Suedehead wrote:
I know this is pie in the sky - but I think they should scrap S14. Hold NPC, Aussie National Comp, Currie Cup simultaneously alongside some early season tests vs touring European nations; follow it up with a finals series featuring say...the top 3 teams from each (to get the SANZAR provincial championship) then follow it up with proper international tours. Hold a 5 nations comp (with argies, Pacific Islands) every 4 years (2009, 2013, etc). More logical, more intense, keep things like the Bledisloe cup very keenly anticipated (like the Lions tours, the Ashes etc). At the moment they are killing the goose i think and Once South America gets their pro comp up and running you could include the champion of that in the finals series.
But why scrap the super14 teams. Are crowds not good for inter-australian games??
are Australia not just 2 teams short of having a team in all the major states and then having the possibility of playing a 6-team national championship following the sheffield shield format.10 games and a final.
The top teams then qualify for play-off games with NZ/SAF through that competition.
The tri-nations seems ridiculous. To water down your main events like that is incredibly short-sighted.
The 6N get massive coverage in Britain, far more than the sport of rugby deserves, simply because its such a big event, and most people following the games will not pay atention to any other rugby all season. If they expanded to play twice, games wouldnt be the major event they are and millions would probably just forget about it.
I would think a SH 5 nations could work
3N + Fiji + pacific Islanders
Fiji are big enough to go it alone, they have a 1 million population. NZ is only 4 times bigger. India play cricket with NZ despite being 300 times bigger.
Its not about money. Fiji could become a very marketable team in the long run. It seems to be about short or long termism