- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Roar Rookie
Joined June 2020
0
Views
0
Published
1.7k
Comments
NZR unilaterally blew up Super Rugby when Covid hit with a poorly conceived masterplan to launch a new competition which it would own and manage – a plan that ultimately wanted to reposition Australia as a subservient junior associate rather than trusted senior partner. – Gregor Paul Gregor Paul is one of New Zealand’s most respected rugby writers and columnists. He has won multiple awards for journalism and has written several books about sport.
Published
Comments
It’s called the Investec cup. Acknowledge the title sponsor, and no the Investec cup will not suffer. There will still be group matches and a round of 16 to determine the top 8 best teams in the world who will then play another round of 16 against weak Eastern teams before progressing to the finals, on EPCR spoil for the benefit of EPCR teams and broadcasters. It is SRP that will be devalued and it’s the broadcasters of SRP that will lose out with all those 3am matches.
Scrap the Giteau Law: Rugby Australia should look to Rassie's 'Boks RWC recipe if it wants to re-join the big boys' table
How often have SR based players been successful over the past 11 years is the question. It’s time to flip and give SR the flick.
Scrap the Giteau Law: Rugby Australia should look to Rassie's 'Boks RWC recipe if it wants to re-join the big boys' table
Add to that a tribal domestic competition with a minimum of 8 teams operating on lower budgets as these teams will not be in an arms-race for players who can earn more and develop their game in other competitions while still playing for the Wallabies.
Scrap the Giteau Law: Rugby Australia should look to Rassie's 'Boks RWC recipe if it wants to re-join the big boys' table
The cynic in me says that he opted out of a Japan sabbatical because he still suffers from PTSD from the complete physical bashing that PSDT handed to him in the RWC final.
All Blacks star signs surprise short-term deal with Irish heavyweights
Jacko don’t be mistaken. They are the best club team on the planet because they have 17 Irish internationals and at least 3 other internationals in their squad. They play in the best competitions (URC and Champions Cup) not against poor Aus and Kiwi teams playing second rate SRP, but against rich teams in rich leagues that can afford the best players and the best coaches on the planet.
All Blacks star signs surprise short-term deal with Irish heavyweights
One cannot blame him for wanting to play for the best team in the best competition on the planet.
The URC bosses are smiling and eagerly anticipating the next deai just around the corner.
All Blacks star signs surprise short-term deal with Irish heavyweights
It’s called representative democracy. You vote in a politician to make whatever decisions said politician and its handlers chooses.
COMMENT: Australian rugby is a depressing picture - the RA board must be axed and the constitution changed
I think that you are on the wrong bus here JD. They did not neglect grass roots rugby if you look at the club game and school participation numbers it’s not down.
No their problem is that they do not have a professional 2nd tier rugby competition below SRP because they simply cannot afford one. Their cost exceeds income similar to NZR where their cost exceeds income and now they want to defund the NPC in order to free up funds for 6 professional teams. Look at how not having a professional competition below SRP has worked out for RA, and the unfit for purpose NZR board wants to do the same thing.
COMMENT: Australian rugby is a depressing picture - the RA board must be axed and the constitution changed
So this Tullock and Marks, as 1940’s products now touching 80 years walking the planet and who were involved in rugby in the amateur era until they left in 1996 know what to do in the pro era post 1996. And they gave themselves a cool name, SOAAR. Maybe it’s not a coincidence that the amateur system that they had in place lasted until 2003 when other pro systems (England 2003) broke it.
COMMENT: Australian rugby is a depressing picture - the RA board must be axed and the constitution changed
17 of the match 23 in the Fiji team that monstered the RA team at the RWC play their rugby for EPCR teams. Try again.
'I'm a big fan': Kiss throws weight behind Club World Cup as Europe and Super Rugby agree to new tournament
Take this perspective. 7 of the top 8 ranked rugby nations have their players playing in competitions not called SRP. The no 9 ranked Aus teams are no 9
'I'm a big fan': Kiss throws weight behind Club World Cup as Europe and Super Rugby agree to new tournament
It’s a huge ask going up against teams that are battle hardened for knockout rugby. Every year these giant teams have to fight to qualify for the finals from their leagues. Then they have to fight through the group stages to get to the quarterfinals of the Champions Cup’ Once there these 8 teams will then fight against weak teams who are guaranteed a place in the final round of 16 because their SRP competition is second rate without any jeopardy.
Now when the weak SRP teams are lined up for the slaughter they will come up against teams with huge budgets and squads with extreme depth (Leinster has 20 internationals in the squad) that can perform for four weeks of brutality.
Further SPR teams will be losing their middle tier players to EPCR and Japanese teams who will be throwing money to build the squad depth that they need to be competitive.
'I'm a big fan': Kiss throws weight behind Club World Cup as Europe and Super Rugby agree to new tournament
Please don’t get too excited. It’s once every four years. Just by playing in the EPCR Campions Cup and Challenge Cup the SA teams score the megabucks every year.
Did you watch the round of 16 this past weekend? Amazing stuff the Stormers blew a 16 point lead over Stade Rochelais with their 13 test players in the squad. Now the new Stormers consortium of billionaire owners know what they need to work on squad depth just to qualify for the finals and perhaps win it.
'I'm a big fan': Kiss throws weight behind Club World Cup as Europe and Super Rugby agree to new tournament
The Eastern teams have been setup for a thumping. That’s what happens when one party, NZAR negotiates from a position of weakness.
'I'm a big fan': Kiss throws weight behind Club World Cup as Europe and Super Rugby agree to new tournament
No Jacko, there are no turns here. EPCR teams will never agree to finals away from their market. The 2028, 2032 and 2036 editions takes place on EPCR soil according to the full article released. The Eastern Hemisphere teams will just have to suck it up and be satisfied with the 3am matches.
'I'm a big fan': Kiss throws weight behind Club World Cup as Europe and Super Rugby agree to new tournament
It’s called the Investec Champions Cup and they have what is referred to a destination finals. This year the finals will be played in the Tottenham stadium and next year it will be in Spain.
'I'm a big fan': Kiss throws weight behind Club World Cup as Europe and Super Rugby agree to new tournament
The muted competition isn’t necessarily new, but hitherto European heavyweights have put roadblocks up to get the tournament up and running.
It’s not called roadblocks. It’s called negotiating from a position of strength. Now the average writer of this article does not mention that the EPCR demands that all matches take place on their soils for the benefit of their clubs and their broadcasters. What it means is that for four weeks the Eastern hemisphere teams will have to pack their bags and relocate to hostile territory to play all of their matches as away games… at 3am for their irrelevant broadcasters and supporters.
'I'm a big fan': Kiss throws weight behind Club World Cup as Europe and Super Rugby agree to new tournament
a fight with seasoned media professionals armed with viewing data across the whole competition
Well that is true because previous SR deals were negotiated based on the overall competition data, and this deal is going to be different because NZAR have lost close to 70% of it’s viewing audience who have moved on to the URC. NZAR do not even have data, independently verified to take into the room with, so broadcasters can roll them over a barrel and play hardball Castle style. It will be the seasoned media professionals against the self proclaimed unfit for purpose board (NZR) and a bunch of unskilled ex players (RA).
The Wrap: 'Take them to a dark place' - A quiet round grabs eyeballs for all the wrong reasons
So this review was done in December 2022 and in April 2024 they have not made any of the changes from the review. The players union is right. Let them step down so that others with balls (pun intended) can come in and finish the job.
'Calls for the board to resign are a distraction': NZR rejects Players Association recommendation
One man’s debt is another man’s opportunity. That’s how the free market works. After the buy-in they will then recapitalise the balance sheet and stabilise the finances, before spending on the their short term and medium term plans. RA should sell all their franchises to PE, it is the best thing since sliced bread.
PE backed consortium 'in final stages' to save Melbourne Rebels with $30m injection and link with A-League club
It was the NZR who with total disrespect asked for two or three RA teams to join their competition. When RA showed them the finger they then sneaked behind RA’s and approached the Aus franchise teams directly. It sounds like desperation to me. After that insult and betrayal Hamish took it upon himself to “blackmail” NZR for the privilege paying for of having five Aus teams in a joint venture competitions. So nothing will change because NZR is the desperate one and RA will “blackmail” the desperate NZR for a much bigger slice of their pie for the next deal. So Jacko they are doing what they want to do at NZR’s expense.
'Curse the money all you want' but RA must work out what it wants from Super Rugby - otherwise the game is doomed
HJ, I would love to know where you get your stats from. Because from what I can gather the URC has surpassed the Prem in some very key indicators. Firstly in broadcast revenue the URC beats the Prem by some distance and possibly winning on the sponsorship front too. Secondly for cumulative viewers the URC beats the Prem by a whopping 20 million and increasing each year. In terms of attendance I think that the URC will win that battle, especially since teams like the Stormers, Bulls and Sharks with their new billionaire owners and big stadiums can keep the good players that they have, and bring in the players that they need which will draw the interest of the fair weather fans. Things are changing fast and so is the picture.
'Curse the money all you want' but RA must work out what it wants from Super Rugby - otherwise the game is doomed
There were about 200 000 people who tuned in to watch SRAU final. It was amazing the full stadium, the atmosphere, entertaining match with all kinds of suspense … a year later boring kiwi teams were running around and more than 140 000 of those people tuned out when the final came and switched to other entertainment.
'Curse the money all you want' but RA must work out what it wants from Super Rugby - otherwise the game is doomed
What makes Super Rugby super for Australia?
– to be perfectly honest absolutely nothing. Hamish had the answer staring at him in the face. It was called SRAU, yes an ugly name but it had potential to grow into a proper domestic league (8 or 10 teams) with tribal rivalries and longevity. Hamish turned out to be a fool and was fooled by some myth about needing the beggar NZR, and their boring teams.
What must change?
– Get someone with balls to give SRP and NZR the flick. Basically what Hamish should have done.
What dare not?
– There is no one with balls in RA and I refer to the men on the board. Unfortunately, so they will be stuck in an unhappy and in a poor marriage.
'Curse the money all you want' but RA must work out what it wants from Super Rugby - otherwise the game is doomed
Two world Cups in 6 years says otherwise BBR. If’s and buts don’t count and don’t show up on the scoreboard.
Scrap the Giteau Law: Rugby Australia should look to Rassie's 'Boks RWC recipe if it wants to re-join the big boys' table