That the Sunwolves are axed from Super Rugby is sour enough, but forcing them to play through 2020 is aimless.
They were brought into the competition for the 2016-20 broadcast deal, in the build up to the World Cup, but now they’ll be cut after next year, making the season completely pointless for the Tokyo-based team.
The idea behind their inclusion was clear enough: put regular top-level rugby in front of fans, sponsors and networks, and creating a buzz ahead of the World Cup in Japan.
Certainly on the spectator side of things, they’ve done just that, attracting some of Super Rugby’s biggest crowds for their Tokyo home games.
Prior to the axing, they’d thrashed the Chiefs in Hamilton and almost beat the Waratahs, Reds and Blues.
But since the organising body announced their removal from the competition, the campaign has gone downhill.
They snuck past NSW in Newcastle, but were obliterated by the Highlanders, 52-0, Brumbies, 33-0, and Rebels 52-7. And their for-and-against has plummeted from -42 to -235.
Hayden Parker reacts after a Sunwolves loss. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images for Sunwolves)
It’d be of some concern that their last three games have ended in 30+ losses, but then again it’s to be expected for a team who’s just been axed, and has struggled perennially.
SANZAAR and the Japan Rugby Football Union have indicated they don’t want them in the competition, so instead of delaying the inevitable, the Japanese club should now be removed.
We only have to go back two years when the governing bodies removed the Force, Kings and Cheetahs within this same broadcast deal. Surely cutting one more team would be much less hassle.
Certainly for networks, axing three clubs drastically reduced the number of games per week: a maximum of nine fell to a maximum of seven. But this move won’t even do that. Currently on an average weekend, 14 teams play seven games, while one side has a bye.
Once this happens, 14 teams will continue to play the same amount of matches, but no team will have to sit out any week, which is especially important in the final rounds, when every team wants an equal chance to reach the playoffs.
If the Japanese team was racking up big viewing numbers, there’s an argument to keep them in for the remainder of this broadcast deal – but they’re not, certainly not in Australia anyway – and that same argument didn’t have any weight when deciding whether or not to keep them in the comp on a whole.
There’s no incentive for players to perform – even should they defy all critics and win next year’s competition, they’d be terminated anyway, so why bother?
This is in direct contrast to the Jaguares. While they’re hardly without criticism, they almost snuck into the playoffs in just their second season, making their first appearance last year. This year, they’ve finished second, and will host a quarter-final.
Their last-placed finish this year dismisses any theories about them improving, and anyone who was quietly confident of them playing finals has had their hopes quashed. Indeed, flair and entertainment value aside, they’ve been a disappointment since their induction.
Given all that, does anyone expect them to set the world on fire in a season where their future is predestined? Or do we know that, with no incentive to perform, and no enthusiasm from the JRFU, the Sunwolves will be the whipping boys once again.
SANZAAR and the JRFU have already killed the horse, so they shouldn’t flog it now.
Danny
Roar Pro
In theory there’s no reason a top 8 playing home and away wouldn’t attract the same total media money as a top 15 so initially there would have to be subsidisation. But if the top 8 did become a truly elite comp I’d assume the pie would grow. As it stands the bottom 5-7 teams drag down the whole comp. I couldn’t care less about Crusaders playing SWs or Brumbies the bottom of the Aus conference. A surprise win here and there otherwise slaughter or B teams. Pretty good but not super perhaps? It’s like having EPL championship teams playing the top 10 premier league teams. Noted that the championship can produce teams that climb or hold in PL. The bottom of SR is far too much of a free option.
Kevin
Roar Rookie
Add them to GRR. 6 teams 10 rounds plus final.
Germán
Roar Rookie
Also, I wonder whether the 2nd tier idea would sail better if, instead of a round robin league, it consisted of 3 or 4 events, à la Sevens. Then, the Top 2 (or 4) join the bottom 2 of Tier 1 to play a final competition somewhere marketable (Vegas, Singapore, HK).
Germán
Roar Rookie
The question there (and also applicable to WR's dead-on-arrival Nations League) is financial support for the 2nd division. If the 2nd tier is going to be subsidized by the 1st, it will be very difficult to pitch. Then, 8 is too small to bear such burden. A top tier of 12 -- 15 teams, with a 2nd tier of 6 -- 8 might be a better sell.
TimO
Roar Rookie
The ignorance and arrogance of assuming a Japanese team will be at home and supported in Singapore and Hong Kong just beggars belief. The team had a PI players, and Japanese players etc. Fiji would have been a far better second home for them (eg they could have had 2 or 3 home games in Suva per season).
Ex force fan
Guest
I would rather have a Japanese team or two join GRR to capitalise on the interest in the 2019 RWC rather than have the Sunwolves play Superugby for another year. The commercial reality is that there is a contract with SANZAAR and that Japan paid to play Superugby and that SANZAAR does not have the agility or foresight to make this happen.
Harry Selassie
Roar Rookie
I wish that could be true Sam but the horse has already left the barn with the Western Force and their foray into Twiggy's new league. As for the topic of this article by Tom English, he is spot on. The Sunwolves were awful after the announcement of their culling. Prior to that they were possibly playing the best they had ever done in Super Rugby. Stop the bleeding and end the team now.
Istanbul Wingman
Roar Guru
It's SANZAR's fault for getting too greedy and chasing the Yen in the first place. The Sunwolves were a square peg in a round hole. Let's at least keep it to the Southern Hemsiphere.
Waxhead
Roar Rookie
@Tom Yes I agree - another disaster for SANZAAR imo.
Sam
Guest
How about we reinstate the Western Force. 15 teams play each other once. 7 home games seven away. No need for byes. Shorter season, RUPA and the national sides will love it.
Danny
Roar Pro
Draw a line at 6 and have a preseason knockout comp to determine the final two. Rest go into div 2 + SW + maybe another Arg team + Pacifica get to 8. More games and a premier league. Prom relegation say bottom two? Flexible contracting. Attract global talent if done right. Not easy nor riskless.
Kashmir Pete
Roar Guru
Rename “Pacifikas” and relocate to Suva. Add standout new players at RWC from Fiji/Samoa/Tonga. Permit part season secondments, from Islanders currently plying trade in the north. Shake, not stir. Prepare for perennial tears in NZ as well as Oz & SA, as Jags & Pacifikas battle out future finals. Cheers KP
Tutema
Roar Rookie
Perhaps, this would be the moment to introduce a second team from Argentina. This could be better to justify to travels to South America.
CUW
Roar Rookie
LOL JRFU never wanted to be in this competition. SANZAAARRR wanted to go to Japan becoz of 2 things . 1. the world cup was to be there in 2019. the SANZAAARRR thought there will be a lot of interest among public for international rugger tournament. 2. the SANZAAARRR saw the amount of money going into the domestic tournament - and thought maybe they could get some of it for super rugger. it was evident from day one noone had looked outside the market and money - coz suddenly they realized its too far for teams to travel. so they said now Hong Kong will be your new home. a few token games will be played in japan but most of the time they must travel or play in HK. Japan was never into this - that was evident when they had trouble finding the coach and squad in first year. the clubs were not happy to send players initially - then they reluctantly agreed. but it came to halt this year ; look a them , about half the tam are expats who could not get contracts elsewhere. AND since the time the decision to cut them came-they are playing without any interest. who can blame them ? will u be putting in 100% effort at office if ur boss said ur going to lose ur job in a couple of months ?? 2.
Stu B.
Guest
They will stay the term, we'll need the bonus points next super season.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
I think your comment about poaching is misguided. The JRFU aren't providing funds. This is occurring almost outside the JRFU system from teams which don't wish to put resources behind the Sunwolves. The two are unrelated.
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
Just after the announcement, we found out that JRU were paying SANZAAR for the privilege of playing super rugby. You would have to look at their contract and see what they are obligated for. But if they can't get out of it, I would expect to see their B-Team featured in cricket score results with the balance of players heading to GRR and their local competitions.
Dean
Guest
Agreed. Get rid of them now. It's galling that Japanese clubs can easily find squillions to poach players like Samu Kerevi into a domestic comp, yet there's supposedly no money available in Japan to support the Sunwolves. Axing the Sunwolves is not SANZAAR's fault. SANZAAR gave JRFU a leg up to establish the Sunwolves as a quasi international stepping stone for Japan's best players. JRFU completely failed to take advantage of this. The Sunwolves have received inadequate financial support in Japan and have very few of the top Japanese players. No point in SANZAAR throwing good money after bad.