Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

An NFL-style combine set to re-start Australia's new domestic competition

(Photo by Teaukura Moetaua/Getty Images)

Leading players in Australia are looking to give rugby in the country an injection of fresh air by proposing a radical new concept inspired by the NFL.

ADVERTISEMENT

It’s been almost two months since professional rugby was last played in Australia when Super Rugby was suspended due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but a revised domestic competition is scheduled to get back underway on July 4.

Senior players within Australia want to introduce a new concept a week before the new competition’s start date in a move that could give rugby a surge of interest in a country where engagement in the sport has been badly waning in recent times.

Video Spacer

Bryan Habana re-watches second Springboks vs British and Irish Lions test in 2009 series

Video Spacer

Bryan Habana re-watches second Springboks vs British and Irish Lions test in 2009 series

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, a one-day ‘combine-’style event has been proposed to Rugby Australia (RA), and would be televised a week before the competition’s kick-off.

The NFL combine has long been used as an opportunity for scouts to assess the next generation of college athletes leading into the league’s draft, and has doubled as an entertaining event as players show off their athletic prowess.

The Herald reports that an Australian rugby version of the spectacle would be held in a similar fashion.

Players would illustrate their power, skill and speed through a variety of challenges, such as the Bronco shuttle test, a 40-metre dash, kicking challenge and a weighted sled dash.

ADVERTISEMENT

The proposal was put forward to RA by senior players last week, with the plan that players would accrue points on a leaderboard with one team finishing top of the heap by the end of the day.

“The ‘Combine’ concept is structured much like an ‘athletics track and field’ model with the ‘events’ being rugby specific to highlight the talents of our particular athletes,” the authors propose according to the Herald .

“Each ‘event’ will have a competitor from each club, with an ultimate event winner.”

Discussions surrounding a potential combine adds to the promising advancements rugby in Australia has made to getting back out on the playing field, with clubs to be given a coronavirus briefing before training resumes next Monday.

The rebooted competition is expected to be a 10-week round-robin competition involving the Brumbies, Reds, Waratahs, Rebels and Western Force.

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
JD 2 hours ago
Steve Borthwick urged by predecessor to make radical Ben Earl decision

Happy to concede I mis read stats in relation to games played. Sorry about that.


Ojomoh is only a guaranteed starter when Redpath isn’t injured for Bath. Luckily for him Redpath is has been quite injury prone recently, but when Cam is fit, he starts. I like him, but he doesn’t have the second playmaker ability which England seem to prefer at 12.


Seb has not even made the A’s squad and is a long way from a call up. 2 years is too soon.


I’m not going to change my mind in respect of BJVR, mainly because I do not see his age as an issue (30 at the next world cup) and because I don’t see the issue with selecting players who are qualified for our country.


He fits the bill perfectly in terms of his skillset and type of play, he has been playing at the top level of club rugby for the last 6 years or so and is regarded as one of the best in our league in his position, starting week in/ week out for the second placed team.


If he was 33 or so at the next world cup, or if his form went off a cliff, I would agree with you. Neither of these are the case. If his form continues, he comes into the squad. No pressure to immediately excel as there will be around 10 games between a potential first cap and the WC.


Main mistake being made, regardless of the above, is SB persisting with Slade. Why not give Ojomoh a go now and see? Why not try Dingwall? Steve’s run of poor results mean he has slightly lost the ability to try different things unless we get some wins. I expect Ojomoh to tour Argentina in the summer though.

16 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii can be Australia's new cross-code hero Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii can be Australia's new cross-code hero
Search