I say it again, Rugby season is too long

Just looked at the NFL season, the teams only play 17 games in total that includes pre-season games. 

This is highly paid sporting code. Yet, their season starts in September and finishes in Jan and have a few rounds of play-offs. 

I'm by no way saying we should copy that complicated format, we saw how it screwed up Super Rugby, we are seeing how we are struggling to follow the URC and Champions cup and then throw in the internationals. 

But one thing I did notice is that each team only get 9 home games with 1 of them being a preseason game. As a rule, teams can only play 2 pre-season games before the league start. 

I think the NFL has two things that rugby can adopt, less is more, have an uninterrupted playing season. 

Yet, for some reason, Europe wants to compete against the football clubs and especially in England, they have smaller grounds and clubs and not franchises like most other countries. Yet, their teams are going bankrupt. 

Then, we have France the only country to buck the trend, but they grind their players into the ground and funded by corrupt dodgy business men. 

I like what they do in Japan and I believe that is the model we should follow. They have their league games follow by a tournament. 

The other thing about the NFL is that they have a thriving college football scene and Michigan has the largest NFL stadium which can seat over a 100 000 people. 

But the rugby admin people are stuck in their ways. 

I would play the URC for 5 months, no stupid play-offs, just a league with relegation and promotion. 14 teams, 7 home and 7 away. 

The league would be the qualifier, I

I would simplify the European championship with proper pools with each team playing 4 pool games, 2 home and 2 away. 

Then you have your knock out round rugby. T

Golf and tennis both have long seasons, which reman compelling. Tennis starts with the Aussie Open in January and ends in November with the ATP finals. There are plenty of weeks that are boring which one ignores.

 Rugby was fine with the Super 12, regular tests and the Year End Tour.  A long season but not too many matches. Now there are a plethora of boring matches. For me nothing of any real interest starts until June….is over in September and then there are one/at best two matches of interest at YE.

Because of the nature of the game irrelevant contests are dangerous. Players can injure themselves just as easily in a 40 point rout. So I don’t think the season is too long, I think there are too many irrelevant matches, especially now that we play club rugby up north.

Harlequins vs Leinster does nothing for me….but it’ pulsating for others. Munster playing their touring team in Cape Town stadium is small compensation for the Stormers vs the Crusaders at Newlands. Traditions are a huge part of our interest in sport.

Agree on Super 12, we knew who all the players were in Australia and New Zealand. Then we saw the top players compete in the tri-nations. It was easy to follow

Now we have 16 teams, some dodgy Welsh, Italian and the odd Irish team, not to mention the Scottish teams with a lot of no name brand players. 

Players I don't even recognise at test level. 

I had great evening with a kiwi friend, speaking about how they see South African players and how I saw Kiwi players. Who were the up and coming talent to look out for etc. 

Now we see Leinster sending their youth team to SA. 

Ireland is a top team but none of those name stand out for me. I few knobs in the team but I can probably on think of 2 players and they are Kiwi and Australian. 

We'll not get Super Rugby back, but all the clubs / franchises need to change their mind set. 

Would you want to see full stadiums with fewer games or would you want to see more games with emptier stadiums. 

You should never have joined us over here. 

Super Rugby was a better home for you  

Klop .................. better weather as well

Absolutely ! 

Although the sun does shine here sometimes