He’d prefer chopping South Africa altogether, but former Wallabies captain Stirling Mortlock says the likely axing of one of Australia’s five Super Rugby teams is the harsh reality for the ARU.
Mortlock, a two-time Super champion with the Brumbies who proudly ended his career with the Melbourne Rebels, is saddened by the prospect of one of his beloved clubs being cut in 2018.
“It’s very disappointing to hear one might not be around moving forward,” Mortlock told AAP on Thursday.
“Having said that, I do understand the logic behind it to a certain degree and it’s not just a reflection on the state of Super Rugby teams. It’s the state of rugby in general across the country.
“We haven’t had a very strong and robust pathway to developing our players consistently.
“That starts at club level and having a third-tier comp all the way up into flowing into provincial rugby, which flows into playing for the Wallabies.
“So if you look at all the current Super Rugby franchises across Australia, they’re all struggling.
“You name it, there’s been holes or consistencies and there hasn’t been continuity of our strategy or our programs, full stop, for a long period of time.
“And that’s got us to the state now whereby everybody’s questioning our depth to field five teams.”
Mortlock said he would “hate to see the Brumbies name evaporate” and felt a merger between the ACT outfit and the Rebels could work.
But Australia’s 2007 World Cup captain wished that all six South African teams were axed instead.
“My preferred model personally is actually an Australian-New Zealand model expanding up into Asia,” Mortlock said.
“The South African time zone does hardly anything for our viewers at all.
“For South African fans, it’s fantastic because they can get up in the morning and watch rugby all day long.
“The reality is, though, SANZAAR is made up of all the relevant countries so they’re not going to like me saying that.
“And there’s no way that’s going to happen either. That’s been spoken about historically, but it never happens.
“I also feel like a big part of the solution hasn’t been spoken about as well.
“The current status of just expanding to expand to create more content isn’t the solution.
“Having proper teams and higher quality competition is paramount.”
Even if that means that ultimately either the Brumbies, Rebels or Western Force perish.
“What we’ve probably got to have in mind is this is arguably going to be in the best interests of Australian rugby,” Mortlock said.
“And secondly, the current model is borderline broken, if not broken.
“So tough decisions need to be made.”
KD
Roar Rookie
But potentially sides cpuld play 4-5 games against Nz or Oz (during finals) in the games that count. Aswell as the potential to drop the eligibility laws to allow Int'l players to play for any side in this comp and Saffas could be playing against or with Kiwis and Ozzies regularly. What does Sa really have to gain from joining the North?? Does the North really want to travel to a different continent frequently? There was no talk of the CC including Sa sides in the comp so what would make them change their mind in the future? The only other option is to have 6 conferences of 6 and play each in your conference once and 2 from every other conference is that what you would want?
It is a difficult balance to maintain, quotas are unfortunately playing a role these days. But the reason for South African plywrs leaving are numerous. Limited opportunity to make a career out of rugby, if you leave school and you haven't been noticed at Craven week you most likely have a 10% chance of making it as a professional in SA, hence so many young rugby players leave. The next lot that leave are midawy through a rugby career and have come to realise they won't make the national team for various reasons. Then you have the big name players going for the big bucks. The recruiting and lure from Europe and Japan is too strong for many a young man.
In SA we pay R980 for DSTV, in Australia I see it is around 75AUD not much difference
John R
Roar Guru
That's a good point. Hadn't figured that.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
They have a bigger population but it doesn't mean their market is bigger. Aus has a population of 25M, but GDP per captia of $67k USD SA has a population of 55M, but GDP per capita of $6.6k USD Double the population is not much good to you if your economy is 1/10th per capita. In SA the average income of a white household is $42k (With other races lower meaning the real average wage is of course lower. In Australia this is $107k.
DaveSA
Guest
Fair point about Japan. Super 16 then. round Robin. 1 extra week and I would be happy to ditch the QF but that would not happen. 15 pool games is still less than current... so still better For me the main enemy is the regional conferences. SA should never have agreed to it but they did to get the stupid 6th side.
The Neutral View From Sweden
Roar Guru
Brush up your language mate. White people from SA are Africans also. And the biggest reason why SA players leaves for Europe and Japan is not - not yet at least - the quota system, it is money. As much as I hate the SA quota system, we all have to remember it has not really been an issue at team selections so far. It is there to see for anyone who cares watching Springboks games.
jeznez
Roar Guru
Thanks for the responses guys. Timing is a massive hurdle. Just popped the different tourney's onto a time line and very difficult to make it work. So job one is getting a global season! That can't be hard given the international windows have just been agreed out to 2032!
The Neutral View From Sweden
Roar Guru
Kick out the Sunwolves?!? Two years before the World Cup? That would be the stupidest mistake Sanzaar could make (and so far it seems they are not even considering it, so that it good news). If anything, Sanzaar - hopefully - have a plan for at least another Japanese team for 2020 (and I hope Argentina get another also). Consider that a fully included Japan is Super Rugby's only only only chance to compete with the NH financially long term. Japan's economy by itself is almost as big as all the nations in 6N together by the way. But let's bite that arm and pray that the SA Rand makes a big comeback as a hard currency, is that what you are saying DaveB?
Garryown
Guest
The start of the problem goes back to the new regime in SA insisting that more Africans are selected for the national team and for those Africans gain more experience to qualify for Springboks by being given more time and places in the Super Rugby competition.This has brought about current South Africans players looking at playing in Europe and may lead to them taking over more European clubs as they have done with the Saracens.The Currie Cup used to be a strong competition but I believe it is the losing its appeal. This has lead to those losing their privileged position for many years in SA reorganizing themselves and they are not worried what happens to Australia. The suggestion that we over this side of the Southern Hemisphere have a separate competition should be given more exploration. If more of the Pacific islanders that play in New Zealand teams were grouped in 2 or 3 teams with a couple more Japanese teams and their TV approached for interest.
Celtic334
Guest
If only World Rugby was making the decisions about Super Rugby that the mess that is SANZAAR. You have to give it to Pichot and Beaumont they said they were going to make changes and so far it appears they are true to their word. Kudos
KD
Roar Rookie
In the end the competition is only going to expand into these countries and theres just going to be no way to have the Nz and Oz sides to go as far as N.A and Arg regularly aswell as Sa. My format is based on expanding a little bit into these countries before going all out. Also when this comes in they should change the international eligibilty laws to players playing in either of these competition being eligible for their country, so Sa can have Nzers and Ozzies in their teams or play against them in Arg or N.A sides so they still get to play against some Kiwis and Ozzies regularly. National Unions will still keep their top up/national contracts so they can still keep a base of internationals at home, also each side would only be allowed to sign so much foreign players based on overall strength of each club so their are only so much places for players willing to take it up. In the end I think it will happen wether in 10 or 20 years its just a matter of when and in what format and this is the best way I think, with finals being from 4 to possibly 5 weeks long, you could still play that much games against Sa and Arg or Kiwi and Oz sides every year. And Arg and the N.A sides and cointries are only going to get better, at the same time strengthening Sa's competitors and also competition.
John R
Roar Guru
That, and the fact that their population base/market is wayyyyyyyy bigger.
John R
Roar Guru
Setting an alarm for 4am to watch your team get pasted by the Sharks is a real kick in the nuts. That's for damned sure! And a helluva way to ruin your Sunday. On the flipside, getting up at 4am to see your team steal a win from the Stormers (ala 2016) is a ripper way to start a Sunday.
Maroon Kev
Guest
It aint greater any more
Maroon Kev
Guest
People don't care about a fair draw buddy!!!! No sports have one!!! They just don't care about 2am games, and then don't care about teams who play most of their games at 2am!!!
Kashmir Pete
Roar Guru
Is that the reason why SA TV $ is so much greater? Access to more games in watchable hours (all day long!) as Stirllng mentions? I'd always been puzzled by that, maybe answer right there...
dru
Roar Rookie
Not just the franchises, but I think all teams in CC Premier Division would give Europe a crack. Bar the Kings unless they get their stuff together.
Uncle Eric
Guest
Of course they will Daveski. The games are only available on pay TV and most subscribers have the sexy new boxes which allow them to record and watch at their leisure (when they work). And there is no issue around discovering the score before watching, because sadly Rugby gets such poor exposure on alternative media. The lack of exposure is, in itself, is one of the major problems affecting the game. The other interesting thing is why the picture quality on F@x is so poor. The w@@@rs market HD TV and deliver the Rugby in analogue, hardly good for the game.
Daveski
Guest
At 2am ? I don't think so.