SA to push for bigger Super Rugby
24 Jan 2013
MARK KEOHANE writes South Africa will this year support an expanded Super Rugby competition to accommodate the Kings and Lions. But Pacific Island teams will again miss out.
Any expansion can only happen in 2016 but take it as a given Super Rugby will comprise more teams, but they won’t feature teams from the Pacific Islands because there is no financial gain to be made.
Sanzar CEO Greg Peters told the media Sanzar’s three partners Australia, New Zealand and South Africa would make the decision to expand or not later in 2013.
Argentina, Canada, Japan and the United States are seen as the primary targets. Japan because of the cash cow it promises to be, Argentina as a commitment to the expanded Rugby Championship that featured the Pumas for the first time and Canada and the United States because they are seen as potential cash cows, especially the United States. The word is to have one team from each of those countries.
It is one of the reasons Canada and the United States will play in the Pacific Nations Cup, which again shows how poorly the Island representation of Tonga, Fiji and Samoa are treated within Sanzar.
South Africa has always been seen as the big brother to Samoa in terms of value attributed to playing against Samoa and giving the country’s rugby side as much playing opportunity as possible.
New Zealand and Australia do nothing to promote the virtues of any of the Island teams because financially they offer nothing in terms of broadcasting deals.
‘We are considering whether or not we will include new territories in Super Rugby and one of the factors we’ll be weighing up is their [Canada and United States] competitiveness,’ Peters told The Australian.
‘Super Rugby in its present form is a pretty successful model … and we are not going to water it down. But we’d be derelict in our duty if we didn’t consider expanding into areas. The United States is a very big market and so is Japan and Asia generally. Ultimately it all comes down to what is in the best interests of the three Sanzar parties.’
Peters said player welfare would be a consideration but an expanded competition may allow for the tournament to be split into two pools of 10 teams each, although Australia will definitely not want to lose the conference system and the double-header local derbies. It is proving massive in Australia and the current format gives Australia everything it has wanted in a rugby union tournament that competes with the AFL (Aussie rules) and rugby league’s NRL.
Television audience figures and match attendance were highest in Australian Super Rugby for derby matches and because Australia has no provincial domestic competition Super Rugby doubles as their domestic competition. Just how South Africa and New Zealand agreed to give up so much for Australia to have so much gain is a question that can never be answered by those who did the surrender. If it could they would not have done so.
Ideally South Africa should be playing in a Super Rugby tournament with the best from England and France. Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and Japan should have their own Super Rugby tournament. Geographically that makes more sense, but the Celtic nations (Scotland, Ireland and Wales) remain the stumbling block to any South African participation in Europe.
New Zealand knows it can’t do justice to more than five teams, Australia is at its maximum and South Africa’s only need is to ease the political tensions and have all six regions represented. Then it is a matter of which new territories can make the existing Sanzar partners the biggest financial net gain.
Sanzar’s counter argument to the Pacific Islands is that it is the responsibility of the IRB to develop those countries. I don’t buy it, but then Sanzar has never been big on a purchase of morality.
540 Comments
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24 Jan 2013, 12:30 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-199:
lol
Yes Mr Blacks table also shows that SA only have mid to bottom table teams…. where are you seriously going with this.
24 Jan 2013, 12:30 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-169: Licorish allsorts?
24 Jan 2013, 12:32 pm
@John Galt-175: Oh, how I miss those days.
Real rugby that was.
24 Jan 2013, 12:33 pm
@Dawn-200: And to be honest Dawn, he only says that because in the opinion of the folk up north, Cape Town forms part of Europe
24 Jan 2013, 12:36 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-193:
They will tow it mos def.
Especially when they see the I heart Luke bumper sticker.
24 Jan 2013, 12:36 pm
@Mr Black-181: Cheers mate, very interesting, I wasn’t expecting my team to be so high up.
On the down side…”close but only two cigars”!
24 Jan 2013, 12:39 pm
@Dawn-200:
well it is true
in distance, time zones and culturally.
we also share a remarkably similar moral and ethical oulook in general, and view dishonesty and cheating in low regard.
24 Jan 2013, 12:41 pm
@Hurricane-201:
i am not going anywhere with anything, Hurri
why would you think that..?..
24 Jan 2013, 12:42 pm
@gunther-205:
24 Jan 2013, 12:47 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-207:
24 Jan 2013, 12:49 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-204:
Indeed.
Separated only by the the Strait of Gibraltar
24 Jan 2013, 12:49 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-204:
honestly, other than the rugby nothing about our relationship with the anzacs makes any sense. be it cultural, economic, political or otherwise.
we dont stand to gain much by trade, they have often proved themselves to be against us politically on many issues, they are a destination in itself alone and only therefore offer no additional options of travel in the way europe or africa does (just think trade and flight routes?) and there isn’t much we like about them or they about us culturally.
its a no brainer really.
(dont take this to heart Hurri, i mean no hurt).
24 Jan 2013, 12:51 pm
I wonder if Keo will nominate his own posts for the SA Rugby honorary mention?
24 Jan 2013, 12:52 pm
Bakkies @ 207
lmfao. the current doping scandal in SA rugby would suggest otherwise.
but you keep those blinkers firmly on mate.
24 Jan 2013, 12:52 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-207:
Hmmm…..oh Houston….the British are up there as the biggest thieves in history, brought on by their snobbery…so sad you look to them for moral and ethical comraderie….
24 Jan 2013, 12:53 pm
do you remember blood gate Bakkies?
is that the morality and ethics you guys share with the Europeans?
hahahaha what a chop
24 Jan 2013, 12:56 pm
@the curse-214:
Pops and TR, you guys are having a field day today.
@Te Rangatira-215:
24 Jan 2013, 12:56 pm
the springbok/CC brand is highly sought after and would be welcomed with open arms in europe imo.
it would be a meeeting of equals, ‘brothers’ if you will
as opposed to ‘two kissing cousins and the family friend they dont like’.
24 Jan 2013, 12:59 pm
@gunther-205:
hahaha
i hope the guy who tows it is a bulls supporter.
24 Jan 2013, 12:59 pm
Kia Ora Nortie hoe gaan dit?
it certainly is entertaining lol
24 Jan 2013, 13:03 pm
ah Bakkies
the Anzac conspiracy? lmao it’s biscuits mate
24 Jan 2013, 13:04 pm
@the curse-216: Howzit mate!
How about RWC ’07 when they had 16 players on the field?
And Sir Clive “had no idea of how that could’ve happened”!
Chops
24 Jan 2013, 13:05 pm
@the curse-214:
its hardly a scandal, Pops
we make no bones about testing and exposing cheats, as per our normal routine
can you say the same?
@Te Rangatira-215:
i really meant the europeans more so than i did the british, TR
i do not however judge them (the british) in modernity by their ancient historical actions. i would think they would be good to do business with the present, no?
24 Jan 2013, 13:05 pm
@nortierd-217:
Nortie you are a good man….pai marire ki a koe.
24 Jan 2013, 13:07 pm
at the end of the day it really is about our brand
the springboks and CC
and protecting it
anyone would do the same
24 Jan 2013, 13:10 pm
@gunther-205: luke played & captained the Stormers, they dig him in cape town.
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-212: what do you suppose i share culturally with a scottish person that i don’t with an australian?
honest europoeans? where you on medication (that seems to be your excuse lately) when johnny wilkinson secrety switched rugby balls at the world cup?
24 Jan 2013, 13:11 pm
brumbieboy.
all good here mate, hope you are too
lets not forget swapping the match ball at the 2011 WC
and the Irish may disagree with Bakkies assertion too, especially after the Lions series in 2009 lol
still, it does keep Bakkies nurse and pharmacist in a job, we should be thankful for small mercies
24 Jan 2013, 13:13 pm
or when their clubs wouldn’t realise SAs brothers (the Samoans according to keo) players at the 2003 WC
yep, I’d definitely want to align myself with that type of morality haha
24 Jan 2013, 13:14 pm
@Transformation-226:
Sure they do.
24 Jan 2013, 13:15 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-223:
Houston…I’m not against your idea of wanting to move North and cuddle up to the Europeans…There are certainly opportunities for Sa there countered by risks…but all in all the positives outweigh the negatives..Getting back to rugby though…don’t be surprised if the Samoans are seeded above you at future World Cups…
24 Jan 2013, 13:18 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-212: ” we dont stand to gain much by trade, they
have often proved themselves to be against
us politically on many issues, they are a
destination in itself alone and only
therefore offer no additional options of
travel in the way europe or africa does (just
think trade and flight routes?) and there
isn’t much we like about them or they
about us culturally.”
is this why scores of south africans have migrated to australia & new zealand?
why is Perth referred to as “Perthfontein”?
24 Jan 2013, 13:20 pm
@Te Rangatira-230: They are more likely to be seeded above you.
24 Jan 2013, 13:21 pm
@the curse-216:
these are isolated incidents as well exceptions to the norm.
@the curse-221:
you’re either naive or an ignorant fool if you think it doesn’t happen at some level, whether willfully contrived or not.
must we bring up ‘Japiegate’ AGAIN..?..
and this isn’t even considering the number of times and ways in which you have undermined us when voting on issues at the IRB.
as for SANZAR the Lions/Kings fiasco is but one of the inumerable instances in which you have srewed us and our rugby.
24 Jan 2013, 13:25 pm
the lions/kings?
hahahaha. so now that fiasco is NZs fault?
step way from the computer Bakkies, open a window and get some fresh air
24 Jan 2013, 13:26 pm
Teams ending top of the Log for Last 17 years in Super Rugby
Crusaders – 4
Brumbies – 3
Reds – 3
Blues – 3
Bulls – 2
Sharks – 1
Stormers – 1
24 Jan 2013, 13:29 pm
@stormer in a teacup-232:
Ahh….No….let me bring you in on a secret…when you play the Islanders, you show no mercy, fight fire with fire, once you do that you rely on superior fitness and technical ability to dismantle them…Then you finish them off in the fight….
24 Jan 2013, 13:29 pm
as far as I know Bakkies, NZ get one vote at the IRB like every other nation
care to provide a link of all those issues we undermine you at the IRB, you know, some proof of your delusion.
thanks
24 Jan 2013, 13:30 pm
Playoffs reached in super rugby
Crusaders – 14
Sharks – 8
Bulls – 7
Brumbies – 6
Blues – 6
Waratahs – 6
Hurricanes – 6
Reds – 5
Stormers – 5
Highlanders – 4
Chiefs – 3
Lions – 2
24 Jan 2013, 13:30 pm
@Transformation-226:
hahaha
oh Transie, i suppose next you’re going to tell me you still wear cowhides and carry a Xhosa spear..?..
i’d bet there’s a lot of Scots who’d think you a european Dandy
after all, you have often made mention of your ‘tastes’…
@Te Rangatira-230:
thanks TR.
that would be a dark time for our rugby indeed. kinda like the welsh today i suppose.
@Transformation-231:
thats an entirely different phenomenon, Transie
entirely.
24 Jan 2013, 13:32 pm
we’ve definitely screwed you at rugby
you continue to bend over in front of us with your pants around your ankles and take your beatings
we gave it to you twice last year, and 7 of the last 8 times you’ve had your head buried in the pillow and your @rses in the air on the rugby field
24 Jan 2013, 13:32 pm
@NZINCHINA-148: yes I would. A single timezone is the dream.
24 Jan 2013, 13:32 pm
@the curse-234:
yes, it is.
it didn’t have to be this way but you and your cuzzie saw to it different, didn’t you.
24 Jan 2013, 13:35 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-239:
Just kidding with you….should be no reason whatsoever that Sa will ever lose to the Samoans…
24 Jan 2013, 13:35 pm
@the curse-240:
you are very uncouth.
24 Jan 2013, 13:37 pm
@Te Rangatira-236: Thanks for the insight, but not much of a secret. We’ve played more tests against Samoa than the ABs or Wallabies. Only the Wallabies have gone down to them.
24 Jan 2013, 13:38 pm
198…was 2007 not still the s12.
24 Jan 2013, 13:38 pm
saw to what Bakkies?
SA pushed for the conference system
then your INEPT SARU officials bent over for ONiel take it up with your union Bakkies, they continue to screw your rugby, no one else
I feel genuine pity for you
also, do the Europeans even want you guys up north? their schedule is full as it is
24 Jan 2013, 13:39 pm
@Te Rangatira-243:
cheers.
and its not to take anything away from the Samoans, who are bringing more than just physicality to their rugby these days. super rugby and european competition has been good for them.
24 Jan 2013, 13:41 pm
still waiting for those links Bakkies, you know, proof of NZ ******** you guys over at te IRab?
hahaha. I’m uncouth? I don’t believe that the reason for my countries rugby performance is influenced solely an exclusively by another country
you are sick and need serious help
god help your family.
24 Jan 2013, 13:42 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl-246:
Super 12 ended in 2005
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