'The classic thing is he went over there with moulded boots and no one thought to tell him that it's slightly wet in NZ and studs would be a good idea'

Western Force chief executive Tony Lewis has urged Rugby Australia to forge ties with Asia to create another competition that will better prepare players for the rigours of Super Rugby. Australian teams are 0-10 after two rounds of the Trans-Tasman Super Rugby competition, with the lopsided results further proof of how far superior NZ rugby is.

With the second-tier National Rugby Championship scrapped, Lewis feels there is a big gap between club rugby and Super ranks in Australia, something being exposed in Super Rugby Trans-Tasman. He doesn’t want to see the NRC reinstated but feels a new competition taking in teams from Australia and Asia would be the best fit.

“The most important thing is there’s no place in rugby in Australia where that next-tier player gets that opportunity to develop,” Lewis said. “All of our development is taking place in Super Rugby, which to me is showing no consideration to the welfare of the player and the development of the player.

RugbyPass is sharing unique stories from iconic British and Irish Lions tours to South Africa in proud partnership with The Famous Grouse, the Spirit of Rugby

RugbyPass is sharing unique stories from iconic British and Irish Lions tours to South Africa in proud partnership with The Famous Grouse, the Spirit of Rugby

“Young Will (Waratahs fly-half Will Harrison) gets slaughtered in the media, but is it his fault that his rugby development has been 15 Super games in a team that’s struggling?  You saw it last week with James Turner for the Waratahs. He has been the form winger in Sydney club rugby this year, gets thrown into the game against a couple of All Blacks and he looks average.

“The classic thing is he went over there with moulded boots and no one thought to tell him that it’s slightly wet in NZ and studs would be a good idea.”

“In another life, I’d absolutely love to play rugby sevens or any kind of rugby.”https://t.co/tnGFKTQeKu

— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 24, 2021

When the Western Force were booted out of Super ranks in 2017, billionaire mining magnate Andrew Forrest launched a competition called Global Rapid Rugby that was set to include teams from the Asia Pacific region. Lewis feels there is still scope for that but he wants teams from Australia’s major cities to be involved as well, rather than just the Force.

“We need to align with Japan,” Lewis said. “NZ has got their competition (National Provincial Championship). We don’t need to follow them. We need to be innovative and get out there and see what’s there. There are other parts of Asia.

“I know South Korea’s national side is strong. They have had a rugby program going on for quite some time. If we worked in partnership with Japan and the other Asian countries we could build something that’s going to have public appeal.”

LIONS WATCH: A closer at look at the Japan touring side that wants to take down the Lions, two years after shocking the world at the RWC https://t.co/L0kxXAkFGr

— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 24, 2021