New Zealand 2 will deal a massive blow to NZ rugby

[Thatwasnthighref]

Despite his fancy private school education, Izzy aint the brightest spark, we didn't let them go. I find it frankly preposterous that the media (and Cantabs like Izzy, yes I've disowned him from Hawkes Bay ) continually run with this line.

Here's a more realistic rundown:
The Saffas have been threatening to go north for the entirety of Super rugby.
The Saffas already had teams in the NH comps before Covid hit.
When Covid hit Super rugby had to be stopped as the teams could no longer travel to play each other.
NZ and Oz made decisions to run their own comps rather than stop rugby being played altogether.
The Saffas threw out their toys claiming they had been kicked out - the Saffa media ran with this little sob story.

If the Saffas wanted to be in Super rugby they would be, instead they used an international tragedy to enable them to move to a competition they had been threatening to go to for years because the timezones suit them (and they have a better chance of winning more often).

Yea I know there’s more to it than some in the media like to pretend.

And to be fair to Izzy, when he says why’d we let them go, he may just as easily mean why didn’t we do more to keep them. Reading the article I don’t think he ever apportions blame, only reminisces about his experiences from playing them, especially away.

But regardless, I think most agree with his ultimate sentiment that SR is poorer without the Saffas. And I think both the All Blacks and Wallabies are poorer for it too.

 

[flippikat]

Reds and Waratahs should join an expanded NPC if Super Rugby falls over.

I suspect something like this might be the way forward.

Either Aussie teams incorporated into a longer - running NPC, OR adding more NZ teams so the Super Rugby NZ teams are closer to the NPC counterparts.

Say, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Hawkes Bay, Wellington, Canterbury, Otago for 7 NZ teams instead of the current five.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

I suspect something like this might be the way forward.

Either Aussie teams incorporated into a longer - running NPC, OR adding more NZ teams so the Super Rugby NZ teams are closer to the NPC counterparts.

Say, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Hawkes Bay, Wellington, Canterbury, Otago for 7 NZ teams instead of the current five.

Something like that would make it more valuable to the NZ broadcasters. Expansion in Australia has failed miserably.

Will teams from Samoa and Tonga ever join the competition?

 

[Brian potter]

Similar population base to your club

more juniors than yours

better stadium

better public transport and proximity of leagues club

plus wealth of north shore

Games on the central coast also draw good crowds.

 

[Wb1234]

lol my

Games on the central coast also draw good crowds.

Mariners crowd average is like 6k and they’ve won a few titles

despite that league crowds there blitz it

Strongly growing population
Lots of young families moving from Sydney
Train line
Leagues club
Juniors
Fan base

if you look at a map north Sydney to central coast is almost adjoining, manly is a little isolated peninsula in between the two

how manly was allowed to have their own club and norths and central coast missed out was sheer stupidity

Arko was never go to let manly miss out

 

[Wb1234]

lol sa wanted an extra team then they cut back one of the sa teams

then the kiwis started complaining about the time zone

they moved the two South Africa clubs (one was the lions?) super rugby didn’t want to that nh comp then moved the rest when Australia and nz thought going it alone was best

the pacific comp has been a massive disaster

 

[Wb1234]

Something like that would make it more valuable to the NZ broadcasters. Expansion in Australia has failed miserably.

Will teams from Samoa and Tonga ever join the competition?

That’s moan Pacifica

 

[Vlad59]

I suspect something like this might be the way forward.

Either Aussie teams incorporated into a longer - running NPC, OR adding more NZ teams so the Super Rugby NZ teams are closer to the NPC counterparts.

Say, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Hawkes Bay, Wellington, Canterbury, Otago for 7 NZ teams instead of the current five.

NPC is the best quality rugby (Union) ive watched. Depth over there is outstanding in Kiwiland. It’s a got heaps of talent and ripe for the picking by NRL clubs as the warriors and league itself grows in momentum.

 

[Wb1234]

 

[flippikat]

NPC is the best quality rugby (Union) ive watched. Depth over there is outstanding in Kiwiland. It’s a got heaps of talent and ripe for the picking by NRL clubs as the warriors and league itself grows in momentum.

The key for NZ Rugby is finding the "sweet spot" of enough NZ Super Rugby-level teams to satisfy the provinces, but not so many that we dilute player strength terribly - and leave enough room for other places to participate (some Aussie teams, some Island teams, maybe Japan & Argentina).

I think it might be 7 or 8 NZ teams at "New Super Rugby" level.. and will be interesting if that's still the regional model (just with different boundaries making up those teams ) OR abolishing the current Super Rugby teams and having the top 8 provinces play Super Rugby... maybe even having a promotion/relegation for NZ Super Rugby sides from NPC?

 

[Canard]

f**k me, this thread is now just private school boys lamenting the decline of their favourite sport.

EAD lads

 

[Vlad59]

f**k me, this thread is now just private school boys lamenting the decline of their favourite sport.

EAD lads

Could be worse.

 

[flippikat]

f**k me, this thread is now just private school boys lamenting the decline of their favourite sport.

EAD lads

Lol.. 2 points on that..

1 - here in NZ, there's plenty of people that follow both union & league.. and it's not exclusively private school.

2 - just pointing out the tough decision NZ Rugby has now... and there's every chance they'll screw it up.

 

[Wb1234]

Lol.. 2 points on that..

1 - here in NZ, there's plenty of people that follow both union & league.. and it's not exclusively private school.

2 - just pointing out the tough decision NZ Rugby has now... and there's every chance they'll screw it up.

I’m interested in the discussion

from the basis of know your enemy

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

That’s moan Pacifica

It would be better having individual teams from Samoa and Tonga alongside Fiji.

 

[Wb1234]

It would be better having individual teams from Samoa and Tonga alongside Fiji.

Isn’t Samoa or Tonga like 100k people though ? Or both have tiny pops ?

 

[Canard]

Lol.. 2 points on that..

1 - here in NZ, there's plenty of people that follow both union & league.. and it's not exclusively private school.

2 - just pointing out the tough decision NZ Rugby has now... and there's every chance they'll screw it up.

Why can't some Saffers play against us in Union, is hardly RL talk mate.

I mean you are actually lamenting the games decline and longing for a better time.

Take it to Union fanboy site, like the one that @Wb1234 is a member of.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

Isn’t Samoa or Tonga like 100k people though ? Or both have tiny pops ?

They're small, but produce lots of players. With the small size of Super Rugby crowds in Australia it wouldn't be much worse hosting a game in front of 1k Tongans or Samoans.

 

[Brian potter]

They're small, but produce lots of players. With the small size of Super Rugby crowds in Australia it wouldn't be much worse hosting a game in front of 1k Tongans or Samoans.

For me not only are both Tonga and Samoa to small in terms of population to host individual super rugby teams but I would also argue that they are to small collectively to be competitive in any way shape or form as any local produced players would be tempted away by big money and not just by other super rugby teams but from France, UK and even Japan.

there is a good case to be made though for both Tonga and Samoa joining forces and compete in junior age grade comps i.e. U18&u20 levels.

 

[Matua]

Yea I know there’s more to it than some in the media like to pretend.

And to be fair to Izzy, when he says why’d we let them go, he may just as easily mean why didn’t we do more to keep them. Reading the article I don’t think he ever apportions blame, only reminisces about his experiences from playing them, especially away.

But regardless, I think most agree with his ultimate sentiment that SR is poorer without the Saffas. And I think both the All Blacks and Wallabies are poorer for it too.

I can't be fair to Izzy, not only did he play for the Crusaders but he also went to Lindersfarne.

Lol.. 2 points on that..

1 - here in NZ, there's plenty of people that follow both union & league.. and it's not exclusively private school.

2 - just pointing out the tough decision NZ Rugby has now... and there's every chance they'll screw it up.

We've discussed on the thread previously (probably a 100 pages ago now) how rugby isn't a private school game in NZ, the dipshit twins tried half heartedly to dispute it.