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Thread: When is the deadline, SANZAAR?

  1. #1
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    When is the deadline, SANZAAR?

    By Brett McKay, 23 May 2017

    Serious ‘fightin’ words’ from the Melbourne Rebels on Friday evening leaves the Australian Rugby Union in a very precarious position in its quest to strengthen-by-contraction. And as a flow-on, it further erodes SANZAAR’s battle to stay relevant as an administrator of southern hemisphere rugby.

    Now entering a seventh week after vowing to decide “in the next 48-72 hours” whether the Rebels or Western Force would be sacrificed to appease the SANZAAR partners and their desire to cull Super Rugby back to 15 teams in 2018, the ARU are seriously up against it.

    Facing imminent legal action whichever way it goes, the ARU is evidently no closer to a decision. Momentum seemed to have shifted last week, with a few whispers floating around that a deal to buy out and close down the Rebels was close. Certainly, all the discussion seemed to have drifted away from the Force, and toward the Rebels as the team to go.

    Then came the press release.

    “The Melbourne Rebels wish to reiterate its clear legal position that the ARU has no legal right to “cut” them as a team in the Super Rugby Competition,” the angry Victorians opened with, as they marked out their long run.

    “The ARU must come out and publicly put an end to the speculation.”

    Then came the part of the statement that you know came with some angry typing. Real fingers-through-the-keyboard stuff. And I want to preface this part by saying ‘for the avoidance of doubt’ is an under-utilised phrase when it comes to angry press releases.


    “For the avoidance of any doubt whatsoever, neither the Melbourne Rebels nor its owners will engage with the ARU in relation to the sale or cancellation of its Super Rugby licence.” You could picture Andrew Cox metaphorically thumping the lectern in defiance as he thundered the words down the corridors at Rebels HQ.

    So that was that. The Rebels’ statement went on for another five paragraphs after this, but the crux of the matter was clear: our legal position remains, you’ve still not explained anything, and we’re no longer interested in talking.

    In chess, you’d call that a solid ‘check’ move. It’s not checkmate, but it’s a pretty clear notice of intent.

    Thinking about this statement over the weekend, and talking to a few rugby people, and reading a few articles here and there, one common thought kept coming up.

    How far are we from the point where SANZAAR has to step in and declare they have no option but to run an 18-team competition in 2018 (and possibly beyond)?

    If the Australian, or indeed, the South African Rugby Unions report at the next SANZAAR meeting in June that they are still no closer to finalising their previously agreed four teams for the 2018 season, how much more time can SANZAAR genuinely give them?

    Draws have to be created. Flights, hotels, transfers, and travel plans competition-wide all need to be pre-booked. Teams have to be advised so that they can commence planning their own schedules and selling sponsorships and memberships. Broadcasters will be waiting for the schedule so that they can create their coverage plans, and the various stadia required across the competition will need to be secured, too.

    The ARU are said to have agreed to a don’t-call-it-extraordinary ‘special’ meeting, possibly even this week, as called for by the Victorian Rugby Union and the Rugby Union Players Association. The VRU and the players – and RugbyWA, presumably – will be walking into that meeting expecting answers.

    But given what’s gone on to date, what will the ARU really be able to tell them? RugbyWA will still have their legal ace locked and loaded and ready to play, and as soon as the word ‘buyout’ is mentioned, the Rebels will presumably cover their ears and start saying, “la, la, la, lalalala, I can’t hear you…”

    I can already see the “ARU offers no further clarity” headlines for the next day’s papers.

    And you can bet the SARU and the Super Rugby sides in the Republic will be watching on, too.

    Their idea to ‘place’ their two surplus teams in other competitions sounds good in theory, but will quite likely prove difficult. The Pro12 competition has been mooted, but you’d imagine the very first hurdle – the thought of playing at altitude or on the coast in the middle of cricket season in South Africa – will prove too high for the European clubs to get over with only a few weeks to think about it.

    So come June, what will SANZAAR do if the ARU and SARU both walk in looking rather sheepish, and confess that they both still have more than four teams expecting to play Super Rugby next season?

    It’s at this point we need to remember that SANZAAR as a body is little more than a handful of people in an office in Bondi Junction, in Sydney’s east, running a competition as agreed by the decision makers. Those actual decision makers are, of course, the four national southern hemisphere unions: the SARU, New Zealand Rugby, the ARU, and the Unión Argentina de Rugby.

    It’s all fine and well to say ‘SANZAAR just need to make a decision about Super Rugby’, but when two of the four partners can’t do that in their own right, then how on earth are the four partners collectively going to tell half of themselves what to do?

    Furthermore, we already know that in the event of SANZAAR non-decision about change, the status quo is always the fall-back position. Just last year, when they couldn’t collectively agree on a ‘better’ format for the 2017 finals, the same playoffs format from 2016 was the outcome.

    So again, at which point will SANZAAR reach the conclusion that the only way forward in 2018 is with 18 teams?

    My suspicion is that date is approaching rather quickly. The 2017 draw was made public in the middle of September 2016, and the middle of September this year could be little over four months in advance of the next SANZAAR meeting in June.

    That’s really not that far away when you think of all the logistical work that would need to be drafted, pre-approved, pre-booked, ratified by four national boards and something like a dozen broadcasters, and then finally, released to the public. The only decision that can be agreed upon collectively mightn’t be that far away.

    The only certainty right now is that the indecision and the ongoing damage to the Super Rugby brand, and everything else that comes with it can’t carry on forever.

    A calendar on the wall of a Bondi Junction office might hold the answer.

    http://www.theroar.com.au/2017/05/23...dline-sanzaar/

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  2. #2
    Champion andrewg's Avatar
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    MRUU club was available for $4.7 Million but the ARU declined the offer.
    MRUU has been getting the benefit of $2.6 Million/year from the ARU and still losing $$s.
    I don't reckon that these are really "serious" fighting words.
    Just Andrew Cox trying to maximise the selling price.

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    Champion Tazzmania's Avatar
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    I think Brett may be on the money, #Strongerasfive looks like the only real possibility and Super Rugby will continue spiralling into oblivion due to this ineptitude that has set it in motion.

    And we all thought the Super rugby product and lopsided conference system would be the death knell.

    Never thought it possible but the ARU has almost committed hari-kari and it too is sliding into oblivion at a rapid rate of knots, together with SAANZAR.

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    Quote Originally Posted by andrewg View Post
    MRUU club was available for $4.7 Million but the ARU declined the offer.
    MRUU has been getting the benefit of $2.6 Million/year from the ARU and still losing $$s.
    I don't reckon that these are really "serious" fighting words.
    Just Andrew Cox trying to maximise the selling price.
    Also allows Andrew Cox to save face by claiming, "I tried, guys... I really tried!"

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    Immortal jargan83's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tazzmania View Post
    I think Brett may be on the money, #Strongerasfive looks like the only real possibility and Super Rugby will continue spiralling into oblivion due to this ineptitude that has set it in motion.

    And we all thought the Super rugby product and lopsided conference system would be the death knell.

    Never thought it possible but the ARU has almost committed hari-kari and it too is sliding into oblivion at a rapid rate of knots, together with SAANZAR.
    And yet the ARU pushed on with this lop sided conference system despite two independent reports saying it would be a disaster.

    I've pretty much stopped watching matches not involving the Force because I just don't care at the moment.

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  6. #6
    Immortal Contributor shasta's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jargan83 View Post

    I've pretty much stopped watching matches not involving the Force because I just don't care at the moment.
    Just spent a couple of weeks holiday in the company of a mate who is a life long Rugby man (apart from the 4 seasons of Mungo he played with us).
    Returned to Rugby for nearly a decade and then coached for two more.
    A Rugby tragic through and through. Now only watches the Crusaders or maybe the odd NZ derby. Plus some RL. This is typical of what what this clusterf@ck of an expansion has achieved. The answer is to admit it was a mistake, take a step back to what was working relatively OK and say "Sorry but you 2 are back outof the comp. It's just not working". But I doubt there is the necessary bottle to do it.

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    "Draws have to be created. Flights, hotels, transfers, and travel plans competition-wide all need to be pre-booked. Teams have to be advised so that they can commence planning their own schedules and selling sponsorships and memberships. Broadcasters will be waiting for the schedule so that they can create their coverage plans, and the various stadia required across the competition will need to be secured, too."


    More importantly the well-being of a hell of a lot of families remains up in the air!

    Rebels and Force players and staff are stuck in a terrible situation and will need to chase alternatives soon, just to survive.

    That's why it's a bloody serious situation that needs resolving damn soon

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    Legend Contributor Alison's Avatar
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    All the ARU cared about when agreeing to the 18 was the big pot of gold that came with it. Not the rugby, not the players, not the fans. Just the money.

    Am I right in thinking the decision to move to 18 came at the same time as the current, very lucrative TV deal? You know, the one Bill Puller got his $230K incentive bonus for?

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    Yup the simple solution is to get some meaningful games back into the competition.
    We all know that Australian derbys get the best ratings (in Australia) ....so why cut an Aussie team instead of a non competitive team from Japan?
    The 6x3 format or getting rid of the last 2 teams added will be much more spectator friendly and will breath life into a crap competition.

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  10. #10
    Immortal GIGS20's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Alison View Post
    All the ARU cared about when agreeing to the 18 was the big pot of gold that came with it. Not the rugby, not the players, not the fans. Just the money.

    Am I right in thinking the decision to move to 18 came at the same time as the current, very lucrative TV deal? You know, the one Bill Puller got his $230K incentive bonus for?
    The speculation is that the decision to cut/chop/cull an Aussie team carried a similar pot of gold.

    With no actual information forthcoming from the ARU we are forced to believe the rumour and innuendo.

    Yet again the ARU have put cold, hard cash ahead of the interests of the game. I wonder if Puller Clone and Clank will get another incentive bonus out of this debacle?

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    Immortal jargan83's Avatar
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    Of course the record to deal came off if the back of 18 teams. More teams equals more content to sell to broadcasters.

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    Immortal Contributor shasta's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jargan83 View Post
    Of course the record to deal came off if the back of 18 teams. More teams equals more content to sell to broadcasters.
    But when even Rugby tragics are losing interest in that content at record rates it's time to fess up to your mistakes. Not much point in selling more at slimmer margins. Works for the iron ore industry but Super Rugby has many more viable competitors than they do.

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  13. #13
    Immortal jargan83's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by shasta View Post
    But when even Rugby tragics are losing interest in that content at record rates it's time to fess up to your mistakes. Not much point in selling more at slimmer margins. Works for the iron ore industry but Super Rugby has many more viable competitors than they do.
    Agree 100%.

    Unfortunately the horrible conference system currently in use came with the 18 teams most likely at the behest of South Africa.

    That's not to say the ARU are innocent given they could have vetoed the plan.

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    Immortal GIGS20's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jargan83 View Post
    That's not to say the ARU are innocent given they could have vetoed the plan.
    Along with vetoing the plan to cull one Aussie team.

    It appears that the ARU delegation to SANZAaR are in it for the champagne and canapes

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    Legend Contributor Alison's Avatar
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    Cutting the Force won't deliver much gold as we cost them the least of all the franchises - including the privately-owned Rebels!

    That said, I suppose cutting us in favour of the cashed-up Japanese would be enough to persuade the halfwits at the ARU that they might be able to fill their boots with coin!

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