The future All Black may only have time to play for his country in the new international game
We might as well look forward to it, then.
The romantics among us might yearn for yesteryear. To see club and provincial rugby play a meaningful part in New Zealand’s rugby pathway and to see tours replace multi-nation tournaments.
But we’re not the ones paying the bills and while a return to some of those things might be lovely, they’re not financially sustainable. The proposed Nations Cup very well might be, though.
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) are an organisation looking for a fiscal silver bullet and an opportunity to maximise the All Blacks’ commercial value. Spending two months of the year in home and away battles with the best Northern Hemisphere sides would be an avenue to do that and something many fans should relish.
One clash between New Zealand and England in the last world cup cycle was much too few and a Nations Cup would remedy that.
Brent Impey, the quotable chairman of NZR, has said the Southern Hemisphere sides need the test model to change if they’re to stay afloat. That was a large part of why NZR supported the candidacy of Agustin Pichot in the just-completed World Rugby chairmanship campaign.
Incumbent Bill Beaumont may have been returned for a final four-year term, but he’s begun that by making encouraging noises about the Nations Cup actually getting off the ground.
Among the impediments, when the tournament was first mooted, was a lack of enthusiasm from the Six Nations sides as well complaints from players in various countries that the travel and playing loads might be too great.
But with Beaumont suggesting the Six Nations competition won’t be impacted by a Nations Cup and New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and Argentina all eager to get earning again, the stage is set.
How soon this tournament might be played is anyone’s guess. Without a vaccine to combat COVID-19, it could be a while.
Then there’s the impact a Nations Cup might have on the rest of rugby in New Zealand.
A time will come when All Blacks are simply that. Not Hurricanes or Crusaders or Chiefs, but blokes whose sole responsibility is being an All Black.
Beaumont has talked about a potential window of October and November for the Nations Cup, leaving plenty of time for the SANZAAR teams to stage Super Rugby and whatever version of The Rugby Championship exists in years to come.
But, if we assume that the back-end of each season is where the games of greatest consequence will lie, then New Zealand’s best players surely won’t exert themselves fully in the months prior.
A global rugby season is overdue and it appears that this coronavirus pandemic might be the thing to finally prompt it.
Again, there will be traditionalists who bemoan it all, who want NZR’s resources to prop up the bottom of the pyramid and not be spent on those lucky players at the top. But the counter is that there will be no game in New Zealand without the big bucks generated by the All Blacks.
There’s no way NZR can fund the lower levels if the All Blacks are playing six or eight times a year. Yes, it might be heartwarming to have the Springboks make a full tour of this country and then watch the All Blacks go off in search of the Grand Slam, but it won’t pay the bills.
New Zealand Rugby have instead set their stall on a Nations Cup, so let’s hope it’s a raging success.
Comments on RugbyPass
To 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.
30 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
30 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
30 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.
30 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.
30 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.
30 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.
30 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 commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
17 Go to comments