“New Zealand players are lured north after retirement from international rugby or if they have too many other players ahead of them in their favoured position or if they’re not in consideration for a place”
Wrong. This used to be the case, as it was for Australian players. Over the last few years it has changed, as the amount of money on offer has increased.
European rugby is now poaching players in the prime of their career, and who have been picked or would be picked for the ABs.
It is a huge problem, and one unlikely to be fixed by World Rugby or the RFU or FFR anytime soon.
The money and thus power is with the clubs. They don’t care. SANZAAR doesn’t have enough money to compete, or enough clout to get rules changed.
Also in issue is that EU rules make it hard to bring in foreign player caps, which the clubs resist anyway. Why spend years and money developing local players when you don’t have to, and you have heaps of cash to throw at off the rack talent from the South?

PNG is actually a good idea. But would need World Rugby funding like Fiji. League is the national sport, and they have a team in the Queensland Cup as a precursor to trying to get into the NRL, but they’d surely love to see the chance to whack some Aussies in the related code too.
I’m tipping the Drua will end up becoming an SR side from 2021 on in any event, a bit like the Argies playing in the SAF Vodacom Cup prior to them getting into SR ….

“Australian rugby fans do well, it’s a chronic and shocking ability to overhype”
I disagree. Most rugby fans here are actually pretty well informed, and well aware of hype.
The main issue is usually the mainstream Oz rugby press. Fox Sports rugby gibbering on like a poor man’s NRL Footy Show. Or the News Ltd outlets, with their clear conflict of interest given they have the TV rights, asking none of the right questions.
Don’t even get me started on Growden at ESPN, or Unfiairfax, where they usually go from overhyped to overly critical within 24 hours after a loss. If not in the same article ….
Once again I blame the mainstream rugby media in part for the current mess Aussie rugby is in. had they been asking the right questions and showing some critical analysis for oh, say the last 5-10 years at least, maybe the hard questions would have been asked and answered.
To piss freely in everyone’s pockets here, the fact some of the best analysis and commentary is happening on fan fuelled sites like The Roar and Green & Gold Rugby is a sad indictment on the mainstream press (even with their business model under serious stress and shredding experienced staff as a result).

Peter Playford tweeted Twiggy had been on contact about the Sydney Stars joining up. Clearly Peter wants to move that $20K of Stars merchandise he has in his garage. Seriously. Not sure if Balmain subbies can cut it playing in Hongkers.

I think WR would have cut a bulk deal with the Warwick and other resorts for their accommodation (and other tarvel) costs.

“there are moves afoot to drop a South African and an Australian side”
Well John the bookie told Uncle Vester who blabbed it. Or maybe not.

And how does the finals work Lordie? Top 8 from what, given you have essentially 3 conferences? 8 of 16 is a bit soft, and resembles NRL. SR has always been a bit tougher when it worked, and home finals also an issue. Again that detail missing.

I don’t disagree this is preferable, but also would love to see the money. SAF always trumpeted it provided most of the cash, but it also seemed like it all went back to SAF so how did it help “us” (ANZ).

And $150K a player for PI teams? $4.5m a team from WR. Which is what Oz teams caps are.Very generous of you. They’ll be better paid than some ANZ players.

Nice piss take. Not sure everyone realised …. 🙂

Will never happen WCR. That second phase means no one knows what the teams playing will be and thus the fixtures. Not enough certainty to sell TV rights or tickets.
Expansion is the way to go, but it is all about having more fairness in the cross conference draws. The SAF teams want more ANZAC games or it is just a glorified Currie Cup for them. The Aussies don’t want to get massacred by the Kiwis every year. The Kiwis don’t want to be taking points of mainly each other, and taking wildcard spots but playing away against “lesser” teams.

Home and away against own conference is a must, but there needs to be a “fair” system for playing some other conferences. Rotating each year creates good and bad years. Seeded draws means you may not play some teams for years, but i suspect that is the way to go. Round robin is dead. But international games must stay as they make Super Rugby special. For ANZAC teams we like playing each other, and the crowds are far better than for SAF teams.

ANZAC needs to expand into Pacific ISlands and Asia. SAF/ARG needs to expand into Americas and Africa, eventually with an Americas conference all of its own. Problem is you don’t just add 5-10 teams, it needs to grow organically.

Next few teams would likely be:
1. 2nd ARG team which provides ARG derbies, any weakens Los Jaguares who otherwise in a few years will dominate once they get used to travelling.
2. 2nd Japanese side to also add derbies, and/or stand alone Sing side if support strong enough. Hong Kong probably also a long term aim to grow into the China market. But they need to be in ANZAC conferences.
3. Pacific Islands side (maybe based initially in Auckland and/or Sydney/Brisbane), possibly growing into Fiji, Tonga and Samoa sides to support domestic players there. The issue will always be lack of TV audience locally to make it viable and/or extra travel to get into the islands. However, international audiences love to watch these sides, and World Rugby is committed (apparently) to growing/regrowing the game there using RWC profits.
4. Uruguay side. Brazil is a separate project. They need to grow separately. Nationalism you know.
5. California team in LA or San Fran, with West Coast USA growing into several sides (Seattle/Oregon & Denver) as part of a larger Americas conference/sub-conference. I suspect East Coast is too far to properly be playing anyone outside of South America or Japan, and might be better hitching their wagon to Europe as seems likely. However might bolt PRO Rugby comp on, with Super revenue boosting those sides to full professionalism.
6. Namibia and Kenya in Africa, to grow the XV game there. Added to the SAF conferences.

The aim seems to be to grow Super Rugby to grow into something that amounts to a Champions League (in their format for conferences etc for football) everywhere except Europe. However we are talking very long term here, up to 20 years.

I didn’t take Cheika’s critique of Poite as looking to blame him for the loss. If we know anything about Cheika it is he doesn’t look to lay blame, and usually looks withing to improve. I.e. to take the lessons from each loss. Even when he wins he has tended to be a hard task master, indicating he was still not happy.
However, he is also not a coach to lay down and accept sub-standard refereeing. Of which there has been an excess in recent years, especially when northern hemisphere whistle blowers get sent south to get some on the job training in how rugby is meant to be played, and stuff it up. Cheika is going to try to give his team every advantage, and trying to get World Rugby to improve the refereeing is one of them. it is hard enough beating the ABs when the ref is doing a good job ….
I don’t disagree with Spiro’s critique of Australian rugby commentators. To the contrary, This is part of the generally lazy analysis of the game on their part.
However, this article appears somewhat of a beat up, albeit in a different way.
I am tipping the Wallabies to look a lot better against the Boks this weekend, and probably give them a touch up. The ABs are on fire and difficult to beat for anyone. Australian rugby holds itself to an almost impossible bar in measuring itself against the ABs as its sole measure of success. Right now no one is beating them.

Interesting to see Rays had 3 evening games in 1st season which meant I only got to 1, but only 1 evening game this year. Family friendly arvo games means I am more likely to get along to more games. Although with 2/4 Rays games at Pittwater Rams games or the Eagles 1 Sydney game will also get attention.

” the new Rising colours and logo will reflect that”
As with the change of the rays to “Sydney”, is a comp with very little history and tradition why go changing it so soon?!?!?!
I am really pissed off with the decision of the Rays to get rid of the North Harbour moniker, which was correct and fitted. It was clearly to fit Southos into the fold, who then p!ssed off to the Rams again, and we were stuck with it. We’re a bloddy north shore side, let’s admit that. Lot’s of NRL sides have tried this before. They have support from outside their “area” of their name, so why use it.
Bloody p!ssed off. Heaven forbid might pay attention to the fans.
And not surprised we are still mucking about not having announced our team as yet. We always seem to be behind the 8 ball in these things, and getting our message out there on social media.
And 2 games at Pittwater Park. Gah!!! Is going to be easier to get to Rams games at Concord for me. NSO was a great move, but the others should have been at Manly or Brookie again.

Based on the Australian history of picking coaches they’ll sign O’Connor then!!!!

Looking after loyal fans, and encouraging people to become members to get first dibs? Um yeah.
Go pay the bog standard GA partial season pass for tahs and you’ll get in the queue ahead of the public.
In fact, if you haven’t accidentally wandered onto some Rugby Community mailing list due to buying a ticket at some time in the last 10 years, and thus get early offers, you aren’t trying.

Already bought mine last year for the Broken Down Chariot Tour in the early option, giving ARU some interest free money until they have to issue them.

It means the sub-editor had been on the lash last night and didn’t pick up the typo ….

I’m glad you explained it simply. Can you write Foxtel’s web site for them? After I wasted time trying to work it out ….

And Tahs fans only boo their own. Or Richie McCaw. Actually not even him. When he got sent off the last time we cheered (not him, the yellow card).

In over 20 years of attending the major football codes, the sad fact is the sports with the highest bogan quotient have the worst behaviour. AFL in Sydney is better than league (it seems to have a different demographic to the southern states), but rugby is better again than AFL. Football is better than league and probably on a par with AFL or better.

I am a long standing Tahs season pass holder, and we make an effort not to swear or be abusive. We certianly heckle and have a go, but the idea is that kids are often around. Other fans, often away fans, that don’t behave like that get policed. I.e. told to pull their head in, and if they maintain it they get heckled – social shaming.

Hopefully the entire Goodes fiasco causes a bit of introspection and fans to start behaving better, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. But the first part of fixing a problem is recognising you have one.

The AFL is savvy enough to realise this hurts the “brand”, might put off sponsors, and needs to be seen to be dealt with.

Best piece on this issue. Without. A Doubt.

Can we nominate this for a Walkely for Sports journalism?

Well that headline was misleading. Mostly waxing lyrical about the final, the brief comment on the 2016 season with no real explanation of how the conference system or finals will work.

Reset button please.

You lost me as soon as you referred to Dean Mumm as a stalwart.
Buh-bow. Fail.
Unless he had a Damascan revelation in Europe, I cannot see Mummsie overcoming his previous problems that (1) he is too often a little man playing in a big man’s body, and (2) he’s a 6 not a lock (although Cheiks seems to have worked that one out finally).

Um, what is the point of this hypothetical. So you tell the Kings, Gauchos and Samurai they can’t come in, despite being approved for S18?
Unless the Super comp gives the Bokke an extra team they’ll take their ball and go play with the Northern kids. Now while some of us would be happy with that, SANZAR has balls the size of peas, so they won’t stand up to them.
Plus your format has 4/5 Bokke teams in Tier 2. It renders Tier 1 an ANZAC plus 1 Bokke chum format which kind of defeats the idea of SANZAR. Plus the Bokke would never take the hit to the pride of 1/5 teams.
By far better would be splitting it into Atlantic and Pacific conferences, an extra Argie side to make it 8 SAF/ARG sides, PI or 2nd Japan side to make it 12 Pac sides, limited cross over (maybe 2 away games for other conferences), and then top 3 Atlantic sides and top 5 PAC sides into final. But also won’t happen as SANZAR seems wedded to as many crossover games as possible despite them now making the comp so big it is becoming impractical, and also delivering SAF games that will not rate in ANZ because they are on in the middle of the night.

The rules make the game great to watch. I also feel they still leave the set piece in place, and important, but without bogging the games down in them.

So the NH will treat them like poison, and run a mile. Kick and clap brigade wins the day again.

Would have to be an Australian BarBars side, but essentially the Wallabies in hoops. All revenue to ARU. Would fill Homebush, or MCG. Suncorp or Docklands too small.

The financial kicking the SH unions get without the June Tests is a joke. With all the coin the IRB is raking in from the WRC (an idea from the SH, which the Home Unions resisted), they should cover it in full, not the half arsed effort that currently leaves us in the red.

Even funnier is Euro clubs looking at playing games during the RWC. once the minimum window ends. Wouldn’t see FIFA allowing that.

Bring it. Long walk home back to Perth from Brookvale boys.

Time to get stung!!!!

Fully agree Scott. The comp has been great, but it will also change as the teams and players develop.

Only concern is rumours like below under “NRC not pleasing folk who really matter” that Fox don’t like what they see. Here’s hoping this is just water cooler talk by un-important peanuts, rather than anyone that matters.

http://www.espnscrum.com/australia/rugby/story/240817.html

If Fox seriously think they have bought a lemon then (I) they don’t realise it’s actually lemonade, and (2) what were they expecting for crowds (2007 ARC provided a guide) and quality (as you say it will get better, but it has been pretty decent so far)?

Tell you what Fox, just put on some more Icelandic truck racing, that’ll get people signing up ….

2 words – exclusivity agreement.

Homebush has the “right” to be the biggest stadium for a set time. The SFS cannot expand seat numbers while it is in place. Which limits refurb options.

Really we need Suncorp v2 to replace the SFS. If they could lever it into the area the SFS is wedged in.