Andrew Mehrtens thinks the time has come to ditch South African teams

[Jaguares]

Andrew Mehrtens wonders if the time has come for the Australasians to ditch South Africa:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/opinion/9942858/Mehrtens-Time-to-ditch-South-Africa

Andrew Mehrtens writing for Fairfax, wonders if the time has come for the Australasians to form a competition that excludes South African teams. The former All Blacks flyhalf is of the belief that the structure of the Super Rugby tournament needs to change. Mehrtens wrote that New Zealanders might have lost interest in watching matches involving South African Super Rugby teams, and that the time difference is a major reason for the decline.

'Ultimately the future of this competition might be more localised round time zones,' he said. 'The [New Zealand] provincial championship still has a pretty strong following, and if you're looking at what Australia and New Zealand needs, maybe it's that parochialism, that tribalism which is very important.

'The logistics of involving South Africa are problematic – the travel and time difference – and maybe it would be better for all concerned just to play within our time zone and include teams from the Pacific Islands and Japan.

'You could look at extending the number of New Zealand teams and move away from the regional concept, and back to provincial lines. That's the logical progression.'

What do u think?

Cheers

 

[Gena_ZA]

The quality of rugby will deteriorate.
Ask any All Black against who they measure themselves? - The Boks

To only play the Boks on the odd tour and every 4 years at the world cup, well make up your own mind.
and Mr. Mehrtens, money and TV broadcasting rights determine rugby deals/tournaments, not timezones and the luxury of playing teams located close by

Probably in 2021 SA will decide to play against Northern Hemisphere teams and Sarzar will cease to exist, in my view the Australasian sides will loose out the most

 

[nzlizard]

Bad idea, SA bring a good level of intensity that we may miss out on otherwise. Traveling to the republic is a mammoth task and yes time does play a factor but not enough to stop it and winning over there provides a mental toughness that cannot be matched.

TV rights, sponsorship and money dictate who plays who anyway.

My concern is that SA get a 6th super team yet they continually have 2 teams near the bottom table each year and a 3rd team that sits near the bottom offers no value to anyone apart from the players from that franchise.

 

[admartian]

Terrible idea Mehrts.

Timezone ain't ****e imo.

 

[Draggs]

Terrible idea Mehrts.

Timezone ain't ****e imo.

^Yep.

I'll watch my team even if it means 3am. I won't watch my team if the quality is poor.

 

[nickdnz]

The reality is we do need the money. I love Mehrtens, but what he i suggesting is very idealistic and not practical. He advocates trying to go the game in Australia as a way to raise competition, but if there's two things Australian rugby is, it's fickle and unreliable.

I agree there should be a change in format, but that change should incorporate South Africa.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

I agree with him...one if the reasons we need the money is because it is so expensive to travel rsa, very few people I know now get up to watch games at 3am.

A more simple league type comp based in the Asia pacific area would be more attractive...

 

[nzlizard]

very few people I know now get up to watch games at 3am.

Yeah I know with kids I can be wrecked if I get up a 3am to watch a game and then go back to bed, the kids wake at 7 and then I normally wake at 7 by default as well

I normally try to plan nothing on the day that key games are on at 3am, the Chiefs recent tour to SA was an example were I watched the games the next afternoon, whereas the AB games on the European tour I got up for.

 

[nickdnz]

Yeah, I really see Samoa, Tonga or Fiji being able to finance a competitive team...without draining New Zealand resources.

Japan may be an option, in a slightly better time zone, but they aren't anywhere near as competitive.

I get up to watch the games, but even on the occasions I don't I'll watch a replay. In both a financial and competitive sense I think losing South Africa would be a problem. I'm not saying we can't survive without them because of course we can - but the reality is without them we'd likely have to just play Australian teams, which I don't think we'd be better for.

That said I certainly don't believe that South Africa would be better off in Europe. For a start I'd be suprised if they didn't find it even harder to protect their quality players from playing overseas - and I think many European clubs wouldn't exactly love the idea of traveling down to South Africa for a H-Cup game on a friday - to play a LV Cup game on the Sunday..

 

[TRF_heineken]

Is it really such a big problem that a NZ team has to play 2 games in the republic?? It's a total of 10 games where the NZ'ers have to get up early to watch a game. I really can't see the problem here. I have never *****ed or moaned when I had to get up at 4am to watch an SA team play in NZ. In fact, I like it, it's a good way to start the day.

I just think Mehrts has a personal problem with SA. after all, he was born here, and then who could forget the flipping of the middle finger incident, and of course losing the 95 World Cup final to SA.

 

[Jaguares]

I agree with him...one if the reasons we need the money is because it is so expensive to travel rsa, very few people I know now get up to watch games at 3am.

Well, you're lucky! For me, ALL the games are at 03 am or 05 am :wah:

 

[goodNumber10]

Yeah, I really see Samoa, Tonga or Fiji being able to finance a competitive team...without draining New Zealand resources.

Japan may be an option, in a slightly better time zone, but they aren't anywhere near as competitive.

I get up to watch the games, but even on the occasions I don't I'll watch a replay. In both a financial and competitive sense I think losing South Africa would be a problem. I'm not saying we can't survive without them because of course we can - but the reality is without them we'd likely have to just play Australian teams, which I don't think we'd be better for.

That said I certainly don't believe that South Africa would be better off in Europe. For a start I'd be suprised if they didn't find it even harder to protect their quality players from playing overseas - and I think many European clubs wouldn't exactly love the idea of traveling down to South Africa for a H-Cup game on a friday - to play a LV Cup game on the Sunday..

Japan is the target, it's a lucrative market, especially for the australians.

Personally I think the NH teams would love to play in the sun...... LV doesn't impact on the H-Cup btw, LV is during international windows and anglo-welsh only.

 

[nickdnz]

Is it really such a big problem that a NZ team has to play 2 games in the republic?? It's a total of 10 games where the NZ'ers have to get up early to watch a game. I really can't see the problem here. I have never *****ed or moaned when I had to get up at 4am to watch an SA team play in NZ. In fact, I like it, it's a good way to start the day.

I just think Mehrts has a personal problem with SA. after all, he was born here, and then who could forget the flipping of the middle finger incident, and of course losing the 95 World Cup final to SA.

Well...he was born there while his parents were on a working holiday - I don't think he formed any opinion on SA while he was there as he moved before he was old enough to walk or talk. From the article it doesn't sound like he has any problem with South Africa - meerly he doesn't think they're necessary and better product could be made where everyone will be awake see the games. I don't agree but it's not invalid.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Well...he was born there while his parents were on a working holiday - I don't think he formed any opinion on SA while he was there as he moved before he was old enough to walk or talk. From the article it doesn't sound like he has any problem with South Africa - meerly he doesn't think they're necessary and better product could be made where everyone will be awake see the games. I don't agree but it's not invalid.

fair enough, it's just a bit coincidental. Andrew is a guy not liked by many Saffas, for numerous reasons.

But he's looking at it a bit one-eyed. for us Saffas we get it double if a team travels to Australasia. I for instance hate Friday games, because then I'm at work when the games are on and can't watch them.

 

[nickdnz]

fair enough, it's just a bit coincidental. Andrew is a guy not liked by many Saffas, for numerous reasons.

But he's looking at it a bit one-eyed. for us Saffas we get it double if a team travels to Australasia. I for instance hate Friday games, because then I'm at work when the games are on and can't watch them.

Sure, but to be fair NZ has to pretty much only play night games to accomidate South Africans..

I'm not even agreeing with Mehrtens on this - I think if there is one thing the NH rugby is demonstrating is when you start cutting and excluding leagues, your product will suffer. It seems they're starting to realize it in the nick of time too.

I don't think it's really coincidental at all, just an opinion probably formed from getting up at 3am on Saturdays and Sunday and thinking "am I the only one watching this in NZ?" which to be fair I've experienced, thankfully it's usually after a night of drinking so I don't have to wake up for it .

 

[TRF_heineken]

Sure, but to be fair NZ has to pretty much only play night games to accomidate South Africans..

I'm not even agreeing with Mehrtens on this - I think if there is one thing the NH rugby is demonstrating is when you start cutting and excluding leagues, your product will suffer. It seems they're starting to realize it in the nick of time too.

I don't think it's really coincidental at all, just an opinion probably formed from getting up at 3am on Saturdays and Sunday and thinking "am I the only one watching this in NZ?" which to be fair I've experienced, thankfully it's usually after a night of drinking so I don't have to wake up for it .

Yeah, but why write about it then? In SA we have to wake up at 1 am when there's a cricket match in NZ or Aus. we don't moan or groan about it. there's nothing we can do about the time zones. One thing that has happened this year though, is that there were a lot more 3pm kick-offs in SA wit NZ teams. Perhaps it was to assist in the time zone difference, so that more NZ'ers could watch the games. But to be honest, I would rather look at kick-offs for 9pm, then it's around 8 am in NZ.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

Yeah, it's not just the 3am games, it's all the night games, and it's the weird shape the comp has to take to fit all the travel.... The while thing feels very forced

 

[nickdnz]

Yeah, but why write about it then? In SA we have to wake up at 1 am when there's a cricket match in NZ or Aus. we don't moan or groan about it. there's nothing we can do about the time zones. One thing that has happened this year though, is that there were a lot more 3pm kick-offs in SA wit NZ teams. Perhaps it was to assist in the time zone difference, so that more NZ'ers could watch the games. But to be honest, I would rather look at kick-offs for 9pm, then it's around 8 am in NZ.

Cause Fairfax Media paid hime to write a blog - presumably to start discussion. No one writes a blog with the ***le "I Enjoy The Status Quo!" .

 

[TRF_heineken]

Cause Fairfax Media paid hime to write a blog - presumably to start discussion. No one writes a blog with the ***le "I Enjoy The Status Quo!" .

Haha, yeah okay, I deserved that.

 

[nzlizard]

Perhaps it was to assist in the time zone difference, so that more NZ'ers could watch the games. But to be honest, I would rather look at kick-offs for 9pm, then it's around 8 am in NZ.

7.30pm kick would work for us, that would be about 6-6.30am? for us, I could live with that.