It’s bad enough SANZAAR has allowed South Africa six teams against Australia and New Zealand’s five each, but to muddy the tournament even further by adding Japan’s Sunwolves and Argentina’s Jaguares defies description.
It’s not only made the best provincial tournament in world rugby to become unwieldy and far from a level playing field, but the massive extra travel involved for those drawn to play the Sunwolves and Jaguares away is debilitating.
Just as the Western Force has every right to be filthy with SANZAR with their draw for this season.
Take the first nine weeks for the Force.
Week one they travel from Perth to Sydney to play the Waratahs. That’s a five-plus hour trip of 3300 kilometres, then repeat the dose on return.
Week two the Force play the Reds at home.
Week three up and away again from Australian rugby’s furthest outpost to Canberra to play the Brumbies, another five-plus hour trip of around 3088 kilometres if there’s a direct flight, and the same return.
In three weeks, the Force and staff will have flown 12,778kms taking 20-plus hours, and only played three games.
Blissfully, week four will be a bye, and back into the Perth airport lounge mode.
Weeks five and six will be right across Australia to Christchurch and Auckland for the Crusaders and Blues – close to 11,000kms and 18 hours in the air.
Week seven will be the Kings at home, and thankfully their second and final bye.
Eight weeks for six games, around 24,000-plus kilometres, and close to 40 hours in the air.
The Force has none and Buckley’s of kick-starting their season with success.
Week nine and ten dramatically add to that Gulliver’s Travel schedule playing the Sharks in Durban and off to Argentina for the Jaguares.
More serious numbers – Perth to Durban covers 7869kms in 13 hours and 25 minutes, Durban to Argentina 8139kms in 25 hours and 35 minutes, and Argentina to Perth 12,580kms in 31 hours 10 minutes, with Round 14 against the Reds at Suncorp 4312kms in 5 hours 15 minutes.
The Force’s seven away games in 2017 will cover more than 53,000 kilometres, taking 110+ hours in the air.
And they’re meant to play international standard rugby as well. Thanks SANZAAR for nothing.
Darwin Stubbie
Guest
Hypothetically if Aust dropped out the format would change ... SA fans hate the repetitive nature of seeing their sides play each other - a newer leaner format could address that - esp given both NZ and SA have their traditional national competitions bedded in and SR no longer would be required to perform that function for Aust ... i think youd find SA and NZ continuing on with SR is some kind of arrangement
davSA
Guest
You are spot on sheek . We do hold the comp in high regard. The regional rivalry gets pretty fierce , far more so than if we play an overseas side. During the period of international isolation it was intense to the point of ugly. I keep reading on The Roar those proposing our exclusion from Super Rugby . It would affect us less than many think.
Dale
Guest
All the Parish pump comments here make me wonder if this a Rugby blog or a rugby league blog. Let's wind back the clock to the Shute Shield only, and NSW could then kindly agree to play QLD when they felt like it. Seriously, the world has moved on and we are an international game.
AJ
Guest
I know. I kept reading this waiting to feel outraged..... Put it this way Week 1 in Australia, 2 home, 3 Aust, 4 bye, 5 and 6 NZ (assume they stay there mid week), 7 bye, 8 home, 9 home, 10 RSA, 11 Arg, 12 Home, 13 Brisbane, 14, 15 and 16 Home. 7 home games 3 away on mainland Australia 1 trip to NZ Round trip to RSA and South America (imagine it would be gruelling) 2 well placed byes 4 of the last 5 are home games with a Brisbane trip which is a home weekend for approx. 50% of the squad anyway. That should have them well rested for a finals campaign. I'll admit there's a bit of yo-yo there early but they have a few home games strung together there. You live in the most remote capital in the world on a remote continent nation you're gunna travel a lot.
Nobrain
Roar Guru
Mr Lord, sorry to tell you that the way you put it is actually how many people in Australia think. Play the AFL and League Rugby. Both sports that are barely worldwide known. I mean ! I follow sports all over but if you ask me the name of a single team in the AFL I will fail the test. Communications are getting faster and the world is getting smaller. Developing SR is staying ahead of the curb and sometimes it takes a toll. You do not like RCH the way it is , fine. You do not like SR the way it is, fine also. IMO is a selfish way to put it. Many people in Argentina enjoy the possibilty of playing both tournments and I am sure they do it in Japan as well. I ussually do not give my opinion in domestic rugby problems outside my country, but you push me to have an exception,. The problem with rugby union in Australia began much earlier than RCH and SR expansions. I think this is an excuse for your own failures to being able to develop the game in your own turf and not taking the advantage to do it after you conquered in a fantastic way the World titles. You never took advantage of that. W. force have a taft schedule? Sunwolfe and Jaguares have the the worst and they do not complain, they are just happy to be there. Los Pumas have the worst possibly schedule in RCH and that has not been changed not once. If you think that W. Force does not have a chance for a SR title because of the schedule you are just not being fair and use this argument as an excuse to bring your point . If you do not want SR and RCH the way it is pls write an article that deserves a better title and go straight to the point so que can all argue in a fairly manner and understand what you are shooting for.
GWSINGAPORE
Guest
The Sunwolves and the Jaguares were often more entertaining to watch in 2016 than the Force and the Rebels.
AndyS
Guest
Yes, Montgomery's more appropriate response would have been to pack up all his troops, take the lot back to Britain, practice bridge seizure there and limit himself to two bridges a year on the continent... ;)
AndyS
Guest
So each game with a 6 day turnaround also...?
Darwin Stubbie
Guest
Based on the metrics he's pushing location, travel times, poor performance ... the force fit nicely into the basket of not belonging ... the difference is they're not a foreign team - so therefore they appear to be deemed OK - SR isn't perfect we all know that but it is what it is and more importantly it keeps the ARU and therefore game afloat .... if you guys don't like then ignore it and support club rugby
AndyS
Guest
In which case why are the Reds starting at home two from the first three, and the Sunwolves finishing with home games...?
Bakkies
Guest
The more stupid thing is there are Thursday games. It's a rubbish time slot for supporters who have to travel. Midweek games were stopped for a reason
Rugby Floss
Roar Rookie
Don't remember that game..... I know it gets hot here in Perth but not 36 degrees at 7 in the evening. And if that's what our boys are used to, then why shouldn't we have have it as a home ground advantage?
piru
Roar Rookie
I know the differences well Republican, having played rugby on frozen Canterbury and Otago pitches and Gridiron (in full padding and helmet) at 2pm in 43 deg Perth heat. It's hard work playing football in hot weather, no doubt, but weather is part of the game, I don't think expecting visitors to play in hot weather is any different than expecting them to play in the freezing cold or pouring rain. If necessary, allow more water breaks, but most games in Perth are played after sun down anyway, meaning the temperature is unlikely to be any higher than late 20s
sheek
Roar Guru
Actually Stubbie, David's logic is sound here. Ever heard of Operation Market Garden in 1944 in WW2? Montgomery's over-ambitious plan to seize three bridges in Holland across the Rhine, & invade Germany that way. The Allies got a toehold on two bridges, but not the third, & the whole operation collapsed. They made a movie about it: "A Bridge Too Far". Japan is a bridge too far for super rugby. However, since Argentina are in the Rugby Championship, it makes sense they should be represented in super rugby, or a part of it.
sheek
Roar Guru
Okay Stubbie, That's fine too. Actually I think SA might join Oz outside super rugby. They still revere their Currie Cup.
Republican
Guest
........playing footy in heat is very different to playing it in wet and cold conditions Piru. Footy is a Winter sport for that very reason. I grew up in Canberra and played footy and hockey in minus temps that included snow at times, which was fine once you warmed up. Same can't be said playing in the heat. This is a real issue when you consider that sports are less determined by seasons as there exists a commercial insatiability to have them played longer each year. The AFL now schedules as early as late Feb for the NAB, which is probably the hottest time of year truth be told, with Canberra just finishing a spell of 40 C degree days.
piru
Roar Rookie
Of course you can. This just shields the eastern and kiwi teams from the WA elements. Funny as we're expected to play in the wind, rain and fog in wellington and Christchurch (not so much Dunedin these days o be fair)
Unanimous
Guest
It still happens for most teams crossing an ocean. Currently there's only two away games played by SA group teams in Aus/ NZ and the same the other way. Both games are back to back.
Unanimous
Guest
If removing a team is a way to fix their travel problems, then the Force is in danger.
Unanimous
Guest
They've done it for years on purpose to avoid the heat. The one game played early last year was played in a humid 36 degrees. You can't play propper rugby on days like that.