There is talk of the trans-Tasman Super Rugby champions or top teams facing off against the top South Africa and Japan Top League sides, but while this sounds good in theory, there’s a major flaw.
Should the Japan Top League and trans-Tasman Super Rugby competitions be held in parallel at the same time, it would cruel any long-term prospects for a TT Super Rugby. The lucrative business sponsors of leading JTL teams would seek to raid the Super Rugby talent pool.
Consider this: just a sample of talent in the Top League includes head coaches Robbie Deans and Nick Styles, director of rugby All Black legend Wayne Smith (Kobelco Steelers), All Black flyhalf Dan Carter and former Wallabies Quade Cooper, Will Genia, David Pocock and Matt Giteau.
(AAP Image/Dan Peled)
If you have been following The Roar, each week I have been rolling through alternative rugby models. There’s no better incubator to explore, challenge and improve models. This week addresses Super Rugby-Top League alignment and the entry of six Top League teams into trans-Tasman Super Rugby.
The schedule concept is relatively straightforward. The Australian Super Club Rugby Championships, NZ Mitre 10 and Japan Top League are all held at the start of the season. Then, after completion, trans-Tasman Super Rugby kicks off, which includes teams from New Zeland and the JTL-SR teams based in Australia.
Finally, to concentrate talent in the lead-up to international Tests, a best-of-three State of Origin series would be held. Reds versus Waratahs and, potentially also in a separate competition, New Zealand’s North Island versus South Island.
To enable JTL talent to play in Australia and New Zealand, it is important to recognise that at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic Christmas Island was used a quarantine zone for those arriving in Australia from China. The same strategy could be used to bring JTL players to Australia for the Super Rugby competition.
With alignment and the renaming of the SR-JTL franchises, Australia-based Super Rugby teams would sign existing Australian Super Rugby players to teams across North Brisbane, South Brisbane, ACT, Sydney, North Sydney and Randwick. The Wallabies coach would have the power to switch players between teams for talent and combinations development.
North Brisbane: NTT Communications Rugby Football Club (blue and gold).
South Brisbane: Kintetsu Liners. Kinetic currently has strong Queensland connection with Nick Styles as coach as well as halves combination Quade Cooper and Will Genia.
ACT Brumbies: Toshiba Brave Lupus.
Sydney RU: Suntory Sungoliath. Suntory flyhalf Matt Giteau.
North Sydney: Panasonic Wildknights (red and black playing kit). Wild Knights have David Pocock at breakaway and legendary Robbie Deans as coach, who reportedly has many family friends from his time in Sydney.
Randwick: Toyota Verblitz (green team)
Rebel Force: players from outside New South Wales, Queensland and the ACT would comprise this team – Western Australia, Victoria, South Australia, Northern Territory, Tasmania, Japan Top League and New Zealand.
That makes for 12 teams in total. A six0team QLD-NSW-ACT conference and a six-team New Zealand-Rebel Force conference. Ideally each team would play each other in their conference once (five games), with a few games against teams from the opposite conference (two games) for seven matches in total.
Top four teams from each conference advance to semi-finals, followed by the conference championship. Then, like the NFL, conference champions play-off in the Bledisloe Super Bowl.
And there you have it. Ten weeks of short, sharp, high value, broadcaster-friendly content.
Micko
Roar Rookie
I think his point is they exist week to week as a franchise team, something they weren't set up for.
Crazy Horse
Roar Pro
The whole of NSW can’t even field two competitive teams in the NRC yet you want to give Sydney four teams! You guys really are delusional. Sydney hasn’t been the centre of the Australian Rugbyverse for many years. BTW the Panasonic Wildknights already have a relationship with the Force.
Crazy Horse
Roar Pro
I thought he might have decided to put all the solvent teams, NAZ and the Force, in one conference and the almost bankrupt est coast teams in the other.
Micko
Roar Rookie
SOO failed in AFL (despite the fact they invented the concept) because of the fact they're caught between a rock and a hard place by having three states that can compete with each other (instead of the easily workable two of RL), with Tasmania too small despite being an AFL state, but the best of the rest "Allies" side not really promoting public interest, despite the fact they were competitive.
Paulo
Roar Rookie
Is this your example of constructive feedback? I’m at a loss in regards to your grammar comment. Was something I wrote not clear for you?
T Bradley
Roar Rookie
Paulo, I never specified what Ferret's article had to be about and I agree with your 1st statement. My point was about constructive feedback. You can't fly a helicopter nor can you read however I'd encourage you to keep on trying and perhaps take a grammar class.
rebel
Roar Guru
Being able to play this year, ok. Moving forward, forget it. How many JLT people and fans have you spoken to? Where is the desire for this proposal? As for NSW tweaks, I would probably include 99.9% of the rest of the state. Something along the lines of the NRC teams is 1000 times better. Also there is no desire for SOO, for example it works in league but not AFL. Each sport has it's own strengths, this is what should be built on.
The Ferret
Roar Rookie
Hahahaha... thanks for the giggle.
Peter Kelly
Guest
As a Kiwi I watch the Kiwi sides play the SA sides, not that interested in watching Aussie teams. As now based in Melbourne I go to Rebels vs NZ teams or SA teams. There always seems to be the presumption on this site that Kiwis are interested in playing or watching the Aussie teams, our greatest rival is the Springboks and to me this then filters down to SA's SR sides. It would be interesting to see some stats on attendance/TV audience for the different games. The Rebels highest crowd attended for 2018 were Hurricanes and Crusaders games. From a Kiwi prespective while Covid restrictions apply quite happy for NZ franchises to play each other and then for a 3 test Bledisloe, not very interested in a trans Tasman competition or in Japan.
Paulo
Roar Rookie
One doesn’t need to have written an article outlining a new Comp structure to know this will never work and has many, MANY flaws. I can’t fly a helicopter but if I see one parked in a tree, I know the pilot has really messed up.
fast freddy
Guest
So then we need to spread the strong players , back to a US style draft, weak clubs get first pick of players , Darwin can go first :) Lets run that game , Randwick 3rd vs Best Newcastle team and see who goes through to the new comp?? If we look at that other rugby game, are all the Knights players from Newcastle or are some imports? Newcastle Knights do well and represent NRL well in Newcastle / Hunter area. To grow rugby we need teams to support in the local areas , I am sure Newcastle has a Soccer team to support , so NRL & Soccer are competitive and you think they couldn't have a competitive Rugby Team?? Shame on you! Grab a few ex Newcastle players to come back, add a few fast Fijians/tongans/somoans/ kiwis , ex leagueeys and some local talent like every other team does and watch them succeed!! #BuildItAndTheyWillCome
T Bradley
Roar Rookie
Can you pls post a link to your article so we can give you some nonconstructive feedback?
The Ferret
Roar Rookie
That is how the NRC should look
The Ferret
Roar Rookie
Don’t work KD... I am dumber for reading this article too
KD
Roar Rookie
Yes I do have a problem with Jap sides linking pretty much merging into Oz sides with pretty much zero gains for them. 1. The 3 Sydney sides are all Shute Shield teams who after playing that co.p earlier in the year are then going to morph into completely different sides merged with with TL teams, I can’t see why ypu would want to do that tbh. Also as others have mentioned they don’t represent all of Sydney. Why not NS Rays, Sydney City and WS Rams plus a NSW Country side instead? 2. Been a Kiwi yes I can’t see why we would want an Oz mashup side in our conference instead of say a Pacific Island or an NZ expansion side. Also don’t know who would support this side, would the fierce Force fans who have stood tall against the ARU support such a side? I don’t think so. 3. Well yes you’ve got to have a full round robin. 4. I actually thought this wasn’t all that bad as a suggestion or working title but tradition is tradition. 5. I’ve been a big fan of bringing back the North Vs South game for years. But with the league version being so big would a best of 3 rugby series gain as much traction as your hopping for or would it be better as a one off match each year? Pretty much a national trial game per say. Or why not a Heartlands XV (Nsw & Qld) Vs All States aka All Stars (Rest of Oz) All Stars type concept instead? 6. Well if M10s at its rightful place of being after the club rugby season then what starts your calender? A 10 week TT comp followed by Inbound tests and TRC? I can’t see it happening. 7. I get this is pretty much a current situation type thing aka Covid 19, no travel, trans tasman bubble etc etc. But I would rather see a full Trans Tasman Asia Pacific Comp, say 17 team comp made up of the 5 Oz sides, 5 Nz plus Central North Island, and either 6 or 5 Jap sides (City/Region based with possible ownership by joint ventures of the Top League sides/corporations in said City/Region and possibly between the local RU or JRU) and a P.I side (based between Auckland West Sydney and the Islands) if Japan only has 5. But if not encourage all sides to signs P.I players and rotate sides taking games to the Islands each year. Each team plays each other once over a full round robin and having 2 byes each to give each side 16 games over 18 weeks (as is current format) followed by a full 3 weeks quater finals format to give a total of 21 weeks. SA could also replicate this format with Argentina/South America and USA/Canada with a possible Rugby Super Bowl being held each year featuring the winner of both.
Jaeger
Roar Rookie
Click on link in article. Has Australian Super Club Rugby Championships. That has pretty well whole country represented.
Jaeger
Roar Rookie
Do you see a flaw with jlt and oz teams hooking up? Gonna take a stab at others… 1. Aussie teams. Personal taste on teams people would like to see playing. Put best foot forward with brands, flight cost saving for geography. Randwick, basically appropriating their brand. North Sydney Oval is akin to Ballymore. 2. Force. Concede was probably a bit cheeky to throw in with nz bunch. Fairer solution is to rotate aussie teams through nz conf. 3. 12 teams. Only two games v ozzy teams. You want ten teams right? I know we are the easybeats, :silly: , but with JLT far more talent. 4. Name Bledisloe. Again leaning off a powerful brand to make it bigger. Yes there is a reason it is powerful and not to be messed with. 5. SOO. Nz may not want nth v sth. All good. 6. M10 cant be played at start of year. End of year still works.
piru
Roar Rookie
How is this less though? They normally play twice a year
Jaeger
Roar Rookie
Who would be your teams from NSW?
Jaeger
Roar Rookie
Less is more.