Super Rugby Axes 3 !!

[rowan]

I don't think South African clubs joining the proposed Indo Pacific League was mentioned, was it? I think they're looking at having their four strongest franchises in Super Rugby, and selecting their Championship squad mostly from them, while creating two more franchises to join the Cheetahs & Kings in Pro Rugby, around which they'll base their squad for the AIs. I'm guessing the next two franchises would be based in Nelspruit (pop 1.7 million), home of the Mpumalanga Pumas in what was formerly known as Eastern Transvaal, and Kimberley (pop 250K), home of the Northern Cape Griquas. It would be nice if they could get Namibia involved, however.

[Puja]

You mentioned the IPL (think we might need to look for another acronym!) in your last post.

I will note that the Anglo-Welsh Cup is lovingly referred to as the Mickey Mouse Cup in the north and is mostly used to break in youngsters and fringe players as it's played in sproadic bursts during international windows. I can't see it being worth your time, certainly not worth setting up new franchises for. Could maybe see the Cheetahs and Lions getting involved as it would, by its nature, dovetail with their Pro14 commitments, but I frankly can't see it being worth the airfare.

Puja

[Puja]

Can't believe the Indo Pacific League would take South African clubs - surely that'd screw with the idea that the league is in similar time-zones?

Cheetahs are up and running with an impressive home win against Leinster, so there's hope for the Pro14 yet, as long as the Kings don't lose to Zebre in an empty stadium tomorrow.

Puja

It's something of a shame that I offered that as a specific example...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/ ... RUP4020707

Puja

[rowan]

Cheetahs had another good win. Starting to look close to their best again. But there's no doubt these two franchises are just thumbing their noses at SANZAAR this year and were not remotely prepared to go straight into another competition. The Kings have always been a joke in terms of their organization, which continues to implode, and undoubtedly the Currie Cup is getting priority right now, but I think you'll see a very different Kings outfit in 2018 and, if they get back to where they were in Super Rugby this year, they will indeed run riot in the Pro 14.

[Puja]

Cheetahs had another good win. Starting to look close to their best again. But there's no doubt these two franchises are just thumbing their noses at SANZAAR this year and were not remotely prepared to go straight into another competition. The Kings have always been a joke in terms of their organization, which continues to implode, and undoubtedly the Currie Cup is getting priority right now, but I think you'll see a very different Kings outfit in 2018 and, if they get back to where they were in Super Rugby this year, they will indeed run riot in the Pro 14.

So, to summarise, I was correct in warning you that your 'experience' was leading you wrong on this occasion and it probably was hubris for you to dismiss my opinion so rudely?

Puja

[rowan]

Only in your imagination, Puja. I just said that the two teams were not remotely prepared for a second competition this year, especially while the Currie Cup was in full swing. The Cheetahs, at least, look to have got back on track to some extent, but the kings are still just mucking around, the way they did in Super Rugby prior to this year. We'll have to wait till next year, when they are fully focused, to gauge this, and I have little doubt they'll prove too strong and, indeed, run riot against most of their opponents.

[Puja]

Only in your imagination, Puja. I just said that the two teams were not remotely prepared for a second competition this year, especially while the Currie Cup was in full swing.

Gosh, if only someone had mentioned that back when you were insisting that it wouldn't make a difference and running riot would still happen this season.

Puja

[rowan]

[rowan]

Another big win for the Cheetahs, I believe . . .

[cashead]

Yeah, well, the Ospreys were without their star hooker because he got bitten by a lion.

[rowan]

Wimpiest excuse I ever heard!

It would take more than a little old lion bite to keep a Southern Hemisphere rugby man from playing. Remember Andy Macdonald?
https://rhodesiansportprofiles.blogspot ... onald.html . . .

[Puja]

A very good win for Cheetahs again. Their defence is something shocking, but they've outscored Ospreys. They're certainly making hay from their home fixtures and it is nice to see them competitive.

Puja

[zer0]

Coming from a collection of islands where the largest "mountain" is nought more than a glorified hill, Shirley the altitude is going to be killing the visiting UK sides?

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Coming from a collection of islands where the largest "mountain" is nought more than a glorified hill, Shirley the altitude is going to be killing the visiting UK sides?

Apparently not.

[rowan]

A sad year for rugby, IMHO:

Sydney - The parent body of Australia's Western Force went into voluntary administration on Friday over "financial constraints" after its vain attempt to save the team from being axed from Super Rugby.

Despite strong opposition, the Force were culled in August as part of the drive to reduce the southern hemisphere competition from 18 to 15 teams.

Parent body RugbyWA sued the Australian Rugby Union in April, but the case was dismissed by a Sydney court and the Perth-based franchise was dumped.

KordaMentha, an advisory and investment firm, said it was appointed as voluntary administrator by RugbyWA "because of concerns of the future solvency of the business".

"This concern was due to the financial constraints on RugbyWA from the Western Force's elimination from Super Rugby Competition and Australian Rugby Union pursuing RugbyWA for its legal costs," KordaMentha partner Scott Langdon said in a statement.

Langdon said RugbyWA planned to continue managing competitions in Western Australia, as well as the sport's development in the state.

The first creditors' meeting will be held in a week, with the second about a month after.

A parliamentary inquiry released on Wednesday found that the ARU made the decision to axe the Force - rather than the Melbourne Rebels, who were also on the chopping block - months before a review process was completed.

Force appears set to join a six-team Indo Pacific Rugby Championship announced by its billionaire supporter, mining magnate Andrew Forrest, who was angered by the team's axing.

The new league could be up and running by late next year.

https://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/rugbywa ... g-20171117

[rowan]

Aussie promo for 2018 Super 15 - still refers to it as a Southern Hemisphere championship:

[rowan]

How about this for a good laugh

[rowan]

Basically the Super Rugby clubs should all be in the top 20, with the exception of the Kings & Sunwolves, who are a joke. & then mixed in with your Euro clubs should be the first division teams from both the Currie Cup and Mitre 10 Cup, because that's about the right level. A few of the top Aussie and Argie domestic teams would figure too, plus Fiji's Drua, ahead of the Russian clubs, impressive as Enisei and Krasny Yar have been in basically 3rd tier European club competition. I'm not even sure they'd be superior to the Japanese top league teams, the best sides in North American and Samoan domestic competition, the Welwitschias provincial side and Zimbabwe's Old Georgians - who were surprisingly competitive in last year's South African club championships. I guess we'll need a World Club Championship some day to settle all this . . .

How about this for a good laugh

[rowan]

Interesting story on the highly active Zimbabwe Rugby Forum Facebook page (unsure of original source):

Cape Town - Eastern Province Rugby Union president Andre Rademan has shed more light on Stade Francais owner Hans-Peter Wild’s visit to Port Elizabeth last weekend.

The owner of the French Top 14 club was accompanied by Rademan which started rumours that the German billionaire was keen to buy the Southern Kings franchise.

However, Rademan insists talks of buying the Kings are premature.

Rademan told Netwerk24 that Wild flew to Port Elizabeth with his own private plane and landed on Saturday morning.

The EP president said he accompanied Wild as they attended the Nelson Mandela Bay University’s sport centre before having lunch together.

Wild was then a guest at the PRO14 match between the Kings and Cheetahs at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, before leaving Port Elizabeth after the game.

Rademan did not confirm whether Wild was interested in buying the Kings franchise.’

It’s no secret that EP Rugby and the Kings are struggling financially, following the liquidation of the union in 2016.

It forced SA Rugby to take control of the Kings franchise which competed in Super Rugby.

The Kings lost their Super Rugby status last year and they, along with the Cheetahs, were added to Europe’s PRO14.

The Kings, however, have struggled in their debut season, losing all 12 of their fixtures to date.