Commentators and administrators are too emotionally invested at a time when left-field thinking is required to unlock opportunities for the Super Rugby competition.
My solution is based on two undisputed facts: New Zealand or South Africa have won two-thirds of all the Rugby World Cup tournaments, and have produced more than 80 per cent of the last eight Super Rugby playoff teams.
Therefore, we should use these classy nations to grow the game’s global footprint and viewership – after all, this is World Rugby’s brief and mission.
The way to expand the game is to continue with all the new domestic, replacement Super Rugby arrangements but withdraw the top three teams from these two most successful nations and launch a new comp: the Premier Southern Hemisphere (PSH).
The top-two finishers from the domestic Super competitions would be determined by a top-eight finals league from the Kiwi, South African, Australian, Japanese, Pacific and Argentinean pool of participants, and they qualify for a mandatory play-off against the bottom two teams from the new PSH league.
This keeps the door open for all possible pretenders from all regions to this new top tier and makes the PSH a truly premier, global competition that is constantly refreshed and rejuvenated.
If the first year is wildly successful, the PSH can easily be expanded to eight by automatically including the top-two qualifiers with promotion-relegation playoffs starting in 2022.
The PSH will immediately become the premier club tournament, with every game having huge global interest and viewership, with assured bums on seats at the venues as well. This will be music to the broadcasters’ and administrators’ ears and can unlock a previously unimagined and lucrative income stream that will also spread the rugby union gospel far and wide.
The top teams in competition with a huge final bonanza is a recipe for global interest and viewership.
It could even unlock an annual north-south hemisphere club series to determine the Rugby World Club Champions – a title that hasn’t previously been contested but would be prestigious.
The top 72 players from South Africa and New Zealand going hammer and tongs at each other would become an unmissable spectacle that will be a shot in the arm for rugby globally.
Joe King
Guest
I don't think either country can claim the high ground here. Both have people that just want what's best for themselves.
Malotru
Roar Rookie
Then why complain about the time difference?
LSD
Guest
Lol. What a load of crap.
Richard
Roar Rookie
I am sure for a local whose left that beautiful country because it's such a great place to live this option is sufficient. For most other people....we just don't care.
BeastieBoy
Roar Rookie
The arrogance that any country's success can cause the whole game worldwide to succeed. It's too big and complex for that and each country are at different stages. The country with the biggest potential for growth is the USA. The country with the biggest decline is Australia. Success of NZSA will not change that.
Soup bone, I don’t like the philosophy of European rugby, had a good few chats with the supporters of the Pro14. Firstly they want derbies- according to them that makes money and is what the fans want. The bigger the Pro 14 - the more conferences, which i hate. Their broadcasters wants content, the more the better. This in turn means the various comps intertwine, so one week you play Pro 14, next week Champions Cup, week after test rugby. This means big squads and coaches prioritising which matches they send second string teams out and which their first choice xv. I simply don’t like it. As I hated the convoluted conference system in Super Rugby. I want shorter more meaningful comps.
The masked soup-bone
Roar Rookie
Hi Corne; What's wrong with doing both..? SA effectively has six teams that wants to compete internationally which is why I suggest a 3:3 split; the current three top SA/NZ in the new PSH league and the second three in the Pro 14/15..? Hence my suggestion of an annual play-off between the bottom 2 x SA/NZ teams against the two winners of an eight team playoff series of the remaining SH teams. It will change; stimulate and keep all the competitions fresh by aspiring teams challenging the top SH league. Competing in the northern and southern hemisphere will cross pollinate SA rugby with new trends and playing styles that can only be good for our rugby.
Malotru
Roar Rookie
Sadly SA games have largely been much better than most of the Australian games in the past few years Dean F.
Malotru
Roar Rookie
Watched many SA games in the past couple of years Richard? Reading into your comments, it strikes me that you probably haven't.
Malotru
Roar Rookie
That hoary old chestnut trotted out yet again. No one has to get up at 3am to watch SA games Richard, there is a little button on the Foxtel remote which says record. Heavens, you can even programme it to record every SR game. Imagine that, what progress we are making on this earth.
Findlay
Guest
The cost of running multi continent competitions is what breaks these concepts. I don’t know the numbers but flying teams across the world for one or two games could be better spent on developing another squad or paying to keep quality players at home.
Cornelius Prins
Guest
This is sury a joke. SA needs none. We have a 125 year comp running simultaneously with super Rugby. NZ suffers from a superiority complex. Let then come
Jurie Roux CEO of SARU refuted that, saying there are contracts in place, and the only way NZ could break from SANZAAR was a mutual agreement between SARU, NZRU, RA and Argentina could desolve the SANZAAR partnership
Olly
Roar Rookie
NZ rugby CEO said otherwise in mid July. 2021 and beyond new direction.
Sluggy
Roar Guru
Bye Bye Chris, and thanks for all the sauvignon blanc.
MW7
Roar Rookie
I understand that. But you don’t think this is a planned long term move to shift the tournament dynamics? If it isn’t a long term move, then why would NZ look to support a NZ based PI team for one year only? What would Arg say to its players go and get overseas contracts? What would NZ say lets only open to 2 Aust teams? It doesn’t stack up.
Danny McGowan
Roar Rookie
Don't bet on it, Twiggy didn't get all his money by being stupid!
Olly
Roar Rookie
No I mean the 2021 and beyond new direction as outlines by the CEO of NZ Rugby mid July.
Davico
Roar Pro
Roar, why are you printing clearly Troll articles? Do Better!
TC
Guest
The Rand.