Nations Championship a hard sell for SANZAAR
The SANZAAR unions may be in complete agreement on World Rugby’s Nations Championship, but trickle-down economics may be a hard sell for their constituents.
The dollars are on the table for World Rugby but the dinner bell has yet to ring for the southern hemisphere’s rugby collective, SANZAAR. The regional body, originally a joint venture between Australia, New Zealand and South Africa which has expanded to include Argentina, is responsible for the running of The Rugby Championship, one of the key components of World Rugby’s Nations Championship grand vision – a vision that appears to have been created in response to an offer, rather than to attract one. It is also responsible for Super Rugby, and that could yet prove to be a sticking point.
We’ll get to that, but before we do let us just take a moment to remind ourselves of the rugby landscape in the southern hemisphere. New Zealand and South Africa came into the professional age more than two decades ago each boasting an incredible domestic provincial league that fed talent upwards to the international game. Australia had its ultra-competitive club scene and the age-old interstate rivalry, predominantly between NSW and Queensland, to sort the wheat from the chaff.
Fast-forward to 2019 and by any relevant measure the NPC is a shadow of its former self, despite the best intentions and hard work of the provincial unions; the Currie Cup draws a fraction of the interest it once did; and Australian Rugby is still finding a way to fertilise the grassroots of the game, aided – it must be said – by a rejuvenated interest in club footy. All this has happened after the “game-changing” creation of the Tri-Nations and Super Rugby. And take one guess as to what World Rugby’s Nations Championship is being described as in this neck of the woods.
Yep. A game changer.
It was the very same line used at the formation of the SANZAR (as it was originally known) and at the formation of the first iteration of ‘Super Rugby’. It was the line used to describe the new Tri-nations tournament which has expanded to include Argentina and will, if plans proceed, grow again to include Japan and Fiji. These were all “game-changers” and, interestingly, they were reactions to the same perceived threat cited during the current negotiation: the need to protect southern hemisphere players from the big money clubs. In 1995 that big money was supposedly on offer in rugby league. Today that big money is on offer in Europe.
So here we go again. Different big bad wolf, same Red Riding Hood.
On the surface, a collective such as SANZAAR should wield enormous power, and in many respects it does. Super Rugby has worked despite the challenges around union self-interest (something that appears to have been put to one side in the discussions regarding the Nations Championship) and the unenviable logistic challenges posed by time zones and flying times. It has, however, come at a cost to the provincial and club game. The enthusiasm for World Rugby’s plan must be tempered by the lessons of history. Creating a new product above the current domestic or regional offerings does not necessarily lead to better outcomes for the lower levels. In fact, some would argue it has the opposite effect. The money is poured in, but it never leaked past the upper echelons.
The broadcast dollars on offer were never enough to sustain the game at every level, and the increasing demands for cash from Super Rugby franchises began to consume what revenue gains had been made. Alongside that, Super Rugby – in each of the countries represented in the SANZAAR arrangement – replaced provincial rugby as the test selection platform, subjugating the provincial unions or major clubs, and greatly impacting on their ability to earn. When they couldn’t earn, the hand went out, and even more of the broadcast revenue was consumed in bailouts and top-ups.
Which gets us back to the problematic nature of the Nations Championship with respect to Super Rugby. Ostensibly this move is a direct assault on the power of the private club owners – of that there can be little doubt. However, in introducing an annual test championship, do we not run the risk of turning test teams into the new clubs, and test tournaments into the new leagues? We have already seen domestic competitions decimated by regionalism, what chance regional competitions can withstand internationalism? At what point does Super Rugby follow the National Provincial Championship into the marginal enterprise basket?
It is a genuine question and one the power brokers of the southern hemisphere and their constituent provincial unions and stakeholders would be asking themselves. The investigation of a collective strategy around a global rights package is a worthy endeavour for rugby union but it naturally comes with caveats. Yes, there are dollars on the table, but only – in this instance – for the international game. As a result, each of those teams will require more players, added resources, and greater investment. That arrangement will soon start to devour more than a fair slice of the bigger pie. The ability of the unions to make money from their own domestic leagues will be further challenged. The broadcast interest in a carved up domestic landscape possibly reduced.
Whatever the outcome, most observers would say the Nations Championship has the potential to have the same kind of far-reaching impact of the creation of the Rugby World Cup in 1987 and the move to professional tournaments in 1996. Both of those historical landmarks were indeed game changers for rugby, but not all of those changes have been kind to the game.
Comments on RugbyPass
Except for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to comments