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Thread: SA teams queue for Pro12

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    SA teams queue for Pro12

    SA teams queue for Pro12

    Craig Ray
    The introduction of the Cheetahs and Southern Kings into Europe’s Pro12 competition next season, will be the beginning of the end of southern hemisphere rugby’s Sanzaar alliance in its current form.
    Reports leaked that the deal has been done and this reporter has ascertained that not only are two South African teams set to join the tournament, but an equal split of broadcast rights have also been negotiated.
    And that’s not all. Last week Sanzaar had an emergency meeting (via conference call) to try and unscramble the egg that is the culling of three teams, mainly to humour Australia.
    The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) faces legal action from the Melbourne Rebels and possibly the Western Force if one of those teams is cut from Super Rugby at the end of the current season.
    The difficulty for the ARU is that the deal was decided by Sanzaar before the ARU had fully worked it through with its franchises. SA Rugby went to the London meeting in April with a clear mandate and a planned course of action knowing two teams were likely to be on the chopping block. The ARU went with nothing but hope.
    The upshot is that the ARU are now desperately trying to find a way to retain five teams to avoid an unseemly legal battle, even though Australian rugby cannot sustain four franchises, let alone five.
    Which brings us back to the Pro12 (soon to be called the Pro14, or even Pro15). The Cheetahs and the Kings are not unhappy about developments because they will still earn good money from broadcast rights (paid in pounds), have less travel and probably a better chance of success.
    It’s become such an attractive proposition that a third SA franchise, whose identity I know, but won’t mention, has indicated that it would be happy to abandon Sanzaar in favour of the Pro12 as well.
    The fissures in Sanzaar are quickly developing into a cavernous void. South African franchises are coming round to the idea that they might be better served in a different competition, happy to leave New Zealand and Australia to entertain each other.
    The argument that SA teams are better off playing against NZ teams because they are the benchmark of rugby excellence is only true because NZ teams are strong because of SA.
    NZ rugby is propped up by the vast sums of television money earned via Sanzaar, which is underpinned by a strong TV viewership emanating from SA. Without it, NZ wouldn’t be able to afford to keep its top players and very soon a player brain drain would have a negative impact on their rugby as well.
    In terms of SANZAAR, the battle lines are quite simple – NZ brings the best quality and SA brings the audience and therefore money. Australia brings very little.
    A move into Europe by SA teams will damage Sanzaar’s equilibrium and have a huge impact on NZ and to a lesser extent, Australia.
    But the deal is nearly done and SA’s first steps towards Europe are a reality. It’s only a matter of time before this move kills off the Sanzaar consortium as we know it. And for many, it’s not a moment too soon.

    https://www.alloutrugby.com/sa-teams-queue-for-pro12/

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    Champion MI5_Dog's Avatar
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    Such a pity when the 3 conference system would work well.
    No teams dropped, SANZAAR stays the same.
    Everyone, mostly, happy.

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    Legend Contributor Alison's Avatar
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    The ARU did go there with a clear plan - to get rid of us!! And the only reason we are still just about breathing is because of the writ action.

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    Veteran sittingbison's Avatar
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    Lol its The saffers that started this mess by insisting on 6 teams plus Argies and Japs.
    Bet the other three franchises plus Argies and Japs are happy with this.

    Plonkers

    And FUBARU have frakked up from the start of this disaster, completely outplayed. FFS use the veto rather than get railroaded. Solve your woes by stopping the river of cash to Cox. That will sort out the number of viable teams really quickly. While you are at it stop propping up the Tahrds Reds and Brumbies with "wallaby top ups" BS. That will level the skill distribution

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    Quote Originally Posted by travelling_gerry View Post
    SA teams queue for Pro12

    Craig Ray
    The introduction of the Cheetahs and Southern Kings into Europe’s Pro12 competition next season, will be the beginning of the end of southern hemisphere rugby’s Sanzaar alliance in its current form.
    ...
    It’s become such an attractive proposition that a third SA franchise, whose identity I know, but won’t mention, has indicated that it would be happy to abandon Sanzaar in favour of the Pro12 as well.
    In terms of SANZAAR, the battle lines are quite simple – NZ brings the best quality and SA brings the audience and therefore money. Australia brings very little.
    A move into Europe by SA teams will damage Sanzaar’s equilibrium and have a huge impact on NZ and to a lesser extent, Australia.
    But the deal is nearly done and SA’s first steps towards Europe are a reality. It’s only a matter of time before this move kills off the Sanzaar consortium as we know it. And for many, it’s not a moment too soon.
    https://www.alloutrugby.com/sa-teams-queue-for-pro12/
    So perhaps the SARFU eventually will do what the ARU hasn't had the b@lls to do - give SANZAAR the finger.

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    Legend Contributor blueandblack's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Alison View Post
    The ARU did go there with a clear plan - to get rid of us!! And the only reason we are still just about breathing is because of the writ action.
    and passionate Sea Of Blue support

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    Immortal jargan83's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by travelling_gerry View Post
    The upshot is that the ARU are now desperately trying to find a way to retain five teams to avoid an unseemly legal battle, even though Australian rugby cannot sustain four franchises, let alone five.
    And South Africa could barely maintain 5 teams let alone a basket case 6th side which was entered solely for political reasons.

    I think old mate need to lose the Springbok, Protea or whatever glasses he has on.

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    Legend Contributor Alison's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by blueandblack View Post
    and passionate Sea Of Blue support
    That has cut absolutely NO ice with the ARU, believe me!

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    Now this is interesting. SANZAAR can only blame themselves for everything that has happened since Super Rugby peaked at Super 15s.

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    Veteran valzc's Avatar
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    What an arrogant shite piece of blogging that is!

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    Quote Originally Posted by travelling_gerry View Post
    The fissures in Sanzaar are quickly developing into a cavernous void. South African franchises are coming round to the idea that they might be better served in a different competition, happy to leave New Zealand and Australia to entertain each other.

    The argument that SA teams are better off playing against NZ teams because they are the benchmark of rugby excellence is only true because NZ teams are strong because of SA.
    Typical SA arrogance. "SA is solely responsible for excellence in rugby worldwide...! In the whole universe even!"

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    How can you believe that tripe when he can't even get this right?

    The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) faces legal action from the Melbourne Rebels and possibly the Western Force [/B]if one of those teams is cut from Super Rugby at the end of the current season.

    Shouldn't that read - faces possible/the threat of legal action from the Melbourne Rebels and has been served with a writ/is fighting a legal battle with the Western Force

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    Veteran SNOB's Avatar
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    Wasn't NZ that wanted to get rid of Aussie teams so they could play against the better SA teams?
    Wow their arrogance may just come home and bite them on their arse!

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    Wayne smith in the Australian tonight--
    Embattled Australian Super Rugby clubs may yet win a *reprieve and compete in next year’s streamlined competition and beyond.

    Reports from South Africa suggest that not only will the Southern Kings and the Cheetahs leave Super Rugby to join Britain’s Pro12 competition but that a third team from the republic wants to join them, giving Australia a lifeline.

    Writing for Alloutrugby.com, journalist Craig Ray reported that not only were the Kings and Cheetahs prepared to leave Super Rugby in response to SANZAAR’s plan to cut the 18-team competition down to 15, but they are in fact happy about the arrangement.

    Not only will they be admitted to the Pro12 competition — shortly to be Pro14 or even Pro15 — but they have negotiated an equal split of the broadcast rights. Payment will be made in pounds sterling, which obviously are far less volatile than the rand. Moreover, all of their travel would be within the same time zone.

    So good do the arrangements sound that Ray claimed a third South African side — the Lions, Bulls, Stormers and Sharks are the only ones left — is also toying with the idea of abandoning SANZAAR and heading directly north.

    If this scenario is true, it could be the forerunner of the break-up of SANZAAR, at least as far as provincial rugby is concerned, which in turn would lead by accident to Australia’s preferred rugby option, a trans-Tasman or possibly trans-Pacific series.

    In the short term, however, there also could be massive ramifications for the Australian Rugby Union, which is caught in a bind as it tries to cull either the Western Force or the Melbourne Rebels from the competition. Both are vigorously resisting eviction and even if the ARU wins the decision against the Force when their battle goes to arbitration in the WA courts, the matter is certain to drag on at least until August.

    But if the six South African teams are whittled back to three, then SANZAAR would have its preferred 15-team model without shedding any blood. The only difference is that the Sunwolves of Japan, who presently are a member of one of the two African conferences, would have to stay put there instead of transferring across to the Australian conference. The remaining fifth team in the *African conference would be the Jaguares of Argentina.

    “The fissures in SANZAAR are quickly developing into a cavernous void,” Ray wrote. “South African franchises are coming round to the idea that they might be better served in a different competition, happy to leave New Zealand and Australia to entertain each other.”

    That is precisely what Australia would prefer, though the Kiwis have opposed the idea. But there is no appetite in Australia to stage matches against the South African teams, which traditionally draw poorly. While a trans-Tasman competition would generate a much smaller broadcast rights deal, there would be compensations. The travel budget, for one, would be halved.

    The ARU disputed elements of Ray’s story, notably his claim that SANZAAR held an emergency meeting last week (via conference call) to try to unscramble the egg that is the culling of three teams, mainly to humour Australia. The ARU insisted there was a scheduled phone hook-up but in no way was it an emergency meeting.

    Yet it would be safe to say there was considerable interest in Ray’s assertion that South Africa finally is turning its attention to Europe. In a sense, it would get the ARU off the hook with SANZAAR if three South African teams headed into the Pro12. While it would not solve the problem of Australia lacking the financial capacity to sustain five teams, there is no question a trans-Tasman competition would be much cheaper to run than Super Rugby.

    In that event, five teams becomes doable, especially if the WA and Victorian governments press ahead with the aid they promised the Super Rugby franchises in their states. As the Own the Force campaign to sell shares in the Perth club to its fans showed, the one benefit of this whole exercise in cutting Australia’s Super Rugby presence from five teams to four is that it has energised parts of the market that had never before been tapped.

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    Champion Ralto's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wallabydarnd View Post
    five teams becomes doable, especially if the WA and Victorian governments press ahead with the aid they promised the Super Rugby franchises in their states. As the Own the Force campaign to sell shares in the Perth club to its fans showed, the one benefit of this whole exercise in cutting Australia’s Super Rugby presence from five teams to four is that it has energised parts of the market that had never before been tapped.
    So the answer might be - 5 Australian Teams 5 New Zealand teams, 0 Saffa teams (as they don't draw), Bring that up with NZ at the next meeting - see if it flies. The South African's hinted at going Euro last year, and a few folks had a giggle. Saffa Board sounds
    proactive.

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