Last weekend’s round of Super Rugby Pacific was one of the harder watches in recent memory with blowouts, player rest and rotation and transtasman matchups without a key local derby to anchor the weekend.
Even the Crusaders-Brumbies, usually a marquee matchup, was reduced by the standard ofplay on offer. The Rebels-Reds fixture may not have been too many New Zealanders’ viewing pick of choice on Saturday night but it was probably the pick of the round’s fixtures.
The simple solution, now that Super Rugby Pacific has abandoned conferences and 12-hour flights to play a couple of games, is to surely reduce the competition to a straight round-robin in a World Cup year – which would reduce the length by three weeks, thereby reducing the workload of every player.
The downside would likely be for broadcasters who would get 18 fewer games as part of their package, but that would be offset by the quality of games and the stars being available for more fixtures. In non-World Cup years, the tournament could roll out to its normal format – much like the Rugby Championship does. Tell fans their top players aren’t going to be there any there’s little incentive to go.
A question...
Could we see in the future fringe players turn down All Blacks selection in order to protect their value on the open (read: Japanese) market?
As the Herald’s Liam Napier reported this week, Blues forward Tom Robinson is off to Japan after this season. That tier of player – uncapped internationally but with heaps of Super Rugby experience – are more valuable now than ever with just three internationally capped players allowed to play on any matchday.
If you’re a Super Rugby player on the cusp of selection but sense your ceiling as a player is likely to be only as a back-up or squad member winning the odd cap here and there in lesser fixtures – is the black jersey still enough of a lure if it’s going to kneecap your potential earnings in Japan? It’s an interesting conundrum that I’m not sure has a right answer.
Blues players Tom Robinson and Beauden Barrett are heading to Japanese club Toyota Verblitz. Photo / Photosport
A prediction...
Joseph Suaalii’s signing with Australian rugby union will be a success. But they’d be better off finding a playmaker of sorts in the vein of Mat Rogers who was a superb success for the side in the 2000s.
An explanation...
Credit to Crusaders CEO Colin Mansbridge for handling what could have been an untidy situation with the apparent Nazi salutes from some young fans at the win over the Brumbies.
It had the potential to be an absolute mess, but a quick resolution and meeting has seen it quickly fade from the headlines. Apart from a small wave of social media’s finest again calling for a name change that isn’t going to happen, it’s not been the issue it could have been.
I’m not sure what would possess someone to do those salutes at a rugby game, but the horror of getting caught on national TV would probably make those university students grow up rather quickly.
