Comments on: The hemispherical divide: detrimental to the future of club rugby?

By: Ed

Ed — Wed, 30 Apr 2014 10:29:03 +0000

Much as I think he’s strangled English Rugby over the years, when Rugby went professional in ’95, Rob Andrew had an idea, which to my mind hasn’t been topped yet.
Basically, in the NH, From August to November is the domestic season (Premiership…), inbound international tours in December, January to April is the “provincial” season (H-Cup…), and May is International season (6N), followed by International Tours in June. One month off, and we start again. In the SH, from February to May is the domestic season, inbound international tours in June, July to October is the “provincial” season (Super Rugby), November is International season (RC), followed by International tours in December.
I quite agree that the Pacific Nations, including Argentina, and hopefully increasingly North America need to have regular top-level international Rugby. In the short term, the international tours should be encouraged to go there. They should also be encouraged to tour in the established nations.
In the NH, provincial teams should be made up of the best players, as franchises, much like the SH, maybe in both Hemispheres one or two franchises should aim to collect players of a particular nation, i.e, in the Heineken Cup, a franchise of Argentinians and Pacific Nations, as well as a franchise of similar make-up in Super Rugby.
The IRB and National Unions should set aside funds from established income to sort this out.
(The 2007 RWC, while a perfectly good success could so easily have been awarded to Japan instead of NZ, which would have been the best possible encouragement, as could RWC 2015…)
The IRB is desperate to promote the game to 30% of the worlds population (India and China – no rate to 3rd rate nations), even though, I suspect there would be a better success rate in encouraging 2nd rate nations to 1st rate.
A bit rambling, I know, but the point stands!

By: kit

kit — Sat, 26 Apr 2014 09:10:52 +0000

I don’t see the need or sense in splitting up the European nations the way you have it. Those leagues would have 18 and 20 teams each, given the current clubs. This would mean a 34 and 38 game season respectively (unless you want to go into a alternate year home and away six nations type system) and that quite frankly if you were to then throw in the heineken cup type matches and other cup matches is not possible. The top French teams already play a huge number of games at the moment and your proposal would see an increase in this number which just isn’t doable.

By: RonBraz

RonBraz — Fri, 25 Apr 2014 08:49:49 +0000

I agree on the Argentinians plight and that the calender is the most important thing to sort out. However I like the idea of the south sea islanders and Japanese getting top level rugby on a regular bases. These areas have produced and do produce as much talent as any other in the world but it has nowhere to develop.

For international Rugby to grow we need other teams competing for the WC, Samoa, Tonga and Fiji could do this if they had funds and players playing at home. Japan is a huge market which must be tapped post WC. This would be a perfect platform.

As for the Saffers, I believe they are big enough to survive on their own providing that they can join a European competition for half of the year.

My vision

South Sea league (NZ, AUS, Jpn, WS, Fiji, Tongo

Northern European league: English, Welsh, Scottish
Southern European League: French, Irish, Italian
South African League: (maybe with Argentina)

The three above leagues contribute 20 teams for an international comp, South Africa with 6 the others with 7 teams.

This will never happen. Not in my lifetime anyway. But one can dream.

By: Fearless Fred

Fearless Fred — Thu, 24 Apr 2014 13:30:08 +0000

Thing is, neither of those alternatives addresses the impact on Argentina, should they want to expand their club game outside their borders. Who could they play in the Americas if you’re looking at Time-zone delineation? If they’re brought into the Super fold, their kick-offs wouldn’t suit *any* of the other SH countries.

More important is surely a re-alignment of the calendar, so that the Domestic, club-international, RWC and international tours are synced up globally. Whether that means the season is split up, so we have an Autumn/Spring game globally, Play the Domestic and continental games in a block each starting in August/Sept for Domestic, then ERCC/Super15 November through to Jan, then knockouts for both Domestic/Continental in Feb finishing up with finals in mid-March time. Internationals (Championship/6 Nations/ Tours) in April/May/June so that the squads can have 5 weeks prep before the RC and 6N, play that, then have proper length tours after (at least three tests, and mid-week games against decent competition).

(rant over!)