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Sunwolves set for Super Rugby return, Japan primed for Rugby Championship inclusion - report

By Alex McLeod
(Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

The Sunwolves could be set for a shock induction back into Super Rugby on the back of Japan’s success at the World Cup.

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The nation’s maiden appearance in the knockout stages of the tournament could also be enough to see the Brave Blossoms earn a place in the Rugby Championship alongside New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Argentina.

According to a report from Newshub, the prospect of admitting both teams into the respective competitions will be discussed at a SANZAAR meeting in Tokyo on Friday.

The revelation comes just days after Japan completed their best-ever finish at a World Cup, bowing out in front of their home fans as beaten quarter-finalists after going down 26-3 at the hands of the Springboks at Tokyo Stadium on Sunday.

Through their scintillating, attacking brand of rugby, which yielded pool play wins against European heavyweights Ireland and Scotland, the Brave Blossoms have captured the imagination of the Japanese public.

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An estimated 54.8 million people tuning in to watch their side defeat the Scots to secure their place in the play-offs a week-and-a-half ago – a larger television audience than that of the 2002 FIFA World Cup final, which was held in Yokohama.

Led by highly-regarded Kiwi coaching duo Jamie Joseph and Tony Brown, Japan’s on-field success has significantly raised the profile of rugby in the country, which has forced a re-think from SANZAAR of their involvement with the nation’s future in the sport.

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The governing body of the southern hemisphere’s premier competitions announced earlier this year it would be omitting the underperforming Sunwolves from Super Rugby following the 2020 season as the competition looked to revert from a 15-team conference system back to a 14-team round-robin format, which was last used nine years ago.

The decision to reduce the number of teams and change the competition format came after a plethora of negative feedback about Super Rugby’s play-off structure, which currently sees the winners of the New Zealand, Australian and South African conferences claim the top three finals spots, followed by five wildcard sides.

That system, though, has led to teams placing ahead of other franchises despite having accumulated more competition points, as has happened in the five most recent seasons, bringing into question the fairness and equitability of the play-off structure.

Despite the exciting, yet largely fruitless, style of rugby the Sunwolves – who have won just eight of their 62 outings since their debut in 2016 – provided the competition with, the Japanese Rugby Football Union failed to negotiate a contract with SANZAAR to play beyond next year.

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Their inability to sign an agreement around the Sunwolves’ involvement in the league came down to financial reasons, with reports emerging that the franchise were ordered to pay around US$9 million per season in participation fees, something of which no other club in Super Rugby has to do.

However, Japan’s unprecedented success at the World Cup could force a tug-of-war between the Six Nations and Rugby Championship for the Brave Blossoms’ services, as suggested by World Rugby chief executive Brett Gosper.

“Certainly if I was in their shoes I’d be very keen to have Japan in my competition sooner rather than later,” Gosper told Newshub.

With a growing audience of rugby fans among Japan’s population of 128 million, combined with the prosperity of the Japanese economy, the world’s sixth-ranked nation has become hot property within the global game.

The riches on offer in Europe with the Six Nations would give Japan plenty of incentive to stay in the northern hemisphere, but the Sunwolves’ participation in Super Rugby could hold the key for SANZAAR as they look to lure Japan south.

“That’s entirely their call,” Gosper said of where Japan could end up following this World Cup.

“We proposed a nations championship that had Japan very much playing at the top table and maybe they’ll see it that way for their own particular championship.”

Time will tell where the Brave Blossoms and Sunwolves will end up at club and international level, but regardless of where their futures lie, moves have to be made swiftly in order to ensure Japan can continue their rapid ascendency within the rugby world.

In other news:

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J
Jon 3 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 5 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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A
Adrian 7 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

25 Go to comments
T
Trevor 10 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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