Eight things that would make Super Rugby a must-watch competition in 2021
While it’s still difficult to say for sure what fans will be subjected to when Super Rugby returns in 2021, there are some changes to the game that should be here to stay – including some of the new rules introduced in the Aotearoa and AU competitions this season.
1. Late start, early finish
Back in the salad days of 1996, when Super Rugby was actually an enjoyable, attractive competition, it kicked off on March 1 and the final was held on May 25. It was all over in less than three months, leaving a clear window for club rugby and a decent lead-in to international rugby.
It won’t happen in 2021, but it should do. For starters, the international season is not due to finish until December, so a January/February kickoff, as in 2020, would be absurd. The players will need a half-decent window to rest, recover and recondition.
If 10 teams were in the competition, they could play a full nine rounds, plus byes, and then semis and final. There is your 12 weeks, a sprint rather than an interminable marathon.
2. A ‘normal’ bonus points system
A few years ago, SANZAAR decided it would copy the French Top 14 and change the bonus point system to reward sides that scored three tries more than their opponents, instead of teams that managed four tries regardless of how their opposition faired. Why why would you feel the need to imitate the French, who have always marched to the beat of their own drum? It becomes confusing for fans, who are primarily interested in what their team is doing. A bonus point for scoring four tries was always the best way.
3. Brodie and Beaudy forego Japan to play Super Rugby
The COVID-19 situation in Japan is not flash, with upwards of 25,000 cases and nearly 1,000 deaths. Most important, however, is what it might look like around November when Brodie Retallick and Beauden Barrett will be on the cusp of taking up their deals for the 2021 Top League season.
What is clear is that Super Rugby needs its marquee players. The Chiefs miss Retallick something chronic, as will the Blues with Barrett, despite his underwhelming form at fullback. Both players could possibly pull the plug if the situation worsens in the Land of the Rising Sun.
4. Pasifika team to be a success on and off the field
There are many questions still surrounding the possible make-up of a Pasifika franchise. It is a long-overdue scenario, and the temptation will be to say it needs time to bed in. Maybe so, but if the team can play attractive footy, whether it be based in Auckland, Fiji or Hawaii, then that will be a massive boon.
We do not yet know the financial clout of the Kanaloa consortium, made up of several former All Blacks, including Jerome Kaino, but many, many fans will be willing this to work.
5. The Force take precedent ahead of the Rebels
It mystified many when the Western Force were jettisoned from Super Rugby after the 2017 season. They had placed second in the Australian conference that season and Perth is far more of a rugby city than Melbourne ever will be. The work of Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest and his team, via Global Rapid Rugby, should be enough to win a place if there are four Australian teams given the nod. It will then be goodbye to the Rebels.
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6. Crusaders to not win
The Crusaders are odds-on to win the inaugural Super Rugby Aotearoa, which would be their fourth straight title and 11th in all since 1996. It’s an astonishing level of dominance, but the competition needs another franchise, probably a Kiwi one, to lift its game and the trophy in 2021. That would be a major shot in the arm for Super Rugby.
7. 20-minute ejections for red cards
We haven’t seen one of these yet in Super Rugby Aotearoa, other than Scott Scrafton’s (unjust) double yellow/red against the Chiefs, but it’s a good move by administrators. Super Rugby is about entertainment, and we don’t need an unnecessary ejection that impacts adversely on the contest, especially when some of the officials are making enough bad calls as it is.
In addition, the golden point rule, yet to be used, should remain.
8. Someone to come up with a legal way to stop lineout drives
Yes, yes, we know that a well-executed lineout drive is a skilful piece of collective play by a forward pack, but it’s almost impossible to stop legally. Last weekend, there were three tries from this tactic in both the Super Rugby Aotearoa clashes. We know Folau Fainga’a is deadly from it for the Brumbies, and the Chiefs’ Bradley Slater latched onto two of those drives for tries against the Highlanders. Let’s not make it too monotonous, lads.
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks for the write up. Great to see the Rebs winning, I am a little interested in how they will go against the remaining kiwi teams, I think they’ve only played Hurricanes and Highlanders but how great to see these players performing!! I also see Parling has a job beyond June 30! A good move by RA? Also how do you fix the Rebels previously scratchy defence?
81 Go to commentsbe smart - go black
13 Go to commentsNext week the Crusaders hopefully have Scott Barrett back. Will be great to have the captain back. Hopefully he will be the All Black captain as well.
12 Go to commentsExciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
13 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
3 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
26 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
3 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
3 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
13 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
26 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
2 Go to commentsSays much about the player picking this gig over the easier and bigger rewards offered to him in Japan. Also says a lot about the state sanctioned tax benefits the Irish Revenue offers pro rugby players, with their ten highest earning years subject to an additional 40% tax relief and paid as a lump sum, in cash, at retirement. Certainly helps Leinster line up the financial ducks in a row to fund marquee signings like this!!! No other union anywhere in world rugby benefits from this kind of lucrative financial sponsorship from their government…
5 Go to commentsTrue Jordie could earn a lot more in Japan. But by choosing Leinster he’ll be playing with 1 of the best clubs in the world and can win a champions cup and URC…..
6 Go to comments