RugbyRebels

Don't call it a comeback
I've been here for years
I'm rocking my peers
Puttin' suckers in fear
Makin' the tears rain down like a monsoon
Listen to the bass go boom
Explosions, overpowerin'
Over the competition I'm towerin'
Wrecking shop when I write these lyrics
That'll make you call the cops
Don't you dare stare, you better move
Don't ever compare
Me to the rest that'll all get sliced and diced
Competition's payin' the price

Well, at least one Englishman's getting to play rugby.

What do you think of the proposed scenario of a cross-Tasman only Super Rugby? Australia are looking to copy your 5 team comp by bringing the Western Force back into the fold and combining the two at some point would seem to make a lot of sense in terms of rivalries, travel, and markets. Okay, so the overall level will be lower without the South Africans, but keeping it only within 4 hours of time zones (and with most games being only 2) would surely make for a more cohesive competition that's easier to market and sell. Not to mention that the two of you are the closest to having Covid under control.

Puja

Will be interested to see how the teams play this. Seems likely they'll be the only rugby show in town, and one of the few sports running on the planet. I wonder if NZR (and maybe even WR?) will ask them to put on a show to try and advertise the sport as best they can and draw as many newcomers in as possible. Of course that would also require SANZAAR not to be colossal dicks about footage being used online.

zer0 wrote:Will be interested to see how the teams play this. Seems likely they'll be the only rugby show in town, and one of the few sports running on the planet. I wonder if NZR (and maybe even WR?) will ask them to put on a show to try and advertise the sport as best they can and draw as many newcomers in as possible. Of course that would also require SANZAAR not to be colossal dicks about footage being used online.

You'd've thought there's fairly sizeable sponsorship opportunities out there, as well as television footage sales. Japan were getting record viewership for the Top League before it was cancelled, the Yanks will be missing their contact sports, the UK is missing any live sport at all. As the only show in town, there's surely money to be made.

Puja

Puja wrote:Well, at least one Englishman's getting to play rugby.

Is Marchant still here? Hope so. Had just assumed he'd headed back to the UK.

Puja wrote:What do you think of the proposed scenario of a cross-Tasman only Super Rugby? Australia are looking to copy your 5 team comp by bringing the Western Force back into the fold and combining the two at some point would seem to make a lot of sense in terms of rivalries, travel, and markets. Okay, so the overall level will be lower without the South Africans, but keeping it only within 4 hours of time zones (and with most games being only 2) would surely make for a more cohesive competition that's easier to market and sell. Not to mention that the two of you are the closest to having Covid under control.

There will still be travel restrictions/quarantines in place for a while yet I think, so anything over and above a Bledisloe series later in the year seems unlikely.

As a more general concept, I guess so. RA would need an absolute nuclear cleansing though. Seems to have the full blazer brigade thing going on, but without the decency of the English stiff upper lip. Instead the farm is ablaze and they're out brawling each other in an outback pigsty to see who can be king of its ashes.

zer0 wrote:

Puja wrote:Well, at least one Englishman's getting to play rugby.

Is Marchant still here? Hope so. Had just assumed he'd headed back to the UK.

Puja wrote:What do you think of the proposed scenario of a cross-Tasman only Super Rugby? Australia are looking to copy your 5 team comp by bringing the Western Force back into the fold and combining the two at some point would seem to make a lot of sense in terms of rivalries, travel, and markets. Okay, so the overall level will be lower without the South Africans, but keeping it only within 4 hours of time zones (and with most games being only 2) would surely make for a more cohesive competition that's easier to market and sell. Not to mention that the two of you are the closest to having Covid under control.

There will still be travel restrictions/quarantines in place for a while yet I think, so anything over and above a Bledisloe series later in the year seems unlikely.

As a more general concept, I guess so. RA would need an absolute nuclear cleansing though. Seems to have the full blazer brigade thing going on, but without the decency of the English stiff upper lip. Instead the farm is ablaze and they're out brawling each other in an outback pigsty to see who can be king of its ashes.

A google says that Marchant's still in NZ. He had a six month loan from January, although I'd imagine that'll be extended to give him a chance to play more of this NZ-only Super Rugby. Frankly, this is probably better for his development than playing the Rebels and Sunwolves.

Your description of RA is absolutely on the button, although in brighter news, they do appear to be taking this opportunity to quietly back down from abandoning the Force - the one team with both avid support and funding. I'd say your lot taking them on into a 10 team league would be partly an act of charity and partly a calculated investment in future value, cause right now they're a dumpster fire that I wouldn't blame you for not wanting to get near to.

Puja

I could maybe see a "final" between the NZ and AU champs, if Covid remains under control in both places by then.

More interesting is that in the draw above, you'll note that although some venues are named stadia, others are just cities. Apparently the Blues can't afford to open Eden Park without their usual two men and a dog turning up to buy shitty beer in a warm plastic bottle and an inedible hotdog. They might end up at Albany or even Mt Smart. Frankly, if there's no crowd allowed, afternoon matches could be at Western Springs or anywhere.

It's probably a better atmosphere in an open field than an empty stadium, although I'd question if the broadcast facilities would be good enough for Sky.

Puja

Where’s Carlaw park when you need it?

I guess broadcast needs will dictate that they play in a proper stadium, but are people really going to switch off if the only live footy has slightly shaky cherry-picker camera angles? They've broadcast club matches from Western Springs before.

Puja wrote:It's probably a better atmosphere in an open field than an empty stadium, although I'd question if the broadcast facilities would be good enough for Sky.

Puja

North Harbour Stadium is a decent option. Traffic heading north is way better than going into town anyway. North Harbour Stadium is criminally underused by the NZRU anyway.

Albany suffers from the fatal flaw that it is, indeed, Albany.

I suspect the not naming the stadium yet has something to do with not knowing if/when crowds will be allowed yet. It's not far from a month away so could possibly be in level 1 by then which doesn't have the same limits on crowds (or at least, it doesn't at the moment).

Time will tell though

I'm kind of expecting there'll be crowdless fixtures for the foreseeable future.

cashead wrote:I'm kind of expecting there'll be crowdless fixtures for the foreseeable future.

That's what I had been assuming until the last week or so but not so sure now. They'll be cautious about it but I wouldn't rule out crowds at some point if the numbers carry on this way.

morepork wrote:Where’s Carlaw park when you need it?

What a place that was, had some very drunken afternoon/evenings there.

Doorzetbornandbred wrote:

morepork wrote:Where’s Carlaw park when you need it?

What a place that was, had some very drunken afternoon/evenings there.

Good times. The ever present smell of weed and spilt Lion Red in the stands. I got sparked out playing a grand final at Carlaw when I was 16. True story. Probably fucked me up for life.

morepork wrote:

Doorzetbornandbred wrote:

morepork wrote:Where’s Carlaw park when you need it?

What a place that was, had some very drunken afternoon/evenings there.

Good times. The ever present smell of weed and spilt Lion Red in the stands. I got sparked out playing a grand final at Carlaw when I was 16. True story. Probably fucked me up for life.

First day in NZ in 91 ended up there with two other poms spent the arvo getting free piss off the bar fella as a welcome to NZ, got bloody steaming with a lack of sleep and then ended up at a party with a maori bird. Hotel/hostel the agency we were working for was some god botherers place, we got kicked out the next day. Oh to be young and reckless again...

Now talk of at least some fans for the initial matches - either in groups of 100 under the current rules or more if the rules are relaxed again by then (Eden Park say they could arrange 10 blocks of 500 each with separate entrances etc).

The Warriors won.

Just thought I'd share...

They didn't just win, they broke records for .... effort.

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Also attended by Harold Shipman and Hitler.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/wa ... rl-cutouts

Shipman, I can give a pass, but how Hitler snuck past the bunch putting the cutouts together, god only knows.

Jesus christ...

So the Blues go from years in the first five wilderness to an embarrassment of riches. Nice to see Carter have another run in NZ.

Hahaha, holy goddamn. So a potential backline:
9. Sam Nock
10. DC
11. Telea
12. TJF
13. Rieko
14. Duffie
15. Beaudy

Realistically, I can see DC being more of an off-the-bench impact player and rarely see out a full game, but yeah, he'll make a bit of a difference, I'd imagine.