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Thread: Words from the Super Rugby Founder

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    Words from the Super Rugby Founder

    The original Super Rugby concept was based on creating a product for TV. With that in mind, is it time for Australia and New Zealand to play in a more time zone relevant Asia Pacific provincial tournament?
    The potential in Asia from a broadcast perspective is huge and I think World Rugby should be pushing a lot of their dollars and resources into that region because there is huge opportunity for growth. I also think its crucial to nurture the pacific nations as well and an Asia Pacific based tournament may help with that.
    What did you think about the decision to remove the Western Force?
    I definitely believe that it was the wrong decision to remove the Force. I think the best outcome would have been to merge the Melbourne Rebels and the ACT Brumbies. I really don’t think Australia is strong enough from a rugby perspective to have four provincial sides on the east coast of Australia and if you look at it, Melbourne and Canberra were a pretty good fit. Melbourne has a strong sporting community and huge commercial support and Canberra has the playing support so why couldn’t you out them together and play half the games in Canberra and half the games in Melbourne.
    From the very start of Super Rugby, Australia has wanted to use the competition to increase our depth and interest in the sport and no one has done that better than the Western Force in my opinion.
    What are your initial thoughts on Andrew Forrest’s IPRC tournament and could that potentially create the framework for an Asia Pacific tournament to replace Super Rugby?
    I’m not sure if it can replace Super Rugby but I certainly think it can become the Asian component of the tournament. If the Western Force can play a part in that, then that would be fantastic
    I spoke with Andrew Forrest at the Barbarians lunch in October last year and I think his concept is fantastic, particularly if it can nurture the Asian rugby market. I sincerely hope that the ARU and Forrest both realise that they are far better off working together rather than against one another. He’s obviously a very successful businessman and I really hope the concept can get off the ground.
    Raelene Castle jumped into your old seat as ARU CEO a few weeks ago. What advice would you offer her?
    I think it’s crucial that Raelene surrounds herself with some very smart rugby people in the early stages and I think she needs to spend a little bit of time trying to win back the hearts and minds of those who have become disengaged with the game. Communication will be the really big thing and I wish her all the best because we need someone to push the game in the right direction.



    https://rugbynews.net.au/super-rugby...tition-future/

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    Immortal Contributor shasta's Avatar
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    Well there is more than a little irony in Rugby News running that piece. It is a Sydney centric outfit and was the launching pad for the 3 Papworth articles and the "luminaries revolt" that, I suspect, frightened Clyne and co into their reckless and Ill thought out strategy.

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    Where to start
    - The IRB HQ has always been in Dublin
    - The Brumbies beat the Blues in Canberra, it was the Transvaal CEO Louis Luyt who made that 100 point comment
    - Three sides was never enough for Australian Rugby
    - Joe Roff and George Gregan went to the '95 RWC as ACT players. Matt O'Connor was capped the year before. The ACT played one off fixtures and destroyed the Waratahs which they absolutely hated
    - People have got to stop talking about mergers. It was a disaster in SA and either the Force or Brumbies merging with the Rebels wouldn't have worked
    - SA also lost players to Super League (Pieter Muller and Tiaan Strauss)
    - Players had also signed for Kerry Packer and Ross Turnbull's World Rugby Corporation
    - The Americas aren't strong enough for the Pumas to participate full time. Yes Uruguay have improved however Canada have gone backwards at a rate of knots. They have some good players

    Why the Brumbies or Force could never have merged with the Rebels
    - Even though the Rebels and ACT Government for their love of dodgy deals are match made in hell the Brumbies is constituted by the ACT clubs who would never give up the IP and vote to kill themselves.
    - The RA had the Force IP and could have closed down the Force operations to play full time out of Melbourne
    - The Rebels were owned by a shyster who was funnelling grassroots money out of the game which is the opposite of how the Brumbies and Force run their operations

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    Last edited by Bakkies; 09-02-18 at 01:37.

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    Immortal Contributor shasta's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bakkies View Post
    - SA also lost players to Super League (Pieter Miller and Tiaan Strauss)

    Strauss actually played for Cronulla in 1996 - the year before Superleague. Then the Sharkies went over to SL in 1997.
    The bloke who does S Rugby commentary - Warren Brosnihan - also played Mungo in 96/7 for the Western Reds but from memory couldn't crack first grade.

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    Veteran beige's Avatar
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    Andrew Aitken was at the Western Reds too. Current SANZAAR CEO Andy Marinos was also at the Bulldogs.

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    Immortal Contributor shasta's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by beige View Post
    Andrew Aitken was at the Western Reds too. Current SANZAAR CEO Andy Marinos was also at the Bulldogs.
    Yeah I seem to remember they got a couple of them over in an effort to get some Saffers interested. Did he make first grade? Dont recall it if he did. They also get Adrian Barich on board - though that was more a bit of self promotion by Barra. That would be 3 strikes in the PR stakes. 😁

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    Veteran Bakkies's Avatar
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    There are three good interviews on You Tube that are worth watching. One is with Louis Luyt that goes way back which is still relevant today. Second is where John Smit interviews Francois Pienaar. Pienaar mentions how close they were to striking at Transvaal and large hordes of them had signed with the WRC. Pienaar also talks about Nigel Wray from Saracens who had convinced himself, Tim Horan, Thomas Casteignede, etc to come over to London to play for the club.

    Third is Ethiene Reynecke interviewing Anton van Zyl and John Smit both who held CEO roles after retiring mentioned that it will be more beneficial for their sides in SA to play in Europe.

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