Not every match must be played in the sunshine we saw on Saturday; Wellington being Wellington would preclude that. But a couple more day games a season would be friendlier to those families that franchises clearly care about.
2. Putting the super in Super Rugby
The first 15 minutes of the Hurricanes-Chiefs hinted the 16,000 fans canny enough to not miss the kickoff switch would be treated to rugby as scintillating as the weather.
Both sides snagged an aesthetically pleasing try and, given they boasted two of the best attacks in the competition, it appeared there would be many more to follow.
The game, while compelling, never again quite attained those early heights, but logic dictates that running, passing and catching are all easier with a dry ball on a firm track.
It’s why opposition sides score so many points when they head under the roof to visit the Highlanders. And why the rare daytime morsels parcelled out by our wise and benevolent rugby overlords — deigning themselves for once to not prioritise the almighty broadcasting dollar — are always greeted by greedy pleas for more from the proletariat.
Everyone loves a good try, especially when seen under the brightest light (the sun).
3. A world of possibilities
This may not be the best argument to convince rugby folk: why can’t you be more like football? Hmm, how about instead: Kiwis, is it time to copy the English and Americans?
While waiting for the roars of approval to subside, it is worth noting that the Kingdom and the States are united in knowing when to put boot to ball. In the UK, the standard weekend football kickoff is 3pm; in the US, it’s 1pm.
Both codes still offer plenty of night action — midweek fixtures in the former and a few primetime games a week in the latter — so fans can attend matches that suit them, rather Super Rugby’s one-size-fits-some approach.
But the vast majority are played in sunlight, or in Britain’s best approximation of sunlight at least. And last I checked, the Premier League and NFL were doing all right with domestic broadcast deals.
4. Adult fun
Now that I have your attention, afternoon games are also nice for adult humans, not just the smaller humans they’re obliged to care for.
Any fan lucky enough to catch some sport elsewhere in the world will hopefully have enjoyed a full matchday experience: meet mates at the pub for a pre-game pint, head to the stadium under the sun, watch a bit of footy, then return to the pub to watch more.
That delightful routine is not possible for most match-going fans in New Zealand. By the time supporters leave a Super Rugby game, pubs are being overtaken by the teens. No one wants the teens.
And lest this starts to read like an extended advertisement for pubs, getting the sport out of the way early is also appreciated by members of the family who may not be as fond of pubs or sport.
After all, that then leaves the whole evening free for other activities such as, uh, culture and such? I don’t know, whatever it is that people who don’t watch sport do with their lives.
5. Won’t someone think of the hacks?
We saved the best and most important reason for last, while belatedly declaring a substantial conflict of interest behind the motivation for this column.
I don’t have kids, but I do have print deadlines. Those deadlines are at night and can make filing match reports a rather fraught process.
Although I understand that literally no one aside from sport journalists cares — this section is accompanied by the sound of the world’s smallest violin — perhaps we should make the authorities an offer they can definitely refuse.
If more Super Rugby games are in future scheduled for the afternoon, I promise to write one (1) column praising the move. Get ready for Five Reasons Why Super Rugby administrators are so smart and handsome.
