Razor hints at ‘brutal’ 10-week competition
Crusaders coach Scott Robertson says a ‘‘brutal’’ 10-week Super Rugby domestic competition is on the cards in New Zealand.
Robertson, speaking to Will Greenwood’s Podcast on Sky Sports, has been in lockdown in Christchurch since Covid-19 forced New Zealand to go to level four but believes the easing of the restrictions to level one – whenever that will be – will see Super Rugby spark up again in the form of a truncated competition.
Robertson suggested the five New
Zealand teams will play each other twice to give Sky Sport some of the content it so desperately needs to broadcast to fans.
That, in turn, would result in NZ Rugby and the five clubs receiving some much needed revenue. Their balance sheets have copped a fearful beating since the pandemic forced the borders to close and all sport to be abandoned. While it’s extremely unlikely any Super Rugby teams based offshore will visit New Zealand this year, NZ Rugby is determined to produce some content if the government gives it the green light.
‘‘We will be able to play in level one,’’ Robertson said. ‘‘We will just play local games, derby games as we call it, so it will be 10 weeks home and away, and the first [team] – top of the table wins.
‘‘So it’s pretty brutal.’’
Rugby programmes around the world have been turned upside down because of the pandemic, and there is no chance of the All Blacks’ domestic tests against Wales and Scotland in July going ahead.
‘‘If we start June, July, August – we will get the Super in and we will go into the NPC and just finish later in the year,’’ Robertson noted.
‘‘That’s the information here at the moment but it all depends on what the government says. We just need to play a bit of footy. Everyone does. We need to get some sport, get our businesses back on track.
‘‘And give Sky some viewing, so we can get some money back in.’’
Unlike previous seasons, when All Blacks have rarely played in the Mitre 10 Cup because of the high workload in Super Rugby and tests, it appears likely they will appear for their provincial teams. However, it is not straight forward. NZ Rugby will also be desperate to have some tests played this year, as will their Sanzaar partners, because those fixtures rake in the most income.
Sanzaar CEO Andy Marinos recently suggested the Rugby Championship and Super Rugby matches could be played in the late spring.
Meanwhile, this weekend a vote will be held to determine whether Argentina’s Agustin Pichot will have enough support to replace England’s Bill Beaumont as World Rugby chairman.
World Rugby is under pressure to create a global calendar, something Beaumont has failed to do during his tenure because several of the powerful Six Nations unions do not want their competition – one of the great cash cows of the game – to be compromised.
Robertson is hopeful a global season can be created whatever the outcome of the vote.
‘‘It is obvious this is the time to do it, if ever we are going to do it,’’ Robertson said.