Aussies punt rugby World Series
29 Mar 2006
The ARU has come up with a way of making Tests between World Cups matter. They believe rugby needs a “World Series” in which the results of Tests every second year would determine the two leading teams, who would then meet in a final.
Tests between World Cups are often regarded as preparation for the next World Cup, with countries selecting second-string teams for less-important matches.
France, for example, used their South African tour last year to blood several youngsters ahead of the 2007 World Cup, while the All Blacks played their ‘B’ team against Ireland and Scotland on the Grand Slam tour, opting to save their best side for Wales and England.
The Sydney Morning Herald has learnt that a concept is to be put to the IRB which involves Tests, including pre-season and end-of-season internationals played by major nations, being allocated points on a win/loss basis.
Greg Growden reports that the two teams that finish with the highest number of points or best win ratio would meet in a final at the end of the calendar year. That match would be played at a neutral venue, with lucrative prizemoney on offer.
Aussie officials have been concerned for some time that when northern hemisphere teams travel Down Under before Tri Nations series the matches have often taken on the status of a friendly rather than a fully fledged Test.
Officials argue a World Series, which would be held only in years when the World Cup is not being staged or when the British & Irish Lions are not touring, would dramatically increase the importance of these matches because every game would be crucial in determining the final spots.
It would also make the Tests outside the Six Nations and Tri-Nations a far more attractive product for spectators, broadcasters and sponsors, while putting pressure on national coaches to pick their best sides when on tour.
The World Series would involve about eight or nine matches. In one season, Australia’s World Series games could involve Ireland, England, Italy and Argentina in June-July, followed by two matches of the Tri Nations series (one each against New Zealand and South Africa), before they played Wales, Scotland and France in November.
The other countries would have similar schedules.
The major problem with a World Series is that it would detract from the World Cup. The World Cup is the IRB’s big cash cow and they would be reluctant to detract attention from the main event.
69 Comments
29 Mar 2006, 15:56 pm
i’ve read that greg growden’s articles on rugby heaven and in my opinion he’s another idiot.
it seems the poms and certain of the aussie media are just not terribly sensible and dont have proper rugby values. Its all 1-upmanship, no decent analysis or balanced comment.
29 Mar 2006, 15:56 pm
Sounds good!
29 Mar 2006, 15:58 pm
that being said, this sounds like a reasonable idea.
29 Mar 2006, 15:59 pm
At least the SA Coach can’t say ‘JUDGE ME ON THE WORLD CUP’
29 Mar 2006, 16:09 pm
Ek hou nie van die idee nie. Ek soek toere. Lekker middel van die week games en n beste uit 3 toetsreeks. Dit, is rugby op sy uiterste en nie n ****** sirkus nie.
29 Mar 2006, 16:10 pm
even a better idea from Veltie.
Exactly, three-match tours, what happened to those. and more to the points what you been up to Veltie?
29 Mar 2006, 16:12 pm
Howzit Cab my old mate. Been busy. O, and too humiliated to show my face after the Stormers’ campaign so far.
29 Mar 2006, 16:12 pm
The IRB rankings are ready full of holes….this is going to be like the cricket test rankings – slow out of date and generally no one will give a flying fooook !
Howzit Velite !
29 Mar 2006, 16:14 pm
We are clever folk having revolutionised cricket in the 70s, started the Rugby World Cup in the mid-80s and instigated rugby to become professional in 1995 due to the super league threat…
29 Mar 2006, 16:16 pm
Veltie,
ya know the feeling all to well, but the stormers are looking better this week with MJ back in and hopefully Naas Olivier can run the backs a bit.
29 Mar 2006, 16:17 pm
I hate the facts that World Cups are all that coaches and nations worry about.
The world cup is 6 weeks every 4 years. Meanwhile there are 60+ test for each nation between tournaments. Test are always used to plan for he world cup. It shouldnt be that way a team should aim to be competitive each year for every test.
The world series therefor makes sense and if the money is serious countries will take it serious.
We always seem to have a collapse in the international rugby scene the year after a world cup and the two years after that.
There should be a cup for the team that finishes top of the IRB league, that makes sense and that should be the world champs, the world cup is of course bigger but a team that consistently beats everyone else should be the worlds best. They just need some recognition.
At present England are the world champs (or world chumps!) yet New Zealand have nothing to show. Not quite right is it.
29 Mar 2006, 16:18 pm
Ig my man
Lekker man. Spring has dawned – eventually- in London and my mood is lighter.
I don’t rate this above system at all. Rugby is already suffering from too much money being invested in the game, too many sponsors to keep happy and too little REAL rugby. The standard of the S14 has been dismal. I think it is because of too much rugby being played.
Being a player myself (only a club level – I know) I know that you can only pshyce yourself up and physically maintain a level of excellence for so long. And that is only club rugby. In England. hardly the bonecrunching stuff that 1st class rugby is made from.
29 Mar 2006, 16:20 pm
One of games are useless. Imagine cricket test series being reduced to a single winner takes all mentality.
It takes something special away from international rugby. Mid week games to test new player NOT test matches wasted on testing new players.
Test status will then be lifted to where it was before, teams can then build a team while putting everything into their weekend test match.
BRING BACK TOURS!!!
Keo help us!!
29 Mar 2006, 16:21 pm
Sweet, good to hear – been a bit of embarresment the ole Stormers this year. Thought you were heading back to SA for a bit ? Agree – i rather have a three match tour than a reason to extend the current one tour fiasco we have now !
Although we playing England twice at the end of the year and if Jake gets his way hes gonna have the whole CC to prepare !
29 Mar 2006, 16:22 pm
Amen JoeO
29 Mar 2006, 16:24 pm
I’m with Veltie on this one!
In anycase… since when does a test match between SA and the All Blacks count for nothing? Anyone who saw the two tests last year would have seen rugby at its best (even better than a lot of the WC games)
29 Mar 2006, 16:33 pm
Ig
was home for 3 weeks in december/January. Fantastic. Except the whole of damn Cape province was on fire…
As for the rugby…
I’ll be at Twickers to see the manne end of the year.
It is a second prize, as tours would wake the whole world up. look how much interest the Lions tour generated.
As I said, real rugby.
29 Mar 2006, 16:36 pm
cab totally agree with your 1st post, he is a plonker and so are most of them worldwide I guess.
Trust the Aussies to start Americanizing the sport…oh wait to late for that.
29 Mar 2006, 16:36 pm
A concept like this would then force all countries to always play there best players. Australia is the only top nation than doesn’t have a gruelling domestic competition. We have the Curri Cup, New Zealand the NPC and Europe have there individual leagues as well as Heineken Cup and 6 Nations.
This is another smart ploy by the Aussies to better there chances of winning the world cup every four years
29 Mar 2006, 16:37 pm
Bring back isolation.
LOL
29 Mar 2006, 16:40 pm
LOl @ dooodddd
Veltie – hoping to make at least one of Twickers tests this year ! Catch you for beer after !
29 Mar 2006, 16:40 pm
probably head off to twickers as well, but we better not bloody lose again, puts me in a bad mood for a couple of month afterwards when we lose.
shouldn’t be losing to that team, its become psychological i tell you.
29 Mar 2006, 16:41 pm
Ig
Deal. My treat. Should be good. the way the Pommies are playing now we actually have a decent chance of beating them. Huge issue with leadership in the camp; and nobody is trusting the coach. Some people even want to bring back Woody…
Let the ******* burn.
29 Mar 2006, 16:43 pm
coffee, ja some of them aren’t too bad, but alot of their rugby union types are just ****, whingers like the pompoms.
No, we must not lose those two tests, its becoming embaressing..
29 Mar 2006, 16:44 pm
Sweet ! Its been fun watching the poms implode – heres hoping they can keep it up for another year or two !!!!!
Losing to Scotland was sweet to watch, losing to Ireland at the detah made it to good to be true !
29 Mar 2006, 16:45 pm
Ig, Veltie
I will be joining you lads.
cab
Come along if you decide to come.
Will be a blast and I will leave jondood online.
29 Mar 2006, 16:46 pm
I was sitting next to an englishman watching the game. Close to the end of the game i asked him if he could remeber , a couple of years ago, when Brian o d scored the winning try against England. His face went pale (paler than usual) when o ‘Gara chip kicked ahead and the ball bounced perfectly for the Irish. I had to leave the pub very quickly after that…
It was perfect, you’re right.
29 Mar 2006, 16:47 pm
Sweet dood
29 Mar 2006, 16:49 pm
cheers for now boys. gotto get back to work again.
check you later.
29 Mar 2006, 16:57 pm
jondood,
sounds good, whats wrong with the online version?
we were sitting right amongst a section of poms last time. After being 20something down, one of the buggers puts a hand on my boet’s arm to make pals, but the boeta is a tad highly strung, and without thinking executes some kind of judo hip-throw 9dont know what it was) and proceeds to explain the finer points as to why Percy had not stepped into touch (while pinning him to the floor). Very amusing. Teach them to winde-up a saffa while his team is getting pummeled.
29 Mar 2006, 17:13 pm
Not a bad idea. why must the damned ozies come up with it?
29 Mar 2006, 17:14 pm
Shos
“Not a bad idea. why must the damned ozies come up with it?”
Trust me there will be a price if this is realised.
The Aussies do nothing that they dont gain something from.
29 Mar 2006, 17:14 pm
cab
The real jondood is bigger in life than the online one.
29 Mar 2006, 17:21 pm
It cannot be called the World Series. That is played each year between the winner of the American League (baseball) and the winner of the National League (baseball)! Even though baseball is a world apart from rugby, the Yanks will be quick on the trigger to throw the lawsuits at rugby. Remember a few years ago how the Blue Bulls had to change their logo because it was to similar to the logo of the Chicago Bulls (basketball) and the latter complained.
29 Mar 2006, 17:24 pm
true jondood
29 Mar 2006, 17:26 pm
yessus, well i know DavidS is 6ft8, Ig is also apprarantly 6ft6, Veltie play locks so he’s gotta be thereabouts, if you’re also that tall, i’ll be considered a midget at only 6ft3, but i reckon i weigh more than you lads.
29 Mar 2006, 17:45 pm
cab
LOL
I am only 6ft.
29 Mar 2006, 17:47 pm
Cab
I am an inside centre. A number 12 through and through. Locks and the rests of the forwards are the piano movers. I am the piano tuner… lol.
About 6’1 myself and Jondood is prob about my lenght.
29 Mar 2006, 17:49 pm
Cab
is that story about what your boet did true? If so, send him my congratulations. Stuff of legends.
29 Mar 2006, 17:54 pm
cab
Forgot to mention Veltie is even bigger.
You cant shut him up once he gets pissed.
29 Mar 2006, 18:01 pm
veltie, its an understatement, anyone that knows the bugger would have laughed his head off, temper on him that one.
jondood, hehe…nothing wrong, its a saffa thing, told my boss to go get fokked the other day after a few, but he deserved it.
29 Mar 2006, 18:01 pm
LOL JonD!
29 Mar 2006, 18:03 pm
ooh **** i can imagine you bunch, throw in Stan and Murph and there’ll be some wise-cracks of note.
29 Mar 2006, 18:06 pm
Cab,
It will be lekker man. Now all we need is for the Boks to kick ***, Chuck Norris style.
29 Mar 2006, 18:07 pm
yeah, big time.
29 Mar 2006, 18:32 pm
This sounds like a party i want to gate crash lol
im hoping my Pomey trips this year coincide with the tests, You have to Love Twickenham. Last time we were all walking out, got to the roundabout and there was a lady cop directing traffic, and out of the crowd you hear on top of your voice “Show us your tits” it was class lmao.
29 Mar 2006, 19:18 pm
Someone better tell the Aussies that tests between World Cups already matter!!! No sense of heritage those okes
29 Mar 2006, 19:27 pm
Rugby needs something that is for sure. I even found myself being thoroughly pleasant to an Irishman a day after the defeat at HQ. I even said I enjoyed the game! He seemed a little embarrassed.
If everyone is heading down HQ this way I may even host a pre-match picnic. Although Cab you can keep your ruffian friends away.
I must admit to a great deal of disappointment as to how the younger generation of Bok fans respond to defeat these days. There is just a little too much aggression for my taste. Living your life through other people is not very healthy.
29 Mar 2006, 20:37 pm
nope sounds rubbish, world series my eye
29 Mar 2006, 21:22 pm
StM,
your last comment is the wisest advice you have ever offered. now if only you could convey those sentiments to the majority of your populace.
I have yet to experience a graceful pom in defeat, you must be a very rare individual indeed. i must say tho your online persona does you a disservice in this regard, since we only see you banging on about england’s magnifecense when they’re winning. You have been conspicuously hard to find of late Mr magnanimous.
29 Mar 2006, 22:42 pm
In the professional era tests between countries become less and less important. Soccer is a good example. When two countries play each other, sure the stadiums are full, but u can’t compare it to the inter franchise/provincial games.
The Rugby World cup is just a ‘nice to have’, no meat and potatoes there. England are the world champs, who cares ? With the whole ‘you’re only as good as your last game’ and ‘anything can happen in a quarter / semi / final’ attitude the RWC is a show,thats all.
Coaches throw the ‘yes,we lost but we’re preparing for the world cup’ excuse around too easily.
I can understand them wanting to put pressure on coaches to pick the best teams. I am not going to fork out R 500 plus to watch the Bokke ‘try out new combos or strategies’. Se gat. If you want to ‘blood new players’, for varks steaks, do so in practise games arranged between countries, off camera and not publicised.
Surely France and SA could arrange such practise games. We need pressure from the sponsors to ensure that coaches always pick their strongest team possible.
Who wants to spend big money to see if a new combo works ? That’s not why I support the sponsors.
30 Mar 2006, 00:26 am
Well I guess Americanisation of sports in Australia is evident, next thing we hear out of Australia is that they want a 5th Super Rugby team and a draft system of the pacific snd africa. For a country of proud sporting prowess, they should throw some money into getting a Currie cup/NPC type comp running. In Australia its called a World Series, In SA and NZ, we call it tours. Bring back the good old fashioned tours, with midweek games and have the tri-nations every second year.
30 Mar 2006, 00:42 am
P.S. Australia have one of the worst away records in rugby, so I guess they will not be top of the table if they continue this trend. World Series is a joke, bring back tours.
30 Mar 2006, 00:45 am
It seems to me that one of the problems of Saffers is you have a laager mentality. As soon as anyone happens to come up with an innovative idea, most of you slam it. It seems to be you find it difficult to break free of your conservatism-especially since you did not come up with the idea!
Were it no for innovative ideas, we would not have night cricket and I’m sure 438/9 is something you don’t want to forget!
It’s a great idea because as almost every side who has won the WC has proved, they hardy look like champions post the world cup. This would motivate sides to keep up the standards of playing.
Furthermore, this whingeing about playing too much rugby is ridiculous. Sides like the All Blacks handle this problem by developing a squad. Considering the amount of money rugby players earn, they should stop complaining about playing too muc rugby.
30 Mar 2006, 09:23 am
This is the only way of making the june and november tests more interesting. the public don’t want to pay good money to watch the top teams parade their second XVs. The NH teams are a joke when they tour here. remember the two english tour from *****.
Full tours are never going to come back due to the UK and French club schedule. The French still play club rugby in June. it is unfortunate but it is a reality and this is the next possible solution.
Ig, the ICC have a test championship trophy
30 Mar 2006, 09:24 am
We need the old fashioned rugby touurs back.
30 Mar 2006, 11:24 am
Ian,
thats not true, many of those that disagree with the idea mentioned above, are’nt from SA, i.e CSI.
Also, please bear in mind that we needn’t agree with evey idea put forward just becasue its australian. I certainly think Growden writes absolute rubbish, but Peter English seems better on the cricket. Cant be that conservative if we actually rated our chanes of chasing down 438, in fact strikes me as pretty revolutionary.
30 Mar 2006, 11:26 am
Agreed, Sarky. Bring back tours. Also; 3N every two years, full tour every two years. Dump S14
30 Mar 2006, 12:53 pm
dump super 14 for tours? wtf. who would you play in a tour in all seriousness? the NH players play in three major comps going during the Super 14 period.
30 Mar 2006, 13:09 pm
CSI Rugby thats the most Patriotic New Zealand view of rugby if ever there was one.
I thoroughly agree that in a rugby utopia we would have tours the focus to give all provincial teams around the globe a crack at international sides. Japies, Blacks, Oz and Poms would be great chances to match club players with world class players. When the lesser nations toured a major country its like a rugby lesson on the style of play at the roots of that country. This is what i would call spreading rugby literally to as many parts of the world as possible. Players everywhere at elite, provincial and even amature level will come against each other which can only enhance and improve the seeds of this great game in all parts of the world.
30 Mar 2006, 13:16 pm
However yes i know the way is that tours will never returnn full but they should be phased in between nz and South Africa if nobody else. Our tours i believe have been far more important than lions tours only until recently. We must restore them.
This new world series is a shock reation from the Aussies cause it aint looking to good for Aussie rugby if the Wallabies aint winning the sports popularity might all go to other codes in ten or so years…. but hey i think its a good idea…its following cricket a bit and to tell you the truth it sounds alot better than the current format of boring tri nations. Lets face it, a test is still amazing to a purist like myself, but i fear if we dont move with the times in terms of format (not style of play) then we will be left behind in todays competitive world.
30 Mar 2006, 13:18 pm
And by the way CSI – No whea he koe? where you from in Aotearoa
30 Mar 2006, 13:50 pm
NZMaori
From Auckland mate, Married to a South African girl, and living in the USA, I’m home on vacation for a couple of weeks, currently in beautiful Nelson. Where you from bro?!?!
30 Mar 2006, 14:13 pm
Tokoroa, but im a scarfie down in Dunedin. Waikato is my team mate. Catch your ailing blues up bro – too many islanders in your tema….hahaha
There is a couple of good local derbys this weekend. it could get spiteful i recon. And im also picking a chief Hurricane double. Will pay well at the tab. The saders have to lose one this year and the canes have forever been there bogy team, and chiefs on form id say…due for a win after some choking in the last two games.
Good man for finding a beautiful Japie girl…
Is there any coverage of games in the states??
30 Mar 2006, 14:34 pm
NZMaori
Agree, Yeah my blues are doing real bad, but the memories of yester-years makes up for a shocking season, its that rugby cycle, it will come our way again, and the blues will be champs again, when? who knows. Tokoroa boy, home to keven mealamu, and also scarfie, well enough said about a scarfie, different breed down there, haha.
Yeah me and my wife met at the ’99 RWC and yes we both drowned our sorrows, more me then her after the 3rd and 4th place game.
Anyways we found a channel up in the states, and have to order it, called Setanta Sports from the UK on Direct tv, and we get some of the S12/14 games up there, mainly NH Rugby of course.
Rugby coverage in America is very statistic based, if you the americans and there sports, they love statistics.
Canes to win and the Chiefs, The Blue v Bulls, I honestly couldn’t pick it. what u think? TAB are paying good odds this week on the home derby games.
30 Mar 2006, 15:01 pm
yah the blue-bulls fixture is a tough one to call, blues very temperamental side, if they get it together at home, very difficult side to beat.
30 Mar 2006, 15:02 pm
Im sorry but the blues are rip for the picking with Nacewa at 1st five. It is a rebuilding phase you are right but im not convinced Nucifora quite knows how to make these boys gell like say Henry could. McAlister should play at 1st 5. (if fit of course)
the bulls have an expert foward pack and this pressure is going to make it even harder for Ice at 1st 5.
having said that the blues can just turn it on at the drop of a hat so as much as i think the bulls will win, if they dont im picking the blues to blow them out of the park by 20… catch my drift??
31 Mar 2006, 06:14 am
A couple of thoughts…
Simon
Who said the AB’s played their ‘B’ team against Ireland and their ‘A’ team against Wales? Running my eyes over the two teams at the time I felt they divided the whole squad 50/50 (quality-wise) – right down the middle.
I wouldn’t have liked to have picked a winner between those two AB teams, although I would have loved to see them play!!! What a match!!! The teams against England and Scotland were certainly ‘A’ & ‘B’.
I’d love to see the TriNations extended to take in Argentina – two matches against each team – home and away.
I’d love to see that competition also take place every second year with some tours in between.
The Lions tour was just a brilliant event for NZ. A decent length, mid-week provincial matches, a game against the Maori, and three tests. What more could you want? (Just a shame that the Lions supporters were better than their players!!!)
Imagine a Springbok tour run along those lines – or the Aussies? Or France or England? (Did I say that?!?)
I still remember the Springbok match against Taranaki on the 1981 tour. I was 16 at the time. Actually I don’t remember the match, but I remember the EVENT!!! (Apparantly Charles and Diana getting married on the same day.)
31 Mar 2006, 06:22 am
The Blues CAN do it tonight – whether they WILL or not… They really need to cut loose and play to their strengths. Run the Bulls off their feet.
The Hurricanes need the win for the sake of a home semi.
The Crusaders will get one home semi, and won’t lose too many games, so a win over the Crusaders is a four point advantage over the rest of the teams.
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