World Rugby shakeup: Wallabies face 'decimation', as Steve Tew arrives in Los Angeles

[Kiap]

More manoeuvrings ...

(... and if anyone can post the text of the Wayne Smith article mentioned within, it be appreciated.)

World Rugby shakeup: Wallabies face 'decimation', as Steve Tew arrives in Los Angeles

29 Jan, 2019 11:45am
NZ Herald

New Zealand Rugby boss Steve Tew is remaining tight-lipped after arriving in Los Angeles for dramatic talks which could re-shape the game.

One British newspaper is claiming a privateer is waiting in the wings, ready to take over rugby. The proposals to be put forward at the meeting of Tier One nations are said to include a more even distribution of money, which would be welcomed by New Zealand and other southern hemisphere countries.

There is also talk of a world league, a supremacy decider between the Six Nations and Rugby Championship winners, with a radical shift in European broadcasting arrangements away from free coverage in the mix.

An NZR spokeswoman said Tew described the topics as "complex" and those attending the meeting would work hard in the best interest of fans and stakeholders.

There has been little official comment from anywhere, adding to the intrigue. England's RFU simply confirmed that their acting chief executive Nigel Melville would be attending. The attendees will include Six Nations chief Benjamin Morel.

World Rugby's executive committee is hosting the meetings, the result of a World League concept
floated by vice-chairman Agustin Pichot last year. NZR CEO Steve Tew has arrived in Los Angeles for crunch meetings.

Meanwhile, on the eve of the talks The Australian's veteran sports columnist Wayne Smith has written that "Australia is particularly vulnerable to rugby's global finances with the power of England, France and Japan threatening to devastate the game domestically.

"Already there are fears that the Wallabies could be decimated by players departing for overseas clubs following this year's World Cup," he wrote.

"... the fact that Japan has organised not one but two Top League competitions next year — to make up for the disruption caused by hosting the World Cup — has only exacerbated the problem."

Smith said the only way to keep the Australian Super Rugby franchises afloat, if a SANZAAR revamp reduced the number of home games, was via a World League.

"While it remains to be seen whether the threat of a media takeover eventuates, what is clear is that the Los Angeles meeting looms as a watershed moment in world rugby," Smith said.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/new...ectid=12197794

[SPaRTAN]

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...689c12acb5b52c

World rugby takeover rumoured


JANUARY 28, 2019

A World Rugby summit is being held in Los Angeles this week amid reports that a major media operator is seeking to effectively take over international rugby.

London’s Daily Mail has speculated that a TV rights agency or a major broadcaster is looking to pay a massive amount of money for a single deal that will cover both The Rugby Championship and the Six Nations.

“The worry is someone is lining up a big deal to take the whole kit and caboodle,” the Mail quoted a source as saying. “We don’t know if it’s a rights agency or a broadcaster or a rights agency working with a broadcaster. What we are potentially looking at is someone buying international rugby and taking it off free-to-air television (in Britain). That would be a great shame but rugby is vulnerable to this kind of change.”

While it remains to be seen whether the threat of a media takeover eventuates, what is clear is that the Los Angeles meeting looms as a watershed moment in world rugby. The World League proposal, first mooted by World Rugby deputy chairman Gus Pichot, is being examined in detail by the Tier One nations, with Rugby Australia’s Raelene Castle, NZ’s Steve Tew and England’s Nigel Melville among the leaders attending the summit.

Details of the competition remain sketchy but it is understood that the World League could take the form of a knockout competition leading to an eventual final. Almost certainly one team in the final would represent the southern hemisphere, the other the northern. It is in this light that the proposal to bring The Rugby Championship and the Six Nations into one broadcasting deal makes most sense.

The proposal is believed to include a more even distribution of money, which naturally has excited the interest of the three southern hemisphere powers, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia, which, for various reasons, are each facing huge financial burdens.

The implications of a new global tournament have yet to be worked through, although clearly a World League would impact to some degree on the World Cup, which has been held every four years since 1987. Certainly Australia has every reason to feel proprietorial about the World Cup, since the idea was the brainchild of the late Queensland Rugby Union chairman Norbert Byrne, who enlisted the support of Nick Shehadie and in turn New Zealand’s Dick Littlejohn to persuade the then International Rugby Board to play the inaugural tournament in NZ and Australia.

The world rugby calendar, which has basically served the game well for a century, would also have to be rewritten, with the June or July inbound tours by northern hemisphere nations to countries south of the equator and the reciprocal “spring tours” by the Wallabies, All Blacks and Springboks to Britain and Europe in November having, somehow, to be incorporated into a World League format.

There are, as well, ramifications for Super Rugby, with SANZAAR scheduled to meet in March to determine what format it is likely to take to Fox Sports and other media operators once the current broadcast deal expires at the end of next year.

If SANZAAR was to abandon the current 15-team, three conference model and revert to 14 teams — which would deliver integrity to the competition but limit the franchises to just six home games every second year — then the only hope of keeping the likes of the Waratahs, Reds, Brumbies and Rebels afloat would be an uplift in the broadcast revenue. And the only way that is likely to happen would be if a World League delivers the El Dorado being promised.

It is understood that almost all of World Rugby’s finances, some 90 per cent, are generated by the World Cup and while the creation of a World League would certainly diversify income in the game, the belief is that World Rugby eventually would win even greater control.

Australia is particularly vulnerable to rugby’s global finances, with the power of England, France and Japan threatening to devastate the game domestically. Already there are fears that the Wallabies could be decimated by players departing for overseas clubs following this year’s World Cup, and the fact that Japan has organised not one but two Top League competitions next year — to make up for the disruption caused by hosting the World Cup — has only exacerbated the problem.

[SPaRTAN]

If they stick with the conference system instead of reverting to a 15 team round robin then that's Superdooper Rugby finished.

[Kiap]

Ta. Thanks for posting that.

If SANZAAR was to abandon the current 15-team, three conference model and revert to 14 teams — which would deliver integrity to the competition but limit the franchises to just six home games every second year

Even GRR, barely starting out and with only 6 teams, will have 5 home games for each ... and build from there.

The Soup, on the other hand, is shrinking to greatness ...

[blueandblack]

Would this privateer have the surname Murdoch by any chance?

[JSJ]

Would this privateer have the surname Murdoch by any chance?

Forrest possibly?

[Alison]

Murdoch more likely

[WCRugger]

Murdoch more likely

CVC which is the same group that just bought 27% of the Gallagher Premiership are the most likely group.

[SPaRTAN]

CVC which is the same group that just bought 27% of the Gallagher Premiership are the most likely group.

What would that mean for broadcasts in Australia? I assume this wouldn't be on Fox? Or would CVC on sell these rights?

[Alison]

Ahhhh CVC. The good old finance industry; where would we all be without it *rolls eyes*

[Bakkies]

What would that mean for broadcasts in Australia? I assume this wouldn't be on Fox? Or would CVC on sell these rights?

The existing tv deals were only extended recently.

[sittingbison]

How could SPaRTAN forget the new tv deals....you know, those ones that triggered axing/cutting/chopping/knifing/guillotine the Western Force, as determined by Judge Hammerschlag

Oh wait, although it's a new conference system, with three fewer teams, and a different quantity of games, the good judge determined it WASNT a new tv deal....which triggered etc etc.

But Hammerschlag wasn't in possession of all the facts, namely the second put option and brown paper bag of cash given to Cox that effectively triggered etc etc

My head hurts, sorry SPaRTAN that's all too confusing for you as you weren't a force fan at the time and didn't pay attention

[shasta]

Promotion and relegation would be introduced to the Rugby Championship and Six Nations and a blockbuster November final would be held at a neutral venue such as Wembley Stadium or Barcelona's Camp Nou under a plan to launch a World Rugby 'Nations Championship' in 2022.

The Nations Championship, formerly known as the World League concept, passed a crucial litmus test during "very constructive" talks between the chief executives of all tier one Test nations in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Top World Rugby officials told the Herald: "It was very constructive, things are progressing well, there are still some things to overcome but they are not overwhelming".

A report in London's The Times newspaper on Wednesday laid out the proposal for the 12-nation competition, in which Test nations would play for points during the existing northern and southern hemisphere competitions the Six Nations and Rugby Championship, before meeting for a two-week finals play-off in Europe in November.

More here...... https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-u...30-p50uis.html

[WCRugger]

What would that mean for broadcasts in Australia? I assume this wouldn't be on Fox? Or would CVC on sell these rights?

No idea what it means on the broadcast side of the equation. It's fairly likely they'll be looking at a paywall in some form. Which keeps Fox well in the hunt in Australia particularly in regards to the launch of Kayo.

[Alison]

Promotion and relegation would be introduced to the Rugby Championship and Six Nations and a blockbuster November final would be held at a neutral venue such as Wembley Stadium or Barcelona's Camp Nou under a plan to launch a World Rugby 'Nations Championship' in 2022.

The Nations Championship, formerly known as the World League concept, passed a crucial litmus test during "very constructive" talks between the chief executives of all tier one Test nations in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Top World Rugby officials told the Herald: "It was very constructive, things are progressing well, there are still some things to overcome but they are not overwhelming".

A report in London's The Times newspaper on Wednesday laid out the proposal for the 12-nation competition, in which Test nations would play for points during the existing northern and southern hemisphere competitions the Six Nations and Rugby Championship, before meeting for a two-week finals play-off in Europe in November.

More here...... https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-u...30-p50uis.html

Of course they were constructive! Georgina’s puppeteers can smell more $$$$$ coming in which means they can prop up a failing sport without having to make those pesky structural and governance changes that might otherwise be called for again.