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A Short History of New Zealand's Super Rugby Season Launches

By Calum Henderson

Where were you the day Richie McCaw rode a bumper boat? Calum Henderson looks back at the evolution of the Super Rugby season launch in pictures.

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It started with a game of off-brand Jenga.

For years all New Zealand’s Super Rugby season launches seemed to involve was standing around. The locations would change – from rugby ground to convention center to a Rebel Sport store in a mall – but the poses remained the same. The only thing the players were required to do for the cameras was stand there and demonstrate the new season’s jerseys, often paired incongruously with model’s own smart-casual jeans.

Richie McCaw playing Jenga at the 2011 Super-Rugby season launch

But in 2011 at the Auckland Museum a quiet revolution took place: the team captains faced each other at Jenga. Richie McCaw was there, back before he had won even a single World Cup, carefully deconstructing his Crusaders-red tower with the help of a young fan. His opposition came in the form of Mils Muliaina, Andrew Hore, Jamie Mackintosh and Keven Mealamu. No record exists of who won.

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The earliest season launch photo in the Getty Images database dates back to the 2000 season, when the halfbacks from every New Zealand franchise gathered on Westpac Stadium to show off their shiny new adidas kits – the first after the switch from Canterbury of New Zealand, who were still making jerseys out of old-fashioned cotton. It set the tone for the next decade of ‘standing around’ photoshoots.

The Highlanders

The following year’s season launch, held in a darkened room somewhere within the fortress of Eden Park, put the players behind a menacing low wall of flames. It produced what may be the most of-its-era photograph you will ever see.

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Daryl Lilley

The best season launch of the ‘standing around’ era was probably 2009, when astroturf and goalposts turned the floating pavilion in Auckland Harbour into a floating prison for ten of our most talented rugby players, marooned there until either they swum back to shore or a kind-hearted boatie picked them up.

Players marooned on the floating pavilion

The following year everyone was back on dry land, positioned like Lego figures around the Super 14 logo and slogan painted on the Trusts Stadium turf specifically for the photoshoot. It’s a bit of a sorry scene, and seemingly prompted someone somewhere to suggest something to the effect of “why don’t we get them to do something… Jenga?”

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Captains <a href=Richie McCaw, Jimmy Cowan, Andrew Hore, Keven Mealamu and Mils Muliaina in 2010″ width=”750″ height=”479″>

Jenga obviously proved a huge hit with everyone involved, because they have never looked back. 2012 saw the players take to bumper boats at Rainbow’s End. Richie was back for more, taking to his boat like it was a ride-on mower on his quarter-acre lifestyle block. A newly World Cup-winning All Blacks captain, probably nobody had the guts to bump him.

Richie McCaw caning it on a bumper boat in 2012

In 2013 players again took to the water – this time the Hauraki Gulf for a spot of waka ama. Unlike most previous seasons this launch didn’t feature the team captains; the Blues sent along the duo of Francis Saili and Charlie Faumuina, and they left the rest of the field struggling in their wake.

Charlie-Faumuina and Francis Saili in 2013

Extreme Karts in East Tamaki was chosen to host 2014’s season launch, where some of Super Rugby’s fastest and most furious were outdriven by a referee. “The ref always wins and he’s always right,” conceded the Blues’ 3rd placegetter Francis Saili after the race.

The 2014 season launch group photo

After a series of increasingly fast-paced season launch activities, things were sensibly dialled back a notch for 2015. Teams instead took to an archery range, providing a pun-hungry media with a tantalising alley-oop. The Herald duly and graciously slam-dunked it with the headline ‘Cruden on target for Chiefs’ campaign’.

Brodie Retallick takes aim.

Recent years have sadly seen this weird multisport tournament go into hiatus. Bring it back! There’s still skydiving, extreme trampolining, the sensory maze at the Queen Street IMAX… The list of weird things you can make rugby players do is practically endless.

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j
john 14 minutes ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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A
Adrian 2 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

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T
Trevor 4 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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B
Bull Shark 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

29 Go to comments
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