Aussies want another franchise
2 Mar 2009
Australian Rugby MD John O’Neill believes adding a fifth Super 14 franchise can be sustained by the country.
With the Super Rugby expansion planned for 2011 and despite calls that the existing 14-team format is already too many, O’Neill believes otherwise. The crowds have been sparse in the initial stages of this year’s competition, especially Down Under, but O’Neill maintained that broadcasting figures are positive and that the four existing Australian franchises are in the blue despite the global economic climate.
Before departing for Dubai for a Sanzar meeting, O’Neill said he would push for an extra Australian team.
“We are working very hard with the Waratahs, Reds, Brumbies and Western Force to ensure that they remain financially well and healthy,” said O’Neill.
“There’s no alarm bells ringing at the moment. We’ve got good sponsorship, good broadcasting revenue coming in.”
The Sanzar meeting is scheduled for Wednesday and he hoped they would make progress on the matter with their South African and Kiwi counterparts.
“I hope the meeting in Dubai really narrows down the differences,” said O’Neill.
“We made a lot of progress last year on a Super 15 model which has an additional team in the Australian Conference and one round where everyone plays each other and a second round where you played in your conference,” he said.
“It gave you a lot more home and away content and a six-team finals series and up until September last year that was the way forward.
“We came unstuck and even failed to get the six-team finals series up for this year, so we are back at the drawing board.”
O’Neill said the additional franchise could be based in Melbourne, the Gold Coast, western Sydney, Newcastle, or even Japan.
14 Comments
2 Mar 2009, 14:26 pm
Convict Dragons!
2 Mar 2009, 14:46 pm
O’Neill you stupid malema. Look at how you have screwed up the S14 by playing the Antipode elv’s. Take these elv’s and go and stick it where you will not get a 5th franchise.
2 Mar 2009, 14:51 pm
They can take the Cheetahs franchise.
2 Mar 2009, 15:18 pm
The quality of rugby in the 2009 S14 is worse than ever.
So what do they want to do?
Expand the competition with more teams, including another SA and Aussie franchise!!
If they want to make more money out of the game, you would think that they would consider improving the standard.
If they are not carefull they will kill the cow that brings them their milk every morning!!
2 Mar 2009, 16:05 pm
#3 Loosehead: LOL
2 Mar 2009, 16:31 pm
Thats just daft the Reds are near the bottom and they want another Franchise? Just like Cheeky wants one here.
Think this comp should be reduced to 8 and let strength play strength. This competition would be super hot then. 3 saffa sides 3 kiwi sides and 2 from Oz.
Let the ones that are on the bottom play another competition. With Japan and USA maybe PI’s who probably will win that competition.
Just like when we had 14 teams in the cc. It never worked. Has to be strength against strength all the time otherwise we lose interest.
2 Mar 2009, 18:00 pm
greedy convicts..
2 Mar 2009, 18:16 pm
I just hope the Kiwis and Safas are strong enough to tell O’Niel to go f* himself.
This guy is the most evil man in sports adminstration and cares only for self-Australian interests.
Figure it guys’n'gals. NZ has the already diminished but previously superb NPC, SA the magnificent Currie Cup. Australia has nothing. They care only about filling their own downtime and competing against other stronger domestic sports (Aussie Rules, League, Soccer).
If O’Neill gets his way, which the damn Aussies have already with the ELVs, then say goodbye to the advantage SANZAR has as it stands.
I truly hate this guy, I make no bones about it. Thats Aussie sports administrators and politicians for you tho, complete bullies.
2 Mar 2009, 19:43 pm
The Aussies come to the table with no cash in hand.
They do not have the player base and they are struggling to fill their stadia.
No broadcaster is after empty stadiums and flagging player numbers.
South Africa on the other hand, come with cash in hand for the new franchise, a great broadcaster and tens of thousands of players from an area that surpasses all of Australia’s playing numbers COMBINED.
Then O’Neill flies the kite for Japan to join the JRU-SANZAR – No way does that fit.
O’Neill has an eye on the RWC bid and is eyeing Japans cash to support their 2019 bid. Japan 2015 and Oz 2019.
2 Mar 2009, 20:53 pm
Maybe I am just a dof doos. (Walk through that open door if you will), but I often feel that I am at odds with everyone on Keo regarding Mr O’Neill.
I don’t think we need another S14 franchise (and Loosehead’s comment of giving up to by SuperBru fkg up franchise the Cheaters is ok with me).
But JohnO’Neill is the ONLY rugby administrator trying to build the sport, the rest are interested in building up their little parochial empires.
So good on you Mr O’Neill, and frankly looking at the performance over the last few years, SA can give up one of their kak teams. Preferably the Cheaters.
2 Mar 2009, 22:49 pm
#8 BlackPanther: Ey I can agree with you on that. He wants to achieve gains and strengthen Aussie rugby at SA and NZ expense! Total chop! But if he gets his way, and if cheeky does too, at least the lions and cheeta’s wont be on the bottom then.
3 Mar 2009, 03:03 am
Australia want another franchise ?
The country that won’t play rugby on their free-to-air TV channels ?
The country that cancelled their domestic com due to lack of interest & finances ?
Surely it begs the question – why ?
If JON wants to GROW the interest in rugby why not put money into school boy rugby & a domestic comp and GROW some rugger b*ggers of his own instead of importing them.
3 Mar 2009, 04:28 am
Ha Ha, welcome to Aussie politics, expect the world and give you nothing, Just gives you guys a taste of the **** that we put up with in this country. the fact of the matter as i see it is:
O’Neil needs a fifth team in Aus to increase the number of games played, if he does that he can get rugby on free to air, if he does that then he competes with NRL and AFL, its about frequency, the problem is that we don’t have the players for five teams, probably not even four so he is watering down the standard and level of play, if he is successful in what he wants then I’ll be able to watch the game on Sat Night but won’t watch it anyway because it will be ****. Go figure
3 Mar 2009, 08:45 am
I think they should reduce the teams to 12 or 10 again, at least then we’d have the best of the rest.
SA Teams:
Sharks, Bulls, maybe Stormers
NZ Teams:
Crusaders, Hurricanes, maybe Blues
Aus Teams:
Waratahs, Brumbies, maybe Force
That would bring the crowds back to all the stadiums, thereby increasing the economic viability of the competition. right now, they just playing with mediocrity. It’s gonna get like the Vodacom Cup soon!
But will my comments be heard by the right people… NAH!!!
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