Why Aaron Cruden will be looking forward to the New Zealand-only Super Rugby competition
Aaron Cruden’s 2020 homecoming hasn’t exactly gone to plan.
The Chiefs first five was anticipating a full season of Super Rugby before heading off on his next adventure but the competition’s suspension stymied that a little bit.
Thankfully, Super Rugby will be returning soon – but the format will be turned on its head. Gone are two-thirds of the teams with just the New Zealand sides set to play-off in a winner-takes-all round-robin tournament.
While losing the international aspect of the competition isn’t ideal, it will probably make things a little easier to follow for spectators.
Cruden spoke to RugbyPass before 2020’s one-off competition (officially dubbed Super Rugby Aotearoa) was confirmed and was simply hoping to get back out on the field, no matter what the tournament format – but the potential for something a little bit different still excited him.
“For me, as a bit of a traditionalist, I’d love to go back to just your straight round robin-format,” Cruden said. “But I also do understand that there are certain elements and restrictions that probably aren’t letting that come back into play, as such.”
Ironically, it’s global restrictions which have forced SANZAAR and New Zealand Rugby’s hands. The new competition will see the five Kiwi Super Rugby sides play one another both home and away over a 10-week period. The team with the highest number of competition points at the end of the 10 weeks will be crowned the winners.
It’s about as simple as it can get.
As has been well documented, the derby matches are far and away the toughest challenges that Super Rugby has to offer – which will be both a blessing and a curse for the five New Zealand franchises.
Although the upcoming clashes may be intense, Cruden will just be relishing running out on the park.
“You just try and make the best out of it that you can but we certainly get some tough battles out of those New Zealand derbies,” Cruden said.
“The atmosphere, the pressure, the expectations… All of those things, you know. You chuck that on top of two teams that know each other reasonably well where you’ve got friends playing against each other on both sides and you obviously want to get one up on your mates.
“In a way, that’s what you want as well – there’s a little bit of extra spice and a little bit of extra motivation always when you come up against another Kiwi team, but often that’s sometimes when you play your best rugby too. You can’t really complain about that too much can you?”
New Zealand Rugby has engaged in talks with a multi-billion-dollar American investment firm about taking a stake in the struggling sport.https://t.co/7XHevTqj0e
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) May 8, 2020
And while international football is still a long way off, the 2020 competition will be an excellent barometer for new All Blacks coach Ian Foster to assess the current crop of players around the country.
Matches against foreign clubs are invaluable for giving New Zealand players an idea how national sides may tackle the game but it’s the derby matches which really test an individual’s mettle.
Former All Blacks coaches have time and time again alluded to the fact that the games between two Kiwi teams are about as close as you can get to test match pressure and atmosphere – without actually playing against an international team.
“Certainly, that’s probably a great way to describe it,” Cruden confirmed.
“The intensity takes it up another level and the bodies are always sore afterwards – but you can deal with the sore body if you’re able to get the win, I think. That’s always the goal.”
From your average spectator’s point of view, it will simply be great to have some rugby back on televisions again, even if attending live matches is out of the question.
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The final match of the normal Super Rugby season was played way back on the March 15. Two days earlier, the Hurricanes earned their first win in Hamilton since 2007 in a cracking game against Cruden’s Chiefs, with Jordie Barrett kicking a penalty goal well after the final siren sounded to hand the visitors the 27-24 win.
While fixtures like that may be tough for the players – especially if they’re having to do it week-in and week-out – the public with be buzzing at the opportunity to see the competition’s best teams face-off round after round.
“I also think [an NZ only competition] would be pretty cool for the fans,” said Cruden.
“I think everyone would certainly embrace it and get right behind the local teams. You’ve got the best players in the country going toe-to-toe week-in-and-week-out and it would certainly make for some healthy competition, that’s for sure.”
Super Rugby Aotearoa will kick off in the coming weeks with a mid-June start-date highly probable.
Comments on RugbyPass
The rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
69 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
9 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
9 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
9 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
9 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
9 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
2 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to comments