Super 15 success???

[AM_Bokke]

The competition has definitely improved this year - they simplified the formula again so most could understand it, the Aussies and Saffer teams look to be stronger so there are far fewer blow-out games.
The real problem is lack of bums in seats - the problem is my friends and are are pretty much the most obsessive rugby people in all of Cape Town but we dislike going to Newlands. It's not just that it's a bit of a pain in the arse, and the facilities are crummy it's more that it can't compete with the TV experience.
I'd far rather watch the games with a few beers at my place in front of a huge TV, with quality commentary, good mates and the ability to pause whenever we have an argument over a ref call.

Do you think that moving to Cape Town stadium will increase Stormers attendance?

 

[AM_Bokke]

Would be a great idea but the matches would extend to 18 rounds, play 4 from each of the other conference would reduce it by 2 matches to give 16 and create a fair, 2 home 2 away v each conference.
The fixtures would also be by a seeding system, so strong play strong and weak play weak, as this would narrow the points differences creating more excitement across all teams.

Umm, playing four from the two other conferences is what is happening now.

With regards to seeding, I love how the AFL does it. Very smart. But it's already hard to line up the tours so adding complexity like that is probably just too much.

 

[mania]

The old conference system was horrible. This is much better. Lions benefited last year for sure. Yeah, I think it's fair.

ill disagree. i dont like watching NZ teams smash each other. id much rather watch NZ teams smash non NZ teams
but i do agree that this conf system is heaps better than last years. im just not a fan of the 2 home and away derby games

 

[AM_Bokke]

ill disagree. i dont like watching NZ teams smash each other. id much rather watch NZ teams smash non NZ teams
but i do agree that this conf system is heaps better than last years. im just not a fan of the 2 home and away derby games

Yeah. I saw the Chiefs coach's comments. Must admit that I don't think that they make much sense. He blames the NZ derbies for injuries. But since NZ has such a good record against the other countries logic would state that the NZ sides would just be beating up on them. Injuring them.

Doesn't make sense to me. Anyway, while some NZ fans agree with you I do think that you are in the minority.

 

[SomeOke]

Do you think that moving to Cape Town stadium will increase Stormers attendance?

It's hard to say, I personally would go more because I like the venue, and there's much more to do at an afternoon at Greenpoint than Newlands which is basically just the cramped stadium, which struggles for space being in the middle of suburbia.

That said the Newlands fans are old school rugby die hards who love the game, the trendy Cape Town hipsters who live near Green-point are very "fad" based, I'd imagine it would increase in the short term but it's hard to say if that would last.
Worth a try I'd say but I have no emotional attachment to Newlands, I'm sure many would disagree with me.

 

[Gena_ZA]

I would rather like to see a combined South Seas island team in place of the Sunwolves using foreign players that would struggle to make their home teams
World rugby has never been kind to Tonga, Fiji and Samoa - by including them would really boost rugby and benefit them financially.

That way, if managed properly over a period of time, decent rugby players can make a living and still play for their National teams, without the need to go to NZ and Aus.

 

[AM_Bokke]

A South Pacific team would be nice but it's pretty cleat that the money is just not there.

You gonna put your money up Gena_ZA? How much are you ready to lose?

That said there appears to be discussions about a Pacific Islands team in Super Rugby post 2020 and World Rugby has said that they could be a potential investor. I think that all of us would need to buy like 20 of their jerseys every season for it to work though. The general international ruby fan would really need to support the team.

About the Sunwolves, let's not forget that Japan has a fairly decent rugby culture. Their university competition is over 50 years old and Japan is arguably the top Tier 2 side. But yes, I think that more Japanese players would be better even if the results were the same. They couldn't be worse!

Here is a cool video by a hard core Japan rugby fan about the home grown players that have been passed up by the Sunwolves.

 

[welshglory]

I would rather like to see a combined South Seas island team in place of the Sunwolves using foreign players that would struggle to make their home teams
World rugby has never been kind to Tonga, Fiji and Samoa - by including them would really boost rugby and benefit them financially.

That way, if managed properly over a period of time, decent rugby players can make a living and still play for their National teams, without the need to go to NZ and Aus.

If the Australian (in particular due to lack of depth) and New Zealand sides relaxed their rules for Pacific island capped players to play in their franchises that would probably help them more than an actual pacific island team. Financially a Pacific island team is never going to compete and the players will always leave to earn.

 

[TRF_heineken]

If the Australian (in particular due to lack of depth) and New Zealand sides relaxed their rules for Pacific island capped players to play in their franchises that would probably help them more than an actual pacific island team. Financially a Pacific island team is never going to compete and the players will always leave to earn.

There's a flaw in that plan. The only reason why Australian sides would get Pacific Island players to play for their franchises, is to get them to be eligible to play for Australia.

I'm not going to go into the whole NZ/Pacific Island debate as that would just open a whole can of worms.

 

[welshglory]

There's a flaw in that plan. The only reason why Australian sides would get Pacific Island players to play for their franchises, is to get them to be eligible to play for Australia.

I'm not going to go into the whole NZ/Pacific Island debate as that would just open a whole can of worms.

I realise that's the flaw in the current climate but thats why I said "if". The Australian's need to figure out what they actually want from Super Rugby. Do they want to just use it for the top down approach via the national team or do they actually want to grow professional rugby because right now theyre not doing either. If they relaxed the restrictions it could bolster their squads and improve competiviness. Pacific players would probably much prefer to play in Australia than France with the cultural differences.

 

[mdaclarke]

Except for the Sunwolves and possibly Blues, every other team has a realistic chance of making the playoffs. The competition this year is competitive.

 

[Big_Grumper]

The Sunwolves will always be cannon fodder. In years to come we might look back on this period and thank the SR gods for their involvement as it will strengthen rugby in Japan, but at the moment it's almost a guaranteed bonus victory every week for their opponents.

I would personally prefer a system with fewer teams and they play each other at least once.

 

[AM_Bokke]

Except for the Sunwolves and possibly Blues, every other team has a realistic chance of making the playoffs. The competition this year is competitive.

Yes, I think that the conference system will produce a very competitive and engaging regular season, better than a straight table, BUT one conference can't hog half the playoffs spaces.

The highlanders and chiefs need to drop points on tour for the playoff race to be any good. Hopefully the Chiefs drop points against the Jags.

This really makes today's Bulls v. Highlanders result disappointing.

That Lizo counter ruck penalty is a huge flashpoint for me. And one reason is that it's bad for Super Rugby as a whole.

 

[mdaclarke]

The Sunwolves will always be cannon fodder. In years to come we might look back on this period and thank the SR gods for their involvement as it will strengthen rugby in Japan, but at the moment it's almost a guaranteed bonus victory every week for their opponents.

I would personally prefer a system with fewer teams and they play each other at least once.

I see no reason why we can't have that system now. Keeping the current teams we can either
1. get rid of the conference each team plays every other team once = 14 games
2. keep conference and have the Pro 14 system (play every team in conference home and away, play teams outside conference once) = 18 games

Given that we currently play 16 games either system is only 2 games more or less than the current system.

 

[AM_Bokke]

I see no reason why we can't have that system now. Keeping the current teams we can either
1. get rid of the conference each team plays every other team once = 14 games
2. keep conference and have the Pro 14 system (play every team in conference home and away, play teams outside conference once) = 18 games

Given that we currently play 16 games either system is only 2 games more or less than the current system.

Super Rugby doesn't have this system now because they need to keep travel as low as possible. The players just won't tolerate the amount of travel that playing every team once creates. The amount of travel is a key reason why SH players leave the competition.

The current conference system works well because each team only travels to each non-conference opponent once every three years. Going to Japan or Argentina once every three years is a whole 50% better than going once every other year.

 

[User1245]

I think it's heaps better than what we had last year but is not better than the Super 12. I still view the S12 as the golden period for the comp.

 

[Derpus]

I realise that's the flaw in the current climate but thats why I said "if". The Australian's need to figure out what they actually want from Super Rugby. Do they want to just use it for the top down approach via the national team or do they actually want to grow professional rugby because right now theyre not doing either. If they relaxed the restrictions it could bolster their squads and improve competiviness. Pacific players would probably much prefer to play in Australia than France with the cultural differences.

We literally have no idea what what we want and we have no idea how to achieve whatever it is. We are doing ******* terribly.

Rugby is being mismanaged to a point where it will die in Australia whilst it blooms in the rest of the world.

Tis sad.

 

[User1245]

We literally have no idea what what we want and we have no idea how to achieve whatever it is. We are doing ******* terribly.

Rugby is being mismanaged to a point where it will die in Australia whilst it blooms in the rest of the world.

Tis sad.

As bad as rugby is managed in Aussie, do you think that the unfavourable time zones are not helping at all? I just can't see how it can get better without this being addressed?

 

[Derpus]

Yeah i don't think the future of the professional game has Australia and New Zealand playing South African clubs regularly. If anything it makes more sense for SA to play European teams and for Aus/NZ to focus on cultivating the game in the pacific and Asia.

The Kiwis are loathe to let go of the South Africans though.

 

[User1245]

That makes sense to me and I think this time zone friendly arrangement is the future for the SA and Australia teams. I fully support the SA teams going to Europe firstly for the money and the travel factors. Australia is on the continual losing end firstly because it has been mismanaged and therefore has lost ground to the other codes and secondly it is doubly difficult to make up this ground because of the weird timezones. It takes out a lot of the casual viewers and followers.

I do, however, think the Rugby Championship should continue.