Another season of Super Rugby Pacific behind us and another Crusaders title to add to what must be one of the biggest trophy cabinets in the professional game the world over.
Finally the time has arrived where this competition sits ready to take the next step we’ve been waiting too long for.
The concept of the independent commission to govern Super Rugby was first floated midway through the 2022 season, was announced by a three-way joint media release in December of that year, and we’re told, should be finalised in the next couple of months ready for the start of the 2024 season.
The proof will be in the pudding, breath won’t be held nor and will chickens be counted, but that is the timeline of events as it currently stands.
And for all of that, it still can’t happen soon enough.
But a few little discussions last week in the lead-up to the final, both on these pages and on the socials, just underlined why a centralised, competition-specific governance of Super Rugby Pacific is desperately needed and just how big a job this new body will have when the start.
A comment of mine here on the site led to a little discussion about reliable sources of Super Rugby Pacific stats, where I had to concede that my own frustration about reliable sources about a decade ago led to me to building my own set of stats. Rather than having to use multiple sources to get the set of information I wanted, especially for commentary preparations, I created my own record out of necessity.
I did the same thing for all six seasons of the National Rugby Championship for the same reason.
Damian McKenzie of the Chiefs. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)
But I’m obviously not the only person who wants to be able to look at goal-kicking, and tallies of yellow and red cards, or a team’s leading try scorers and how that compares to the other teams. These aren’t particularly niche stats and they should all just be readily available. I shouldn’t have to have built my own record.
Particularly when these stats do exist in Super Rugby Pacific now.
SANZAAR’s official stats for both The Rugby Championship and Super Rugby Pacific are supplied by Opta Sports, and the same data feeds both the TRC and SRP websites, as well as other outlets like RUGBY.com.au and ESPN. But what you see on those sites are a small snapshot of a more comprehensive data set, which is used in weekly match packs provided to media outlets. I’m sure the bigger set we get in those match pack aren’t the full set, either.
So they have the data at their fingertips. They just don’t publish most of it.
And the shame of that is when you look at the depth of player and team stats available on the Premiership Rugby and United Rugby Championship websites. Similarly, the stats offering on the Six Nations and Autumn Nations series sites far outweigh what we see for The Rugby Championship and Super Rugby Pacific.
Stats can help form opinions, create narratives, and better educate those fans who seek them out.
People in tipping comps want to know how long it’s been since the Chiefs lost to Queensland at home. People playing fantasy competitions are trying to work out which of the two backrowers they’re considering gives away the fewer penalties.
If you’ll pardon the pun, you can bet people having a wager on any particular game would love more information.
Richie Mo’unga of the Crusaders celebrates (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)
Provide that sort of information, and people will consume the product more. So why not help them become more informed as fans?
On the topic of tipping and fantasy contests, there should be official competitions – with weekly updates and more and more being made of it as the season reaches its’ conclusion. Fijian winners, New Zealand winners, Australian winners. And of course, an overall champion.
I know there was an official tipping come being promoted at the start of the 2023 season, but for the life of me, I can’t see in on the Super Rugby website now.
Social media should be – and has to be – one of the most priorities for the new commission, and we have to get away from this crazy situation where NZR run their own versions of Super Rugby social accounts focussed only on their teams.
If one of the biggest criticisms of Super Rugby is that no-one knows about teams from another country, then let’s start promoting all teams and all players to everyone, everywhere. Help push the narratives and the storylines wider, not narrower. Let rivalries cross borders and embrace them.
Give people a reason to watch any game. Outline why it’s important. Explain what’s on the line for the key players.
And for goodness sake, encourage content creators to share highlights and make their own analysis video clips instead of issuing petty copyright requests. Take geoblocks off official highlights clips and full game replays. If people don’t want to pay a subscription service to watch games live, then don’t punish them by restricting access to replays.
It should be easy to find a replay, not difficult. Let more people consume the product!
But above all else, Rugby Australia and New Zealand Rugby, just get the commission done so that they can get on with all this.
Let the clubs look after themselves and not feeling the need to advocate for the competition they play in. Let the clubs be as strong and as well-run as they can be, and competition benefits.
The sooner the competition can be run as the primary focus for an organisation and not an afterthought in the back a corner of two national union offices, it will be absolutely the better.
And when that happens, fans will be more than happy to climb aboard for the ride.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
But it wont change that or anything else Fiwi. The independent comission will have as much power as RA and NZR give it. I dont believe that will be much at all. Who is going to stop them doing what they wants? Who do you think will set the commissions parameters?
Micko
Roar Rookie
Incorrect Nick; plenty of AFL in Melbourne this weekend.
fiwiboy7042
Roar Rookie
this is why an independent commission is needed, Jacko.
SDRedsFan
Roar Rookie
The music that gets played at Lang Park isn't conducive for a conversation either. Great to see such a good crowd on a Thursday night to watch the ladies play - just a shame it was so one-sided.
carnivean
Roar Rookie
Yes, during the dire times cost cutting definitely cut back these non-core functions. It's clear though that these aren't cost centre but profit centres. Investment in Marketing drives sales volume, drives revenue. The return on investment of every $1 spent (wisely) in Marketing should be $2 or more. Their job is to engage existing fans into spending more, going to more games. Their job is to help those existing fans convert their network for friends and family into fans of the game. Their job is to turn potential fans into actuals fans. There's a point where you have to spend money to make more money. On to you point about whose responsibility it falls under, if we're created a commmission and an organisation to run Super Rugby as a product then part of their job is to market that product. It won't exist in a silo, it will have to deal with the clubs and the national bodies, but they will have to drive it.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Correct Brett. Unaware of any claims to the contrary. Are you aware of anyone claiming RA or NZR runs ROAR RUGBY?
Jacko
Roar Rookie
The contract is signed Brett. The money is spent. Are you suggesting RA can back out of the contract? Dont think so. Covid is gone Brett. Time to put the money back in.
AndyS
Roar Rookie
Fine, RA cares deeply about all their competitions. So by extension, they must then be and have been quite consciously choosing to run and support each of them the way they do. Including quite intentionally not doing any the things your article highlights aren't being done...? If RA cared about the NRC, then they definitely care about SRP. So how they are managing it must reflect that deep concern for its success.
Brett McKay
Expert
Again Andy, the notion of commitment is your construct not mine. And the point of the 'afterthought in the back office' reference is that both seasons of SRP has had feelings of a 'holding pattern', waiting either for the new TV deal to kick in (still another year away), or now, for the creation of the new governing body to take over. That's my point. If you don't think RA cared about the NRC and can't outline why, that's fine, you're welcome to that. But it's awfully presumptuous to project your own feelings onto how RA ran the competition..
Tooly
Roar Rookie
There is nothing wrong with Rugby in NZ . We are up ship creek in Australia . I only watch Origin and finals RL but every time I do it gets me in and I start watching again , as I am now . All we are getting about RU is pathetic BS from Eddie amid some good writing here .
fiwiboy7042
Roar Rookie
FYI: Crusaders confirmed they will play Munster and Bristol in February. This is something an independent commission could also be involved with.
fiwiboy7042
Roar Rookie
I think the Zoo at the stadium offers cheap seats for them.
fiwiboy7042
Roar Rookie
went to the Wallaroos-Ferns game at Redcliffe on Thursday (50-0 to NZ BTW). The game was not helped by the insistence of having music play during every stop in play (setting a scrum, setting a lineout etc). The stadium filled fairly fast; near full house (only two near-empty pods for those who known the Dolphins Stadium; damned if I will call in by its official name).
AndyS
Roar Rookie
OK, going back to the original words, it seems surprisingly inconsistent that you think RA 'desperately wanted the NRC to work' and in no way treated it like an afterthought, but at the same time think that the much more significant SRP, played at a time of year when there is nothing else happening in the senior XV space, is an afterthought run out of a back corner of the office. Why would they be any less committed to that than a third tier comp, so much so that they need to hand off operation to others, but were all over and quite capable of doing that level below and doing it well? It had only been two years; what is it you've seen or heard that makes you think RA aren't at least as committed to SRP as they were the NRC? Personally, I don't think they gave the NRC much of a second thought after it was created, just hoped it would sort itself out without requiring anything of them. But regardless, I also think they were even less capable of understanding and operating it to best effect than they were/are SR.
Hugh_96
Roar Pro
I guess I’m looking at engaging the non rugby fan, at work I find I now just say the Tahs played one of the New Zealand team, which is pretty non descript. Inevitably if I refer to Chiefs, Highlanders etc the initial discussion becomes ‘who are they’ rather than a brief chat on the rugby.
Brett McKay
Expert
Andy, "full commitment and engagement" is your concept, not mine. As I've said, there were plenty of things that could have been and needed to be improved about the NRC. It certainly wasn't perfect. But as much as you keep trying to change your angle (you're now introduced the Wallabies), you've still now outlined how RA were not committed and engaged in making the NRC work..
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
I think rugby fans want more of that during down time in games not why is this game so slow. If we pause for scrum and they talk about pack weights more than team A is bigger than Team B. Imagine if at a scrum a commentator said Team A have only every lost a ball against teams that are 50kg heavier than them, or team B's current front row have the best scrum completion rate of any team in the league, team A on the other hand fail to complete 25% of their scrums when this hooker is playing.
Arama
Roar Rookie
Good point Brendan. One just needs to look at the plethora of advanced stats in the NBA. A real “alphabet soup” . PER, VORP, BPM, etc. the list is nearly endless (Nikola Jokic continuing to post historical numbers year-by-year). And Americans are well versed in the lot of them. Be a huge draw card for them in my opinion.
Rocky's Rules
Roar Rookie
@Wizz There are multiple benefits to opening your heart to non aussies, espcially Kiwi's. You become a more egalitarian person devoid of counter productive negative feelings. You overcome negative prejudices and appreciate the skills of others. In Rugby, by supporting both a NZ provincial team and the ABs as your 2nd teams, you'll almost always win and will enjoy the games a lot more. As a result you become a happier more content person :thumbup:
Rocky's Rules
Roar Rookie
@Brett Ok thanks for the correction. I therefore change my comment to "I got no help from RA". No one ever does hehehehe :thumbup: