CONFIRMED: Key dates and format for 'Super Rugby Pacific' announced with extra 'derbies' flagged

after a few beers aren't they the same thing?

Yes, good point. We are talking about maybe 2 derbies instead of 1 out of those last 3 games not 3 from 3. Any advantage Australian teams get is marginal at best and I think an Australian team in the finals is better for revenue so would benefit the overall competition financials.

:laughing:

In the first season maybe you are right but I predict by the second season all teams will be competitive

Jez, I hear the Tahs have been training the house down :laughing:

Yes, I think the Tahs will improve and won't be easy marks. Firstly, both Moana P and Fiji D will take awhile to find their feet and even though they'll provide entertainment value they won't win many games - they'll be interesting against the weaker Aus sides. BP points will be a big deal again with NZ sides looking to bank those against the weaker Aus sides but also Fiji D and Moana P. On last year's TT form let's assume the Crusaders wins all games but drop 1-2 against NZ sides but win against all Aus sides with BP points. Blues maybe 2-3 against some NZ sides and possible one Aus side if they still have last season's form without Tana and Paddy and take all BP points against all other Aus sides. Chiefs, Canes and the Clan share the spoils against each other and possible lose against one of Reds/Brumbies but beat all sides other than the NZ sides with BP points. The top Aus sides will then have an advantage over these NZ sides in the three extra derbies. They get at least 2 easy games which is 10 max points to bring them up the log to play against each other rather than Saders and Blues in the Finals. That way NZ sides cancel each other with 1 vs 8 and 2 vs 7 as Reds/Brumbies have gone up the table on easy derbies. I see all NZ sides going for high scores to get BP points to counter Reds and Brumbies advantage in having weaker derbies. I hope the Unions will be choosing the Aus derbies based on tribal rivalry and hence TV/live audience rivalry. Brumbies vs Reds/Reds vs Tahs/Brumbies vs Tahs. The draw will be fascinating. Do the Reds once again get a favourable draw playing the strongest NZ sides at home to give them the best chance in the Finals? Having played NZ sides they now won't only win against a 14 man Chiefs if they get such a good draw. Brumbies got a rough draw last time. I think that the weakest sides should get the most favourable draw. Rebs, Tahs and Clan and Clan and Canes. Also draw with an easy start to build up steam like the Blues will really help. There will be a lot of YCs and RCs in the comp. Can the reffing be neutral this time I wonder?

Top 6 would create much more edge.

The TV deal is the key - no money no comp - so no doubt this option is all about what put the most money on the table and what was the best option in terms of what punters would actually fork out subscription money for. End of the day in commercial sport beauty is in the eye of the paying punter and so ultimately this must be the most appealing option.

The Tahs have some exciting young players. They’ll get there. You out Harrison behind the Reds or brumbies pack and he’s starting 10 for Australia right now.

Which makes for better viewing figures - I don't think the Tahs and the Rebs will be as bad next year - the tahs having been busy re-signing a lot of the players where there in 2018/19 when they performed quite well. Don't see them winning the comp but there will be some evolution and lessons learnt from TT this year so the comp won't likely be as one-sided. I am also guessing that the Island teams will take a few players here and there from Kiwi franchises which will dilute the talent a little bit. The comp should be good - first year up I can't see any team that isn't Kiwi winning it - give a couple of years and the Aus teams will be come up to the standard. Out of interest I went over the teams that won Super rugby over the years - interesting reading - the SA teams are a non-event they rarely made the finals and when they did they won 1 game against a non-SA side. In a way losing their teams won't make too much of difference - although the physicality of their playing style was rightly valued - they generally didn't contribute much at the elite end of the comp. The Aussie teams despite the perception were not bad performers - the Tahs, Brumbies and Reds all won a comp (the brumbies 2) and of those 5 wins 4 were against Crusader teams. A look at the stats below tells you that the aussie teams in absolute terms are about as good as most kiwi sides in producing a winner. Fair enough the wins haven't come as regularly as since 5 side came in - but similarly the Blues, Cheifs and even the Highlanders and Hurricanes haven't been elite teams either in recent years. I have a feeling given a year or two this comp could start to look pretty even - with the exception of the Crusaders - who are simply astonishingly good - there is no team within cooee of their record or the standards of excellence they seem to be able to maintain. 26 Comps Teams by comps won Crusaders 10 Blues 3 Bulls 3 Brumbies 2 Chiefs 2 Reds 1 Tahs 1 Highlanders 1 Hurricanes 1

The area of the Manukau and Waitemata Harbours has been central to Maori since the first landings before 1300AD. The Orakei claim (Report, 1987, Waitangi Tribunal) points out that the original owners, the Ngati Whatua, supported European settlement and the development of Auckland. Clemenza, your comment is quite baffling.

It may have escaped your notice Dave, but we lost a few games last year. Did nothing for our finances. Our reputation, and all the commercial rewards that come from it, is based on being the best. Reducing our standards to Australia's level, if that's what you are hinting at, will make us uncompetitive globally and we'll lose all that.

By the way Ex force fan, why do you call yourself Ex force fan if you're a Force fan? Just curious.

Well done getting this far. The effort to get this competition must have been substantial. | However it also highlights the folly of the current NZ/ AUS arrangement... | The people and the clubs want a simple round robin, home and away series , but yet again it has been compromised - away to meet the needs of a higher purpose. As long as this competitonn is in the service of another purpose, (as great as Tests are) it will never reach its potential. t| Sill looking forward to it though...

Rational, balanced, nuanced... Nice words. Condescending, but nice. It may surprise you to learn that I also have a university education and understand those words and the implicit ad hominem attacks behind them. However, this is nothing about subtlety or nuance. It is purely visceral parochialism in fact. Representative teams should be exactly that, representative. The Tuipolotus, Eklunds, Robinsons and Ioanes went to our schools, played for our clubs and learned the game here, in Auckland or Northland. They represent us. They represent the best of rugby in this part of the world. If we were to fill our teams full of mercenaries, who have no emotional connection or history here, then who is being represented - the franchise owners? The sponsors? Why would I support one team of players over another? The teams truly would become franchises in that the 'product' is generic wherever you go. Will it reach the stage, like it has in the USA where cities compete to take franchises off each other? If the choice is between that or nothing, then I vote for nothing every day of the week.

What????

Commercially? NZR is currently looking to sell themselves off to PE firms. I'd suggest kiss and makeup with the poms and get them down to NZ for a test series asap.

IMO Fiji would beat the 2020 Tahs, so it depends in 2021 how good Coleman and his recruiting is.

Let's please assume that this ignorant comment is an attempt at a rather tired and unfunny joke and move on.

why did you ignore the Aust response ...?