'They'd do fine': All Blacks star Sam Whitelock backs Top League involvement in Super Rugby
All Blacks star Sam Whitelock believes that Japan’s best Top League sides would more than hold their own if they were allowed into a re-structured Super Rugby competition.
Despite the four SANZAAR unions having Super Rugby and Rugby Championship agreements in place until 2025, speculation has been rife about the prospect of South Africa departing the southern hemisphere to join forces with European nations.
Favourable time zones and much more financial prosperity in Europe would presumably act as the main selling points for a cross-hemisphere switch, with the presence of the Cheetahs and Southern Kings in the Pro14 evidence that such a move could be viable.
South Africa’s speculated departure from SANZAAR coincides with the highly-discussed future of Super Rugby, which has come into the spotlight as the economic downfall that has come with the coronavirus pandemic has forced a re-think about the competition’s structure.
A steep decline in fan interest and over-saturation of playing talent has deeply diminished the quality of the cross-border league, leading pundits in New Zealand and Australia to call for a revamped trans-Tasman competition with an Asia-Pacific element.
The imminent axing of the Sunwolves, however, is indicative of SANZAAR’s desire to stray away from the Asian market after the Japanese franchise struggled for competitiveness since their induction into Super Rugby in 2016.
Back in New Zealand from a brief stint with the Panasonic Wild Knights in the Top League, Whitelock said there could still be a place in a new-look Super Rugby format for some Japanese teams.
The 31-year-old was impressed by the physicality and style of play in Japan’s premier domestic competition, which had attracted a plethora of international stars from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa following last year’s World Cup.
“The actual style over there, there’s some really physical, athletic guys, and they play hard,” Whitelock said via Zoom.
“If they would step into a comp, I think they’d do fine. Especially if it’s the top two or three teams.
“But you never actually know until they get in there and have a go how they’re going to compete.
“The top couple of teams would compete, it would be cool to have that Japanese style thrown in to a competition – whatever that competition looks like.”
Former World Cup-winning Wallabies midfielder Tim Horan last month suggested that the Australasian nations should look to tap into Asia and the Pacific rather than persist with South Africa and Argentina, whose unfavourable time zones have become unattractive for fans and broadcasters.
“Super Rugby will look very different in the next five years,” he said on Fox Sports.
“I think it’s probably got to be an Asian-Pacific type model – Australia, New Zealand and allow Japan to stay in the model.
“Then you look at Fiji, Samoa, Tonga.”
Those sentiments were echoed by former All Blacks first-five Andrew Mehrtens, who appeared on the offtheball.com podcast alongside ex-Wallabies coach Michael Cheika earlier this week.
“New Zealand is going to benefit ultimately from a revamped Super Rugby, and Australia will too,” Mehrtens said.
“I’ve said for quite a while now that while the competition has expanded, it hasn’t expanded in a consistent or logical way.
“It’s just added a couple of teams here and there. It went to 14, 15, then it went to 18 and dropped back down.
“The hindrance in Super Rugby is that there are games in Argentina now, and the time zone is not great for New Zealand and Australia, the same with South Africa.
“Not many people are watching even their own teams at 3am in the morning coming out of South Africa.”
A revised New Zealand-only domestic competition, dubbed Super Rugby Aotearoa, is scheduled to kick-off on June 13, while discussions for a similar concept in Australia are well underway.
Comments on RugbyPass
“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.
22 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
3 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.
2 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…??? 🤑🤑🤑
3 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
3 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 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)
3 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to comments