Test Window Madness

[Patchey]

Just spotted this, not sure if anyone else has picked up on it.

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3551_9321459,00.html

Basically it sounds like the NZRU want to move the June test window back a bit and some reason the home unions are shot it down. It seems particularly odd that the RFU have taken what appears to be a strong stance against considering their cock up with the tests this year.

Any thoughts?

 

[LittleGuy]

As a Canadian fan I'm fairly agnostic on this, perhaps even slightly lean towards keeping the window the same since July here can be uncomfortably hot(anyone at the August game vs. U.S.A. in 2011 will understand). I do see the benifits of a proper global schedule(those breaks in Soup Rugby are annoying) however so it's not really something that gets me worked up too much either way.

 

[psychic duck]

As a Canadian fan I'm fairly agnostic on this, perhaps even slightly lean towards keeping the window the same since July here can be uncomfortably hot(anyone at the August game vs. U.S.A. in 2011 will understand). I do see the benifits of a proper global schedule(those breaks in Soup Rugby are annoying) however so it's not really something that gets me worked up too much either way.

Rugby really needs to end the high amount domestic/international collisions by both being cut back a bit in my opinion. FIFA manages to separate the two, yet the IRB even plays the World Cup right in the European season.

Number of friendlies should be reduced, possibly to alternating home/away June/November tours or 2 games instead of 3. It would make a big game at a World Cup like Wales/Australia so much better if it was a fresher fixture rather than having seen it like 10 times in the past 5 years already.

Feicarsinn posted before about variety and I agree, many people enjoy World Cup pool stages as even though it's pretty predictable it brings about a fresh change. There wouldn't be that enthusiasm for those games if we'd seen them 10 times over like we have Wales/Australia though.

 

[goodNumber10]

To be honest I'm pretty sick and tired of reading how Steve Tew and the NZRFU have everyone's best interest at heart... Especially after their disinterest in sound what was best for everyone this June.

I'd say no just to p*ss him off.

Global season is coming but it won't be on Stevie's terms... They need us more than we need them.

 

[nickdnz]

To be honest I'm pretty sick and tired of reading how Steve Tew and the NZRFU have everyone's best interest at heart... Especially after their disinterest in sound what was best for everyone this June.

I'd say no just to p*ss him off.

Global season is coming but it won't be on Stevie's terms... They need us more than we need them.

Oh yeah! England is SUCH a big game for us - what would we do without them.

You talk such **** mate.

 

[goodNumber10]

Oh yeah! England is SUCH a big game for us - what would we do without them.

Think you misunderstand my point mate. I'm not talking about Rugby (well not in the 15 vs 15 sense) but in the financial sense you need the NH teams way more than we need you. Financially our international game is much bigger than yours and that carries all the clout when working these things out, hence me saying old Stevie will get his wish eventually but not on his terms.

Stevie Tew is like a passive aggressive little child who walks off muttering to anyone who listens about how life is "soooooooooooooooo unfair", i can just imagine him sulking outside the IRB head quarters rubbing a stone into the ground with the point of his shoes as he sulks with hand sin pocket.

You talk such **** mate.

lovely!

 

[Tony Manx]

It was interesting to hear that Saints have played every week of scheduled rugby and will be playing their 39th game of the season next week! Add to that pre season training and the international tours, exactly when are the players supposed to get proper holidays and the idea of them taking June off and then touring in July before pre-season training is somewhat bizarre and self serving Mr Trew!

This should be bring into focus not only the fact that the club season is too long but also that there are too many internationals and, like PD, I agree that the plethora of internationals being played between the necessarily limited number of teams is spoiling the overall enjoyment of them and, for and like me, turning people off them!

 

[nickdnz]

Think you misunderstand my point mate. I'm not talking about Rugby (well not in the 15 vs 15 sense) but in the financial sense you need the NH teams way more than we need you. Financially our international game is much bigger than yours and that carries all the clout when working these things out, hence me saying old Stevie will get his wish eventually but not on his terms.

Stevie Tew is like a passive aggressive little child who walks off muttering to anyone who listens about how life is "soooooooooooooooo unfair", i can just imagine him sulking outside the IRB head quarters rubbing a stone into the ground with the point of his shoes as he sulks with hand sin pocket.
lovely!

Umm what? Under what delusion is your international game 'bigger than ours'? You make a tonne more money off us coming to Twickenham once a year - than we do getting your half-arsed teams once a decade. England is so interchangeable from every other NH team here, and no matter who it is All Blacks matches sell out or get at least 90% capacity. England can't say the same for any other team - in fact maybe if we took the hard nosed stance and didn't field a team in Twikenham, we'd see how quickly the RFU would make changes.

I don't know what your attack on Steve Tew is based off. He wants a global season - where England don't have to field a joke of their national team. If there is petulance coming from anyone, it's hardly Tew. Personally I don't care. If England want to get thrashed in a test, I don't see what the problem is. The game will still sell. All it demonstrates is England have significantly less pride in the success of the team than the All Blacks.

 

[munstermuffin]

Umm what? Under what delusion is your international game 'bigger than ours'? You make a tonne more money off us coming to Twickenham once a year - than we do getting your half-arsed teams once a decade. England is so interchangeable from every other NH team here, and no matter who it is All Blacks matches sell out or get at least 90% capacity. England can't say the same for any other team - in fact maybe if we took the hard nosed stance and didn't field a team in Twikenham, we'd see how quickly the RFU would make changes.

I don't know what your attack on Steve Tew is based off. He wants a global season - where England don't have to field a joke of their national team. If there is petulance coming from anyone, it's hardly Tew. Personally I don't care. If England want to get thrashed in a test, I don't see what the problem is. The game will still sell. All it demonstrates is England have significantly less pride in the success of the team than the All Blacks.

Not to be in the argument they do say 1 year revenue in 6Nations is equivalent of 2.5 years Rugby Championship.
And I not English but the reason their team is so weak is due to guys with club commitment and the player management systems they have.
And you mention England make tonne of money but truth is (with Ireland anyway) New Zealand aren't as big a catch financially because yes while revenue goes up New Zealand command a bigger fee for themselves ie going to Chicago for $1million

 

[TRF_heineken]

Not to be in the argument they do say 1 year revenue in 6Nations is equivalent of 2.5 years Rugby Championship.
And I not English but the reason their team is so weak is due to guys with club commitment and the player management systems they have.
And you mention England make tonne of money but truth is (with Ireland anyway) New Zealand aren't as big a catch financially because yes while revenue goes up New Zealand command a bigger fee for themselves ie going to Chicago for $1million

Probably something to do with the fact that the 6 Nations have 2 more teams than the Rugby Championship...

 

[goodNumber10]

Umm what? Under what delusion is your international game 'bigger than ours'? You make a tonne more money off us coming to Twickenham once a year - than we do getting your half-arsed teams once a decade. England is so interchangeable from every other NH team here, and no matter who it is All Blacks matches sell out or get at least 90% capacity. England can't say the same for any other team - in fact maybe if we took the hard nosed stance and didn't field a team in Twikenham, we'd see how quickly the RFU would make changes.

I don't know what your attack on Steve Tew is based off. He wants a global season - where England don't have to field a joke of their national team. If there is petulance coming from anyone, it's hardly Tew. Personally I don't care. If England want to get thrashed in a test, I don't see what the problem is. The game will still sell. All it demonstrates is England have significantly less pride in the success of the team than the All Blacks.

At no point have I specified England, but you continually keep bringing them up, the article references the NH teams and especially England and France yet it's all Englands fault?

and it's simply not true that England and France are interchangeable to every other NH team. You need our finances more than we need yours that is a simple fact... why do you think there is continual bleating from SA about heading off to the NH - it's not for better weather or better rugby but because we have the financial clout to make it an attractive option, and why do you think your teams all get in an extra test when they are up here - money simple as..

We see proof of that every week in the fact dozens of SH players toddle off to line their pockets in France or the UK.

As for Steve Tew i'm just tired of reading his continual whining in the sport papers, I struggle to recall the last time he was on record talking about anything that would actually benefit the world game as much as it would NZ.

Here is a question, if we want one global season why not move your season to align it with ours?

 

[goodNumber10]

Probably something to do with the fact that the 6 Nations have 2 more teams than the Rugby Championship...

probaly also to do with the fact the stadiums are bigger, and it's easier to travel to them.

 

[TRF_heineken]

probaly also to do with the fact the stadiums are bigger, and it's easier to travel to them.

And that the South African Currency is crap...

Although, there aren't many stadiums bigger than the ones in South Africa...

The FNB stadium can hold 95 000 people...

 

[Peat]

Don't forget the TV rights. I bet they're bigger up here than down there. If Good number 10's point was that the Northern Unions would survive a complete breakdown in tours over the equator a lot better than the Southern unions would, I think he's probably right. Arguments against on a postcard please.

In all seriousness, the idea that our teams go away for a month, lose all match sharpness, then go play some of the biggest games in the calender, is a jokeshop idea. It massively compresses the time for actual rest and it robs our teams of their edge. I'm not sure why it was even suggested.

 

[munstermuffin]

Probably something to do with the fact that the 6 Nations have 2 more teams than the Rugby Championship...

And you think that the difference???
In 6 Nations 15games are played. In Rugby Championship 12 games are played. So how would you make out that an extra 3 games = 2.5 times revenue.

 

[Peat]

And you think that the difference???
In 6 Nations 15games are played. In Rugby Championship 12 games are played. So how would you make out that an extra 3 games = 2.5 times revenue.

2 more teams = 2 more tv markets.

 

[TRF_heineken]

And you think that the difference???
In 6 Nations 15games are played. In Rugby Championship 12 games are played. So how would you make out that an extra 3 games = 2.5 times revenue.

Well it has something to do with the populous watching the games. It has been stated quite a few times that in Argentina, South Africa and Australia that not a lot of the total population of that country watch rugby union.

If I use South Africa as an example, we have a population of 50 million people, but rugby viewership would most probably be at the 10-15% margin. Rugby is broadcasted through Supersport and you need a subscription to view it. The cost is too high for people living in the rural areas which is a very large number.

 

[munstermuffin]

2 more teams = 2 more tv markets.

True but BBC have 3 teams in 1. Italy don't get huge coverage and last I seen a lot more Premium channels such as Sky pay into Rugby Championship that don't pay in to 6 Nations.

 

[munstermuffin]

Well it has something to do with the populous watching the games. It has been stated quite a few times that in Argentina, South Africa and Australia that not a lot of the total population of that country watch rugby union.

If I use South Africa as an example, we have a population of 50 million people, but rugby viewership would most probably be at the 10-15% margin. Rugby is broadcasted through Supersport and you need a subscription to view it. The cost is too high for people living in the rural areas which is a very large number.

Well that may be factor. But I'm sure we'd all agree NH rugby generates more money which shows it'd be more capable surviving alone than SH rugby although I think both need each other.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Well that may be factor. But I'm sure we'd all agree NH rugby generates more money which shows it'd be more capable surviving alone than SH rugby although I think both need each other.

of course we do. But then people shouldn't come and say crap that we don't need each other. This is a global game. We SH people are just thankful that the NH countries' currency are so good that a lot of our guys can go there and get a lot of money, while we keep on breeding down here, keep our teams strong and prevent your guys from coming through the ranks, and then when all is done, those vastly experienced guys come back, give us some great insight and then smash the NH teams 80% of the time in matches...