PR, politics, X marks the spot
When NZ Rugby CEO Mark Robinson said the fourth round of Super Rugby Pacific attracted 25% more viewers than last year it almost made the brain execute somersaults.
Let’s get to the guts of the issue. Crowds on game-day have been modest. The data provided by Robinson could be described as cherry picking, a public relations tactic used to accentuate the positive, but that’s not to say it’s not correct.
A jump of 25% was massive. The Crusaders-Hurricanes fixture was probably the biggest drawcard for New Zealand fans in the fourth round; in the corresponding round last year, the Blues-Crusaders game would have, in all likelihood, drawn most of the attention.
We simply have to trust the numbers provided by NZ Rugby with this one.
Robinson attributed the spike in interest to Super Rugby being proactive and tweaking rules such as the offside rule when kicking the ball, and the reduction in interference by the TMOs.
The latter, especially, has been a major victory for common sense. Now, let’s have consistent performances from the five NZ teams. It’s overdue.
Here’s this week’s talking points.
1. Former Wallaby Matt To’omua’s dig at NZ teams.
To’omua has a tip-top memory. He got on the blue bird (X, formerly Twitter) to remind us of NZ Rugby’s statements from several years ago, when it reckoned the Aussies didn’t deserve to have five teams in the competition.
Posting a picture of the log, which has the winless Crusaders at the bottom, he wrote: “I’ve been saying this for a long time, but NZ just doesn’t have the resources to put out 5 competitive teams anymore …’’
Shot, bro. It seems fair to note, however, that the Hurricanes, Chiefs and Blues are in the top four slots.
The Chiefs could (albeit briefly) go to the top of the ladder if they secure a bonuspoint win over the Crusaders in Christchurch tomorrow night. And who dares bet against that?
2. Another brick removed from the Crusaders’ wall.
Injured first five-eighth Fergus Burke, 24, has been linked with English club Saracens, with Crusaders coach Rob Penney saying a statement is imminent.
This is a worry for the Crusaders, and for the game in New Zealand.
Burke, who was expected to be the Crusaders’ starting No 10 until he injured his Achilles tendon last year, appears set to join Saracens because England five-eighth Owen Farrell will play his club rugby in France next season.
NZ Rugby can’t prevent overseas clubs siphoning away talent, but losing a talented playmaker is a big concern. Burke has also been chased by Scotland.
3. TJ Perenara and the politics of rugby.
This is a big week for ex-All Blacks No 9 Perenara.
Named on the Hurricanes bench to face the Highlanders, he’s set to make his 154th appearance for the franchise – a record.
Perenara also captured national attention by breathing life into the Poua women’s haka story. TJ backs them.
As a senior player in New Zealand, he’s entitled to have an opinion. The same could be said for the Hurricanes’ sponsors, who may have been less enamoured by the Poua’s actions.
They probably did their talking behind closed doors.
4. Tyrel Lomax hits a century.
Rugby Australia must still be kicking stones when it thinks about the way Lomax slipped through its fingers.
Having played for the Rebels in 2017, the son of Kiwis and Canberra Raiders prop and enforcer Johnny Lomax switched to the Highlanders for two years and then moved up the country to the Hurricanes.
The ABs premier tighthead prop at the World Cup last year, Lomax represented the Australia under-20 side until he switched allegiances to NZ rugby.
5. Cross-town clash or WahsKnights.
The Blues-Moana Pasifika fixture at Eden Park in Auckland could be a pearler.
No, that’s not a nutty thing to state, not when you consider the Blues needed a penalty try in the final moments to beat MP at Eden Park last year. It was a shake-your-fist-at-the-telly moment.
You had to feel for MP, who almost achieved the great upset of the season in front of a handful of fans. How many will turn up on Saturday?
The next day, the Warriors host the Knights. They know how to draw a crowd.