Super Rugby

[rowan]

Naturally I was required to work all day on semi-finals Saturday, but I'd expected to find a comment or two on here about the 2nd game. We obviously don't have any Saffas or Aussies on board, do we? Sounds like an impressive win for the Lions who will now have to travel to Christchurch to try and win the thing at their third attempt. I'd love to see it but it's about as likely as the Boks beating the ABs in Auckland these days . . .

[Saison]

More interesting graphics here:

In 2015, the average crowd size across the competition was 19,163, making it easily the world's biggest rugby competition by average attendance.

Last year, that overall average had dropped to just 14,436, a 24.67 per cent drop in attendance in just two years, and brings Super Rugby back to the chasing pack.

Super Rugby remains the rugby competition with the highest average attendance, based on 2017 figures. It averaged about 300 people a game more than the Aviva Premiership in England, and 900 more than the Top 14 in France.

But those big European leagues are holding steady with their attendance figures. In England, average attendance increased four per cent from 2015 to 2017, while the Top 14 declined by 5.59 per cent. The Pro14, which includes Italy, Ireland, and now a pair of South African teams, had an increase of one per cent.

Surprisingly, the team with the highest average attendance in world rugby is the Stormers, who had 28,700 through the gates on average last year.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/sup ... fe-support

Shouldnt the comparator be Euro Champions Cup? I think so. And the average attendance in that for last season was a little over 15k.

[morepork]

Never let data stand in the way of a good hypothesis.

[cashead]

And the Crusaders win again.

Hard not to feel for the Lions, who end up bridesmaids for the third consecutive year. What would hurt even more is that even if the Crusaders were the better team on the night, they weren't 19-points better. The Crusaders defence smothered the Lions attack for much of the game, so they were only really able to get through in fits rather than have any success on sustained attacks. The Crusaders, on the other hand, were able to convert their chances more efficiently.

[canta_brian]

Another great result. Crusaders have been very efficient this season.

[rowan]

Congratulations to the Crusaders!

[Saison]

What a team.

Great game and hard luck to a spirited Lions team but the Crusaders were just fantastic. THeir ability to shift gears quickly when they sense an opportunity is amazing.

[rowan]

There's been a bit of talk about reviving the "World Club Championship" with a match against Leinster. I really think this should become an annual fixture, and have done so since the outset of Super Rugby, but it needs to be properly organized and promoted; not just a glorified training run like the ones the French have staged in the past.

[Doorzetbornandbred]

There's been a bit of talk about reviving the "World Club Championship" with a match against Leinster. I really think this should become an annual fixture, and have done so since the outset of Super Rugby, but it needs to be properly organized and promoted; not just a glorified training run like the ones the French have staged in the past.

When and where would they play it though? Good idea and would be great to watch just when and where is the things that may hold it back.

[rowan]

October in the US.

[cashead]

Why not Tokyo in October at any of the stadia like Chichibunomiya?

[rowan]

Why not indeed?

Technically speaking that wouldn't be a neutral ground, but it's not like the Sunwolves are ever going to play in it anyway!

[Doorzetbornandbred]

October in the US.

Im not convinced it would sell out, personally I think it would only be done for one thing and thats money so they'd end up playing it in Europe in the Country of the European side. With the number of expats from the SH in the UK they have a nigh on guaranteed crowd along with the UK contingent. A lot of people would go and watch from the Uk as a Neutral which is shown by the different shirts seen at Euro Finals, Premiership Final etc etc.

[rowan]

Or France, of course, which has hosted all of the unofficial 'World Club Championship' fixtures thus far, to my knowledge. Or else just alternate it between the north and south.

The US or Japan would work best if they got the MLR winner and Japanese Top League champ involved in a mini-tournament format and played two semis with the Super Rugby and Euro champs on opposite sides of the draw. This could perhaps come in a decade or so down the line.

Incidentally, I've heard Japan may ditch the Sunpoodles franchise in favor of one of their traditional club teams - with the Green Rockets being mentioned. Something to do with funding issues...

[rowan]

Shame about the Brumbies' new signing Toni Pulu - apparently represented Niue at 7s so can't represent another country at XVs, such as Australia or his birthplace the USA.

Oh, correct that!

No such dispensation has been granted to the player because none is required.

While a 2014 World Rugby Regulations Committee hearing determined that a breach of Regulation 8 had occurred as Pulu was not eligible for Niue, under the regulation as it was at the time, it was the union, not the player, who was culpable for any breach.

The union was therefore sanctioned and the player deemed not to be captured by Niue. The regulation has since been reformed to apply joint culpability for union and player, but it is not retrospectively applied.

Therefore, subject to meeting current eligibility criteria set out under Regulation 8, Pulu is free to represent a nation for which he has a close & credible link.

https://www.worldrugby.org/news/353753

[rowan]

What happened to the find of 2017?

[rowan]

[morepork]

Jesus christ man, have you mistaken these boards for facebook or what?

[rowan]

Interesting graphic. It seems to imply the Canes have never lost a quarter-final. Can that be right?

http://ovaluri.comxa.com/2018/SR_TOTAL-23.htm

[rowan]

What happened to the find of 2017?

The man himself is asking the same question: https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/sport/r ... g-me-truth

[rowan]

Whatever happened to the old saying When Auckland is strong, the All Blacks are strong? The All Blacks are stronger than ever right now, in case no one's noticed . . .

New Zealand Rugby has bought a 40% stake in the Blues after concerns about the team’s performances in Super Rugby.

The game’s governing body reached an agreement with Bolton Equities Limited (BEL) to take its share on an interim basis following an independent review of the Auckland-based franchise’s governance structure.

The review concluded that the existing shareholding mix is unsustainable and recommended that BEL sell its shares to NZR.

It is thought NZR had concerns over the Blues’ governance as they consistently finished as New Zealand’s worst-performing franchise in Super Rugby.

‘We would like to thank BEL CEO Murray Bolton and his team for their contribution to the Blues over this period,’ NZR chief executive Steve Tew said. ‘A large amount of progress has been made over this time highlighted by the establishment of the Blues’ home base in Epsom, which is as good as any in professional rugby.

https://www.sarugbymag.co.za/nz-rugby-r ... ing-blues/

[zer0]

And Auckland still churns out plenty of talent. That they all can't play for the Blues, and must instead be dispersed across the country, is a simple numbers game. Indeed it could be that the two are related.

[rowan]

That works both ways, of course. Auckland has always been a magnet for talent from around the rest of the country. But I'm just having a bit of fun.

[rowan]

Harty was a beneficiary of the shamateur era, coaching a professional side in an amateur provincial competition. He was exposed on a more level playing field at the World Cup. https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/sup ... app-iPhone

[rowan]

The drums continue to beat for Pacific Island inclusion:

THERE is still no Pacific Super Rugby team, but Fiji coach John McKee has urged SANZAAR to consider adding the island nation to an expanded Rugby Championship.
“It would be great for rugby in this region for a Pacific team to be in either Super Rugby or the Rugby Championship — or both,” McKee told foxsports.com.au.
“I think there will be change around the competitions in the next cycle and there will likely be more of a push for the Rugby Championship to perhaps expand.
“I’m not in any of those talks, but I’d love to see it happen.
“For a country like Fiji it would really be a massive, massive boost to our game and help us improve our international competitiveness.”
For a country of less than a million people, Fiji are a proud rugby nation.
They are currently ranked 10th in the world in XVs but sevens rugby is a national obsession and they are the reigning Olympic champions.

More here: https://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/fiji ... 2aa7e54db2