There’s a classic pick-up line in the last season of Seinfeld, where Jerry starts talking to a quite attractive woman at a party, and says, “You wouldn’t know it to look at me, but I can run really, really fast!”
And I bring this up, because “You wouldn’t know it to look at me…” seems to be SANZAAR’s approach to recognising a fairly significant moment in the history of the Super Rugby competition this week.
You wouldn’t know it to look at me, but an Argentinean side will play in our Super Rugby Final for the first time in history…
From the moment the Jaguares confirmed their maiden appearance in the Final, with an emphatic 39-7 demolition of the Brumbies in Buenos Aires on Saturday morning, you could see what the achievement meant to the players. You could see what it meant to their coach Gonzalo Quesada – and you could certainly see what it meant to the 31,000 people in at the Estadio Jose Amalfitani.
In just their fourth season of Super Rugby, the Jaguares had reached the Final in unprecedented speed. Saturday’s Final will be just their 66th appearance in the competition, and the win over the Brumbies in the Semi-Final was the one to finally tip their overall win-loss record into positive territory.
The Jaguares have hammered the Brumbies to qualify for the Super Rugby final. (Photo by Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images)
They are the first Super Rugby expansion side to make the final.
The best the Cheetahs did in twelve seasons was one elimination final, and now they’re blazing a trail for South African players (and teams) in the northern hemisphere along with the Southern Kings.
The Western Force never played finals rugby. The Melbourne Rebels should have by now, but blew a very strong chance they had to qualify. Twice, in fact.
The Sunwolves won’t ever get the chance, of course, barring some kind of rugby miracle in 2020. And perhaps the mother of all backflips from the Japanese Rugby Football Union for seasons beyond that, now that the mooted World Rugby Nations Championship basket they were throwing all their eggs into is now just moot.
But it’s not just the expansion sides looking on enviously at what the Jaguares have achieved in four seasons.
The Stormers, the professional arm of Western Province rugby in South Africa, and playing out of the one of the truly iconic venues in the game globally, have never made a Super Rugby Final.
The Lions took twenty seasons to reach their first final. Queensland took 16, the Chiefs 14, and the Bulls 12 seasons to reach their first Final.
The 2006 Final – the ‘fog game’ – was the Hurricanes first appearance in a Final, and that took them eleven seasons. And then you couldn’t see them in the Final anyway. The Waratahs took a decade to reach a decider as well.
But they were all there from day one of Super Rugby (before that, even, if you want to want to look at the amateur precursor competitions), and developed as the competition itself developed.
The Jaguares came into a competition that had been going twenty years, and attempted through an ambitious plan of repatriation to build a professional provincial team based in Argentina.
Three seasons later, they played a first-ever playoffs game, and four seasons into their existence, they’re in a Final.
It’s quite an incredible achievement.
But any recognition of this has been largely in-house to date, but with well-earned and obviously relevant mentions in any reporting of the semi-finals.
Domingo Miotti of the Jaguares (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
At an official level, SANZAAR has been so very typically silent.
Since Saturday’s initial confirmation that the Jaguares had “produced a superb display to qualify for their first Super Rugby final,” there’s been nothing on the governing bodies website.
On the official Twitter stream, @SuperRugby, a retweet of the Jaguares’ own post naming their “28 jugadores” squad en route to Christchurch is all we’ve had since the posts on Saturday confirming the participants in, and the details of the Final. The official Facebook and Instagram pages are no better.
Yet again, the social media and online presence for the Final so far has been left to Crusaders and the Jaguares themselves, and the New Zealand and Argentinean unions themselves.
Indeed, New Zealand Rugby’s own Super Rugby-specific twitter handle (@SuperRugbyNZ) has been prolific by comparison; an example that highlights both how underwhelming the governing body is when it comes to promoting what it still describes as “the Southern Hemisphere’s pre-eminent rugby tournament”, and how self-interest drives NZR to do its own inwardly-focussed promotion of Super Rugby.
A quick venture to the webpage and social handles for the European Champions Cup is depressing in comparison.
Of course, none of this at all surprising, and I have mentioned before that SANZAAR as an organisation is little more than ten or a dozen people operating out of an office in Bondi Junction, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
We keep being told that Super Rugby just isn’t carrying the same cut-through that it once did, and that engagement levels with long-term fans – never mind potential new ones – have never been lower. But what else should we expect when the member unions show no interest in resourcing SANZAAR to the levels that would be required to even attempt rectifying this?
Is Super Rugby in trouble? (AAP Image/Dan Peled)
So as a result, what should be a huge week in the competition’s history is going to be just another week with a cup presented at the end of it. There might be no better example of the shell of a formerly great competition that Super Rugby has been allowed to become.
The one positive in all this, is that it’s been sites like The Roar who have been providing not just great coverage of the Jaguares’ run to the Final – a point recognised last week by Argentina’s main newspaper, La Nacion, funnily enough – and among that, you may well have noticed the sudden lift in South American Roarers in our midst.
This has been a wonderful addition, in my humble opinion, and in no small part to the widely respected opinions we’ve enjoyed by our long-term Argentinean brethren, and in particular Nobes, who is about to rack up a third straight top two finish in the tipping panel.
Clearly, we have long enjoyed the very common language that rugby provides the world over, and we are already celebrating a nice little moment in Super Rugby history.
And maybe SANZAAR are, too. You just wouldn’t know it to look at them.
JMGRANDVAL
Roar Rookie
I accompany you in that comment .... (Despite being Argentine) - But I hope it's a great match ... !!!
charly_777
Guest
For the Jaguares and their fans, it is quite an achievement to reach the final, in part the glory has already been won. It's a pity that we did not play any other NZ team for the final, we played the most powerful of NZ the bi-champion full of AB's, if the boys of Jaguares have a good day and the Crusaders a bad day maybe they can be paired I hold the adidas saying for now as valid "nothing is impossible" haah. Greetings from Argentina, La Plata Rugby Club.
FMartin
Roar Rookie
Hello everyone, greetings from Buenos Aires. Newbie here. 50 years old, father of twin boys (who only played rugby for three years, and then chose Judo; of course they may well go back to rugby one day). I played rugby from age 5 to 19, when I had to quit, but my love for the game never ended. By reading just three or four threads, I can see there's a high level of knowledge, mutual respect and maturity. Anyway, just wanted to introduce myself. I may see some of you soon at Amalfitani stadium, welcoming the All Blacks! I was hoping to see Ma'a Nonu wearing the black jersey one more time, and Crotty and McKenzie, but I guess in the Nonu's case it won't happen again.
Rumen
Roar Rookie
I think the Crusaders will score first from a penalty kick
taylorman
Roar Guru
Yes I trust them. :-)
taylorman
Roar Guru
Crotty especially, it reduces the experience levels in the backline big time. Not often the entire saders backline is that fresh. In Goodhue possibly the only AB starter.
taylorman
Roar Guru
Pff, you needn’t have bothered. At least you could’ve added humour. :-)
taylorman
Roar Guru
Oh, the one outlier, yes there is that two but spikes don’t count in terms of trends. England made nothing from it and went back to the peloton so quickly all it was confirm a few good players came together in spite of everything else. Bit like Wales in the early 70’s.
FMartin
Roar Rookie
Not the only ones anymore. Greetings from Buenos Aires to you and everyone here! I'll probably be usually more of a lurker/learner than an active participant, but still... See some of you fellows at Vélez in June!
Nicholas Bishop
Expert
Take the Dolomites and forget the rugby Carlos, it will do you good!
FunBus
Roar Rookie
It will be great T-man. You can wake up in the morning and start the day with a brisk Haka in front of your bedroom mirror. Then sit on your porch with your shotgun in case any lost poms stray onto your land before heading off to watch the Pacific Islanders not good enough to secure a European contract in black jerseys play the Pacific Islanders not good enough to secure a European contract in green and gold for the 9th time that year. No queues for the bar at Eden Park, although the seats are a bit broken and there’s weeds coming through the concrete, then back home for a vigorous pre-dinner Haka whilst searching for the highlights on your trusty black and white tv before remembering no-one covers the games any more.????
FunBus
Roar Rookie
Yes, only the last 10 years, T-Man. That 2003 England side just couldn’t compete. Yes, you ‘cut us loose.’ We’ll be so jealous watching the best of 9 Bledisloe played in front of two men and a dog.
Anthony Barber
Guest
Super Rugby needs to be an eite competition and to cater for the growth of the game. Hats off to the Jaguars for their achievements to date. SR was at it's strongest and most popular when it was Super 12. An elite competition of 12 teams with geographical identity to their names. Why on earth the marketing arm rejected the reality of provincial identity for generic monikers only they will know, perhaps they in turn acted on "consultants" advice. A second division 12 with anual promotion to Super 12 allows for both requirements to be met. There are complaints in some quarters that the Jags have become too strong. The growth of the game in South America is to be encouraged. Teams from Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil are warranted. On the Pacific side any rugby supporter will tell you Fiji are an asset to any competition. Those that say they lack commercial grunt are missing the point, they are the most watchable of teams and where pay for view is a factor there is no commercial sense in not having them in. Additionally there is the " ethical " obligation to include a team from a place whose natural resources are plundered by all, i.e. principally wingers. The Sunwolves were shown a path only for it to be shattered before them. Both Japan and Hong Kong, the gateway to China warrant teams. Australian rugby has not benefited from scapping WA. South Africa can return to 6 teams. Super 12 with allocation of places according to recent results would have teams from NZ 4, SA 4, Australia 3, Argentina 1. The competition would carry interest at both ends throughout the season, to make the finals and to avoid last place. The 2nd 12 would involve at least 1 NZ team initially but it would surprise none to see all 5 Kiwi teams in Super12 within a year. Teams from Australia 2, SA 2, South America 3, Fiji, HK, Japan. Pacific Island players ou g t to be given an opportunity to play out of Singapore or NZ or within various other teams without effecting their national eligibility. Anthony Windyhighball Barber
JRVJ
Roar Rookie
Which is why it seemed foolhardy to opine about a country I don't know enough about.
JP
Guest
Oh how condescending of you.How sweet.
Wal
Roar Guru
Such is the life of a Crusaders And AB's fan. I find myself often having to take a minute to enjoy the game as opposed to that horrible fear of a loss. I hate to imagine what it must be like for the players. Regardless the winner I suspect we might be in for a great match and one to be savoured.
Wal
Roar Guru
I don't think you need to restrict that advice to just Argies, even those of us with English as our first language (ashamedly often only). Are prone to regularly misunderstanding of our overly complex one word many meaning language. Tone and context almost impossible to convey in written English without writing a Chaucer novel.
Wal
Roar Guru
Doesn't seem to matter how many times you show people the facts they still have an impression of the AB's picking club players out of island comps 7.4% of the New Zealand population (295,941 people) identified with one or more Pacific ethnic groups in 2013 They are mostly NZ born 62.3% of people (181,791 people) who identified with at least one Pacific ethnicity were born in New Zealand Young In 2013, 13.4% of the New Zealand population aged 0–14 years were Pacific children. with a median age of 22.1 years in 2013 (compared with a median age of 38.0 years for the total New Zealand population). Multi Cultural In 2013, almost one third (32%) of Pacific peoples also identified with at-least one ethnicity outside the Pacific group. 195,000 live in the greater Auckland Region This means Auckland's pacifica community is larger than the total populations of all but Fiji, Solomon Is and Vanuatu. But still larger than Noumea the largest Islands city. Hardly any surprise then the AB's have a very proud history of Pacifica players. Very few who were not either born in NZ or emigrated very young.
Ralph
Roar Guru
Auckland is the largest 'pacific island' city in the world I believe.
Kashmir Pete
Roar Guru
Brett Thanks for article,good theme and appreciate your writing, as always. Shame Tokyo-based team, were not themed, more as home of the rugby islanders. Could imagine the howls of the crows as local boys came off the bench, eg as replacement hooker, winger etc (not to mention a handful of excellent starters). And main team chok with starters in their prime. In the sense of a team, like the Jags, capable of giving traditional sides, more than a good shake. Here's hoping, another writer was correct, saying Wolves management may yet come to party... Cheers KP