The Aussie-based Kiwi who has just fired a warning shot at New Zealand Rugby
NSW Waratahs coach Rob Penney has fired a warning shot at New Zealand Rugby (NZR) to weigh the importance of trans-Tasman relations when considering a new competition to replace Super Rugby. Penney said New Zealand rugby bosses would pay a hefty price if they tried to play hardball over the number of Australian teams in whatever format the competition took from 2021 onwards.
NZR chief executive Mark Robinson hit out at Australian media reports that his board was split over two possible preferred models – an open-border split of five NZ and five Australian franchises; or an eight-team competition featuring five from NZ, just two from Australia and one from the Pacific.
A Sydney Morning Herald report said Rugby Australia (RA) was poised to reject any proposal featuring three or less Australian teams and would set about creating its own competition, potentially inviting offshore players. Robinson responded that he hadn’t received any steer on RA’s preference from counterpart Rob Clarke on Thursday in a meeting.
Penney, the fomer New Zealand U20s and Canterbury coach, said it was obvious neither country would benefit long term from continuing with the internal Super Rugby competitions which had been launched this year in response to Covid-19. “Isolation is probably not the ideal scenario for anyone but, if New Zealand want to do that – at their own peril,” said Penney.
“If New Zealand don’t get positive around the relationship they have with Australia, that is their loss. They probably see themselves in a powerful bubble, which they have done for a number of years – so be it. We’ll create one (competition) here and then they’ll come knocking, I’m sure.”
The future of trans-Tasman rugby is up in the air but might it open the door to some other nations? https://t.co/bV1y7ajpQ3
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 8, 2020
Robinson said the board had yet to even see a copy of the independent Kiwi-driven ‘Aratipu Report’ recommendations which would be made public next week. “There’s nothing we’re hearing about what they (Australia) would and wouldn’t be open to at this stage,” he said. “I’m not aware of what Australia are particularly focused on in that area.”
Robinson said suggestion his board was split was “absolute nonsense” and played down growing noise that the SANZAAR joint venture was on the verge of being dismantled. He indicated SANZAAR might not be the governing entity of the Super Rugby replacement, depending on what format it took, but it would continue to oversee the running of a Test tournament.
Robinson confirmed SANZAAR was investigating staging this year’s Rugby Championship in Australia and/or New Zealand and NZR had pitched to be the sole host of the tournament. Talks remained “dynamic” on staging a Bledisloe Cup series, he said.
However, the touted prospect of an All Blacks-Kangaroos hybrid match in December was fading as a prospect, primarily because NZR had received no recent updates from the NRL. “They might have got cold feet – we’re not sure,” Robinson said. “It’s quiet at present and that’s OK with us. We’ve got lots of things to work on.”
Penney, meanwhile, has labelled Saturday’s Super Rugby AU clash with a fired-up Western Force as a potential massive banana skin for his side. It’s likely to be an emotion-fuelled performance by the Force, who will debut in the revamped domestic competition and play their first Super match of any type since being cut from the full tournament after the 2017 season.
Australian cricket coach, batting great and proud West Australian Justin Langer addressed the Force in the lead-up to Saturday night’s SCG encounter. “He’s a good man, Rugby Australia got him on one of the Zoom conferences during the Covid off-season – he was really good,” Penney said.
“I understand that he’s probably telling the Western Force the vagaries of living on the east coast of Australia and all the things that the western province doesn’t like about the eastern side and firing them up. We counter that with our own motivations and our own inspirations.”
Penney is wary of a Force side he knows little about but he won’t be underestimating them, especially with his side needing a win after a first-round loss to Queensland. “We are going to have to be very careful,” Penney said. “It’s these sort of fixtures where one team gets an emotional boost. Another team, for one reason or another, might be a bit low and it turns into a massive banana skin.
“For us to be able to challenge the Force, we need to be preparing well and making sure we’re not getting a bit lazy in terms of that mental prep and game prep that individual has to go through.”
Penney has named an unchanged starting side, opting to bring Karmichael Hunt back off the bench, with the Wallabies’ veteran recovering from a hamstring injury. Rookie inside centre Joey Walton, after debuting last week, retains the run-on spot. “Joey had a really solid performance last week and I guess it’s furthering his development and we can unleash Karmichael a bit later,” Penney said.
WARATAHS (v Force): J Maddocks; J Ramm, A Newsome, J Walton, M Nawaqanitawase; W Harrison, M Short; W Harris, M Hooper, L Swinton, R Simmons (capt), N Hanigan, H Johnson-Holmes, R Abel, A Bell. Reps: T Horton, T Faulkner, T Tauakipulu, J Dempsey, M McDonald, B Donaldson/T Moeroa, K Hunt.
What needs to change for NZ Rugby to retain its top talent? The team from @skysportnz The Breakdown discuss. pic.twitter.com/VsKm3IMHTd
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 9, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
excellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
9 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
12 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.
9 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.
9 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
9 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?
9 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
3 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to comments