Here we go again, and this time it’s with feeling.
Reports of South African rugby’s ambitions to align its professional programs away from hemispherical latitude lines and toward longitudinal timezone lines are not new. Indeed, they’ve done the rounds in some shape or form the last few broadcast deal negotiations.
This time around seems to have more oomph about it, though. This time, the talk has a new element to it.
But what’s curious this time around is that Australia are the lone segment of the SANZAAR partnership not to have already announced what its portion of the broadcast deal for 2021 and beyond looks like. Indeed, Rugby Australia is yet to run what for a change looks like will be a competitive process.
(Photo by Hanna Lassen/Getty Images)
How that plays out remains to be seen, and will undoubtedly be discussed in great length going forward. Just not in this column today.
No, today is about a much bigger elephant in a much bigger room. This elephant has a South African accent and has again got a taste for greener, more lucrative, northern pastures.
Reports out of the UK over the weekend delivered a pretty significant bombshell.
“South Africa to join Six Nations,” the Daily Mail’s back page screamed on Saturday morning.
Previously, the rumours and reports and even the reality a few years ago were all centred around South African franchises leaving Super Rugby and playing in the north, as the Cheetahs and Southern Kings did when they joined the then Pro12 competition.
The Sharks, Bulls, and Lions have all been mentioned at different points over the ensuing years to be considering their options around following suit.
The Springboks themselves, South Africa’s national rugby side, have even been seen as a suitable fit if the Home Unions ever looked to expand the Six Nations. And by suitable, I of course mean valuable, in that they would bring significantly more money to the table than, say, Georgia would. But never before has this kind of discussion reached this level of reporting.
Now, on this, while I take Geoff Parkes’ point that the Daily Mail hasn’t necessarily been seen as the hallmark of truth in journalism in the UK – and the less said about their Australian arm, the better – their sports reporting has generally been pretty reasonable.
Chris Foy and Matt Hughes, the authors of this bombshell exclusive, are well-established rugby and sports journalists.
Whatever your take on the Daily Mail, this is still a story that any reporter worth their salt would want to write. And it’s had an impact already.
New Zealand Rugby CEO Mark Robinson wasted no time in reminding all and sundry that the new broadcast arrangements announced by his SARU counterparts contract the nation to the Super Rugby and the Rugby Championship tournaments until the end of the 2025 season, which would certainly be a reasonably large legal stumbling block to the Springboks joining what was reported would become the Seven Nations in 2024.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
There might be an argument that Springboks could play in the Seven Nations while South African sides still played Super Rugby, though you would also like to think that the SANZAAR arrangements compel each nation to ensure the Super Rugby sides are not deprived of international players unless injured. That said, that’s an arrangement New Zealand haven’t exactly followed themselves in recent years.
Other reports have made mention of SARU’s oft-repeated reiterations of being committed to the SANZAAR partnership through to 2030. But I’ll just repeat the same thing I’ve said every time this comes up: South Africa can remain committed to the SANZAAR partnership and still pull out of Super Rugby.
“I think this is the third team now in the past month that there’s been reports out of the northern hemisphere that are going to join the Six Nations,” Robinson said in an interview with Radio Sport in New Zealand on the weekend. “By my count they are up to nine nations at some time in the next few years, which we all know is simply not feasible.”
This point of feasibility was what England coach Eddie Jones latched onto as well, while not missing the chance for a not-so-subtle dig at his former employers.
“[The Six Nations is] called the greatest rugby tournament in the world and I think it is. So why would you want to add other teams that are going to decrease the level of competition,” Jones said after his side’s 13-6 win over Scotland.
“I can only talk from experience. Super Rugby was the golden egg of rugby – brilliant, 12 teams, competitive. As soon as it had gone to 14 and 15, it lost its allure.”
But regardless of all the commentary, this is where New Zealand, Australia and Argentina as equal partners in the four-nation southern hemisphere set-up are now entitled to demand answers of South Africa.
How can South Africa guarantee it will fulfil its contracted arrangements through to the end of the 2025 season?
What are South Africa’s intentions for participation in SANZAAR tournaments through to end of the current and already-announced future broadcast deals, and beyond?
How many South African sides will be playing Super Rugby in 2021, in all seasons through to 2025, and beyond?
Why shouldn’t the remaining SANZAAR partners immediately begin looking at alternate formats and options (and participant nations) that don’t involve South Africa?
Even with new contractual arrangements in place in New Zealand and Argentina, and despite Australia’s still to be confirmed, these are questions that require urgent answers.
But they are questions that have required answers for years. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve written “It’s only the future of the professional game in the south waiting for answers,” or words to this effect.
Curiously, SARU remain silent on this. They’re not seeking to deny the reports, nor have they chosen to reiterate their commitment to the SANZAAR partnership for the umpteenth time.
It’s worth remembering, the last time the SARU said nothing about reports like this, two of their teams joined a northern hemisphere competition within weeks.
The NZAAR parts of the partnership are entitled to know if that’s about to happen again.
Derm
Roar Guru
Yes but if they were now playing in a 7 Nations tournament, they would have to be made available. Contracts cannot stipulate that a player can't be selected for their country during a WR test window. The number of games played during the 6N window is falling anyway.
qwas
Guest
They'd need to get them off European clubs that have signed them specifically so that they're available during the 6N
Micko
Roar Rookie
No one cares really about rugby union in Australia outside of eastern Sydney, Sydney north shore, and a wealthier demographic of Brisbane. The dumbest idea they ever had was to expand SR to places that don't care about the sport like Perth & Melbourne. It's delusional to think a national comp with teams from places like Adelaide, Darwin, or Gold Coast would be successful.
Micko
Roar Rookie
NZ needs the money though. With that attitude you won't get far.
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
I can see what you’re saying, Jacko, I honestly can. However, I suspect that both RA, NZRU and Argentina would see value in playing the Boks twice a year in the RC, even if the Boks are also playing 6N.
Micko
Roar Rookie
It's essentially a desperate cash grab by the aussies and the kiwis as they're going broke with plummeting interest in the SR comp, decreasing interest in the RC, but massive wage bills they can't afford due to unsustainable policies like forcing national team players to play domestically, and paying them a fortune they can't afford in the long term. The problem is they desperately need the Six Nation European nations to buy into it, when they're already happy with their lucrative comp, and certainly aren't willing to give that up.
Jacko
Guest
Ulrich the ABs would never do a series in SA.....They would fit SA in like they do other NH sides and the EOYT are not 3 matches against 1 opposition...
Jacko
Guest
England have toured NZ 2 times in the last 10 years and played 5 EOYT games v NZ in the last 10 years.....Let SA drop into the same pool....You know, the one they are thinking of dropping in to....Why give SA favors for crapping all over SH rugby from a great height? They can tour NZ twice every decade or less with an extra NH side to schedule in. It would be very interesting to see the NZ fans reaction the first time SA toured after running away to join the arch rivals...
Jacko
Guest
Ulrich I think its time that all the 6N and RC teams play in the 1 comp...
Jacko
Guest
Yeah you are right that cutting them out is wrong but I dont advocate cutting them out. I advocate treating them like every other NH rugby side.....Look at how many times NZ play England in NZ...@014 was the last tour England did to NZ and 2004 was the 1 before that....once every 10 years...I dont say treat SA different I say treat them the same....As for EOYT games well I believe we are playing England this year which will be the 5th time in the last 10 years...Again...just treat SA as the same as any other NH side as it would be SA choosing to put themselves in the bigger pool...So take the bad with the good...
Tree Son
Roar Rookie
Truly a shame. That was around when I started following the wallabies and super rugby. As a former player who started watching with not a lot of experience with the pro/world game I’m profoundly sad about how it all went down with Quade, JOC, that unlucky coach, and some of those guys.
Armchair Halfback
Roar Rookie
Thanks ChrisG, yes I should have mention the Richie McCaw lampooning as well! Heartily agree with your sentiments...
AndyS
Guest
In which case, surely the easiest way to go would be to simply replace the two NSW and Q'ld NRC teams with the top two teams in the respective competitions? If it will suddenly get everyone in those states on board, just get on with it. But how NSW and Q'ld decide to field teams in the NRC doesn't need to affect anyone else, doesn't need to restructure the SS and HC, and does nothing to engage the grassroots outside Sydney and Brisbane.
Shaun
Guest
On one specific point, the cheetahs and kings were kicked out of the expanded super comp to reduce numbers, so them seeking new pastures isn’t anything else other than survival. Unfortunately or fortunately (depends on your allegiance) this move has shown SARU what is possible for SA involvement in Europe. SA’s well documented struggle to compete with international currency and player retention will inevitably lead them to the north, which includes benefits from increased revenue to shorter travel times and matches played in the same time zone. No rugby reason why the boks can’t still play championship rugby. Australian rugby is on its knees and need to look after their own house before worrying about SA. About time that Australasia started looking at Fiji, Samoa, Tonga & Japan for expansion and revenue for comps like Super rugby
Rugbyrah
Roar Rookie
Yes. Chieka talked about the Australian way of rugby, but we all scratched our heads wondering what Chieka had in mind. It is quite evident in all footy codes that club footy, the grassroots footy is the Aussie backbone of footy. The A league had great success in dissolved the ethnic Aussie league with Croatia and Italian and Greek teams etc and based its new comp around cities and identity. The NRL and AFL is all about grassroots. It's time for Rugby A to find their roots and the Aussie way. In saying that, the grassroots of Victoria is a stronghold of AFL, yet WA was emerging as a new Rugby breeding ground. It is never to late to ditch Victoria and bring back the Force. It's time for Rugby A to develop Rugby in schools. The old adage is " if it ain't broke don't fix it". The rugby A model is broke. Time to fix it.
ChrisG
Roar Rookie
Happens on both sides of the ditch though. The SMH Richie McCaw cartoons have the same effect. You can never control the press though so let's hope that the NZ and AU unions are big enough to ignore the trash, pragmatic enough to understand the mutual benefit, and entrepreneurial enough to come up with a solution. I'm not holding my breath
Micko
Roar Rookie
Yes, Australian sporting culture shows it's at it's strongest when it's engaged with the grassroots. As the success of the AFL(VFL) & NRL(NSWRL) shows, you need to grow and expand from a grassroots stronghold. Rugby union has this with the Shute Shield, which should be the foundation of a national comp, along with teams from the Brisbane/Qld comp. Top down plastic comps have often struggled in Australia because of the disconnect with the community.
Rugbyrah
Roar Rookie
Agreed. Japan is where the money is. If we include Japan then the Gitaeu law can be modified to include anyone who plays in the Super League, making those who play in Japan eligible and strengthening the super league. Club rugby is king in Australia. WE should dissolve NRC and devote the money toward club rugby and build upon our strengths. We should have the best 4 Qld teams, the best 5 NSW teams, plus ACT, Melbourne and Perth, totaling 12 teams for our national club rugby. We could then have the wooden spooner each year relgated back to the NSW or QLD comp. WA can align with Qld if relegated, and ACT and Melbourne can be aligned with the NSW comp if relegated. The top grand finalist winner in the corresponding state would then get promoted to the national club rugby 12.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
You can misuse terms like conflating and strawman all you like; you can disregard the opinions of international coaches far better placed than yourself, it doesn't escape the fundamental mistake you consistently make. You are making like for like comparisons to different tournaments and games, in different places, at different times, to make a broad-brush conclusion that it's not reasonable to make. But please. Go on believing it.
KFar
Guest
That's the problem with these young players on massive contract, it can go really well or they start believing their own hype and end up going no where. JOC could have been a Wallaby great....but let his ego get in the way of what it required to take os career to the next level. I'm sure he would have had plenty of older mentors offering advice etc. Its a shame.