In 1986, when the South Pacific championship first began, there were plenty of doubters.
These only gained in numbers when immediately after the first round, 31 of New Zealand’s premier players literally ‘did a runner’, racing from the Lancaster Park dressing room to the airport to join the unsanctioned Cavaliers tour of South Africa.
Yet the fledgling six-team South Pacific championship – the first instance of a formal international competition at provincial/state level in the southern hemisphere – not only survived, it flourished.
The inaugural participants – Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, Queensland, New South Wales, and Fiji (note, no official team monikers) – were onto something, and its stature quickly grew.
By 1989, due largely to being kept out of the New Zealand side of the party by the ‘big three’, the Otago, Waikato and Northland provinces formed their own ‘cross-border’ competition, bringing in the San Isidro and Rosario provinces from Argentina, alongside the Canadian national team.
The CANZ series, as it was known, was only played four times, but it achieved its purpose.
By 1993, the provinces were one big happy family again.
With the re-entry of South Africa from their apartheid-enforced political and sports isolation, and the addition of broadcast loot from their cable sports channel TopSport (Supersport as it’s now known) to pay for the logistics, two (competitions) became one, 12 (teams) became 10.
(Photo by Kenta Harada/Getty Images)
Super Rugby was born, firstly as a cross-border amateur competition, and then as a full-blown 12-team professional entity as the game went ‘pro’ in 1996.
10 seasons. That’s how long it took a good idea to grow into something that was financially sustainable, as well as proving engaging and exciting competition for fans, both existing and those drawn into the game.
The possibility of a cross-border playoff with the top clubs from Japan Rugby League One need not wait 10 years.
It offers similar possibilities to create something new that revives and re-engages the club game in the Asia/Pacific region, both for fans, but also from a commercial/financial perspective.
Have no fears about the competitiveness of the Japanese teams.
One former Wallaby told me last year that he felt the top three or four Japanese clubs, given their personnel, would beat most of the Australian teams.
I asked a leading coach where he thought his team would finish if it played in Super Rugby. He suggested the quarterfinals. But, he added, the clubs would strengthen further should/when cross-border materializes.
And the club game in Japan is already stronger than you think.
(Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images)
Unlike in Australia and New Zealand, it also has huge scope to grow, not just financially, but in terms of the acquisition of top players at the peak of their powers.
Australia and New Zealand’s playing resources are not going to change too much. Japan’s can and will.
Already, 10 of this year’s Springbok Rugby Championship squad either have been or are playing in Japan.
Australians Marika Koroibete, Samu Kerevi and Quade Cooper have all torn it up on the international stage while playing in Japan Rugby League One. Four All Blacks have been picked directly from Japanese clubs in the last two years.
By 2024, that number will probably be more, with Ardie Savea already confirmed for a Japanese club, while Richie Mo’unga, Will Jordan, Damien McKenzie and Rieko Ioane are only signed with New Zealand until the end of next year: you don’t need to be Einstein to work out why.
The Japanese are not into cricket which is why they would never describe Japan Rugby League One as the IPL of rugby.
But that’s what it is fast becoming and is going to be.
As chairman Genichi Tamatsuka and chief operating officer Hajime Shoji outlined to Brett McKay for The Roar, Super Rugby Pacific teams can be a part of it.
The Japanese do not foresee a fulltime combined competition, removing or destroying the existing leagues.
Like the South Pacific championship, they foresee baby steps, most likely with an end-of-competition cross-over tournament, that would prove complementary to the proposed world club championship (which Japan is included in) when it gets off the ground.
The Japan Rugby League One final is on May 20, a not too dissimilar time frame to Super Rugby Pacific.
They are prepared to modify their schedule, tightening it, to leave room for cross-border playoffs in the existing club window if Australia and New Zealand are.
In doing so they are offering a competitive element to the club season that is fresh, vibrant, protects the integrity of teams in the region’s existing structure and – most importantly – is commercially sustainable.
This is something clubland everywhere needs to consider even more strongly after the recent demise of the Worcester Warriors and potentially Wasps.
The opportunity (and some would say the on-field and commercial salvation for Rugby Australia and New Zealand Rugby) is there.
Hopefully the national and club organisations are as prescient as their forebears were 36 years ago and take it.
*Matt McILraith is a former All Blacks, Wallabies and Crusaders media manager. He is author of five books including a history of the first decade of Super Rugby ’10 Years of Super 12’ which included a detailed section on what came before. He now assists Japan Rugby League One in a public relations capacity.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
Like Ireland and Scotland did in the early days of the European Cups, Oz entered Regional sides, picking the best from the regional area. In the 00s the Celtic League was compared to the Currie Cup or NPC with the Champions Cup compared to Super Rugby. I don't think anyone would make that comparison now and some would say SRP is weaker than URC.
AndyS
Guest
When was that exactly? Both the Currie Cup and NPC pre-date SR in all forms, and both still sit below that top tier. Whereas Australia never had a stable domestic competition sitting beneath SR, particularly not a professional one (which is the real differentiator 27 years into professionalism), and still doesn't.
Joshua Makepeace
Roar Rookie
I think the MLS of rugby is a better description just a lot more appealing
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
They want to be in SRP, they want to have their JLO and then a crossover. Japanese clubs made that clear when they refused to support the Sunwolves. Once the Union realised that they made JLO their only priority.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
It's a no brainer, but egos may get in the way. I don't know if RA and NZRU are willing to either be equal partners as three different leagues or have SRP and JLO be seen as equal leagues. Can't see the NZRU willing to have a Japanese team being seen as an equal of one of theirs, but I would expect that will be what Japan expects. Super Rugby was at its best when each of the 3N had their domestic league and Super Rugby was the cherry on top. Once it became the only league it started to stagnate and be passed by Europe.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
Do we know that to be true. SA teams will be increasing their cap each year for the next few years. Japanese clubs pay good money to two or three players and rubbish for the rest. Sure their wage cap is smaller than SRP, SA teams are $5m
Jacko
Roar Rookie
NZ has a very vibrant club game and NPC. Just recently I read some NPC sides are spending 1.8mil on player wages. Not bad for a 3rd tier.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Thats the RA way. Let everyone else supply the talent and the money then demand equal shares.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Free distribution is the exact thing that would make Japan teams very strong and RA/NZ teams weaker. NZR MUST protect its base by retaining its current selection policy or, as you say, the cream will all be in Japan.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Id love to know what this domestic that NZR and RA are having is Paulo. All Im seeing is RA pouting and spouting rudely in the media. I have not seen anything from NZR at all. Its like watching an adult in a store with a screaming child. 1 isnt doing anything wrong ad never wanted the noise but is dragged into the mess anyway.
woodart
Guest
thinking laterally, if japan enters a club comp with nz and aus, sth african players wanting to play kiwis , will be better off (financially as well)playing for a japanese club in japan, than a sth african club in europe. HAH!
terrence
Roar Rookie
..the biggest difference between japan and other asian countries is that japan can actually produce a world class front row..
Malo
Guest
Countries that have a vibrant club game, not convoluted super system are improving leaps and bounds whilst NZ and Aus are going south%. Stop blaming coaches and bring the game back to the spectators.
Kent Dorfman
Roar Rookie
& unlike the Wallabies they throw accurate passes, know how to catch the ball, disciplined at ruck time. Think the Oz sides should spend some time there learning from the Japanese
Frankly
Roar Rookie
Okay, that was my bad. I don't know why that didn't come to mind when I was reading it.
Rob9
Roar Guru
The covid-enforced dismantling of Super Rugby as it was needed to happen, however it would have been more advantageous if the SANZAAR powers-that-be were a little more strategic in their approach than the smash-n-run that seemed to follow. For example; Our 5 and NZ’s 5 could have joined to establish a 10-team Trans Tasman competition. Play each team once (9 games) then teams in the same country a 2nd time for a total of 13 games. May be slip a rep weekend in there (QLD vs NSW or North vs South/North Is. Vs South Is.) to pad it out to 14 weeks. The top 4 advance to a 2 week postseason for a 16 week package. Then the 6 teams SA desired so desperately could have formed a 7-team competition with the Jaguares. Play each other twice for a 14 round/12 game concept. Same top 4 postseason arrangements for a 16 week package that runs parallel to the Trans Tasman competition. While the Sunwolves would have remained the covid-casualty, the Rugby League One would represent Japan’s club interests and as suggested in the article- run in a similar timeframe to South Hemisphere’s club rugby. Then, (probably after The Rugby Championship) bring these three competitions together in a Champions League-styled tournament. I would suggest all the above mentioned teams from Australia, NZ, SA and Argentina plus the 3 best from Japan’s Rugby League One. This provides a 20-team concept that could be played using the same ‘4 pools of 5 teams’ structure that the RWC uses in an 8-week window. Hopefully the US will continue to grow in the right direction and Japan could add a 4th team plus 3 spots for the best from the MLR to remove a bye week for each team and take it up to 24 teams. The other question that now has to be answered from the weekend is how to incorporate the Brave Blossoms into regular tier 1 international competition. May be TRC goes to a 5 nations concept where everyone plays each other once for 4 games over 5 weeks. We could play the AB’s either side of the tournament to round out the Bledisloe and top up the coffers. That club/national landscape presents (at least to me) a pretty tidy and palatable offering for rugby outside of Europe that has the potential to generate some strong streams of revenue to ensure the likes of Australia and NZ don’t slip off the radar.
Frank from Geebung
Roar Rookie
States/provinces now called clubs, tv deals, product reframing, contracts…… commercialism and vested interests….. I can’t keep up……
Frank from Geebung
Roar Rookie
?
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
Sorry, thought you were trying to be funny. Whenever SRAU wad being played in Australia, SR Aotearoa was being played in NZ
woodart
Guest
as soon as you get to the equal sharing of players and income, it becomes ridiculous. when you put in an equal amount, THEN you can get an equal share back. too many aussies want to plunder kiwi playing stock and japanese money, but have very little to offer in return. the japanese are not stupid, and if you want to do a deal with them, you have to offer them something of value. what is it???