The key piece of leverage Australia has over New Zealand at the Super Rugby negotiating table
It’s laughable to think that there are people out there who genuinely believe Super Rugby AU is better than Super Rugby Aotearoa.
The notion that the five teams in Australia are as good as the five New Zealand franchises is equally dismissible.
Yes, there are probably reasonable grounds to claim that those in the Kiwi game have an aura of arrogance about them with the way in which they’re going about trying to formulate a replacement league for Super Rugby next year.
But that arrogance is validated by the sheer dominance that the Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes, Crusaders and Highlanders have asserted on their trans-Tasman counterparts over the past few years.
That dominance has extended to the international arena between the All Blacks and Wallabies, and the Australians ought to be kidding themselves if they believe most of their teams wouldn’t be the whipping boys against the likes of the Blues and Crusaders.
The Brumbies may be able to foot it with the rest of the Kiwi crowd, and the Reds have a good mix of experience and promising talent floating through their ranks, but it would be daft to suggest all five teams would dominate.
The standard and intensity of rugby from Auckland to Dunedin has largely put the Australian game to shame, and while there have been some tightly-fought encounters in New South Wales and Queensland, it’s a long shot to say they’ve been of Super Rugby Aotearoa quality.
If reports of a new eight-to-ten team competition are to be believed, the best Australia can hope for is the involvement of four of its sides.
At worst, as few as two teams could be included next year, which would be a massive blow for a nation championed as the best in the rugby world between the late 1990s and early 2000s.
For the sake of Rugby Australia and the future of whatever Super Rugby turns into, one would hope their administrators have been listening to the noise being made by players out of New Zealand.
If there is any chance of the Brumbies, Reds, Waratahs, Rebels and Western Force all being included in a competition with their Kiwi counterparts next year, it stems from the growing chorus of voices speaking out about the sustainability of New Zealand derbies.
It’s not a new concern, as even when Super Rugby was in its fully-fledged form with the involvement of South African, Argentine and Japanese teams, players from New Zealand often spoke of all-Kiwi clashes being of similar ferocity to that of test matches.
Reading back a couple of paragraphs, you’ll have noticed the reference to the intensity of Super Rugby Aotearoa in comparison to that of Super Rugby AU.
#SuperRugbyAotearoa is fairly evenly matched. #SuperRugbyAU is fairly evenly matched.
Would a combined competition also be evenly matched it? Unlikely, writes @TomVinicombe.https://t.co/04S0KXbaUJ
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) August 5, 2020
From a spectator standpoint, watching New Zealand’s best players go head-to-head in test match-like conditions week-after-week for just over two months is about as good as it gets for consumers of the game.
For the players, though, it’s about as brutal as it gets, and some of the stars of the game in New Zealand haven’t shied away from voicing their concerns in the media about player welfare issues.
Speaking on the Aotearoa Rugby Podcast, both Brad Weber and Bryn Hall labelled the Kiwi competition as “unsustainable”, a sentiment which has also been echoed by the likes of Aaron Smith, Richie Mo’unga, Ash Dixon and Gareth Evans.
“A few guys are dropping off – great for viewership in New Zealand but I’m not so sure how sustainable it is,” Evans told Gold AM‘s Country Sport Breakfast last month.
“The boys love playing in the comp (but) in short no, I don’t think it is sustainable.
“Most of the boys are only coming right at the captains run the following week.
“Some of those real top games are like test match footy. From an attrition rate and boys bodies it’s pretty tough on the lads.”
Therein lies the golden ticket for all five of Australia’s teams to break into New Zealand Rugby’s plans as a source of relief from the physically taxing nature of Super Rugby Aotearoa.
As much as it might diminish the undeniable quality on offer in the Kiwi domestic league, the presence of Australian teams would probably be welcomed by the banged-up New Zealanders.
It’s no secret how much they enjoy their bye weeks purely because of the brutality they face for four matches straight.
Facing off against Australian outfits would certainly be no bye, but it would be a far cry from the attritional warfare that they are currently enduring.
The physicality of those matches will only be heightened should a South Auckland-based Pasifika franchise be inducted into the league, as is widely expected.
Offering New Zealand franchises and the Pasifika side a reprise from the savagery of each other should be the primary negotiating tool for Rugby Australia if they intend on getting all five of their clubs included.
Regardless of what shape Super Rugby takes next year – whether there’s any involvement of Australian, Pasifika or even Japanese teams – the product can only be as good as the players who are taking part in the action.
It will be of no use to anyone if New Zealand’s best players watch on from the sidelines after bashing each other the week beforehand, and that’s where Australia can lend a point of difference.
Possible Asia-Pacific Super Rugby Format
- 12 teams: Five from NZ (Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes, Crusaders, Highlanders); Five from Australia (Brumbies, Reds, Waratahs, Rebels, Force); One Pasifika team (Kanaloa); One Japanese team (Sunwolves/Top League composite team)
- Round-robin format; every team plays each other once; one bye week each
- 12-week regular season; play-offs consisting of semi-finals and final
Comments on RugbyPass
A wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
24 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to comments