'All-star breaks', a finals series and a host of law changes all under consideration for Super Rugby Aotearoa
Super Rugby Aotearoa was an unmitigated success.
After a three-month period without any matches, New Zealand fans would have likely been happy to gobble up just about any professional rugby – but the NZ-only competition was perhaps the highest quality, most entertaining club footy we’ve been blessed with in recent times.
While the final result was undoubtedly a fair reflection of the competition as a whole, with the Crusaders crowned champions, it did lead to a somewhat anticlimactic finish.
Before a ball had even been kicked in the final round of matches, the Crusaders had built an insurmountable lead at the top of the table, which put a bit of damper on the closing weekend.
That could all change in 2021, with a final one of many changes New Zealand Rugby appear to be considering for next year’s competition.
In a survey sent out to members of the Team All Blacks fan club, respondents were asked to elect their favourite potential changes from a shortlist that are presumably being assessed by NZR.
They range from modifications to the game itself (law changes) to competition restructuring (adding foreign sides, introducing playoffs and/or a final) and changing the match-day experience (at-ground entertainment).
Perhaps the most interesting idea is a mooted all-star break, similar to what major American sports run part-way through their seasons.
This year’s North v South match, played upon Super Rugby Aotearoa’s conclusion, was the closest thing NZ has to the American staple, but even that wasn’t a true ‘all-star’ game.
The North and South squads were selected by the All Blacks coaches with a strict eligibility criteria. The selection process for the MLB and NBA all-stars matches are events in of themselves, with coaches, fans and the media all having a say in who gets picked.
Often, game weekends are also filled out with a host of entertaining events such as legends matches and slam dunk competitions.
With next year’s calendar still very much up in the air, NZR appear to be looking for alternative ways to keeps fans entertained.
At this rate, Super Rugby Aotearoa could be done and dusted with 10% of the competition still to be played.
That's just one round, of course ? #SuperRugbyAotearoa #SuperRugbyAUhttps://t.co/pnZYy3DOFn
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 5, 2020
The survey also asked respondents what specific rule changes they’d be interested in seeing, including the various modifications adopted by Super Rugby AU.
Other options include instigating mandatory yellow cards after a penalty threshold is met by either team and introducing a ‘Captain’s Challenge’.
Finally, the survey asked what kick-off times would most appeal to fans, and what title would be the best suited for a potential competition involving Australia and/or the Pacific Islands.
While there’s no guarantee that any changes will be made to next year’s competition, fans will be encouraged to see that New Zealand Rugby appear to be engaging with the masses to help shape the future of the game.
Mooted competition changes:
Playoffs and/or a final
An All-Star break
Teams from other countries
More community engagement
More innovative law changes
Coaches on the sideline, mic’d up and included in broadcast
Official fan-vote awards: MVP, Defensive Player, Attacking Player, Most Improved, etc.
More at-ground entertainment
https://www.instagram.com/p/CGhNR6bHzhg/
Mooted law changes:
The awarding of a goal-line drop-out to the defending team when an attacking player, who brings the ball into in-goal, is held up.
Goal line drop out to replace 22m line drop out in all current scenarios to reward the attacking team in good field position.
50-22: If the team in possession kicks the ball from inside their own half indirectly into touch inside their opponents’ 22 or from inside their own 22 into their opponents’ half, they will throw into the resultant lineout, rewarding positive kicking in the field of play
The introduction of a penalty limit for teams. Once a team has reached the limit, a mandatory yellow card is given to the last offending player as a team sanction to reduce ambiguity and inconsistency in the awarding of yellow cards.
The introduction of a Captain’s Challenge in which each team captain can challenge any call made by the match officials during the course of a match once play has stopped, to be reviewed by an independent TMO. Each captain will only be allowed one unsuccessful challenge per match.
The introduction of a Captain’s Challenge in which each team captain can challenge any call made by the match officials during the course of a match once play has stopped, to be reviewed by an independent TMO. Each captain will only be allowed one unsuccessful challenge per match. Undecided
7 point try: Any try scored between the posts will automatically be awarded 7 points to the try scorer, with no conversion to follow, speeding up play.
Mooted competition names:
Trans-Tasman Championship
Trans-Tasman Rugby Cup
South Pacific Championship
South Pacific Rugby Cup
Super Rugby
Super Southern Rugby
Southern Rugby Cup
Oceanic Rugby Cup
Comments on RugbyPass
NZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
22 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
22 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
22 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
22 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
22 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
22 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to comments