Come on Bryce. You are just not objective. I admire O’Neill for negotiating what is good for Aus. Its our fault for not sending a professional businessman to negotiate.

The structure – Its not good for us and I dont think its good for NZ. The S15 is 21 weeks long (assuming zero breaks).
Our Currie Cup is important for development and thrives when our stars are available for at least half of the Currie Cup (pref more).
NZ rugby lovers, generally, feel as I do.

I understand why Australia, with zero domestic tournament like the format.

Because its good for Aus and because its good for SANZAR profits does not mean its good for SA or NZ rugby

More Fxsports revenue as explained above will enable larger squads blooding more players to international level… however it cannot increase brain-power and strategy amoungst coaches when it comes to rotation/conditioning… only the smartest teams utilizing the increased revenue and spending will prevail in this S15 competition…

Hit the nail on the head…

The management stuff up the comp is fine as is. Playing home and away games, was fantastic! More crowds to see their hero’s play the locals and foreign teams. Bad player management meant that players got tired and had to be rested eventually , had there been a better system in place and had the chance been used to blood younger players it would have been a different story.

I am waiting for the article to surface that blames the boks bad performance in this years tri-nations on the longer S15 . Had they not been playing S15 , they would have been playing tri-nations games . IF there was no tri-nations that would ahve been used as a reason for lack of form, the usual lack of game time ect ect . Point these fingers at SARU. Look at the Ozzies and All blacks, I dont recall Quade Cooper missing any or many S15 games because of injury or because he felt fatigued . He was properly managed, plain and simple.

No their are guys like bakkies who is past his best , yet he still plays. Why? Is flip not good enough ? How about Victor? There is a long list of players who should have been rested and managed better. Their franchises stuffed up. Those same people who are unhappy about it are the same people who forced the guys to play . The picked the players to play the S15 games , they cant complain now after the same players are stuffed.

It is obvious that there is little or no plan between the unions and SARU when it comes to RWC and the S15 and the Tri-nations. If there was , it was piss poor and pathetic. P Divot has know all the time which guys he was going to pick for the RWC , we all know it, we all know who the fringe players are as well. It was the perfect time to blood young talent and rest the old plonkers. Instead and true to form they did the opposite. Think I am talking kak ? Have a look at the wallaby team and the all black team, how many star players are injured vs that of the boks? How strong are they vs the walk on B team? How many games did the same guys in those teams miss in the S15 ?

This is what happens when clowns run the circus, and the ring master is the biggest clown of them all, well in his mind at least .

Well, perhaps because you’re in Oz you can relate more to the new product. I understand that. Do you mean the viewing stats are up on average per game in SA (I’m leaving Oz out of the equation)? That would be quite interesting based on the sentiment I see displayed from the majority of fans. Could be the interest in seeing the new format, local derbies, etc. I think next year will be telling.

I hear what you’re saying mate… however… I’ve loved this S15… this final and more to the point semi’s were the most advanced rugby I’ve seen in a long time… and according to viewing stats Australia and RSA agree…

Bryce, you have a point about increasing revenue via the Oz market. However I think you miss the point that many fans just don’t care about that. What does the increase in revenue get SA that it never had before? A longer, not as interesting S15? More burned out players? More cash for development? The last is obviously important, but just how much are we talking about? Fans are not by any means long sighted, they view the product in front of them today and development isn’t exactly on the average fans mind. That’s reality.

Boot the VC into touch… amalgamate the Varsity Cup and Club Rugby (into maybe two divisions) and eliminate the farce that they are really ‘studying’ (FFS if Earl and Jody Rose actually had the brains to do a chemistry degree they’d be dangerous)… the use the CC to feed the S15… and hey presto!

And PLEASE… ensure the ‘Emerging Boks’ are exactly that and not window dressing… and let them play REAL opposition (like PAC Cup)… and bring back REAL dirt-tracker teams with and REAL ‘A’ team… all of the above governed within the same structures/game-plan and on the same page as the test side…

It’s really not rocket science!

Yep mate… like the Windies in the late 90′s… youngsters interested in other sports (horrible trend towards Seppo sports basketball in NZ on the rise)… ironically league has been on the rise in NZ due to the Warriors in Aus (and Aus marketing to the huge NZ population here which has had a knock-on effect…

@we have it on good authority that on september 11, a legend will rise…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-36:

It’s all about subscription TV when it comes to the pooled Super Foxsports money shared equally (read unfairly) amongst Aus/RSA/NZ… from the home to the local that pays for it… gate attendances are not shared between SANZAR (fortunately) and play very little part anyway… it’s ALL ABOUT THE FOXSPORTS MONEY…

Aus is on the up-trend (and it’s steep), RSA has always been on a steady trend… NZ are currently in a Bear trend… yet some castigate J’ON and co for getting their own 5th side AN INCREASING REVENUE for everyone…

NZ need a kick up the arse.. or they need to take a pay cut and RSA and Aus can get their deserved share… albeit for the moment as NZ are so damn good… we’ll carry them… but only for so long!

Hope you keeping well buddy.

Good post. Makes plenty sense bud.

Have always said I don’t agree with us playing 3Nations in a world cup year. Also if we HAVE to keep this new daft format of the S15 then in a wc year there should be no home and away games in our conferences. That will cut down the rugby played for the players.

I actually find I’m LESS bothered about rugby now which means that I’m LESS inclined to watch the games. There’s just too much.

A little while ago… the S12… I used to watch EVERY game…

LESS is MORE.

Thank you.

and the the TRi (Four) Nations…

It would cut down on the amount of rugby played by the players and the season would build nicely as it progresses from domestic to franchise to international rugby and it would ensure that current form would be the basis of selection all the way through…

Dunno, he looks more like a cheesy sauce type a guy…with a hint of garlic!

yes, it would be great if the number went up but it would not contribute significant growth compared to the numbers sa does. australia is indeed a potontial growth market for rugby viewership/revenue numbers. and these two countries will always generate a greater revenue source than nz simply because of their size.

perhaps rugby also competes with league, football, cricket and/or other sports to some extent in nz as well? i dont know. out of 4.5 million people when factoring out the niumber of children too young, elderly people and women (who usually follow sports less than men) and so on, then what would one be left with as a number of potential rugby watching people i wonder? i bet it would be a much smaller number to oz and sa’s comparatively.

Sounds fishy to me.

But ja I certainly wouldn’t rely on baldy for tv schedules or punditry.

I think you need to take keo with a pinch of salt.