Currie cup

[BDAVEY]

Why cant WA and or the EWF put a team into the Currie cup that will help their devlopment big time........ PB would SA allow this?? they seam very protective of there empire.

[welshrugbyfan]

Why cant WA and or the EWF put a team into the Currie cup that will help their devlopment big time........ PB would SA allow this?? they seam very protective of there empire.

Leave the tradition of the Currie cup alone and the Air New Zealand cup as well.

Are we too pathetic to start our own comps?

ARC got canned way too soon.

[jargan83]

The amount in Airfares for a true home and away season in either of those comps would be horrendous. Thats why teams go on tour in Super 14. I agree with WRF that the ARC was canned way to soon

[Darren]

Why not just drop back to the APC format - 4 (5?) Australian teams (sans Wallabies squad), home and away. The 4 franchises already have the infrastructure, players and staff to do this...

[mudskipper]

Yep we need more national rugby... very disappointed about it this year and no Pacific nations Australia A team this year... Sydney will get a lot of S14 players into teh Shute Shiald but everyone else will miss out...

[jargan83]

Why not just drop back to the APC format - 4 (5?) Australian teams (sans Wallabies squad), home and away. The 4 franchises already have the infrastructure, players and staff to do this...

I like the sound of that, with Wallabies on duty you have a good chance to promote som academy talent or local talent from the grade comp. They don't have to play at the main grounds

Tahs: North Sydney Oval and various others

Reds: Ballymore

Force: MES (well that will be our main ground from next year)

Brumbies: ??? (I don't know what secondary grounds exist in Canberra, I'm sure mud can be helpful for a change)

surely there has to be something in the ARU budget for something like this?

would be good for a possible 5th Australian franchise to dip their toes into competitive Rugby before a Super 14 debut

[blueandblack]

...
Brumbies: ??? (I don't know what secondary grounds exist in Canberra, I'm sure mud can be helpful for a change)
...

http://www.austadiums.com/stadiums/i...erra&sort=name

STADIUM_________STATE____CITY______CAPACITY______I NFO UPDATED
AIS Arena...............ACT......Canberra..........5,0 50...............03/03/09
Canberra Stadium.....ACT......Canberra.........25,011...... ........06/03/09
Manuka Oval............ACT.....Canberra.........15,000... ............03/03/09
McKellar Park...........ACT......Canberra...........2,000.. ............23/11/08
Viking Park..............ACT......Canberra.........10,000 ...............25/07/06

[AndyS]

So, quick question, would folk show up to watch State cricket after the Sheffield Shield was finished and awarded - because, with the same players and branding, that is effectively what continuing with the "Super" teams would be...?

[Rex Messup]

The ARC was a good concept but a ridiculous structure.
We should have a round robin of Reds/Brumbies/Tahs/Force but ARU contracted players are not allowed to compete. You could even sneak the Vics in. That would help bring on the fringe players without breaking the bank. The ARC was canned because it was a lemon from a bottom line perspective. It lost more money than Wall Street in 2008

---------- Post added at 15:34 ---------- Previous post was at 15:33 ----------

Whilst we are on it, I was a fan of NSW Brumbies Reds Force Japan, Tonga Fiji and Westyern samoa having a south pacific tournament. Funding it is the problem

[welshrugbyfan]

A four team round robin tournament, BORING!!!!

Lets put some thought into it and get some different teams into it.

[AndyS]

The ARC...lost more money than Wall Street in 2008

See, everyone says that but what it actually did was over-run by ~$2M to cost $4.7M. The ARU then said that even with cost cutting the best they could imagine was $3.3M for the following year and then said that the total $8M was too much (except that it was actually just the $3.3M, as the $4.7 was already gone). In context, those annual numbers are less than the revenue from a single test match.

Of course, they didn't feel it appropriate to include the $1.8M of Premier funding they would have stopped providing to the clubs. That would have actually made it a nett $1.5M per year to run the competition, even assuming it had just continued as was. Given a chance to develop a following, or selling product to the new HD sports channels...well, I guess we'll never know now.

[beige]

So, quick question, would folk show up to watch State cricket after the Sheffield Shield was finished and awarded - because, with the same players and branding, that is effectively what continuing with the "Super" teams would be...?

I'd be more likely to watch the Force in a national comp than a Perth Spirit.

[Rex Messup]

A four team round robin tournament, BORING!!!!

Lets put some thought into it and get some different teams into it.

You blokes loved your 5 nations tournament for a century or so.

---------- Post added at 21:47 ---------- Previous post was at 21:43 ----------

A four team round robin tournament, BORING!!!!

Lets put some thought into it and get some different teams into it.

I thought my south pacific comp was pretty good. Great for japan and the islanders as well

[welshrugbyfan]

You blokes loved your 5 nations tournament for a century or so.

---------- Post added at 21:47 ---------- Previous post was at 21:43 ----------



I thought my south pacific comp was pretty good. Great for japan and the islanders as well

I think you mean the home (4) nations. They were countries not clubs.

I think your south pacific comp is a good idea. Japan could offer two competitive clubs as well as the island boys.

[Rex Messup]

I think you mean the home (4) nations. They were countries not clubs.

I think your south pacific comp is a good idea. Japan could offer two competitive clubs as well as the island boys.

I meant the 5 nations tournament..........round robin with 4 games. That had them packed to the rafters.

I actually think that due to the small window in the season that the competition would fit into, that a 4/5 team round robin would be quite good. You could always make it home and away if you want a longer comp.

The problem with the island nations is that they don't bring in big money for sponsors so nobody wants to touch it