Recently, I wrote a piece calling for the withdrawal of the ARU from the SANZAR alliance.
The piece was in many ways more a means of protesting my dissatisfaction with the model being employed in the upcoming expansion of the competition, rather than my distaste for Super Rugby itself.
I’m actually a big fan.
The development of new markets is a necessity and would be regardless of the domestic situations of either of the SANZAR unions. Super Rugby is a brand, a strong one at that.
It should be looking to expand its reach and influence over the next 10-20 years. The primary reason is money. There’s nothing shameful about it. The like of Manchester United have actively undertaken branding campaigns in order to develop their financial base.
There’s no reason why SANZAR shouldn’t look to maximise their brand.
Accessing greater financial windfalls allows the unions to retain domestic talent, which is under threat from the likes of the Top 14 and Aviva Premiership.
I have absolutely no issue with this. The problem I have is with the means in which they plan to go about this, not the fact that Japan and Argentina will have a team each.
That was inevitable but more in the piecemeal nature of it and the ad hoc structure which they have chosen to employ.
I think it could be done far more intelligently.
It may take 5-10 years more but it ensures that when ready Super Rugby can capitalise on its truly unique nature and become the first largely global sporting championship.
While I understand the development argument in bringing in both a Japanese and Argentine squad, I am yet to be convinced that this one-team approach is the best option available.
Surely it would be better to encompass the following suggestions.
1. Maintain the current conference structure
However, with the intent to move each to six teams a piece. South Africa will get their sixth team.
Auckland could host a combined PI squad and Australia could either look to do likewise or add another domestic based franchise.
2. Foreign player contracts
As part of this expansion, each franchise opens eight foreign player contracts. Six of these spots would be opened exclusively for the recruitment of both Argentine (4) and Japanese (2) talent, and the other two for developmental positions.
This would mean that between 60-64 Argentine players accessing Super Rugby in the near future and between 30-32 Japanese players. This will not only deepen the player pool but will provide both nations with enough depth to continue to improve internationally and potentially in terms of Japanese to integrate into the current Rugby Championship format.
Even if they involve a team from both nations, surely it would be better for the Argentine squad to fall into the New Zealand conference and the Japanese in the Australia.
From there, expansion should be done not in the form of individual squads but entire conferences. If the goal is to break into new markets, the piecemeal method will either just outright fail or take excruciatingly long to implement.
The base framework is already either in place or being worked on.
For instance, look at Japan and Argentina. Japan has a pro/semi-pro structure in the Top League. It’s unlikely that any organisation would be capable of being competitive at the levels required for Super Rugby. However, there are opportunities to drive the establishment of three separate franchises in Japan to form the spine of a Super Rugby affiliated Asian Super 5/6 Championship.
The goal would be to use Super Rugby branding to establish a conference league with three teams from Japan and one from both Hong Kong and Singapore (Dubai could be a roughy) with the goal of allowing at least five years in which to build to a point where integration would be possible as a conference unit.
Recruitment for this conference would not purely be limited to locals, though ideally there will be a strong local presence. They will be allowed to look outward for talent regardless of its origin.
For Argentina, they already have an established provincial championship – the Campenato Argentino de Rugby. Again, the goal should be using Super Rugby branding.
To transition this structure into a viable conference in which to be fully integrated. This essentially would be the conference for South America. It could even look to have a team in Uruguay/Chile as a means to concentrate talent within Argentina.
Opening spots for both nations talent in the suggested format above would be an effort to ensure that when both conferences come online, the level of talent and development knowledge is already present to ensure that they are as competitive as possible.
Finally, there appears to be opportunities developing in North America that if SANZAR are ambitious enough to seize could provide it the opportunity to break into that particular market.
There are currently two professional league proposals in the works. One is privately driven and the other is USAR backed. It could be possible for SANZAR to partner with one in a similar capacity to that in my Asia and South America propositions to look to bring on board a North American conference.
The key to this is money. It would not require SANZAR to provide any extra finances. The deal will be to provide branding, logistic and expertise support.
The payoff would come later when they are integrated, but only when they have matured enough to provide not only enough benefit to their host nations but to the original SANZAR unions themselves.
A competition with such a reach could be considered immensely valuable.
sheek
Roar Guru
Welcome back Rugger! The passion simmers yet beneath the surface.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Based on the financial predicament, any expansion of the Sanzar nations needs to be extremely measured. Each nation's fan base has little appetite for the international aspect of super rugby. To them it's teams they don't know in bad time zones. The international element of international rugby feeds this appetite sufficiently through a full international season. So the addition of new teams and new regions has to be met with the question, does this bring more money to the Sanzar partners? If no, then it cannot go ahead. Doing the right thing for the game will be no good if the unions go broke before it grows adequately. Due to this I think teams like a PI team are not feasible as they simply lack the commercial support required.
AndyS
Guest
Not so sure about that last Oz...I think it could be that Argentina will look to do what NZ did, introducing SR over the top of the existing competition to preserve what is good about it rather than destroy it bymaking it something else.
Ozee316
Guest
I share your concerns Nobrain. Taken from a business perspective, what you have identified seem to be a whole host of opportunities that are on the horizon in South America, especially Argentina. For instance: - Soccer mad = rugby is higher growth - RWC and Rio Olympics around the corner mean that broadcast deals yet to be announced may come out better than we imagine, especially im South America. - Chile, Santiago is a Rugby city of 6 million population that will get a Super Rugby team in 2020 all things going well. Rio or another city outside of Argentina may also be on the cards. There is no doubt that Argentinas best players will be able to staycin South America and Play Super Rugby and for their National team in coming years. We have to remember. SANZAR has only revealed their plans for 2016 but they obviously have plans and scenarios for beyond that which it would be reckless to reveal at this stage. Probably commercially sensitive. We can see this as the beginning of the professionalization of Argentine Rugby. SANZAR may not need to push the rest because the underlying club structure may organize itself independently of Super Rugby. This is all good.
Nobrain
Guest
My views are bias because I am very please that I will get to see a team from Argentina playing in a great competition, however I have to admit that it is a big call and I would have played different. I would have started with Argie players playing in different teams in SR, then I would have go for a team, and finally for the Pumas in the RCH. In my view the fact that the Pumas are in RCH already is not good news for fan attendance in the stadiums at team at SR level. In my opinion the Argentinian team in SR needs a super marketing effort in Argentina. I happen to know first hand that when UAR asked for money to Nike( currently dressing Pumas) had no for an answer. This is the type of situation that a profesional rugby team will encounter in Argentina. The UAR tried to make a team that was 50% ownership by them and 50% to go private but they could not find anyone willing to do it, and now the franchise will be owned 100% by UAR. This means that it will be less money for talent. You will probably see joining the franchise players that have played in Europe and could not find a club there any longer due to either NH clubs are little tired of paying their salaries and have to wait for RCH to finish to have them while many of them go back with some sort of injury or burned out from the competition, or the player cicle is over. These will mixed up with young local talent that is not selected by NH. Saying that, in my part, I will attend every game they play locally, but it is also true that not many people like rugby as much as I do in the infected soccer country that I happened to be be born in.
AndyS
Guest
Don't know...seen some of those Sikh lads?
NaBUru38
Guest
If money is key, then don't pick Uruguay. There's quite a few rugby fans here, but not enough for a Super Rugby team. But then it's not just for the money. Having an Argentine team means having another strong rival. They will play hard and fans will love it.
pjm
Roar Rookie
Haha. Why do you think Soccer is so popular around the world? Because any skinny malnutrition'd runt can play it, not so much for rugby so it will never flourish in countries such as India or Malaysia.
Johnno
Guest
WCR yes strategic to help a SANZAR alligned nation like Argentina and soon to be Japan.Your model clearly does care more about player development for Argentina than French and Irish rugby.
Owen
Guest
It comes to me as no surprise at all that the three most financially struggling teams in Australia and NZ have strong ties to Japan - Rebels, Force and Highlanders. They either have Japanese players on their books or they send their players to Japanese clubs. This is significant. This builds a following in Japan, with their fans, corporates (who comprise the fans and teams there...)
Owen
Guest
You are right. The main point is that teams do not need to be based exactly where the fans are. There needs to be a good home fan base but as long as the team fits coherently into the league teams from the Pacific Islands can be based in NZ/AUS and players from Asia and Argentina can play in other teams which will increase the talent pool AND crucially the broadcast audience. Theoretically, if you had enough Brazilian players in other teams then the broadcast revenue from Brazil would be higher even without a team based there - this is how the EPL runs it. This is why having more teams in Argentina in 2020, say up to 4 is a good idea plus allowing their players to play in other franchises. Asia the same. The cross pollination of the league is what increases the broadcast value. Fans need to want to know about rivals from other countries because their players are in there. In the case of Singapore, a Super Team there was said to spur the development of local 3rd tier leagues in Malaysia and Sri Lanka and India. It would be a matter of time before their players and then their fans would be interested in Super Rugby as former English colonies. Japan is moving along the same path in Noth East Asia. The USA is doing this all by itself in North America.
Working Class Rugger
Guest
Mark, The distances required to be traveled make conferences a necessity and I'm just referring to the current set up. Why should SA and Aus also develop Argentine and Japanese talent? Because both offer entry points into much larger commercial opportunities. Those opportunities that will allow all of us to kept our best talent and prevent Super Rugby being relegated to feeder status by the growing financial power in Europe.
Mark
Guest
Thats an even worse solution The Conference Model is horrendous. Also - why should NZ pay to develop foriegn talent. Too many aussie fans without brains... No wonder your Union is bankrupt!
Epiquin
Roar Guru
But the only reason to invest in more Australian teams would be to take advantage of the Australian audience. At the moment, this is a pretty modest audience, considering that it isn't even on free to air. Is the demand there from the audience perspective? Investors will only be willing to invest if there is a return.
Midfielder
Guest
WCR I see it the same as you however I see the solution differently ... Rugby needs to invest in changes to its base structures and then from these changes develop up...
RobC
Roar Guru
Thanks WCR. Is there an option, where the SR teams start running out of money?
Brian M
Guest
I just meant, I'm just not personally a fan of a totally open competition like the EPL.
Brian M
Guest
I would say that's what world cups and tests are for. I think the EPL is too open myself, hardly any English play in it.
Working Class Rugger
Guest
Part of why I suggested two PI squads based out of Auckland and Sydney.
Working Class Rugger
Guest
Opening up the spots for Argentine and Japanese talent would help alleviate that. I don't think the SR conference beyond 6 teams each until all new markets are integrated. So basically SR would end up being made up of six conferences of 6 teams before it expands the conference structure.