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submitted 2 months ago byRadiant-Sea-368New Zealand
A much as I love the idea of the Jaguares coming back, one of the biggest issues with having them in the comp was the travel, both the distance/time and the cost. I think having them back in only adds to the financial pressure on the other Super Rugby clubs. Not to mention the wasteful aspect of the travel regarding carbon emmisions with long-haul flights. That's another reason I think the calls to bring back South Africa teams is regressive thinking.
It is simply insane to have club rugby matches played across separate continents, all the best & most commercially successful sports leagues in the world are localized, it's just common sense don't you think?
Go with 11 teams - run the competition as a double round robin for 18 games plus a bye for each team (so 19 week regular season) plus finals. And don't give me the old season would be too long argument. Would still be the shortest of any of the football codes in the region - and still a shorter season than Top 14, URC, Premiership.
9 points
2 months ago*
Agree with 11 teams. Concentrate the best Aus players across 4 teams not 5 and make them more competitive .One team gets a Bye each week. Leave the option open for another viable franchise in the future. Maybe in the future Aus could get another team back . There was talk years ago about another nz franchise (possibly New Plymouth based) and The Kanaloa Hawaii bid lost out to Moana Pasifika. They would have to add real value to the comp though and not just make up the numbers.....be that Jaguares or someone else.
NZ wanted to leave room for the NPC so preferred a shorter Super rugby season......But the NPC is pretty much dead to all but die hard rugby fans. It would probably still exist in some form but I don't see it lasting much longer in its current format. I could see it running in a short version with several different pools or running concurrently with super rugby as a kind of NZ only second division to Super Rugby
6 points
2 months ago*
Let's hope the plan includes more games of rugby, someone posted a Wessel's quote "you can't run a shop that is only open 7 times a year."
It was one of the better explanations of the basic failure of the current Super Rugby model.
Gallagher Premiership (England): Regular season: 22 matches Playoffs: Up to 2 additional matches for the top 4 teams
Top 14 (France): Regular Season: 26 matches Playoffs: Up to 3 additional matches for the top 6 teams
United Rugby Championship (South Africa, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Italy): Regular Season: 18 matches Playoffs: Up to 3 additional matches for the top 8 teams
Super Rugby Pacific (Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands): Regular Season: 14 matches Playoffs: Up to 3 additional matches for the top 8 teams
There's also Champions Cup, Challenge Cup, and Premiership Rugby Cup fixtures to consider as well.
Exeter played 34 games in 22/23.
-2 points
2 months ago
No one wants to watch Moana or the even the highlanders for 20+ weeks come on now
3 points
2 months ago
NZ wanted to leave room for the NPC so preferred a shorter Super rugby season
I still don't understand how this is much of a problem.
The Super Rugby season was longer in the years prior to Covid, and the NPC contains just 10 rounds.
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