New Sunwolves signings show exactly why SANZAAR won't be making a U-turn
The Sunwolves, a team that promised the world but have delivered very little, are on their way out of Super Rugby.
Their highly publicised eviction from the competition had many fans up in arms earlier this year, who accused SANZAAR of being shortsighted with their decision making.
It’s hard to know for sure why the Sunwolves have received the boot and will play just one more season in Super Rugby, though it’s been debated at length.
After Japan’s superlative performance at the World Cup, however, many have called for the Sunwolves’ extradition to be thrown in the garbage – the country is simply too good to not be involved.
SANZAAR have rightly now been considering how they can incorporate Japan into the Test calendar in a more meaningful way, which could see the Brave Blossoms join an extended Rugby Championship (however even that comes with challenges).
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Adding Japan to an international competition, however, does necessitate continued inclusion in Super Rugby – especially if Japan continue to treat the competition with a lack of respect.
Yes, Super Rugby is dwindling in quality and yes, the competition has its flaws – but Japan haven’t exactly committed to the competition in any meaningful way.
The Sunwolves have regularly been propped up by foreign players, many who are ineligible for the Japanese national side. This would be somewhat justifiable if it meant that the team was competitive, but results indicate that also hasn’t been the case, with the side managing just 8 victories in 61 matches played to date.
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With Japan’s Top League clashing with Super Rugby in 2020, that trend looks set to continue – and the latest squad announcement from the Sunwolves doesn’t bode well for the club’s upcoming season.
If the Sunwolves were to have any hope of quashing SANZAAR’s edict to remove them from the competition, then they would’ve formed a team made up of at least a significant number of the players that performed to such a high standard in the World Cup.
Instead, fans are being treated to the usual shambles, with the Sunwolves looking like a hybrid NZ/Australia/South Africa team comprised of players who likely didn’t make the cut for their home nations’ sides.
サンウルブズ2020シーズン スコッド第一次発表🔥
ファンの皆さま、大変長らくお待たせいたしました。
本日開催された記者会見にて、第一次スコッドが発表となりました👏👏
新制サンウルブズのご声援をよろしくお願いします!!https://t.co/WKPqEu3cKc pic.twitter.com/fGYVaLeQyJ— サンウルブズ/SUNWOLVES (@sunwolves) November 26, 2019
Of the 15 players that the Sunwolves named earlier this week, four have come directly from New Zealand’s Mitre 10 Cup and two from Australia’s National Rugby Competition. A further four spent their recent years in European competitions but started out their careers in Australasia.
Place of birth is by no means the be-all and end-all for deciding where a player’s national commitments lie, but it’s hard to imagine that all 14 of the foreign-born contingent have major ties to Japan.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5WTrucgzqD/
It’s also hard to imagine that this Sunwolves side is going to put up much of a fight in 2020. They’re not bad players, by any stretch, but there must be a number of players throughout Japan who could meet their standards and should be in the Japanese Super Rugby side ahead of them.
Already the Sunwolves have treated Super Rugby as a joke and SANZAAR should feel no obligation to grant the club a lifeline, but even if the powers that be were considering revoking the Sunwolves’ eviction notice, the latest squad announcement certainly won’t help the team’s chances.
WATCH: Regardless of what you might say about the Sunwolves, they certainly have an amazing fanbase – as witnessed as the 2019 World Cup.
Comments on RugbyPass
Bell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
13 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
13 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to comments