There are two burning questions that need to be addressed for Australian rugby to move forward.
1. How to move professional rugby ahead effectively with the current broadcast arrangement?
The current Super Rugby format is unworkable, confusing and unsustainable. However, this lemon of a structure was sold to broadcasters for a five-year deal.
So how can we tweak what we have to be more palatable until 2020?
Easy, we scrap the four-conference system in favour of a three-conference system:
1. South Africa teams
2. Australia plus Japan
3. New Zealand plus Argentina
Each team plays everyone in their conference home and away. They then play three teams from each of the other two conferences, rotating every two years.
The finals would be a top eight, with each conference champion and runner up getting automatic spots, and the remaining two spots to the highest placed teams on a combined Super Rugby ladder.
I understand not every team plays each other and that’s not ideal, but this is the best of a bad situation.
I also understand that the New Zealand teams and fans will rightly cry foul and say that this final system undermines their prospects, but no matter what is put infront of Kiwi teams, they will find a way to win it all.
This conference would go a long way to rebuilding the rugby faithful of Australia, while also giving the other partners distinct benefits they will help them progress.
And while trying to placate a five-headed monster of New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Argentina and Japan with one solution is nigh-on impossible, we have to do our best.
2. What to do after the current broadcast deal ends?
This is where bold leadership is required.
When a new broadcast deal is struck, the broadcasters want more content. If we can strike a balance between a free-to-air network and Foxtel, then rugby can again begin to grow.
I see an easy enough solution to this ‘more content’ issue, while giving each of the SANZAAR partners some autonomy.
Instead of trying to over-expand and complicate Super Rugby, it is time to simplify.
Each of the four SANZAAR nations should play their own national championship.
Although not every Aussie rugby supporter likes the NRC, they would surely concede that unless we have our own national competition, we are doomed to become insignificant, and freefall down the world rankings.
The NRC still needs a little rejigging. My teams would be North Brisbane, South Brisbane, North Harbour, South Harbour, Western Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Perth. I know Queensland and NSW country supporters will be screaming bloody murder, but these teams have no home base for regular games. However, I would take one home game each year from the two Queensland sides and the three NSW sides to the country to help ease the loss.
Playing each other home and away gives us a 14-week competition, with two weeks of finals, plus the Horan-Little Shield.
Each SANZAAR union would run its own national championship and finals series as they see fit. The only stipulation on each of the competitions is that it must contain at least eight teams, meaning a minimum of 16 games per week across four different time zones.
Now comes the interesting part: Super Rugby but with a twist.
Super Rugby to be split into four competitions: Super Rugby Cup, Super Rugby Plate, Super Rugby Bowl and Super Rugby Shield a la sevens rugby.
The top two teams from each of the NPC, Currie Cup, NRC and Nacional de Clubes qualify for the Super Rugby Cup (SRC), three and four qualify for the Super Rugby Plate (SRP), five and six qualify for the Super Rugby Bowl (SRB) and seven and eight qualify for the Super Rugby Shield (SRS).
So each of the competitions has two teams from each of the SANZAAR national competitions.
This way, each country can host a championship on a rotational basis:
2021 – Australia host the SRC, SA the SRP, New Zealand the SRB, and Argentina the SRS
2022 – Australia host the SRS, SA the SRC, New Zealand the SRP, and Argentina the SRB
2023 – Australia host SRB, SA the SRS, New Zealand the SRC, and Argentina the SRP
2024 – Australia host the SRP, SA the SRB, New Zealand the SRS, and Argentina the SRC
This way, every SANZAAR nation hosts a multinational championship every year, all SANZAAR nations have four chances at some silverware, all players only travel to the host nation and stay for the duration, and broadcasters have four ‘best of the best’ championships over four time zones.
Obviously, these tournaments will be followed by inbound tours, the Rugby Championship and outbound tours.
That’s my vision anyway, what do you think Roarers?
Brit47 superbru
Guest
So rugby public not showing up because there are not enough games to NOT show up to? Genius!
DaveB
Guest
BB for SANZAAR boss. (make it Emperor) I would support a shorter SR tournament with the top X going through. It protects domestic rugby. Less travel. But the two obstacles a) Aus doesnt have a domestic tournament t protect b) The TV guys want more content - But they may come around. Super 18 gave them more content... that people didnt like
DaveB
Guest
Dont agree SA were not pro conferences But they supported it to get their stupid 6th side. Its only when the system was uneven (therefore not a level playing field) that one needs guaranteed spots. So when we had a system where each team played 4 out of 5 in the other 2 countries (and all 5 at home)... that creates unevenness Straight round robin. No home and away. Swap around each year Top 4 or 6 or 8 in the playoffs.
Not all the English Premiership teams make the european championship, nor do the french or anyone else
mark
Guest
Brilliant!
simonjzw
Roar Pro
At the risk of poking my head up out the foxhole without a helmet here's my solution 1. Scrap Japan 2. 16 teams. SA - 5 teams, Aus - 5 teams, NZ - 5 teams, Arg - 1 team 3. 2 conferences. Conference A = NZ Teams + Reds, Brumbies & Waratahs. Conference B = SA teams + Arg Team + Rebels & Force 4. Play each team in each conference twice (home and away) so fans can learn to "hate" the opposition and rivalry matches can be established and maximised 5. Final 4 for each conference - leading to Conference Champion 6. Superbowl Type Finale between winner of Conference A and Conference B for the "Super Rugy Championship" It's not rocket surgery .... or is it?
ramblinfever
Guest
thats just as confusing.
BeastieBoy
Guest
Good article by Georgina Robinson "Consultant warns Super Rugby killing the code in Australia" in the SMH
mania
Guest
then I wouldn't start in NSW. do it in WA and use that as a model. u would have to offer big prize money ($1 mil?) to be paid to the school else you'll never get any buy in. you would also have to engage volunteers, the heart of grassroots. those volunteers I would buy merchandise for them to give away to entice kids. mouth guards , water bottles, posters of WBs (or the ABs ;)) etc. it'll take a lot of organisation but if u love this game and want to see it flourish in aus then this is the only way I can it happening. ps if you think $1 mil is too much your thinking too small. I think ARU has spent something like $300+ mil so far on their super teams and league players. this is a much better investment with infinitely better returns. Aus is losing the next generation of rugby players. its already lost the current generation
Mark
Guest
The LAST thing we need is conferences Simple Round Robin Conferences only exist because SA and AUS whined about not making the finals
Mark
Guest
This won't work How do you keep all you internationals constantly playing Super Rugby - unless they are all pooled into your top 3 teams - which then makes your domestic competition lopsided The WHOLE reason behind super rugby was to provide a professional competition for the elite players
Stin
Guest
Good point about the need to start things at high school. I would shake it up completely and use some version of the Waratah Shield structure and have state/region wide competition. Scrapping the traditional associations would be a difficult proposition though.
JJ
Guest
I think this is a crazy idea. SA and NZ both already have a domestic "conference" under way. Why would they want to add another?
Unanimous
Guest
A transnational comission running all professional teams across the nations could do this. It probably wouldn't do exactly this, but it might run national or regional championships plus a champions league. The point of the comission would be to keep the national leagues in balance so that the champions league would be competitive. The national leagues would be for local rivalry.
Where the fark is Yarck?
Guest
I suspect that is just a cop out comment to say you cannot understand it. What people are saying is the matches are on well after midnight, very few are watching. Then you have teamnames like Stormers? Isn't that Melbourne? The icing is it is only on live on FoxSports. 20 percent of Australian households have this system. I would do what the AFL does, show the home teams matches on FTA live. Looks like SANZAAR is learning the hardway. Really the bosses should be asked to depart.
Kashmir Pete
Roar Guru
Agree BB Some years you make it, some you don't. Prestige in making the super comp. Maybe could add the top team as well, out of Tokyo, Suva, and caps of Samoa and Tonga. Maybe 1 or 2 from Arg. Cheers KP
Kashmir Pete
Roar Guru
Kashmir Pete
Roar Guru
Patstick I think your article is as well thought out, as anything I've read on this issue. It's the first one I recall, clearly focusing on a 'pre' & 'post' 2020 periods - very realistic. By assuming that distinction up front, you've certainly helped give clarity to my own thinking on the matter. Perhaps many of us have emotively seeking "an answer", clouding our insight into your short & long games. Its clearly the approach to take, to find the best solution. Perhaps SANZAAR will be thinking the same way? Cheers KP
Unanimous
Guest
SA did exactly this for the first 2 or 3 years of Super Rugby. It didn't work for them because they were playing against 3 Aus teams and 5 NZ teams that each had all of each nations best players, while the SA teams were the best 4 of 14 teams with the nations talent spread scross the best 7 or 8 of those.
If you want to simplify super rugby then firstlyyou need to shorten the super rugby season and give domestic competitions enough time to regain importance on the svhedule and to give each country the necessary time to run a proper domestic season. None of this you pplay a nit here and a bit there. You qualify from your own domestic pool, nothing more. Then you play in a super 9 single round robin, top for to play semi final and final. This allows each country to have as many tiers as they want and as many teams as they want in their domestic pool Only top three to qualify regardless of system. This way the "super rugby" leg will run 11 weeks in total. Higher quality matches and less is usually more. This way all three countries have the option to broadcast all three domestic comps even if there may only be a passing interest. At least some revenue can be gained from it. The super nine should rake in a kot of revenue due to quality and not quantity