Wish list: Wield the machete
Every passing day of silence from Sanzaar seems to indicate they are about to dismantle the busted Super Rugby series.
That’s a theory hogging the headlines in one section of my mind. Another is telling me the hush is quite illogical in these times when social media details every waking and sleeping moment.
Perhaps I’m allowing my preference to override another mishmash scheme Sanzaar is about to deliver to a rugby community inflicted with a lop- sided conference system heaping further confusion in an already convoluted competition.
Maybe the hush means Sanzaar has done diddly- squat and is taking us all along for a ride waiting for this year’s series to pick up before the tempest of the Lions visit overwhelms everything else.
Option A is still winning on my wish list, one which says tournament organisers have reined in their zeal and accepted the less- is- best formula which drives most successful enterprises suits the psyche of rugby followers in this part of the world.
My dreamy wishes say that after the scalpel work — take a very deep breath here — officials have unclipped the machete and chopped all seven South African and Argentine sides from the deal.
That also reduces the travel programme and eliminates the unwieldy time differences on live television coverage out of the republic.
The Sanzaar rulers have agreed the best move is for that collection of sides from South Africa and Argentina to throw in their lot with European competitions and for the international squads to push to join the Six Nations.
They believe that will help the offshore player exodus which has hurt South Africa, in particular, and it will be a much better broadcasting fit.
Organisers have kept all five sides from New Zealand, reduced Australia to four, stayed with the Sunwolves in Japan as part of the commercial strategy towards the next World Cup and opted for the last two sides from the Pacific Islands or Asia.
That arrangement taps into the economic and broadcasting markets in this part of the world where fans will be able to tune into more meaningful contests at acceptable times.
Organisers would return to a round- robin competition and finals to fit into the new time frame recently agreed to by World Rugby before the cream of the talent begin playing test matches in July.
The lure of a sharp, high quality rugby series in the South Pacific- Asia region would reward players and hold them from premature exits chasing the loot in Europe and might encourage some from that part of the world to try their talents Downunder.
If only . . . but with the continuing silence there’s still hope.
With the continuing silence there’s still hope.