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The Fiji Rugby Union is in talks with their Australian counterparts and World Rugby about entering a Fijian team in the National Rugby Championship as early as next season.
The team would be based on the island and play home and away games under a possible expanded NRC competition in 2017, and would be made up of Fiji-based players.
The plan, hatched some months ago by Fiji coach John McKee, ARU high performance boss Ben Whitaker and World Rugby high performance general manager Peter Horne, would see World Rugby fund the team under its Oceania program.
It is still some months off official approval but would represent a major coup by the ARU. Australia and New Zealand are often criticised for drawing players from the region but doing little to help Pacific Island nations strengthen their own programs.
Fiji see joining the NRC as a way to help stem the talent drain from the island nation by building their own pathway for home grown players. Eventually, they hope it will also help lure back players plying their trade all over Europe.
The move comes as the Western Sydney Rams prepare to welcome to their roster high profile new recruit and Fiji sevens Olympic gold medallist, Vatemo Ravouvou, who has represented Fiji more than 100 times in sevens and scored 44 tries in the 2015/16 World Series.
Ravouvou and Fiji Warriors player Cyril Reece are waiting on visa approval, expected this week, before they fly out to join the Rams for their next home game against Perth Spirit, at Concord Oval next week. They will join Wallaby Will Skelton and Waratahs Hugh Roach and Senio Toleafoa in the Rams squad.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/au...01-gr6jaz.html
I'd be happy for those visas to be delayed by a week or two...
and who is going to pay for all of this?
world rugby--I doubt it
Am all for this if it keeps Fijian players in Fiji and not moving towards the all blacks.
Hopefully this is the start of a Super Rugby revolution where Australia, NZ, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa look to set up a breakaway comp that gets rid of influence of the South African Rugby Union and all of it's political baggage. The draw and conference system of this years Super Rugby was a dogs breakfest at best and is detrimental to the competitions appeal to fans.
5 teams each from Aus and NZ, 5 from Fiji, Tonga and Samoa gives us 15 teams.
Play each team once outside your your conference, everyone in your conference twice.
Conferences each season will be randomly drawn.
Top 2 from each conference plays finals.
No june break for Internationals. This comp runs through the Test window concurrently with the test matches.
Start in late March, finish in August in time for Rugby Championship.
gee the idea is good,but getting 5 teams from the pacific islands is a tall ask-unless all the overseas players come back from Europe
would Murdoch fund this?
The majority of the money in Super Rugby is from TV, and isn't that mainly from South Africa, though (I know someone on here has previously said it was - I've no idea of the breakdown myself).
Can the TV income from Fiji, Tonga and Samoa make up for the loss of South Africa, Japan and Argentina? Because if not, we'll have an even greater drain of talent to England and France.
Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon
It's all about the money, Gunny.
At a rough guess, I'd say the ratings for the African conference(s) matches wete at an all time low. Personally, if Force were not involved I had a quick squizz at the Sunwolves and the Jaguares. End of story. Wonder if the ratings in UnZud were any better?
That's what will decide.
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
ok,as the proclaimers would say,"im on my way"
Maybe two Japanese teams (with imports) plus Fiji Tonga and Samoa. Get some Japanese corporate yen behind it and see...
Japan and the Pacific Islands for Aussie Super 9's!
Let's have one of these in WA! Click this link: Saitama Super Arena - New Perth Stadium?
Boy this thread ended up in outer space quickly...
You know who the Force would draw in the first round and where