Is Six Nations Expanding to Seven?

[Leinster Fan]

Hard to see this as anything other than a blatant negotiation tactic for NZ/SA.

Can't imagine this actually happening, no great reason for them to want us and I'd say i speak for most people when that we certainly don't want them.

CVC probably think it's cool though, so you never know, despite how obviously terrible an idea it is.

 

[bushytop]

CVC... c****, v***ing c****!

 

[User1245]

Bit subjective really. You could argue that NZ drag TRC up and Italy drag the 6N down if you were looking at a quality weighted average. TRC don't have an Italy to bring the average ranking points per side down.

Personally I love the 6N and the 'local tear up' aspect as Old Hooker described plus all the hype and build up that goes with it. Today's Calcutta cup between England and Scotland for example was first played in 1879. There are certain fixtures and rivalries in the 6N that are truly captivating.

For the record I do think the 6 Nations is a more exciting competition due to the history and format of the comp. It's a better product, probably second after WC.

Objectively the TRC have stronger teams though. Most TRC teams have won the RWC multiple times whilst most teams in the 6N have never reached a RWC final.
Most Bok fans would see this as a downgrade in competition (a recent poll for the SA rugby mag backs this) and it would be something SARU took into consideration if it was considering the move.

I'm in favour of a move like this due to three reasons:
1) Long term financial stability for SARU
2) Nearly impossible for rugby in Australia to make up the lost ground if it doesn't become more fan friendly
3) Including Japan will open up the Asian market which is good for rugby as a whole

There's definitely cons to the situation though. I totally get why fans of 6N teams wouldn't want this.

 

[bushytop]

For the record I do think the 6 Nations is a more exciting competition due to the history and format of the comp. It's a better product, probably second after WC.

Objectively the TRC have stronger teams though. Most TRC teams have won the RWC multiple times whilst most teams in the 6N have never reached a RWC final.
Most Bok fans would see this as a downgrade in competition (a recent poll for the SA rugby mag backs this) and it would be something SARU took into consideration if it was considering the move.

I'm in favour of a move like this due to three reasons:
1) Long term financial stability for SARU
2) Nearly impossible for rugby in Australia to make up the lost ground if it doesn't become more fan friendly
3) Including Japan will open up the Asian market which is good for rugby as a whole

There's definitely cons to the situation though. I totally get why fans of 6N teams wouldn't want this.

Meanwhile in wendy-ball, Uruguay have 4 world cups!

 

[Johnny Storm]

It's a good idea in principal, taking into account time zones, but I cannot see your average Welsh supporter being willing to swap Italy for SA in the 6N.

Playing Italy at the Principality stadium at sea level is a world away from playing the Boks at 6000 feet at Elis Park.

 

[higgik]

Mail on Sunday now saying 8 nations in a mini tournament of 2 groups of 4 then semis and finals

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Why are people so obsessed with groups ffs

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Don't see much sense in it. If anything replacing Italy with SA would be the better course as Italy offer sweet **** all to the competition (lost their last 18 games on the trot).

 

[Kiwiwomble]

Definitely, SA are in great position for increasing money from TRC. They are WC and in a good time zone for 6N. The AB's and Aus will have to take a pay cut in the new TV contract. Either way both are going to be losing money.

im sure that is exactly what they are doing, but they need to be careful, there is a lot of grumbles in Aus/NZ about travelling to RSA and all the demands they've made in the past re extra teams etc, if RSA push too hard NZ/Aus might just decide if they going to get less money they may as well cut ties

 

[Shimano]

its all been talked about before, it has always come to zip and it always will.

pretty sure Saffa players wont be keen to start the international season in Jan/Feb, or playing in freezing conditions in Europe, and EuroPoms will not want to play in SA at this time of year.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Apparently the money men want Fiji in the Six Nations as well
What a farce.

EJ in the press, correctly, saying it's a dumb idea.

 

[Scotty]

Apparently the money men want Fiji in the Six Nations as well
What a farce.

EJ in the press, correctly, saying it's a dumb idea.

SA over Italy is the only realistic change we could make (FYI I DONT WANT ANY CHANGES).

Georgia, dont have the grassroots or club competion to make them consistantly competative so would be no better than Italy.

Fiji...time difference and no real club competion to take them to tier 1.
Japan...Japan timezone difference and distance but club comp taking off so could be competative.
USA...same but weak club game as it stands.

Sa...same timezone and already tier 1 with a strong club games would mean 6 tier 1 nations hence the only team that makes sense

But...i just dont want it, i just dont think its good for the comp. Italy do serve a purpose as the whipping boys as well meaning they allow the teams to blood new players and combinations as well. Also the comp is great as it is.

And finally who ever says make it and with groups and Semis and finals....just **** off!

 

[ncurd]

Honestly whilst SA would improve the competition in place of Italy so would NZ in place of Scotland/France until recent years.

Its important to separate the top tier 1 nations otherwise you severely cheapen the real prize of the RWC

I'd just like to see more NZ/Eng series please.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Apparently the money men want Fiji in the Six Nations as well
What a farce.

EJ in the press, correctly, saying it's a dumb idea.

By the law of averages he was going to say something sensible eventually.

 

[TRF_heineken]

I just think this is all a media gimmick to be honest. The Springboks are now the no. 1 team in the world and the World Cup Champions and everyone wants a piece of them.

The logistics however is just not making sense now. If the Springboks should play in the 6/7/8 Nations this time of year, then what's going to happen with Super Rugby? There is absolutely zero talks currently about the Super Rugby, and the possibility of SA withdrawing completely. That was last year's news, and it's all done now.

For me you can't have it both ways. You can't have the Boks play in a International tournament in the NH but keep their local clubs in a SH tournament.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

and everyone wants a piece of them.

Isn't it the opposite?
They're desperate to tap into NH money but no one in the NH wants them to join the 6N/Heineken Cup/Pro

If it was the 6N wanting to piggy back off of the Springbok name/success then surely the All Blacks would be their first choice of a new side - they'd generate way more interest.


Do agree that it's all BS though - South Africa joining the NH comps has always been easy column inches for lazy journalists - Pro14 having two sides in has only made things worse

 

[TRF_heineken]

Isn't it the opposite?
They're desperate to tap into NH money but no one in the NH wants them to join the 6N/Heineken Cup/Pro

If it was the 6N wanting to piggy back off of the Springbok name/success then surely the All Blacks would be their first choice of a new side - they'd generate way more interest.


Do agree that it's all BS though - South Africa joining the NH comps has always been easy column inches for lazy journalists - Pro14 having two sides in has only made things worse

I wouldn't say no one wants them to join. There's a lot of interested going around, and the constant topic of conversation for the last 18 months have been to get more SA teams in Europe. But I get what you are saying, in that it seems more likely that SA would be piggy-back off the 6N teams than the other way around. Which makes this situation even more awkward. As NZ, Australia and more recently Argentina are all Piggy backing off SA when it comes to revenue from Super Rugby and the Rugy Championship. So I guess SA is a bit stuck at the moment.

For me, it feels like there's a contingent that just wants to keep on throwing a spanner in the works wherever they can.

These very reliable sources with inside information are more often than not wrong in what they tell the journalists, and then the question should be, how reliable is this source and should I rather let him go. But then again, this source is providing juicy info, albeit wrong, which causes interest and that reverts to hits on the web, and sales of newspapers on the street.

 

[Which Tyler]

I just think this is all a media gimmick to be honest.

If it's "just" a media gimmick - why does it come up EVERY time the SANZAR TV rights are up for negotiation?

 

[Jimcardiff]

If it's "just" a media gimmick - why does it come up EVERY time the SANZAR TV rights are up for negotiation?

people just want to screw up the 6N . why I don't know ,its not broke don't fix it , this should be nothing to do with CVC , I wish they would walk away from rugby .

 

[ncurd]

its not broke don't fix it

Sadly it is Italy have been part of it for 20 years and have only 11 W's, have not won a game since 2015, have never beaten England and I see no reason why that would change anytime soon. The only thing they provide is no rest weeks.

Scotland on the other hand have 28 W's and by comparison are second least successful 6N side and winless streaks only ever lasted 1 year.

If Italy were pulling some kind of weight the conversation would be diffrent.