Before rugby union’s governing body gets callouses patting themselves on the back, World Rugby’s council and executive committee need to swiftly get down to work and hone in on one of its strategic goals: maximise commercial values and increase the financial sustainability of international rugby.
At no time in the modern rugby era has this specific goal been more achievable.
Japan, with its significant commercial-based financial resources, stands on the brink of being recognised as a perennial top-eight contender. South Africa stands on the brink of being a perennial powerhouse able to go head-to-head each year with the All Blacks.
However, for the Brave Blossoms and Springboks, two very different but critical and timely decisions now need to be made and World Rugby’s backing would play a significant role in how this pendulum swings.
Japan needs admission to the Six Nations no later than the beginning of the 2021 season. A Seven Nations inclusion would continue to advance Japanese rugby and avoid the disgraceful manner in which the Pumas were forced to wait out too many years before SANZAAR’s bureaucratic red tape was lifted and they were admitted to the Rugby Championship.
(Photo by Clive Rose – World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)
No international side with potential can be expected to improve, or even maintain its standard, without top-flight competition. This is not rocket science, but World Rugby tends to have a history of pontificating as opposed to boldly leading.
You can almost hear the council and executive committee body politic now: “What about the travel distance? What about the time zone difference for TV coverage?”
The Brave Blossoms would fly to one of the existing Six Nations cities and camp out there for the duration of the 2021 season, trading off each season when England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, France and Italy would play their away matches in Japan. Travel time is actually shorter than the longest hauls teams have to travel in the Rugby Championship.
South Africa’s needs fall on the financial sustainability side of World Rugby’s goals. Currently, under SARU’s rules, only up to 74 per cent of South Africa’s rugby unions can be owned by outside investors. The economic gates need to be swung wide open, allowing for potential backers to buy out existing ones at a premium for total ownership, or allow existing investors to step up and take full control.
Once fully privatised, owners would have all the incentive and rights to invest in a farm system, much like cash-rich western European football clubs. The model would ensure a much brighter and sustainable future for SA rugby and a perennial Springboks force would ensure increased TV revenues – the bulk of the ROI that investors and SARU would benefit from.
The 2019 Rugby World Cup may have ended on a high note, especially if you’re a Springboks fan, but the real work must now begin before any more backslapping.
Geno from Brisbane
Guest
If it means the demise of super rugby and the growth of nrc, I'm all for it. Strengthen the Golden Thread...
Glenzo
Roar Rookie
Agree
Glenzo
Roar Rookie
Agree on Japan but surely they should join the championship and South Africa should then go north into a 7 nations, this will limit travel fatigue suffered throughout the super rugby campaign where SA franchises are on the heavy receiving end plus will be jet lag friendly. Japan has the finance we lack. Rugby should be broken up into TV friendly time zones or regions if you have the players and viwers best interests at heart.
sheek
Roar Guru
This is the problem with the corporatisation of rugby, business people treating any sport like business, & in the process, mostly ruining it. The Toronto Wolfpack, who have just signed Sonny Bill Williams to a figure worth more than the GDP of a dozen African nations, will be domiciled in Northern England for the duration of the super rugby league competition. What do Torontons think of this? Out of sight, out of mind, I guess. The billionaire owner of the Wolfpack will get to live out his childhood dream perhaps, but I suspect this won't fo much for rugby league in Canada. Sorry, but moving Japan to UK or Ireland, or Europe, is such a dumb, typically corporate inspired idea, like smashing square pegs into round holes (of course it works) where the attitude is money can buy or solve anything. Until it doesn't of course, if you know what I mean.....
JohnH
Guest
In a seven team comp, there is 1 bye. The team travelling back from Japan gets the bye the following week (Japan would always get it in the first week)
Paulo
Roar Rookie
I was under the impression the SA SR teams were not in favour of the travel they would need to do for the Sunwolves so requested they play in Singapore? I may be wrong in that, but that’s why I thought the Sunwolves split their home games. Without knowing how or when a set up like that would be established it’s all conjecture anyway. Considering the revenue involved I think the real hurdle would be a sustainable Pacific Team and the dynamics of what I guess would be an attempt to meld 3 independant countries into one cohesive Football Union.
Why reasonable to assume? Based on what would South Africa not want Japan to join?
me too
Roar Rookie
no, but based on their opposition to the sunwolves if any one was to oppose it, it's reasonable to assume it would be sa. hopefully not.
And you have already assumed it is SA resisting them joining? Wow.
me too
Roar Rookie
in terms of whether or not they would resist japan's entry to our competition.
How does South Africa hinder the growth of the game? I was under the impression revenue hinders the growth of the game. Unless of course I have been misinformed :shocked:
me too
Roar Rookie
To me the obvious place for Japan is with the Pacific nations. Add Fiji and Japan to Australia, New Zealand and Argentina and we have a very interesting tournament. South Africa is a problem and realistically to far from either of the big two conferences, but timezone-wise they would be better served playing in the 6 nations. Happy to keep them but not at the expense of growing the game.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Thanks Kane should have said 135 plus. Don't know why I had that number in my head.
Kane
Roar Guru
145-17
AndyS
Guest
Struggling to turn half of that into English, but reading between the lines, you are still talking nonsense. Each if the other four unions all took the revenues from the various broadcasting deals and used that to fund their SR teams. Japan did not - they were excluded from all revenues, so had to fund their team out of their own resources alone. Then on top, they were also being asked for another $13M, again out of their own resources. As they noted at the time, all of which "...posed a concern about not only huge impacts that would be suffered by the future operation of both JSRA and JRFU, but also obstacles caused to the whole activity of Japanese rugby.” So unsurprising they decided to look for another way. Imaging if RA or NZR were told that from now on they have to pay for the Waratahs or Crusaders, but will get no broadcast revenue share for them, and they will also have to pay thirteen million for them to be involved. Could they sustain that, even with Tier 1 level revenues from Tests? So particularly unsurprising they are now talking about a remodelled corporate comp. Exactly like I said, it is them that have the money, not the Union. If that now turns into an issue for SANZAAR, they will have been much the architects of their own misery.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
1995 Japan thrashed 135 - 0 by the All Blacks. By 2015 of course beat South Africa and 2019 deserved quarterfinalists. Impossible not to see the upwards trajectory. Sanzaar has to acknowledge that and either be part of its growing success or stay stuck in the past with a Rugby Championship tournament that's become somewhat static and dare I say it repetitively boring. Throw in the decline of Argentina and Australia it can do with renewed impetus that Japan will clearly bring.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
AndyS, let's compare to the Currie Cup in South Africa. Crowd attendance right down except probably the Finals. Same goes for Superugby. Sunwolves were as well supported as most teams. Local domestic comps anywhere really challenged to draw crowd support. Not sure that's an indication.
AndyS
Guest
Yes, what they built was the epitome of a hot house team designed to achieve a single purpose at a single tournament. That is a million miles from ongoing participation in annual competition, with all the associated ups and downs, an established support base that understands that ups and downs come with sport and stick with the team, and a sustainable supply of players and resources. They have none of that right now, but need all of it if they are to transition a niche company sport to a broad based national sport. They need intelligent recognition of the actual state of their sport from the lowest level up, then very carefully planned long term strategies to build something that might last. "Chuck them in the deep end, loadsa money for everyone" would be about the dumbest and surest fire way to destroy any hope of it happening ever.
Old Bugger
Guest
That's why I advocate for SH unions to cease all contact with NH unions including the Lions tours and establish their own, SH rugby calendar. By doing this, then they can afford themselves some extra time to ensure the travel concerns, will not be so much of an impact with time in hand, to travel and acclimatise.
Old Bugger
Guest
Oh for goodness sake Andy, stop being myopic with your 4yr plan. If one thing happened over those next 4yrs after 2015, it was to see the JRU administration bend its knee and acknowledge, the wishes of its national coach. He sought and received, the ability to get his squad together for a substantive period, prior to RWC kick-off. Now ask yourself - was his request in vain or did his team play some majestic rugby??? As it will always happen in sport - when you start to win, then they will come and follow. And boy, what a stage, to start showing your faithful, how to win.