The 123-year-old historical clash NZR can revive during Super Rugby's suspension
With Super Rugby now suspended for the foreseeable future due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, alternative solutions are being explored in a bid to fill the rugby void.
Strict travel restrictions implemented by the New Zealand and Australian governments means people travelling into Australasia will be required to self-isolate for 14 days, which eliminates the prospect of Super Rugby taking place for at least the next fortnight.
Realistically, though, given the rapidly developing nature of COVID-19, the competition is likely to be suspended for much longer than that.
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That has led SANZAAR chief executive Andy Marinos to concede that if Super Rugby hasn’t resumed by the end of April, then the tournament will have to be called off.
“If it [suspension] goes four, five weeks then it’s going to be almost impossible because we don’t have the schedule to do anything further,” he told Newshub.
In the absence of regular competition fixtures, there has been talk in both New Zealand and Australia of in-bound clashes against other franchises from the same conference.
New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association boss Rob Nichol has revealed to Stuff that New Zealand Rugby and SANZAAR have been working on Super Rugby alternative models “for weeks” prior to the competition’s suspension.
One of the options on the table was a ‘derby only’ format if and when Super Rugby continues, something of which Brumbies head coach Dan McKellar is eager to pursue in Australia.
“We just want to play footy,” McKellar said following his side’s 47-14 victory over the Waratahs on Sunday.
“We were supposed to be going to Auckland and that’s not happening and then we’ve got the Reds, Melbourne and we play the Tahs again.
“If we can get the conference games; it’s a conference system so play your conference games and then see where things are at and then hopefully we can have a genuine finals series and the best play the best.”
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However, such a model is dependent on Super Rugby coming back to fruition by the end of April, which is no certainty if Marinos’ comments are anything to go by.
Practice matches may be held between conference rivals in the meantime, but if there is no competition to return to, these clashes would be merely exhibition fixtures.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing in terms of upholding fan engagement and keeping players match-fit and prepared to return to action.
But, if exhibition matches are what franchises must resort to, then why not resurrect the ultimate exhibition match – from a New Zealand perspective – in the form of the North Island vs South Island derby.
Despite its prominence in New Zealand rugby history after having been played 80 times over 123 years, the inter-island rivalry is one that has been severely neglected since it stopped being held annually after 1986.
Since then, the clash has only been played twice, with the last of those matches coming eight years ago in a fundraising effort for the financially embattled Otago Rugby Football Union.
To no avail, Kiwi rugby tragics have longed for this classic and formerly highly-anticipated fixture to return to the yearly rugby calendar.
The evolution of professionalism in rugby has resulted in a saturation of matches at all levels from early February to late November, leaving no room for a contest that was once considered a marquee event that evoked a sense of rivalry and tribalism on both sides of the Cook Strait that hasn’t been seen in New Zealand sport, let alone rugby, for decades.
However, as the spread of coronavirus ensures that there will be no meaningful Super Rugby matches over the coming weeks (and potentially months), there can’t be many better opportunities to reintegrate the North Island vs South Island clash into the Kiwi rugby landscape.
Even if the rivalry resumes as a one-off spectacle, the incorporation of the fixture with New Zealand’s star players all available for selection would be a treasured and much-welcomed return of a former gem of the national game.
Potential North vs South lineups
North Island
1. Ofa Tu’ungafasi (Born: Tonga; School(s): Mangere College)
2. Codie Taylor (Levin; Fielding High School/Horowhenua College)
3. Nepo Laulala (Samoa; Mount Albert Grammar School/Wesley College)
4. Scott Barrett (New Plymouth; Francis Douglas Memorial College)
5. Sam Whitelock (Palmerston North; Fielding High School)
6. Luke Jacobson (Cambridge; Cambridge High School)
7. Sam Cane (Rotorua; Tauranga Boys’ High School)
8. Ardie Savea (Wellington; Rongotai College)
9. Aaron Smith (Palmerston North; Fielding High School)
10. Beauden Barrett (New Plymouth; Francis Douglas Memorial College)
11. Rieko Ioane (Auckland; Auckland Grammar School)
12. Ngani Laumape (Palmerston North; Palmerston North Boys’ High School)
13. Jack Goodhue (Whangarei; Mount Albert Grammar School)
14. Sevu Reece (Fiji; Hamilton Boys’ High School)
15. Jordie Barrett (New Plymouth; Francis Douglas Memorial College)
Reserves
16. Dane Coles (Paraparaumu; Wellington College)
17. Karl Tu’inukuafe (Auckland; Wesley College)
18. Angus Ta’avao (Auckland; Dilworth School)
19. Isaia Walker-Leawere (Gisborne; Gisborne Boys’ High School)
20. Dalton Papalii (Auckland; St Kentigern College)
21. TJ Perenara (Porirua; Mana College)
22. Aaron Cruden (Palmerston North; Palmerston North Boys’ High School)
23. George Bridge (Gisborne; Lindisfarne College)
South Island
1. Joe Moody (Christchurch; Christ’s College)
2. Ricky Jackson (Dunedin; Otago Boys’ High School)
3. Atu Moli (Gisborne; Marlborough Boys’ College)
4. Brodie Retallick (Rangiora; Christchurch Boys’ High School)
5. Patrick Tuipulotu (Christchurch; St Peter’s College)
6. Cullen Grace (Hawera; Timaru Boys’ High School)
7. Tom Christie (Gore; Shirley Boys’ High School)
8. Tom Sanders (Christchurch; Lincoln High School)
9. Mitchell Drummond (Nelson; Nelson College)
10. Richie Mo’unga (Christchurch; St Andrew’s College)
11. Leicester Fainga’anuku (Tonga; Nelson College)
12. David Havili (Nelson; Motueka High School/Nelson College)
13. Anton Lienert-Brown (Christchurch; Christchurch Boys’ High School)
14. Solomon Alaimalo (Auckland; St Bede’s College)
15. Damian McKenzie (Invercargill; Christ’s College)
Reserves
16. Brodie McAlister (Christchurch; Shirley Boys’ High School)
17. Daniel Lienert-Brown (Christchurch; Christchurch Boys’ High School)
18. Siate Tokolahi (Tonga; Sacred Heart College/St Bede’s College)
19. Quinten Strange (Takaka; Nelson College)
20. Reed Prinsep (Christchurch; Christchurch Boys’ High School)
21. Jay Renton (Invercargill; Southland Boys’ High School)
22. Mitch Hunt (Nelson; Nelson College)
23. Will Jordan (Christchurch; Christchurch Boys’ High School)
NB: Selections primarily based on place of birth and/or secondary school attendance.
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
27 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
27 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell 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.
14 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?
11 Go to comments