies
Guest
Terrace are you suggesting that the Brumbies shouldn't have been introduced? The team that provided depth towards the successes in the late 90s/early '00s. Gregan and Roff didn't even play Super 10 when they got picked for the '95 RWC squad so where would they have played when the game went pro considering neither would touch a Waratahs jersey with a barge pole? Larkham probably wouldn't have been discovered. Smith, Finegan, etc couldn't break in to the Tarts teams. There wasn't just Super League that was throwing around big money, several key players had been in discussions with Ross Turnbull's World Rugby Corporation as they were disgruntled with their unions. Australian Rugby was also skint and blokes like Horan and Little were well sort after by league clubs. There was also the risk of players moving to England to play either league or join a Premiership club. Keith Wood, Phillippe Sella, Michael Lynagh, Francois Pienaar, Paul Wallace, Thomas Castegnede, etc went to Premiership clubs in the early days of the Pro era. Zinzan Brooke followed soon after. Nigel Wray, Tom Walkinshaw, etc were pumping money in to clubs.
Bakkies
Guest
Montpellier has to prioritise the league as they have lost their last few in a row and the coach is considering resigning.
chibimatty
Roar Rookie
Well seeing as you asked, those are my reasons. I prefer to see all teams play each other and I would like to see the team I support match up against all of SANZAR and Super Rugby's finest.