Rieko Ioane, Samuel Whitelock and Codie Taylor of the All Blacks perform the haka. Photo / Getty Images.
Rieko Ioane, Samuel Whitelock and Codie Taylor of the All Blacks perform the haka. Photo / Getty Images.
Elliott Smith breaks down the biggest talking points from the world of rugby.
A prediction:
For the first of my Tight Five columns, I'll make a bold prediction: World Rugby's Nations Championship will get the green light at some point this year, for a 2024 start. Officials will meet nextmonth to nail down the concept – and I'll have egg on my face if it falls flat.
We've been down this road before; three years ago, plans fell apart when some of the Six Nations sides couldn't get on board with the concept of promotion and relegation. This time around, those countries are at the table from the outset, sort of like when your middle-management colleague rejects an idea, waits for time to pass and then presents it as his own.
The Nations Championship (yes, the name needs work) is something test-match rugby desperately needs to add context and rhythm to the international scene. The fact that England and New Zealand have met just twice outside of a World Cup in eight years is farcical. Scotland not having their passports stamped at Auckland International Airport in 22 years is even more so.
Rieko Ioane, Samuel Whitelock and Codie Taylor of the All Blacks perform the haka. Photo / Getty Images.
A suggestion:
Watching the Super Bowl this week, it's clear New Zealand is missing out on a genuine sporting event that "stops the nation". Closer to home, the NRL and AFL grand finals and the annual State of Origin series all deliver entertainment products – not just sports matches – that feel like unmissable events.
Super Rugby's format and popularity doesn't lend itself to a fixed venue – a Waratahs versus Brumbies final at Eden Park might as well be played behind closed doors. The North versus South match was really just an All Blacks trial in 2020, but the product behind closed doors was exceptional. NZ Rugby would do well to add this fixture to the calendar permanently, rotate venues each year and even jet in a big music name to play an extended halftime or post-game show creating "our Super Bowl".
Los Angeles Rams nose tackle Greg Gaines (91) celebrates the tackle of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl. Photo / AP
An observation:
As competition relaunches go, it's hard to think of a worse start than this Super Rugby season. Two, three or four redraws depending on your criteria, starting behind closed doors in a resort town, the scheduled first game already postponed. Need I go on?
I feel for the top brass on both sides of the Tasman having to navigate a new competition in the unsteady waters of Covid-19 – the start of the competition this week feels like a whimper. In fact, it feels like two disparate competitions still either side of the Tasman. The points table is going to look rather weird a couple of weeks in.
How many rugby fans could tell you what the opening fixture is this weekend with the Blues-Moana Pasifika game canned? Buckle in for the Waratahs versus Fijian Drua tonight! Any fans landing upon that game as they flick channels will be in for the shock of their lives when they realise Super Rugby is underway and might be even more surprised if Baden Kerr, the former Blues and Counties man, gets the nod in the Drua 23 as is expected.
Super Rugby pre-season match between Moana Pasifika and Chiefs at Mt Smart Stadium. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
An explanation:
In the opening weeks of Super Rugby I'll be intrigued to see the standard of refereeing and perhaps more importantly, the understanding of players in the opening weeks. NZ Rugby, rather smartly, have struck upon the idea of embedding a referee in each team's camp. Those referees have been on hand to explain the rugby rulebook from the whistleblowers' point of view, offering clarity on the game to coaches and players alike. Both the teams and referees are making positive noises about this one.
