Crusaders announce Melbourne base

[Burgs]

In a move that has been rumoured and alluded to for some time, the Crusaders are making Melbourne their Australian home base for the '06 season.
Victorians, who have always been know for questionable sporting loyalties and an insatiable hunger for ever other State's sporting events, will have their patriotism tested in their reception of this modern age "Crusade".

From Rugby Heaven:

New Zealand's all-conquering Crusaders are launching a bold move into Australian Rugby Union territory by making rugby-starved Melbourne their second home during this year's Super 14 competition.

The Crusaders will base itself in the southern capital before its Australian games, aiming to fill a niche left open when the ARU awarded Perth the franchise for the newly-expanded rugby competition ahead of Melbourne.

Using the world's most popular sporting club, soccer's Manchester United, as its model, the Crusaders hope snubbed Victorians will embrace the side, which was easily the most successful in the 10-year Super 12 history, winning the title five times including last season.

They plan to use the facilities of Australia's most popular AFL club, Collingwood, for their training and expand the relationship between the two sporting sides.

With their eye on southern hemisphere domination both on and off the field, the titleholders will get a measure of where they stand on both fronts tomorrow night.

They play the newcomers, the Perth-based Western Force at Olympic Park - home ground of the National Rugby League side the Melbourne Storm - in a trial match before the Super 14 kicks off in a fortnight.

"It works for us as a good base to get a decent preparation but also as a business opportunity," Crusaders coach Robbie Deans said today.

"This market is starved of good rugby and without an Australian team to support we hope the locals will turn out and adopt us."

As well as the match the Crusaders are planning an open training session on Sunday afternoon followed by a coaching clinic, run by Deans.

He said the feedback from Melbourne rugby fans, which includes a large contingent of Kiwis, and the Victorian Rugby Union had already been very positive.

"We don't just want to take, we want to give something back."

After narrowly losing their last trial to the Highlanders, the Crusaders, led by skipper Richie McCaw, are planning to field their strongest side tomorrow night against the Force, who are coached by former New Zealand national coach John Mitchell.

Their All Blacks, including International Rugby Board player of the year, five-eighth Daniel Carter, will make their first appearances of the year while centre Aaron Mauger will start on the bench after recovering from a shoulder injury suffered on their European tour late last year.

Deans knows Mitchell's coaching style intimately after acting as his assistant until Mitchell's sacking after the 2003 World Cup.

"It's an important game for Mitch, who is re-entering the fray and he doesn't like to lose, even a trial match," Deans said.

"The Force have been preparing hard for a long time and there is a lot of excitement and a lot at stake, with 20,000 members.

"This game against us is an important benchmark and will give them a real indication of where they are at."

AAP

[Sagerian]

what......

Those slappers.

[Flat-top]

Interesting question about loyalty. Being an Ulsterman living in England I am often asked about my allegiance to Ulster & Bath. I know what my reasons are but I wonder what you think about that statement by the Crusaders Coach who suggests the locals will adopt them. In their place would you? Would your Australian genes allow you to cheer a NZ team ahead of any Aussie one? What if the franchise had been awarded differently, the roles were reversed and NZ were making Perth their base. Would you be turning out at Subbiaco to cheer Crusaders against the Melbourne S14 Team or not?

[Burgs]

Good points FT and I can quite honestly say that if no Australian side is present at any given level then I support the NZs if they are involved but there is nothing that would make me cheer against an Australian team for the benefit of a New Zealand one.
In terms of if the Crusaders were based here, I would support them against all the other NZ and SA S14 teams but no way would I support them against the four Australian teams.
I wouldn't be able to sleep at night!
I think most of the cage rattling coming out of Melbourne is being driven by Kiwi expats anyway and there will be a huge contingent in the crowd tomorrow night.
It will be interesting to see how it all pans out.

[Darren]

I would probably have supported Melbourne if they had won. Chances are they would be a very similar team to what we currently have for the Force anyway. But they LOST... HAHAHA! So I support the Force, and would hope that any other as yet unaligned victorian Rugby enthusiast would do the same.

[Egan]

Well they are Victorian.

I would have to think very hard if I actually could feasibly support a Victorian side...hmm hell would have to break open before I did that.

Do I want those big headed Vics supporting the Force?

No not really, I am still chuffed that we have the audacity to play a pre-season match there, shows a lot of arrogance.

I love it!!

Oh yeah beating Victoria was so very very very pleasant...

[Darren]

Thats my general feeling too, but I am giving them the benefit of the doubt and am hoping that the Victorian Rugby supporter is a different beast the the stock Victorian Australain Rules fan we all know and love...

[Flat-top]

For my own part I was born and raised in Ulster, living there until I was about 15. I have therefore lived in England longer than in Northern Ireland but nothing in this world would ever allow me to support them...I am the stereo-typical Irishman who supports 2 teams, Ireland and Anyone playing England (that's despite having an English wife...or maybe its because I do?).

When it comes to club and province rugby I don't have such an issue. I will always have Ulster as my first love, I get to as many Ulster games as possible but sadly its really only about 6 or 7 a season. On the other hand I live very close to Bath and I need my fix of rugby each week. It makes sense to be a season ticket holder there, so I see about 14 home games and probably 10 -12 away fixtures with them. Any week when there isn't a Bath or Ulster game I will travel across the bridge into Wales and watch either Newport or Cardiff and I have been known to catch a cheap flight to Glasgow on a Friday afternoon just to get a fix up there.

That sort of sums up my order of allegiance you see I am a Celt at the end of the day, and I would rather watch any Irish, Scots, or Welsh side turnover the English, there is always an exception to every rule and for me that is Bath (I sort of convince myself its not really an English side as we have 3 or 4 Samoans, a couple of Tongans, some Kiwi's, Irish, Welsh,S South Africans and even Chris Malone!).

The thing I can't really explain is why I feel that I have some sort of affinity to Oz, I suppose having a sister who emigrated about 30 years ago and being lucky to visit every other year might be the reason but my English friends really do get wound up when I pull on an Oz Shirt to watch Eng v Aus games.

Anyway maybe I can see what the Crusaders are hoping might happen with the Melbourne public but I get the impression they may just have underestimated the Australian loyalty.

[The EnForcer]

Any object, animal, thing, human or team in any way affiliated with, aligning with or even seen with anything to do with Collingwood is extremely suspect to me!

[Burgs]

Crickey TEF, damn good point!!!
That should see them hated by 90% of the Melbourne locals
Eddie Everywhere will be rubbing his hands together at the prospect of having yet another way of attracting media attention to his club.

[Redbull]

As a proud supporter of red and blacks both in Perth and Christchurch, my anaswer is self evident.


I have met a quite few Vic Rugby people, including some who put the bid together, and they have same attitude as the AFL. They know everything, do everything better, bigger and with more passion, style and flare. FIGJAM

Their actual pitch to the ARU was "There are 5 million reasons for Vic to have a super 14 team" ie 5 million people.

[Burgs]

It would seem that the fixture was a success.
Does anyone else find it amazing that there has been absolutely no comment from the ARU in this back door assault on their market!?
Surely the Brumbies must be getting a bit edgy having expressed a desire to tap into the Victorian market?

Crusaders mull Melbourne 'home' games

Sunday Jan 29 13:05 AEDT

New Zealand franchise the Crusaders are considering playing home Super 14 rugby games in Melbourne after the success of Saturday night's pre-season trial at Olympic Park.

Despite a rainy day in the southern capital and no competition points on offer, a crowd of more than 11,500 turned out to watch the pre-season trial against Australian newcomers the Western Force, which the Crusaders won 36-19.

The Crusaders announced they planned to base themselves in Melbourne before Australian games to fill a gap in the market left when the ARU awarded the new Australian franchise to Perth.

They hope Victorians will adopt the side as their own.

Coach Robbie Deans said the huge support - more than National Rugby League club the Melbourne Storm usually attracts to home games at Olympic Park - meant the defending Super 12 champions could play competition games there.

"It was remarkable in this market, where it's difficult to get a profile for rugby it was a fantastic result," Deans said.

"If we played a fixture like this domestically we wouldn't draw a crowd so this is great for us. This is a great opportunity for us to really enhance what we're doing here and hopefully build a home away from home."

The Crusaders' home ground in Christchurch, Jade Stadium, is also one of the country's top cricket grounds and calendar clashes meant the rugby side were forced to look for alternatives.

"It's ultimately controlled by the NZRU so it will depend on their sentiment I guess but I guess what we have shown is that it's a credible option, particularly if we don't have a facility that's up to the required standard," Deans said.

"We've still got a dual purpose facility so it's likely that we'll still get clashes with cricket and rugby in the future and I've guess we've shown that it can be done, it's just a matter of getting endorsement from the NZRU now."

The Crusaders held an open training session while Deans also ran a coaching clinic in Melbourne in a bid to raise the profile of the side, which is the most successful in southern hemisphere provincial rugby.

"We are delighted with what we've got out of our visit to Melbourne both on and off the track."

[.X.]

I dont think anyone should have to justify their support for any sporting team. Doesnt mean that everyone will respect your decision but your support for your team is your own business.

The Crusaders have seen a great business oppertunity and are running with it.

Good Luck to them.

[Burgs]

Mauger defends home

February 21, 2006 - 8:49am
Story by: Sportal

Crusader Aaron Mauger has criticised the prospect of his side playing home matches in Melbourne.
The Crusaders are currently preparing to play the Sharks in Timaru on Saturday night and Mauger believes home games should be played in smaller South Island provinces when Jade Stadium in Christchurch is not available.
Last year's Super 12 champions played a pre-season match against the Western Force at Melbourne's Olympic Park last month and chief executive Hamish Riach said at the time they would consider moving a game there if Jade Stadium was already booked.
"I think it would be wrong to take it away from our own provinces and our own Crusaders' region," Mauger told The Press. "These are the people that support us and if it's purely for a financial reason, then there's no way we should do it."
The Crusaders' clash against the Sharks on Saturday is being played in Timaru due to the Black Caps playing the West Indies in a one-day international at Jade Stadium.
A crowd of around 11,500 fans turned out for last month's match in Melbourne and the Crusaders would attract a much larger audience for a genuine Tooheys New Super 14 contest.
The franchise would expect to make more money for matches played in Melbourne than those in smaller centres such as Timaru and Nelson, benefiting the seven unions which it represents.
However, the financial side is of little concern to Mauger, who says money should not be put ahead of the loyal fans from the smaller provinces in the Crusaders' catchment.
"The people are the ones who make us who we are, and help us be who we are," he said. "They play a big part of what the Crusaders are all about and I think it would be a shame if we took it away from our own supporters in New Zealand."
Mauger said he enjoys going to the smaller regions and giving supporters a rare chance to see the team in action.
"It's always good because there's always lots of enthusiasm around. We've always been well received in Nelson when we've gone up there and I'm sure Timaru will be no different and looking forward to having us down there," he said.

[MysticBalls]

Those cheeky crusadering sods. Fancy taking advantage of Oz Rugby like that , at the expense of their own faithful at Nelson's Trafalgar Park. Love the F-T comments about divided loyalties, a situation which many travellers and emigres find themselves in, just to Gettafix of rugby. No doubt the Kiwis in Melbourne find the same.
There's just not enough teams to please everybody in Super Southern Hemisphere Rugby. When S16 emerges , probably Melbourne gets a team then. In the meantime, its the ARU's job to make sure that Melbourne gets regular scheduled S14 Rugby. This can be done by Brumbies and Tahs playing one game there per year. If the Crusaders or any other NZ team wants to play one game there each year, then fine.
It completely gets up my nose , that ARU has no policy on Melbourne's long term development
(what was all the World Cup matches in Melb about?), and is letting the Crusaders in through the basement door into the Australian market.
Crusaders should be looking after there own backyard. They draw on 7 provincial unions , four more than their South Island rivals the Highlanders who have only three.
If anything , the Crusaders dominance needs to be trimmed , not aided and abetted. I'd love to see a S16 side in Nelson, thereby dividing the Crusaders catchment in half.

The expanding interest in S12,S14 leads to a quick progression to S16. And this is WITHOUT any 'free to air' broadcasts , which could be done for the local provinces (home games) easily without detracting from the loyal Super Rugby fans who want to see ALL the games on Foxtel (thanks Fitzy).