'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
Blindside flankers should be hard hitting defenders, good lineout jumper with height, and a hard worker who hits and cleans rucks. If he can be a destructive ball carrier it’s a bonus but not a necessity. Samipeni Fineau and Cullen Grace are excellent at those core skills and my choice at blindside. Brad Shields is dismissed because he is 33 but not sure why that should be a consideration for this season. Devon Flanders and Akira Ioane are #8 s forced to play blindside because their teams have better options at 8 than them. They are ball carriers first and foremost, not destructive defenders a 6 should be.
22 Go to commentsSaints obviously didn’t get the memo, or needed an ego boost?
1 Go to commentsReturning to the Chiefs would be another good change that could only put him into a better position to succeed in black
6 Go to commentsSimply outrageous and demonstrably false to say Finau’s tackle on Lynagh was “2 seconds late” In reality it was probably 0.5 seconds after he passed the ball. If you carry the ball at speed to within 5m of the defensive line you can expect to get tackled. Finau could have pulled out of it and not absolutely flattened him for sure, but there was going to be contact either way. He seems like a high risk selection at the moment, but there is no one else like him in NZ at the moment. His big tackles make the highlight reels but he is also a great athlete, very fast for such a big man, spent most of his days at lock so also very strong in the line out.
22 Go to commentsYes, Finau looks like the best option. Blackadder is not big enough for an international 6 - he should join the queue at 7. Frizzell had the power and heft and line-out height to play lock, so maybe that is where the ABs should be looking, not at a 7 who’s not big enough for 6, but at a lock who might have the agility to play 6, like Scott Barrett, or… Natai Ah Kuoi, who absolutely fits that bill, but seldom gets to play 6 because the Chiefs have so many loosies.
22 Go to commentsPaul Quinn was a National MP.
6 Go to commentsNo need to worry about losers’ mentality hysteria from Australia. Finau has all the attributes, I don't recall a high or no arms tackle from him, and his timing has been controlled very well since the round 3 Lynagh tackle. It's an easy decision for Razor, the only question is who should back him up from the bench. He can't be overworked like Squire was in his first full season.
22 Go to comments“Reds coach Les Kiss saying later: “I think every player has the right to feel safe.” Maybe Rugby is the wrong sport for people who want to feel safe..?
22 Go to commentsNot sure what the context was, but the highlights showed one scrum against Aussie where the baby Blacks were going backwards at a pace. The pack has been the issue since 2017, so they might be in for another reality check soon. This tournament should really have been two rounds, would have learned a lot more.
1 Go to commentsPeter Lakai has a ‘lot of size’? Since when? To Kirifi maybe. I think Laidlaw clearly saw he’s too small for 6 or 8, so plonked him at 7. Has potential to be Ardies understudy in black for 7.
6 Go to commentsDalton for skipper?
16 Go to commentsOh he's ‘Irish qualified’ isn't that convenient. If Ireland get any more Kiwis (and Aussie) in their backline they might need to run out in green and black kit soon. How is the supposed best rugby system in the world in need of trawling for journeyman Kiwi players?
2 Go to commentsCallum Grace is playing well now that he's finally back in his best position. But given it was Razor who somehow thought Grace was dynamic enough to be a No8 when he's clearly not, Im not sure he’d backtrack on that. Finau is risky with his style, and there's almost no point picking Blackadder when he can’t stay on the field more than five minutes.
22 Go to commentsThe team on paper has more supposed ‘stars’ than a lot of the sides they’re losing to. They’ve got the Razor-blues and aren't playing for Penney. He should jump before he's pushed.
1 Go to commentsProof. That if you lay dramatic instrumental hip hop music over a video of a skinny pale white kid running an unopposed zig zag on a training ground filled with rookies - it’ll look next-level epic!
13 Go to commentsIf they win the challenge Cup then it will have all been worth it. If they don’t, then maybe he should go. Lots of ppl seem to think very highly of him as a coach, but maybe he would be better working under someone. Any top sides looking for forwards coaches rn?
1 Go to commentsJason Ryan knows his craft as forwards coach and I'm sure he’ll hold sway with Scott Robertson of who he feels worthy of selection…his credentials validated when he put a 7xcaps between them front row...Ethan, Samisoni and Lomax on Ellis Park…Go the AB's…
22 Go to commentsFascinating. I’m optimistic about a team coached by Schmiddy, Cron and Parling
14 Go to commentsI think if Blackadder is fit, he has to be in the team. If he isn’t, Finau would be good, and I always thought Akira deserved more of a crack at it. I think he looked better than ppl gave him credit.
22 Go to commentsThanks again Nick and interesting comments from Parling about his lineout preferences. Bearing in mind what Schmidt has said about prioritising Oz based players initially we may not see Skeleton until the EOY trip to Ireland and the UK. To me that suggests that Cale has to be ready by then. In the meantime we get 3 jumpers by having 2 jumping locks and a Wright/Swinton/Holloway/Leota type of guy at 6. I think that he (Parling) would do well to coach Valentini and Wilson to jump more. Surely they could learn more about this?
14 Go to comments