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Allowing free movement of SANZAAR players in Super Rugby

higgik

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Mark Ella has mentioned this morning that in order for Super Rugby to survive, there needs to be a change in the concept of only national players in teams.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/...y/news-story/a07ae5e7d1aa2fc36680fdb3679b7070

I have suggested this for years. If more of the talent was spread across the teams, then the matches would be higher quality.

Think how the Western Force or the Sunwolves would benefit from a few Saffas or all blacks; or what about allowing PI test players into the teams, without affecting their qualification.

There is no way a PI team could enter SR for financial reasons, so why not open up teams to allow them to play in the current teams.

The main obstacle is that the unions would need to allow more private finance as they will not want to be paying non-nationals.
 
Wut?

There is no rule that the teams can only field players of their own country.

Frederick Michalak, Andy Goode and Juan Martin Hernandes have all played for the Sharks.
There are plenty of Namibians playing for South African teams.
Plenty of Pacific Island players playing in both NZ and Aus.
The Sunwolves have South Africans, NZers, Australians and players from other countries in their team.
And what about Geoff Parling that is playing for the Rebels???
 
I think he the main point is the qualification bit.

So New Zelanders could play for Aus or SA teams and still be picked for the AB's.
same with SA and Aus players etc.
 
I think he the main point is the qualification bit.

So New Zelanders could play for Aus or SA teams and still be picked for the AB's.
same with SA and Aus players etc.

But nobody is saying it can't happen. Take Peter Grant as an Example, the played for the Force and was still selected for the Springboks.

That article is more about the Aussie teams not being able to beat the NZ teams, whereas the SA teams have been able to beat NZ teams, but lose to Aussie teams... Vicious Cycle
 
But nobody is saying it can't happen. Take Peter Grant as an Example, the played for the Force and was still selected for the Springboks.

That article is more about the Aussie teams not being able to beat the NZ teams, whereas the SA teams have been able to beat NZ teams, but lose to Aussie teams... Vicious Cycle

Don't disagree.
I mean I don't get why any player in All blacks contention would want to move anyway. Which seems to be the main reason.
Sunwolves could do with focusing all they have on getting Mafi back to begin with.
 
Don't disagree.
I mean I don't get why any player in All blacks contention would want to move anyway. Which seems to be the main reason.
Sunwolves could do with focusing all they have on getting Mafi back to begin with.

I think it has more to do with the unions and the contracting practices.

Take Lappies Labuschagne, he has been one of the Sunwolves best performers this season, but played his last game as his Japanese Club only agreed that he can play for the Sunwolves up to end of April.

Quade Cooper could easily join a NZ team and depending on his performance still play for Wobblies. I think Quade would be welcomed with open arms in some SA teams as well...
 
Wut?

There is no rule that the teams can only field players of their own country.

Frederick Michalak, Andy Goode and Juan Martin Hernandes have all played for the Sharks.
There are plenty of Namibians playing for South African teams.
Plenty of Pacific Island players playing in both NZ and Aus.
The Sunwolves have South Africans, NZers, Australians and players from other countries in their team.
And what about Geoff Parling that is playing for the Rebels???

Tongan Epi Taione also played for the Sharks. As has Clément Poitrenaud and English prop Matt Stevens.
What was a bit weird though is that the year in which Jacques Potgieter won the Super rugby ***le with the Waratahs he did not get selected for the Springboks.
 
Well, the rules just changed this month, but before that, the rules to play for the Pumas you had to be part of either Arg team or SR team, not necessarily Jaguares.
Cubelli played for the Brumbies last season and was eligible for the pumas.
 
Th
Well, the rules just changed this month, but before that, the rules to play for the Pumas you had to be part of either Arg team or SR team, not necessarily Jaguares.
Cubelli played for the Brumbies last season and was eligible for the pumas.
Thats the case in Argentina. Dont know how it works in nz, sa and aus.
But i think they should be open to select nationals playing in other sanzaar teams.
There are plenty of talented nz players that could play in australian franchises or even jaguares, that are not starters in their teams and with low chances to get an AB call. IMO that will benefit all the parties involved and raise the quality in non nz teams. Super rugby as a whole will be benefitted.
 
Th

Thats the case in Argentina. Dont know how it works in nz, sa and aus.
But i think they should be open to select nationals playing in other sanzaar teams.
There are plenty of talented nz players that could play in australian franchises or even jaguares, that are not starters in their teams and with low chances to get an AB call. IMO that will benefit all the parties involved and raise the quality in non nz teams. Super rugby as a whole will be benefitted.
Exactly, SR needs the best players from across all the Southern Hemisphere, including PI, Uruguay etc. The 15 franchises need to be able to select anyone from SANZAAR or the other nations mentioned above. Then maybe there would be enough talent for more franchises. Just look at the IPL, lots of Indian cricketers, but the best players in the world from other nations also playing. SR should look at this model.
 
this would be bad news for NZ dominance but overall a good idea in the long run for kiwi's.
playing aus teams is really boring. putting kiwi's in their teams would bolster them and stop alot of kiwi's from having to go to europe .
however this will just plaster over the cracks of aus' problems and further cripple their poor attempt at grassroots, ie the NRC, which if i may say never went back far enough to be a proper grassroots. you have to engage the school kids first.
i do like the idea of some of those saffa's coming over to NZ. we'd take Bosch, Marx, Etzebeth, Kitshoff, Pollard, Kwagga and Kolisi . some of those overseas boks would be nice too, Vermulen and Louw. just to start with.
shame Habana retired
 
this would be bad news for NZ dominance but overall a good idea in the long run for kiwi's.
playing aus teams is really boring. putting kiwi's in their teams would bolster them and stop alot of kiwi's from having to go to europe .
however this will just plaster over the cracks of aus' problems and further cripple their poor attempt at grassroots, ie the NRC, which if i may say never went back far enough to be a proper grassroots. you have to engage the school kids first.
i do like the idea of some of those saffa's coming over to NZ. we'd take Bosch, Marx, Etzebeth, Kitshoff, Pollard, Kwagga and Kolisi . some of those overseas boks would be nice too, Vermulen and Louw. just to start with.
shame Habana retired
Not necessarily papering over the cracks, because a successful Aus franchise would raise the profile and get more people interested in playing the game.
 
Not necessarily papering over the cracks, because a successful Aus franchise would raise the profile and get more people interested in playing the game.
but whats the point of an aus franchise that is peopled with kiwi's trying to make the ABs?
 
but whats the point of an aus franchise that is peopled with kiwi's trying to make the ABs?
There is no rule to stop kiwis playing fpr Aus conference except for fact the they won't get picked for ABs, NZRU policy. the problem if you allow it and the players are playing for Reds , tahs etc, what's going to happen regarding required rests or trainig camps? No thanks.
 

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