New details about proposed New Zealand Super Rugby competition revealed
New developments regarding a makeshift New Zealand-only Super Rugby competition have been unveiled by Sky TV chief executive Martin Stewart today.
Sky has been working hard in tandem with New Zealand Rugby to create a new, short-form competition to fill the void left by Super Rugby, which was suspended indefinitely last week amid the coronavirus pandemic.
NZR chief executive Mark Robinson revealed earlier this week that his organisation had plans in place for a Kiwi-only tournament featuring the Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes, Crusaders and Highlanders to be played over 10-12 weeks from April.
Continue reading below…
Specific details about a new Kiwi competition are yet to be released, but Stewart told Radio Sport the possibility of an “overseas element” remains on the table according to his discussions with NZR.
“We are obviously seeing some people who no longer wish to subscribe to the sports channels,” Stewart said. “I’m hoping that the Super Rugby teams will be back in action shortly in New Zealand. We’re very excited about that. We’ve been working closely with New Zealand Rugby.
“It’s going to be a local New Zealand team-based competition. There are a couple of alternatives that will depend on how things develop in terms of travel bans etc. as to whether or not there is an overseas element towards the end or whether it remains purely a New Zealand-based competition.
“But either way, we’re hopeful that working closely with New Zealand rugby, we’ll be able to see some great action between all of the Super teams in New Zealand.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B93DfRjgWP0/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Rugby Australia confirmed plans for a similar Australian-based competition on Friday, which will see the revival of the Western Force to take on the Waratahs, Rebels, Brumbies and Reds.
The Force, who were culled from Super Rugby three years ago alongside the Cheetahs and Southern Kings of South Africa, had been playing in the Global Rapid Rugby competition, which was also suspended after just one round of action this season.
The Perth club, which also won Australia’s National Rugby Championship last year, replace the Japan-based Sunwolves, who were part of the Australian conference in Super Rugby but had to withdraw from any potential domestic competition due to strict international travel restrictions.
“Rugby Australia, the four Australian Super Rugby teams and RUPA are united behind the continuation of Super Rugby in 2020 and have been intensively working towards a competition solution with our SANZAAR partners over the past six days,” RA boss Raelene Castle said in a statement released on Friday.
“There are still some elements to work through as a group, but we are extremely confident that we will deliver a meaningful product for the remainder of the season for fans and broadcasters.
“We have agreed on the principles of proceeding down the path of a domestic solution in Australia which will see our teams compete against each other in a round robin format from April through June, followed by a yet to be determined finals series format.”
The 27-year-old second row suffered the serious neck injury in Worcester’s 62-5 Premiership loss at Saracens on January 4.https://t.co/ZNcNrAXGet
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 21, 2020
SA Rugby chief executive Jurie Roux also confirmed earlier this week that ongoing discussions are being held between his organisation and stakeholders about a potential domestic competition being held in South Africa.
However, such a competition wouldn’t be held in the Republic until the end of April as all rugby in the country has been suspended until then following South African president Cyril Ramaphosa’s declaration of national disaster.
Similarly to the Sunwolves, the Argentina-based Jaguares likely won’t be involved in a domestic competition due to travel restrictions, despite forming part of the five-team South African conference in Super Rugby.
That leaves the Bulls, Stormers, Sharks and Lions with the prospect of facing the Cheetahs and Kings once again after the latter two clubs defected to Europe’s PRO14 – which has also been suspended – following their departure from Super Rugby in 2017.
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
One that will start to come up from now on is penalties for back pushes during kick chase scrambles. Very difficult to detect. In Croke Park if you replay the Hendy NH try, you will see Furbank push Porter in the back, who collides with Larmour knocking the ball across into Hendy’s path to dot down. A more significant example was in the RWC QTR final where Arendse pushes Fickou into two other French players for the ball to spill into Arendse’s path for him to gather and run in to score SAs first try. Not cheating if you are not caught and very difficult to spot but with kicking becoming so critical I feel its an area that will referreeed/TMO-ed more.
3 Go to commentsWhat a pathetic little twit Andy Goode is, as if we care what he thinks…..😂
108 Go to commentsFoxy has been a wonderful player for the Scarlets and Wales.
1 Go to commentsNika the Georgian is the best referee in the world at the moment. Luckily we will be spared the shite SH refs and Barnes will hopefully remain retired given how shite and embarrassing he was at the RWC.
3 Go to commentsThis is the most exciting game of the summer imo, as we really won’t know in advance how both teams are going to play. - Will Robertson just reproduce his Crusaders tactics from last year, or will there be a conscious effort to borrow from the Hurricanes and Blues, and from the aspects of the ABs world cup strategy that worked well? - England under Borthwick have put in some good performances playing attacking rugby, and some good performances playing kick-oriented defensive rugby. Will Borthwick try to merge them together into a single all-court game, or will he continue switching between different approaches depending on the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition?
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
1 Go to commentsI’m predicting an aggregate points difference of no more than +/-10pts across both matches this series.
9 Go to commentsFinals are always tense affairs for the players so I do not expect this to be a spectacle of running rugby unfortunately.
3 Go to commentsBulls***': Ex-England international calls out Eben Etzebeth… Not to his face but from very far away… after he’d left. Checked to make sure he wasn’t in the building.
108 Go to commentsHopefully this will mean a new Auckland league team to support in the west. Big Warriors fan but it’s very, very stale on that front and I’d like the option of another team if it was to watch league again. League needs to step up BIG time if its to get anywhere, another AK team and something from the capitol or south is a must for the game.
3 Go to commentsGood, deep interview, nice job Frankie!
1 Go to commentsNRL players don’t have anywhere near the number of Tests. Some people would be happy having Rest Homes full if 40 yo ex-players walking, or hobbling more like it, into walls. It’s just a game!
4 Go to commentsNOW Razor is worried about ABs getting injured or overplayed! Didn’t bother him last year. He happily played his AB Crusaders.
4 Go to commentsWhat is the World Rugby U20 players born year.
2 Go to commentsMuch like the Chiefs finally gave up waiting for Atu Moli to ever not be injured, you have to wonder if the Chiefs and Crusaders will let Josh Lord and Ethan Blackadder go next season. They’re being well paid to sit in the injury ward every year. Better off putting those funds towards someone who might actually play.
7 Go to commentsShowed better basic skills than some nz Super sides, who probably would have botched some of those backline moves. This tournament really is too short though. Needs more teams, or have them play two rounds to properly prepare them for the near full-time NH U20 sides.
4 Go to commentsGood grief it’s only six months. Probably just upset it’s not an established kiwi entering their prime they can “project” into green to join the rest.
3 Go to commentsGood player but far from being best in the world. That's an exaggeration. Perhaps Best in world by Northern Hemisphere standards and biasis but certainly not Southern Hemi standards
3 Go to commentsWell one thing about World Cup knock out rounds and Ireland is very clear: they won’t be getting ahead of themselves in ‘27! Because making it beyond the QF is well and truly ‘IN THEIR HEADS’ now…😉
108 Go to commentsHas this guy been dope tested? Sounds like a case of “roid rage”.
1 Go to comments