Samoa tonga fiji in the RC

[Drogers93]

With argentina in the RC they have achieved very little. People say how they are constantly improving etc but they still havent managed to overturn a NH nation in the past few years so its slight to no improvement. I dont see the point in there being a token team like the pumas in the RC that everyone has to play knowing they are likely gona win. So why not introduce other tier 2 nations like samoa tonga and fiji into the mix. If they are in a big comepitition it might convince players to stay with them rather than leave for the abs etc plus having 3 or 4 lower tier teams at least gives them a chance of getting games and improvment.

Any thoughts?

 

[ratsapprentice]

Infrastructure is a massive problem I would imagine.

The only televised game I have seen in Fiji was barely watchable, I haven't seen any from Tonga or Samoa but given the quality of broadcast even from Argentina (who have regular experience of televising sports) I'd imagine theirs isn't great.
Small stadiums too - Samoas' largest is just 15k Fiji's is similar and from what I can tell Tonga's is only 10k.

For a product which is largely made for TV those are pretty significant issues.

 

[The Jones Boy]

Aussie/saffers and the AB's, there isn't a team in world rugby that would join those three and get anywhere but 4th on a home and away week in week out basis.
The 6 nations format is a joke, it's a warm up not a tournament.
I watch it for fun but with the breaks they have and the one match only format, it can't be taken seriously.
The format in the 6 nations is fundamentally why the home nations will as likely never win another RWC.
Argentina do as well as any 6 nations team could hope to do
The lot of you would get smashed
Pommy teams can't travel and win, history doesn't lie

 

[Tmartin995]

Aussie/saffers and the AB's, there isn't a team in world rugby that would join those three and get anywhere but 4th on a home and away week in week out basis.
The 6 nations format is a joke, it's a warm up not a tournament.
I watch it for fun but with the breaks they have and the one match only format, it can't be taken seriously.
The format in the 6 nations is fundamentally why the home nations will as likely never win another RWC.
Argentina do as well as any 6 nations team could hope to do
The lot of you would get smashed
Pommy teams can't travel and win, history doesn't lie

Pretty sure England have won 3 of the last 6 games played in Australia - including the most recent one.

 

[donmcdazzle]

With argentina in the RC they have achieved very little. People say how they are constantly improving etc but they still havent managed to overturn a NH nation in the past few years so its slight to no improvement. I dont see the point in there being a token team like the pumas in the RC that everyone has to play knowing they are likely gona win. So why not introduce other tier 2 nations like samoa tonga and fiji into the mix. If they are in a big comepitition it might convince players to stay with them rather than leave for the abs etc plus having 3 or 4 lower tier teams at least gives them a chance of getting games and improvment.

Any thoughts?

Why does this myth keep getting perpetuated?!

 

[Patchey]

A thread combining 'Argentina are losing to the three best teams in the world, therefore they are cack' and 'NZ poach all their talent from the Pacific Islands'? Strong, strong combination.

 

[Gavin]

With argentina in the RC they have achieved very little. People say how they are constantly improving etc but they still havent managed to overturn a NH nation in the past few years so its slight to no improvement. I dont see the point in there being a token team like the pumas in the RC that everyone has to play knowing they are likely gona win. So why not introduce other tier 2 nations like samoa tonga and fiji into the mix. If they are in a big comepitition it might convince players to stay with them rather than leave for the abs etc plus having 3 or 4 lower tier teams at least gives them a chance of getting games and improvment.

Any thoughts?

No...

Argentina beat Wales in Cardiff in November 2012.

Italy barely win anything in the Six Nations and yet they are playing against weaker nations that what Argentina face in the RC - I know let's get rid of Italy and bring in.... ummm, Georgia?

 

[Jaguares]

And what about the infrastructure???????????????

La Plata:

Rosario:

Mendoza:

 

[Thingimubob]

Aussie/saffers and the AB's, there isn't a team in world rugby that would join those three and get anywhere but 4th on a home and away week in week out basis.
The 6 nations format is a joke, it's a warm up not a tournament.
I watch it for fun but with the breaks they have and the one match only format, it can't be taken seriously.
The format in the 6 nations is fundamentally why the home nations will as likely never win another RWC.
Argentina do as well as any 6 nations team could hope to do
The lot of you would get smashed
Pommy teams can't travel and win, history doesn't lie

I have no idea why I'm replying to this as it is clearly a massive troll post... But how the hell would you re-format the 6 Nations? Teams would have to play 10 games for a full home and away round robin fixture list, so the whole tournament would have to be either moved out of the NH club season, or spread out across the entire season, meaning either the November or June Internationals would have to be cut out. Potentially loses money for both the NH and SH Unions, so that won't ever happen.

Also what's wrong with the breaks? The 6 Nations has 2 break weekends, after the second and third rounds? Last I checked, the RC has 2 breaks with only 1 game more per team being played? Also considering that a fair chunk of the players involved in the 6N are midway through their club season, and have to go back and play for their clubs in those break weekends (In France anyway, possibly England too), hardly degrades the tournament!

EDIT: Conrad, he was talking about the Pacific Islands not Argentina no need to whip out the photo's in Argentina's defence

 

[ratsapprentice]

And what about the infrastructure???????????????

Yes you have stadiums - I'm not having a go, Conrad. Don't take it personally.
The broadcast quality isn't great (not saying it's flat out bad, but you know... it's not perfect) and there are routinely major issues with the referee communication systems at games held in Argentina.

Minor gripes - as opposed to the issues the PI's face.

 

[nickdnz]

With argentina in the RC they have achieved very little. People say how they are constantly improving etc but they still havent managed to overturn a NH nation in the past few years so its slight to no improvement. I dont see the point in there being a token team like the pumas in the RC that everyone has to play knowing they are likely gona win. So why not introduce other tier 2 nations like samoa tonga and fiji into the mix. If they are in a big comepitition it might convince players to stay with them rather than leave for the abs etc plus having 3 or 4 lower tier teams at least gives them a chance of getting games and improvment.

Any thoughts?

Answer: Because Fiji, Tonga and Samoa combined have less than 1.5 million people, have poor quality stadiums and would lose a lot of money for the other teams. They also can't always guarantee their best players as we've seen from Fiji in the RWC.

Your last sentence of the paragraph perhaps highlights that you are not very aware of the situation in regards to the Pacific region...

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

I think it's also worth noting that the Pacific Nations have all sort of reached their peak in terms of their potential. The game can't really grow at all in the Islands, it's already incredibly popular. In contrast, there is a lot of potential for growth in Argentina, Japan, the USA etc. The above teams are all likely to improve over time purely because the players they have to work with will get better and better.

 

[Icemn]

we also then need min 6extra week to cater for the extra game to be played... if we include 2 bye weeks it would make it 8weeks extra... or do you want only 1 game per team then? meaning 5 games and 5 game weeks maybe 2 bye weeks to make it 7

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

we also then need min 6extra week to cater for the extra game to be played... if we include 2 bye weeks it would make it 8weeks extra... or do you want only 1 game per team then? meaning 5 games and 5 game weeks maybe 2 bye weeks to make it 7

More like a 6N tournament then.

ATM the only team in the PI that could play in it would be Samoa.

Would think Japan would have more chance than Fiji or tonga in getting into a tournament like that.

I doubt also any 2nd tier comp would work (like a relegation type situation). because if Aus did say get beaten by Argentina and relegated it would cripple RU there imo. would be to much risk.

Leave it as it is ATM.