Nadolo - 'A Super Rugby franchise in the Islands; why now is the time'
Writing for RugbyPass in a new, regular column, Fiji’s Nemani Nadolo gives his views on the world of rugby, from Fiji to the South of France.
The Pacific Islands have been crying out for a Super Rugby franchise for ages and it feels as if we might finally be moving in a positive direction.
News came out on Tuesday that the New Zealand government, along with New Zealand Rugby, have conducted a feasibility study to look at the possibility of a team playing in the Islands.
You have to take baby steps on the Islands as we have heard this before, but with the South African teams looking to leave Super Rugby and align themselves with Europe, this seems to have put more emphasis on having a franchise in the Islands.
Questions will need to be asked about NZR’s involvement and what they want to gain from the move, but it is definitely a positive move forward for Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.
Any potential team is still two or three years off coming into being and that gives valuable breathing space to answer the many questions that will arise and sort out the logistical problems involved.
Who is going to run the team?
Having to answer to three different unions – potentially four if New Zealand are also involved – is a challenging task and any franchise may need to be independently owned, but with strong guidelines that they must adhere to. At the Crusaders, everything was so professional, with everyone singing from the same hymn sheet and there would need to be a similar set-up in any prospective Islands team, rather than having to answer to three separate unions and risk crossed wires.
One such guideline would be that any player representing the franchise must be eligible to represent their respective nation, whether that be Fiji, Samoa or Tonga.
There is no point going to the trouble of putting a team together if it’s not going to then help develop players for those three nations.
You would want the team to be the pathway to bring through the future stars of Fijian, Samoan and Tongan rugby and lean heavily on local players, but it would also be a desirable destination for Islanders currently playing in Europe, who have never had the opportunity of playing professionally in their home countries.
The key would be to find players who would want to be there and who could mentor the next generation of rugby talent on the Islands, whilst still offering plenty in Super Rugby and helping keep the team competitive.
These players could bring experience and help establish a culture in the first few years, before letting the younger players take the lead once the team is more established. It would be an amazing opportunity for us players in Europe and to see players like Telusa Veainu and Leone Nakarawa playing in Suva, Apia and Nuku’alofa would be great for the people there.
The team could be based in Suva for economic reasons and then take one or two home games a season to Apia and Nuku’alofa, as well as looking at venues like Auckland, Sydney and Brisbane. When you walk into South Auckland, it’s like walking into a mini Samoa or a mini Tonga and rugby fans there would be eager to see the franchise.
You could even take games to the US, to areas where there is a strong Polynesian or Melanesian culture, such as Hawaii, San Francisco and Seattle.
By taking games to those kinds of destinations, hopefully ticket prices could be subsidised on the Islands, with unaffordable prices the biggest challenge that fans have faced when standalone Super Rugby matches have been played on the Islands in recent seasons.
There will be teething troubles and the franchise wouldn’t enter Super Rugby as an established group, like the Rebels or Jaguares did when they joined, but if you can get passed that, the benefits would be immense, particularly for the three nations at international level.
In Fiji, kids learn not to get tackled at all costs, whilst in Samoa they grow up learning to take the heads off their opponents. We all play differently as nations and this would be an opportunity to learn from one another and become better teams as a result.
The skill and speed of Fijian rugby meeting with the power and strength of Samoan and Tongan would be an exciting mix and help create appeal for investment and global interest.
Finding the right coach would be difficult, too, but not an impossible challenge.
A Wayne Smith or Robbie Deans would be amazing, guys who have been there and done it, or even someone like Stuart Lancaster, who has done great things with Leinster. If you can find the right person who understands rugby in that part of the world, then the franchise could also become a pathway for young Islander coaches.
A combined Fiji/Samoa/Tonga team is set for Super rugby with both NZ Rugby and the NZ Govt working on a plan. https://t.co/0HdpVyLgev
— Patrick Gower (@patrickgowernz) May 14, 2018
Make it happen I’ll put my hands up.. ??? https://t.co/wmEU7wr9Er
— nemzy (@nemani_nadolo) May 14, 2018
Any Islander player thinking about retirement would jump at the chance to help coach the franchise. They would bring knowledge from the areas of the world they have played in and that would help the franchise grow on the field.
We need to keep taking baby steps, but it is exciting that this is being looked into as a possibility and that SANZAAR will be debating it in the coming weeks and months.
Mixing the nations and focusing on getting a team into Super Rugby is the right move. Then, ensuring it is competitive with the other teams in the competition would be the priority, but who says this cannot be a gateway to a time when all three nations have their own franchises in Super Rugby?
The Islands have given so much to rugby all around the world and it is long overdue that they get something back.
Comments on RugbyPass
A wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
24 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to comments