Conferences Next Term? |
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Craca Hyll
Groupie Joined: 20 February 2017 Status: Offline Points: 170 |
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It certainly won't happen in the next few years, but the word is that the long-term strategy for the SARU is to align with the northern hemisphere. That may not happen for many years - certainly not before 2020 - as South Africa still has commitments to Super Rugby and the Tri Nations. The biggest sticking point will probably be Champions Cup involvement, which will need the approval of all 6 NH unions as well as the various league representatives. So maybe 2025?
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Eastern outpost
Rambler Joined: 13 March 2012 Location: South Suffolk Status: Offline Points: 21936 |
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Why the 6N approvals?
Thought it was much more independent now. |
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In a world where you can be anything – Be Kind.
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scarletnut
Veteran Joined: 28 April 2009 Status: Offline Points: 14170 |
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I still wake up late at night and think of what might have been when tim stimpson hit that jammy penalty1
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Eastern outpost
Rambler Joined: 13 March 2012 Location: South Suffolk Status: Offline Points: 21936 |
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If the Home Nations encourage more SA franchise participation away frand m Super League, it also helps weaken the Kiwi and Aussie challenge, through a lower standard Super Rugby comp.
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In a world where you can be anything – Be Kind.
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Rich (Bris)
Veteran Joined: 23 August 2007 Status: Offline Points: 1507 |
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Well we'll see but I don't see it happening. Reasons in no particular order:
1. Why not join it last year - they essentially left it to their two weakest/less commercially viable teams to join 2. You could say they did that as a trial - but has it been a success in SA? Crowd numbers suggest certainly not 3. Super Rugby is all tied up with the Rugby Championship. If they left Super Rugby there would be no chance of joining the 6 Nations IMO (not enough room in the year etc) 4. It would harm The Rugby Championship if SA did join the 6(7) Nations so big pressure from World Rugby for that not to happen 5. Playing the Kiwi sides and (often) the Jaguares and Aussie sides has to be better for SA national rugby development than playing Pro 14 teams where more often than not their best (international squad) players are not playing (and if this year is anything to go by especially not playing when matches are in South Africa) 6. The 'coincidence' this is all leaked at the very time that SANZAR are in negotiations over Super Rugby from 2020 onwards 7. The fact the SARU say there's no truth in it at all 8. The lack of public interest in South Africa's this year in the pro 14 will not encourage TV to think it will be that great if the bigger sides joined. 9. The loss of the Cheetahs' best players at the end of this season to clubs in Europe will not encourage the South African rugby union to think it in anyway might slow down the loss of their Talent overseas. 10. The fact that this Super Rugby season has shown the South African teams improving and crowd numbers rising. Not the time to take such a risk. Edited by Rich (Bris) - 16 May 2018 at 7:28am |
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NobbySosban
Veteran Joined: 30 June 2010 Location: Sir Berk Status: Offline Points: 6278 |
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I have it on good authority that the Conferences will stay the same for next season. This is to keep it simple for the second season with the SA teams, and the 'one-off' fixtures will be reversed, ie - as we played Cheetahs away this season, we'll have them at home next season.
The potential complications of shuffling the two conferences, in terms of home and away fixtures and keeping the schedule as fair as possible for everyone, means that it is easier to maintain the status quo for 2018-19. The focus for PRO14 this summer is on the Premier Sports TV production & marketing - tone, content, presenters, partners, highlights, etc. - they're now working with an ambitious broadcaster who want to promote PRO14 Rugby as the jewel in their crown, so we should see a positive presentation rather than the somewhat complacent & fragmented TV coverage we've been used to. Whether they'll be able to match the BBC's technical production values remains to be seen, but the BT Sport Rugby presentation model is certainly one to learn from. |
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KID A
Moderator Group Joined: 16 August 2004 Location: Cardiff Status: Offline Points: 27572 |
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Then that is going against the very rules that the Pro14 has on it's own website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LetCD4mJqg#t=20s Seems like they are making it up as they go along. |
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NobbySosban
Veteran Joined: 30 June 2010 Location: Sir Berk Status: Offline Points: 6278 |
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True, Kid A - this season's structure came about in such a whirlwind last summer that they very much had to make it up on the hoof. The reality of rescheduling everything and trying to ensure fairness (ie - hosting 11 regular home games if you only had 10 last season, ensuring home advantage against teams you played away last season, etc.) has bitten, and a 2-year cycle makes a lot more sense from an organisational point of view. It's possible that more teams will join at that point, anyway, but there should be a longer lead-time to make more considered decisions possible. Maybe.
I think they're wiser not to repeat the same nightmares they had in the set-up of the PRO14 fixtures, even if it means changing their minds on parts of the construct. I'm sure they'll all be talking in Glasgow this weekend, and that their own governance & structure will be reviewed as soon as 2018-19 is put to bed. |
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KID A
Moderator Group Joined: 16 August 2004 Location: Cardiff Status: Offline Points: 27572 |
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The re-organisation of conferences every 12 months raised eyebrows at the time the pro14 was announced. It always seemed a bit of a stretch. The problem with having the same conference make up is that certain fixtures now only happen once every 2 years. I think our match away in Connacht is an example maybe? |
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solihullscarlet
Veteran Joined: 15 June 2008 Location: Cardiff Status: Offline Points: 7323 |
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To be fair the conferences have worked really well. I'm not a big fan of the Pro12/14/15/17etc but this has been one of the better years. It's probably because we're good again, but I like that the fixtures are a bit different now. Connacht will be the first fixture I look for next season because we didn't go there this year.
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#UniteAndFight against the crooked Pro12
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Eastern outpost
Rambler Joined: 13 March 2012 Location: South Suffolk Status: Offline Points: 21936 |
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Met an Irish Blues fan in Bilbao who has a Welsh accent and lives in Galway.
Yep, looking forward to seeing when Connacht away is, too. |
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In a world where you can be anything – Be Kind.
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Fscarlet
Moderator Group Joined: 26 January 2015 Status: Offline Points: 8871 |
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Guinness PRO14 boss Martin Anayi has insisted the South African teams
taking part in the competition must be eligible for European Champions
Cup qualification in the future.
"“Once they (South African sides) start competing and regularly getting into play-offs then they’ve got to play in the [Champions] Cup competition.” he said. Anayi admitted travel issues around teams making the trip trip to South Africa still need to be ironed out, even making a quip about Ospreys hooker Scott Baldwin's brush with a lion back in September. "There is still loads of learning around how we get down to South Africa and back without being bitten by lions and stuff like that. “The travel part has been a real learning for us, but take some of that out of what Super Rugby do and try and make that better." |
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