I used to think a contraction of Australian rugby talent from five Super teams to four was the way to go and have commented to that effect on a few Roar threads.
And I was dead bloody wrong.
As we now wait and wait and wait for that probable reality I realise what an utterly defeatist, small minded and visionless cop out the option of axing teams is. It is a futile attempt to put the toothpaste back in the tube. It is a meek surrender.
The ARU has to somehow grow some cojones, tap into the spirit and guile that Aussie rugby used to be famous for and kick all thoughts of walking away from its expansionist strategy, not just into touch, but over the friggin’ grandstand.
They just have to be a lot, lot better at executing it. You don’t grow the pie by taking a bloody great chunk out of it. They have to stop piddling about putting out fires and go hard with their vision in a ballsy, taking no prisoners, leaving no stone unturned, convinced and confident sort of way.
And if they don’t have a vision they can borrow mine for Super Rugby to embrace the conference system, not make excuses for it.
Take a lead from the NFL. Go the whole hog and make it strictly regional in pool play so that the Aussie conference only plays the kiwi conference – the Oceania Region. Likewise the two African conferences play among themselves, with the Sun Wolves in one region and the Argies in the other. Maybe alternating between each every other year to keep it interesting?
At the end of pool play, that may or may not include intra-country home and away – but at the very least everyone plays the other at least once – we have four quarter finalists from each region that whittle themselves down to the two grand finalists a fortnight later.
We could even go down to play off for 17th and 18. By sacrificing quantity for quality we have a truncated season so there’s no need for that absurd, momentum-killing Test window just before things get really interesting.
Nearly every game’s a derby. Most of the ones that aren’t are finals.
Pure and simple tribalism. Undiluted by confusion and apathy. The rugby, which is pretty bloody good now will only get better. Suddenly the conversations in the grandstands, the pubs, clubs, lounge rooms and papers will be about the quality or otherwise of the sport not its administration.
Throw in that its compulsory to have a grade club match as a curtain raiser for every home fixture.
Aussie teams are going through a tough patch now but they’ll come right when the crowds come back and the sport they play isn no longer fast becoming a standing joke to the easily swayed mainstream. Get the product good again and they’ll be easily swayed back.
I’m no doubt missing some very enormous flaws in this plan. Please dear Roarer, fill me in.
Matt Porter
Guest
Thanks Bill. Nice idea, season builds through derbies, onto transTasman then trans regional.
tyrone
Guest
conference systems are fantastic and embrace the concept of local derbies. Th super rugby version is terrible. To be goo you have to play all teams in your conference home and away. This way in the case of a tie at the end of the season you go on the result of the derbies
Bet you he had an ego way before then. You don't earn the right to have an ego, it is a character flaw
Old Bugger
Guest
Ed Zachary Jacko......FTA won't even pay for the paint, that marks the fields, let alone the poor bugger, who has to do it.
Jacko
Guest
Jeff Wilson earnt the right to an Ego. No other person in the world of Pro rugby has represented his country at cricket too
Jacko
Guest
Yeah increase it to 50 teams....I cant wait to see Tekuiti V Otorohanga. Aaahhh for the good old days.
Jacko
Guest
In America each state has, on average, 6 milliom population. So any team has 6 million possible followers to pay the tv rights etc and to attend games. Not even the TAHs have 6 million available to follow them here in Aus as the ACT is in their backyard, and NZ has 4.5 mil following 5 teams so to compare the USA system against SR is beyond a joke
Jacko
Guest
They want to watch the sport but, they don’t want to pay for it. Ok so who pays for it then, because the money from pay tv is the massive income which pays all the players, all the coaches and support staff and all the ARU hangers on so I fail to see how FTA will fund the game
Jacko
Guest
Woodart in the NRL 50% of the comp makes the finals
Jacko
Guest
TWAS what happens when an anomaly becomes a consistent trend ? 12 from 12 is pretty consistent
Jacko
Guest
So two NZ sides would be "SUPER SUPER RUGBY"
Kashmir Pete
Roar Guru
OB Love this model, including islander teams and more in NZ. Cheers KP PS - Chook, I see Toronto Rugby League team now in UK comp - way to go for NA rugby union perhaps.
Watching "The breakdown" with Jeff Wilson and Steve Tew is in studio. He seems to be a top bloke, however you get the impression Jeff Wilson has an almighty ego.
davSA
Guest
We can embrace the current system and make the most of it or reject it which seems pointless as it is here to stay for at the very least the short term future. SANZAAR simply cannot chop and change what is already out there . Too complex and too many stakeholders involved. Australian rugby for me have always been overachievers relative to resources as well as competition from other Rugby codes. Much like all your sport really. What the current system has done is highlight the weaknesses that always existed. I see it as a market correction and expect your teams to rebound over time. Your National side is a reflection of the country in General over the years ie. Overachievers ! The excellence of NZ sides has currently compounded your problems.. Its not great constantly losing and will affect the support . Its much like SA rugby which has been all but written off for the future . What trash. Come and see for yourself the grassroots popularity of the game here. The uncertainty at National level simply reflects the general political uncertainty of the rest of the country. Cutting teams will not solve sausage ! South Africans have lost their pride in the Bok Jersey due to perceived State capture of the team , but no one can remove our love for the game itself and personal pride of performance.It will simply take a purple patch for so much perception to improve . NZ have shown the way as Rugby is used as an expression of excellence presented to the World . Good for them . Given their singular focus they are a hard act to follow , but do we simply give up and walk away . I don't think so . It is a challenge presented and one accepted. Years ago The Boks turned their back on the Haka . We will never do it again. We will be back as will Australia.
Comrade Bear
Roar Rookie
Yeeesss - the no try 'angry penquin' dance is a must!!
Jacko
Guest
Naked and afraid?
Dave_S
Roar Rookie
Is uneven conference numbers really a problem? To my mind an organised competition is just a contrivance to get lots of games in front of lots of fans (which is ultimately what we want) and then a finals system is a further twist on that to give the comp a "narrative" and leave someone with bragging rights until next year. I guess it's not "neat" to have uneven conferences but if we're not OCD about it being "uneven" and if there are other somewhat logical reasons for it being uneven then can't we live with it and move on? I really couldn't care less if the Reds play some teams more often than others and I prefer local derbies so conferences are my preference. I don't care if someone else's conference has more or fewer teams. If someone else's team "unfairly" makes the finals ahead of the Reds and I get upset about that then it's time for me to get some perspective, frankly.
Old Bugger
Guest
And, I thought "gifting" didn't start till last year.....??
Bill
Guest
Based on a piece in the SMH the ARU will meet these Sunday to prepare to vote on a 15 team competition.They are just waiting on signify from Fox Sports. This suggests its a done deal and a 15 team competition will emerge
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
I agree, everything has become commodified to the point that it is all about the quantity of the product that can bring in revenues rather than the quality of what is being produced. Sheek has been saying something similar to you, woodart, about there being too many Tests, and as a result international matches are losing their lustre. I think you're both right.