It is Europe where Six Nations should be looking for growth... not South Africa
It was always going to take something rather significant to get Saracens out of the headlines this season, although few likely expected the prospect of South Africa joining the Guinness Six Nations to be the story that would finally do it.
In fairness, there has been a slight shift in focus in South African rugby of late with the Cheetahs and Southern Kings having decamped to Europe and joined the Guinness PRO14.
But the perception had been that SA Rugby and the Springboks were happy at the international level as part of the annual Rugby Championship tournament with New Zealand, Australia and Argentina.
If more movement to Europe were to occur, it seemed more likely that it would be the remaining Super Rugby sides – the Sharks, Stormers, Bulls and Lions – making the transition, or potentially one or two Currie Cup sides, joining the Cheetahs and the Kings in the cross-hemisphere PRO14.
But money, more than any other element, dictates professional sport and it is fair to say that South African rugby is not currently in the most fortuitous financial position.
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RPA warns of a mass player revolt over Seven Nations plot
With broadcast deals accounting for the largest slice of a union or club’s income, South Africa’s position close to Greenwich meridian does not help it garner the TV revenues from Australia and New Zealand that it would like. Much closer in time to the UK, however, South African rugby is located nicely to make the most of prime-time broadcast slots in Western Europe.
The appeal for the Springboks is obvious and arguably goes beyond financial incentives., The Rugby Championship has taken its fair amount of flak in recent seasons, while the intensity and spectacle of the Six Nations – if not always the skill levels – continues to surpass that of its southern hemisphere rival.
Similarly, the lure for the Six Nations is also obvious. The Springboks are reigning World Cup champions and are a year-on-year big-ticket in rugby. Their addition to the tournament would be fascinating, to say the least.
Eddie Jones is warning against an expansion of the Six Nations #GuinnessSixNations https://t.co/gFCWqSwCoN
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The proposal faces its fair share of logistical issues with flights to South Africa taking over ten hours from London Heathrow, not to mention the extension of the tournament in games and duration and the reintroduction of bye weeks. But the Springboks are an established rugby nation and an easy boost for the Six Nations, not that one is necessarily currently needed.
The longer game – and the one the Six Nations should be playing – is furthering the growth of rugby outside of the traditional powerhouse nations. Fans have long clamoured for Georgia’s introduction to the Six Nations, especially with Italy’s waning fortunes of late, while Japan are another northern hemisphere nation that have shown themselves to be ready for an introduction to an annual tier one competition.
Both these nations have their drawbacks, most notably Georgia’s economy is not the potential gold mine the members of the Six Nations would presumably like in the tournament, while there are even more logistical issues involved with Japan than there are with South Africa given the drastically different time zone and a slightly longer flight.
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— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 9, 2020
Where the Six Nations’ efforts should be concentrated are in Europe. The competition sits on the doorstep of a number of large economies, all of whom are conveniently located in terms of travel duration and time zones for preferable broadcast slots.
In many of these nations, football is king and the national sport as it is all over the world now, but there is room for growth for rugby union as potentially the second or third sport in those countries, just as it is in most of rugby’s traditional strongholds.
The Rugby Europe Championship is currently taking place and after two rounds of competition, Georgia and Portugal sit atop the pile with both nations still undefeated. Spain have beaten recent World Cup side Russia and put up a strong challenge to Georgia this past weekend. Belgium also have a win to their name, while the Russians and Romania both struggle at the bottom of the table and are winless in their opening two games.
The trio of Georgia, Spain and Portugal have all profited from successful age-grade sides and they are three nations, unlike Romania, Russia and even Scotland to a certain extent, that are trending upwards at a noticeable rate.
In the tier below that, the Netherlands are looking strong at the top of the Trophy and they too have benefitted from an uptick in the quality of players coming through their age-grade pathway with a number set to make a significant impact in the Top 14 over the next few years. Germany are a little further off the pace in that division, but with large investment beginning to come in, they are a nation to keep an eye on over the coming years.
The Rugby Europe umbrella also boasts a thriving under-20s scene and women’s tournaments and they operate on a shoestring budget in comparison to the riches that the Six Nations can call upon. If there is a genuine desire to grow the game – and thus eventually grow the money coming into the game – this is where the Six Nations need to look.
In both of these losses, there are similar skeletons buried in the grave, and if you rewind to last year’s tournament you will find they existed then too, writes @bensmithrugby https://t.co/25ALk6lMtL
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 11, 2020
If the Six Nations were to align itself more closely with Rugby Europe and look to work with them, it would be to the benefit of both organisations, as well as the global prosperity of the game. The Six Nations doesn’t even need to incorporate relegation and promotion to get this ball rolling.
If the Six Nations were to invest into the Rugby Europe Championship, which currently broadcasts its games for free through Rugby Europe TV, there is no reason why it couldn’t be rebranded as the Six Nations Trophy and included in the broadcast package that the current Six Nations are putting together that will include men’s, women’s, under-20s and autumn internationals.
What rugby needs to grow is a larger group of nations playing the sport at a high level and in order to finance that growth, they need to work on developing nations with the economies and potential broadcast deals to make the sport sustainable.
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— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 11, 2020
It’s not going to bring the short-term boost that CVC – if their investment goes through – would want and that South Africa’s inclusion would garner, but it is the approach that will bring a much brighter long-term future for rugby in Europe, the northern hemisphere and globally.
If the second tier of European rugby can be strengthened, suddenly the argument for promotion and relegation in the Six Nations becomes a stronger one, not only because the team coming up will be in a better place to compete with the established nations, but also because the relegated side will not be being cast out into the wilderness as they currently would be.
Rugby has repeatedly shown that when organisations work in unison, greater things can be achieved for both parties and cooperation between the Six Nations and Rugby Europe would be no different, just as Premiership Rugby’s compromises with the RFU helped send England to the World Cup final last year.
The Six Nations are one of the few entities in rugby that can afford to delay short-term gratification for greater reward in the long-term. Now is the time to push them to do just that.
WATCH: The latest episode of The Rugby Pod discusses Ellis Genge’s post-match interview and Finn Russell’s ongoing bust-up with Gregor Townsend
Comments on RugbyPass
Did the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
1 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
16 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
16 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
4 Go to comments00 😍 U
1 Go to commentsSabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.
3 Go to commentsJake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
16 Go to commentsThe Springboks tried going down the road of only picking home-based players and it was an unmitigated disaster in 2016 and 2017. Picking overseas-based players has been one of the main reason the Boks have done so well since 2018, not only because of the quality Rassie could call on, but because of the knowledge and experience those players brought into camp from England, France and Japan. With some of the big names playing abroad it also gave younger players in SA the chance to break through at franchise level. Would we have seen the emergence of a Ruan Nortje if RG and Lood were still at the Bulls? Not so sure. I understand why Jake would want to block players leaving since his job depends on good results but it’s an approach that would take Bok rugby back to the bad old days and no South African wants to see that.
16 Go to commentsExeter were thumped by 38 points. And they only had to hop on a train.
39 Go to commentsI am De Groot.
1 Go to comments