Messy SA Super Rugby divorce on the cards
Developments in the sport could be good or bad news for Kings
SA’s messy divorce from Super Rugby appears inevitable after All Black and Wallabies stars ganged up against the continued inclusion of the Bulls, Sharks, Lions and Stormers.
This, coupled with plans by a cash-flush Guinness PRO14’s plans to expand their league, means a parting of the ways could come sooner rather than later.
Depending on how you view this development, this could be either good or bad news for the Kings.
The Kings would expect to see a marked interest in PRO14 if SA’s Super Rugby teams joined the European-based tournament.
SA’s rugby fans have failed to warm to the PRO14, but that could change if the Bulls, Lions, Stormers and Sharks were added to the mix.
On the other hand, if PRO14 want five SA franchises in an enlarged 18-team competition, the Kings could find themselves heading for the exit door in the long term.
The Cheetahs are the other SA team playing in the PRO14.
The Kings are guaranteed one more season in the PRO14 and will have to improve dramatically if they want to hang onto that status.
Since joining the Europeanbased competition in 2017, the Kings have won only four of the 55 matches they have played.
This appalling record will surely count against them if PRO14 bosses have to cull a team to make room for SA’s four Super Rugby franchises.
According to Australia’s Nine News website, a group of Australian players, led by Wallabies captain Michael Hooper, was involved in a virtual call with their New Zealand counterparts where they discussed their desired Super Rugby tournament for the future.
The Kiwi contingent included newly appointed All Blacks captain Sam Cane, the report said.
The group unanimously agreed that Super Rugby as it stood — featuring Australian, New Zealand, SA, Japanese and Argentinian franchises — was no longer viable.
It is believed that the players want to see a trans-Tasman competition, involving the existing nine franchises from each country along with the reintroduction of the Western Force, while the addition of a Pacific Island team would also be welcomed. This idea was also recently flouted by former All Blacks flyhalf Andrew Mehrtens, who said Super Rugby was dead in its current format, and must change to a competition played solely in New Zealand and Australian time zones.
“New Zealand is going to benefit ultimately from a revamped Super Rugby and Australia will too,” the 87-capped Crusaders legend told the offtheball.com show in a conversation with former Wallabies
coach Michael Cheika and former Ireland hooker Keith Wood.
“I’ve said for quite a while now that, while the competition has expanded, it hasn ’ t expanded in a consistent or logical way,” Mehrtens said.
“It’s just added a couple of teams here and there. It went to 14, 15, then it went to 18 and dropped back down.
“The hindrance in Super Rugby is that there are games in Argentina now, and the time zone is not great for New
Zealand and Australia. The same with SA.
“Not many people are watching even their own teams at 3am coming out of SA.”
It seems a major stumbling block for this trans-Tasman event is that SA and New Zealand are believed to have already signed broadcast deals beyond 2020 for the Super Rugby event.
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and the five New Zealand Super Rugby franchises are undertaking a review of New
Zealand’s Super Rugby model to ensure the future success for teams and the competition on and off the field.
It is believed this review could have an impact on SA’s future in the tournament.
Super Rugby has become increasingly unattractive for fans and broadcasters alike over the years with its expansion into other countries such as Argentina and Japan.
The Covid-19 pandemic, which halted the 2020 tournament, could also be the catalyst for change in the southern hemisphere.
With the regular season up in the air, New Zealand formed their own domestic tournament called “Super Rugby Aotearoa”, which begins this month. Australia are also busy forming their own tournament involving their franchises.
There has been growing support for a Trans-Tasman competition in future years, and if stakeholders get their way then SA and Argentina could be forced out of Super Rugby.
Travel restrictions have made it impossible for Super Rugby to be completed this year, and this restriction could also have an impact on next year’s tournament.
Insiders say a move north in the future will be a much more viable option for SA’s teams with its similar time zones.
Travelling to the north will also be easier for SA teams and it will also be financially more beneficial for all involved.
Broadcasting deals are the one stumbling block for New Zealand and Australia to get rid of SA.
“We have always been very interested in SA. We like them and see them as a key part of our future,” PRO14 CEO Martin Anayi said.
“The tournament works well at the moment, but could work better if you could add teams to it, so that’s one avenue potentially.”