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SA teams in Pro??

higgik

First XV
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Jan 3, 2017
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Saracens
Rumours are abound about the SA super rugby teams leaving in 2023 to join the Pro14.
The league would then have 18 teams.
3 groups of 6
1 x Irish & Scottish
1 x Welsh & Italian
1 x SA
Play home and away in group (10 matches including all the derbies)
Play home or away v rest (12 matches)
Add in play offs for group winners and runners up, plus 2 wild cards from the best records.
Would make a good league.
 
Rumours are abound about the SA super rugby teams leaving in 2023 to join the Pro14.
The league would then have 18 teams.
3 groups of 6
1 x Irish & Scottish
1 x Welsh & Italian
1 x SA
Play home and away in group (10 matches including all the derbies)
Play home or away v rest (12 matches)
Add in play offs for group winners and runners up, plus 2 wild cards from the best records.
Would make a good league.
would that not take like 26 games or something??
 
Been honest this is around a long time.

Not even on the radar now as the league more concerned with Welsh clubs surviving.

The Covid 19 will I believe result in a lot of restructuring.
 
Been honest this is around a long time.

Not even on the radar now as the league more concerned with Welsh clubs surviving.

The Covid 19 will I believe result in a lot of restructuring.
I have seen a forum, where people are suggesting that there is only 2 Welsh teams.
Swansea Bay Ospreys and Cardiff Dragons.
 
Talk that the jaguars are going to be based in Madrid for potentially joining the pro 14.

Like I somehow both love it and hate it imagine going to Madrid to see top European rugby and then the pro 14 can provide the meh but consistent rugby.
 
That i one of the r
Talk that the jaguars are going to be based in Madrid for potentially joining the pro 14.

Like I somehow both love it and hate it imagine going to Madrid to see top European rugby and then the pro 14 can provide the meh but consistent rugby.

That's actually a very clever idea. It will boost Spain's viewership of the sport with only their 7's team doing well at the moment. Plus there won't be a language barrier between the players and the fans...
 
That i one of the r


That's actually a very clever idea. It will boost Spain's viewership of the sport with only their 7's team doing well at the moment. Plus there won't be a language barrier between the players and the fans...
If this happens, I really worry for SH rugby. NZ and Aus will not be able to compete financially, even if the Japanese join.
 
Talk that the jaguars are going to be based in Madrid for potentially joining the pro 14.

Like I somehow both love it and hate it imagine going to Madrid to see top European rugby and then the pro 14 can provide the meh but consistent rugby.

Wasn't there a plan many moons ago for Argentina to base themselves in Barcelona and join the 6N?
 
Rumours are abound about the SA super rugby teams leaving in 2023 to join the Pro14.
The league would then have 18 teams.
3 groups of 6
1 x Irish & Scottish
1 x Welsh & Italian
1 x SA
Play home and away in group (10 matches including all the derbies)
Play home or away v rest (12 matches)
Add in play offs for group winners and runners up, plus 2 wild cards from the best records.
Would make a good league.

This would be amazing, there was talk about only having 5 SA teams but I don't see why they would want to do that.
 
This would be amazing, there was talk about only having 5 SA teams but I don't see why they would want to do that.

I don't see it either, not with that travel distance. I think the Jaguares (their days with SupeRugby seem to be over) will join SLAR bringing that league up to 6 teams.
 
If this happens, I really worry for SH rugby. NZ and Aus will not be able to compete financially, even if the Japanese join.

would mean a big change but i dont think it will be ruin, i recently read an article that said whilst historically RSA provided the lions share of the money via tv deals the last deal tipped over to NZ being the leading contributor.

changes with less content etc to be sure. I think we'll start seeing younger All Black teams, probably less test centurions as guys come through, try and make a name for themselves and then start looking overseas for a pay day earlier, The Black Jersey is still a big draw for young players but they obviously need to pay the bills.

Something that just occurred to me as i write is we might see more players allowed to go and play in japan or even Europe in the super rugby off season and still play for the All Blacks, maybe go November tours and then stay there until the super season
 
Peter O'Reilly in today's Sunday Times says to expect an announcement on Tuesday about the big 4 SA teams joining the new Pro 16. Southern Kings are in liquidation and Cheetahs will be cast aside.

I'd like to see an 18 game season. Play teams from your own country home and away (Scotland and Italy link up for this purpose as there'll be 4 Irish, 4 Welsh and 4 SA teams) and a single table rather than conferences. Implement an 8 team playoffs run like the NRL. That'd give a 144 game regular season (currently it stands at 147) and 9 game playoff series (currently it's 5 games). Plenty of meaningful content of a higher standard to sell to TV while reducing the load on players by cutting the season length.
 
25 if you include play offs. The same number as now.

NFL players struggle to make it through 19 games, and that's if you go all the way to the Super Bowl. Helmets and shoulder pads cause most of their injuries. Rugby players get hurt too, but not at the same rate as American football. But a 25 game rugby season shows me just how tough ruggers are. Kudos to all of them!
 
Peter O'Reilly in today's Sunday Times says to expect an announcement on Tuesday about the big 4 SA teams joining the new Pro 16. Southern Kings are in liquidation and Cheetahs will be cast aside.

I'd like to see an 18 game season. Play teams from your own country home and away (Scotland and Italy link up for this purpose as there'll be 4 Irish, 4 Welsh and 4 SA teams) and a single table rather than conferences. Implement an 8 team playoffs run like the NRL. That'd give a 144 game regular season (currently it stands at 147) and 9 game playoff series (currently it's 5 games). Plenty of meaningful content of a higher standard to sell to TV while reducing the load on players by cutting the season length.
Being cast aside doesn't seem fair, but I know that pro sports is a cut throat busine$$. I'm not a Cheetahs fan but I feel sorry for them, they made the playoffs just two years ago.
 
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drama still to come
Hey Jabby, you're my go to guy for Rugby Down Under. Any word on when Super Rugby will make an announcement about what teams will be playing in 2021? Thanks!
 
i haven't seen anything concrete, i think we can safely say there wont be any "new" teams, there just isn't the time to get one up an running, the Asia-Pacific Dragons were the only one that probably could have got over the line because they already "exist" but they have said they're out
 
i haven't seen anything concrete, i think we can safely say there wont be any "new" teams, there just isn't the time to get one up an running, the Asia-Pacific Dragons were the only one that probably could have got over the line because they already "exist" but they have said they're out
You're the man Jabby, I appreciate the information. I was hoping they'd add two more teams from somewhere in the Pacific to bring it up to 12. But I guess they can get by OK with just 10 teams seeing how Super Rugby Aotearoa and AU were both deemed successful. I'm glad the Western Force will be staying because I thought they got the shaft last time out. They didn't win any games this pandemic short season but neither did the Chiefs.
 

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