In the old Super Rugby era there would have been many a lively debate. Now it seems the European club finals can’t even evoke a comment. We have half a rugby season. 

Something has to be done. This lack of meaningful competition will show up in our national game. For one thing so many of our players are now playing for foreign clubs that a South African playing style is going to be hard to define. Perhaps not immediately but over time.

And without the insurance policy and incentive of playing for a Super Rugby team younger and younger players are going to drift overseas and be captured in the net of countries like France and Ireland who have changed their fortunes with foreign players.

I lost a bit of interest with the continual local derbies during the height of Covid, and then initially South Africa struggled in Pro14.

 I will certainly watch more of Pro14 and will need to renew sky sports , now that the SA teams have settled into the tournament. Also, next year is already a world cup year as well, so everyone's interest should be back

France is employing less and less foreign imports because of the new limits placed upon teams. 

And English teams are also sticking to more home grown players, partly because of the salary cap and the losses Covid caused them monetarily. It’s estimated 70 established players will be without a club come the summer. 

Tired of watching the same teams play each other week in week out and really the game of rugby has been destroyed with the new laws being applied by the refs.

The spark has been blown out of the game.

At this stage I am only going to watch international games in an attempt to retain some interest in the game.

Sadly.

The quality and style will start slipping...the loss of Super Series will suffocate our rugby.and will affect NZ, Oz and Arg as well...we need each other. Far more entertaining.

It certainly appears the economic future of Europe does not augur well and sport will suffer.

How we miss you guys.

Yes Super Rugby will be missed, but the fact is they just dropped us....URC is all we have for now and looking at the form of SA players in NH, it can't be that bad for SA Rugby....I think the biggest problem is watching the games because DSTV and Streaming has become rediculously expensive...for me atleast..... with this kind of price increase, it looks very much like it's fast becoming a rich man sport.....in the olden days a person could atleast watch international games without paying a arm and a leg.... Rugby games should be made more excessable for below middle class people....then the excitement and Fan base will grow exponentially.

For a proper Super Rugby (like in the S10/S12 days) and Currie Cup I'd gladly pay for a subscription to watch. Right now I've completely lost interest in SA rugby. Everything feels diluted and pointless. May fire up a crappy free feed for the Welsh tests, but that's about it.

It’s time our sport went on the internet.

Right now, Rugby, cricket and soccer are holding up a clearly bloated DSTV.

What’s sad is that some relatively unknown actor l, appearing in a barely watched local show, is earning as much as a rugby player taking part in matches with far higher viewership.

Our sport needs to break away from the current model and go fully online.

Less bloat, more money to players and vastly more potential for interactive services… bribing further money into our sport.

Netflix and similar have for some time been outstripping regular cable and satellite services so it is perhaps only a matter of time until sports are added.

Supersport has the camera crews and equipment to broadcast the matches. Even if our sports go online, professional camera crews will still be needed.

I suspect the real reason rugby conversation has plummetted on this forum has less to do with the format of our domestic rugby competition and a lot more to do with the fact that everyone is sick and tired of the juvenile, repetetive and boring bickering that takes place on a daily basis between our two resident septuagenarian rugby noobs, Moffie and ou Maaik.

There's only so many times anyone can visit the rugby section and read the same old monotonous drivel . . . Damian de Allende/Pieter Steph du Toit is useless . . . no he's not, you're stupid, he's great . . . no, you're the one who's stupid, he's useless . . . no he's not, you're stup id and he's world-class . . . no he's not, you're stupid . . . etc etc etc . . . blah blah blah . . .

I think the yarpies are too embarrassed to turn up because they don't have much good to talk about. sad sad times in y arpie land. 

Moz I’ve been saying the same for some time now. Our teams have been playing in the URC and the standard of rugby has been pretty damn good so hell knows why so called rugby people on this site fail to comment - it’s pathetic really

Reading this shit about it being boring etc etc is utter rubbish. The SA sides are playing a great brand of rugby and in the process unearthing some exciting new talent.

While I’m sad we have left Super rugby it kind of tied in with a stage of our rugby where we had so many of our youngsters leaving that our domestic sides took the shape of provincial B sides and the standard of the URC seem to accommodate this.

I just wonder how well our B sides would have done in Super rugby, as the Kiwi and Oz sides seem to have retained most of their players domestically

I for one have loved watching our sides in the URC, no more or less than I did watching our sides playing super rugby

The rugby contributions on here are pathetic and mostly relate to historic games or players and have nothing to do with the current matches being played.

It’s extremely disappointing and makes this board a tad boring

So Peeper….tell us what rugby points you have made on this and prior rugby boards over 20 years that are of interest. I can honestly think of nothing. A few punts of mostly failed players, a bit of unctuous support of players of color, attacks on a few players you dislike like Etzebeth….but mostly about their character.

And many hilarious miscalls like the 2007 WC you said we could never win.Then the many early mouth calls and Durban July loser picks and your epic pick of Zidone and Dusted as the best soccer player in the game, days before he took France out of the WC with a silly foul.

But this volume of foot shooting  nonsense pales in comparison with the number of petty attacks you have launched on other posters. Like the post above….completely unprovoked, independent of the string…..nasty. But you know what, nobody cares. We have heard it all before. You are a spent force. Irrelevant background noise which no longer draws even a chuckle.

Saffex, I share your sentiments. Super Rugby was good, but it became a bit stale towards the end...too many unbalanced matches with the inclusion of some of the weaker sides, but there were still enough mouth-watering matchups for rugga people...having said that, we were kicked out of SR...we didn't leave on our own. Luckily we were able to negotiate something for our top 4 franchises...and it's not half as bad as some make it. 

There were some very good matches...and we have 3 teams in the quarters and 3 teams going to compete in the next European competition...not nearly all bad...stop complaining about something you can't do anything about and focus on those things you can.

I still don’t see how the SA teams in the Champions Cup is going to work. 

But hey, money and all that 

When South Africa was kicked out of Super Rugby , it was always going to backfire. 70% of the viewership was from South Africa. 

"I still don’t see how the SA teams in the Champions Cup is going to work. "

Similar to SR and the URC...a bit more travel than the continental comp, but now you can call it "INTERCONTINENTAL "...and you play against the current WORLD CHAMPIONS, so the prestige went up a few notches. .if you like it or not ...RtC is normal but not always right. Sometimes there's positives to change...it's not all bad.

Super rugby didnt look that good. saw some games where there were about as many people at the game as my sons sunday league games. it takes something really shitty for even fans to not turn up! cause fans are usually moaners who don't do anything. 

All leagues have kak games...but you won't get much better than the Saders or the Blues vs the Stormers or da Bools...top 4 SR of 2019 will crush top 4 Premiership...any day of the week... trice on Sunday.

PS: Leinster, Ulster and Munster vs Canes, Blues and Saders will be much closer than some on here would concede. 

Come now….how often do NH teams win in the SH tests. Up north it might be only 50:50. 

It's not how much they win, it's about being competitive...they(NZ) kicked us out...it's on them, stop groveling before these arseholes...they can go jump into the ocean for all I care...they need us at least as much as we need them...actually more so...I want to see Leinster and LR to play the Saders or the Blues on neutral ground, before I assume the SH teams are better than NH teams...

Last round of tests up North, the SH teams lost much more than they won...not much between Ireland and NZ ATM...France, the Poms???

Well, you’ll be playing a Test against NZ at Twickers next summer, if the rumours are correct. 

So it’s okay to play  ‘with these arseholes’ in the Rugby Cup. But not in Super Rugby. The logic is a little precious. Personally it seems to me it’s a little hard claim success when we are clearly the losers in the process.

But I suppose as long as the wagons are circled and we keep repeating how great the NH experiment is  going to be ….all is well in Piesangsfontein.

Ai, glass always half emty nè?

That’s just it Draad…for my part I think the rugby scene is a lot less fun. Just calling it as I see it.

We'll compete in Supe rugby again, but it was time the structure change...travel over multiple time zones put us at a too big disadvantage...hopefully some bright spark can come up with some sort of competition structure to enable us to play the NZ and Ausie teams again...but it needs to be on equ el footing...

"...hopefully some bright spark can come up with some sort of competition structure to enable us to play the NZ and Ausie teams again...but it needs to be on equel footing..."

You are limiting yourself Rudehole, stop doing that please.

I like the fact our teams are playing in Europe.

To me, almost every aspect of it is preferable.

On another note…

Tell me you haven’t been impressed by the integrity of the teams and consistency of the reffing.

That discussion hasn’t been had here yet.

For my part, from the games i’ve watched, the difference between that and what i saw in Super Rugby is stark.

Mainly, i don’t see teams persistently trying to cheat(playing to edge of the rules). Because really, playing to edge of the rules is a diplomatic way of saying “cheating until until you are caught”. It’s a kak approach to sport and a terrible example for youngsters.

You wouldn’t tell your kids to cheat on tests until they are caught and argue that overall it’s a more profitable approach. Then why give that advice, and show that example, on a sports field when integrity and respect for the game are it’s foundations.

Guys this is a terrible rugby board but it was the only one i could find for SA teams.

Most of it is the same old rhetoric about former coaches and how bad one or two players.  the disrespect for the players, staff  and each other is really disappointing.

There were 34 comments on URC matches since the 5th of April.  34!!!  Between 4 teams!!!!   There is no depth of discussion on team selection, strategy or performance.   There were 487 responses to Munster's most shocking performance against Ulster last weekend alone on the munsterfans board.  There were around 150 responses before the match started.   These are not unusual  numbers (792 for the toulouse match) and not just because we were rubbish.     The numbers are not as high on the Leinster / Ulster boards but still far beyond this board.   

We have people giving out about players (connor murray) but they are not personal attacks rather that they are not performing and should be benched.  We love our players!!!  

It will get better....there is a bit of a lapse, but today was a good good day for SA players....we have so much talent, and I personally am so excited for the Squad Announcement.....I really hope R&N rewards the inform players....actually it is a must, we don't want to lose any more of our players ....Hell we have enough talent for 2 Bok teams.....well done Boys, you deserve a " lekker Dop and tjoppie"

Oh ja Boorad , it's easy for you to judge, SA Rugby and fans have gone thru many changes....that takes time to get used to...so try to criticise or belittle or break our spirit, but guess what, not going to happen.

I appreciate you had difficult changes.  God knows we had enough disappointment in Munster in the last number of years so i can fully relate.  I have the greatest respect for the SA team and the SA supporters in general and I have never in my life belittled or tried to break the spirit of anyone.   If you check back in my history you will find i have always spoken with respect.     

However the topic of this is rugby conversation plummets on the board.   As an outsider i find very little day to day rugby talk on this board.   In the middle of a rugby season who cares about who was the best SA team to win the world cup but that was all you were talking about for a month.  I and I am sure many others would want to read about who is lining up in the semi finals.  Who is injured.  Who is the up and coming.  

As a suggestion to make the board more relevant for the next season consider creating a topic  per team  (eg Bulls 2022-23 ) and start talking about current matches that are happening now.      

Ok fair enough....I was trying my best tonight on the urc thread to talk about present games and players....I think some of the guys, me included, are just frustrated but your idea is not bad...we all have to just except that it has all changed and go from there...with our teams now in the Champions cup and Challenge Cup will hopefully bring more excitement....we have achieved atleast, and after a short time, to play in the URC Semis....you can't really compare URC, Champions Cup to Super Rugby, but with NH teams catching up and winning against Southern Hemisphere teams, the standard of competition is at a much higher level in NH....especially with France, England and Ireland, not forgetting Wales + Scotland's current form, the days of Southern Hemisphere ruling NH, is over. Great match ups, is on the cards.

I found your comments tonight on the S tormers very interesting and a breath of fresh air.

This is the Edinburgh's thoughts  on the night.

http://www.edinburghgunners.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=7742

We used to have live match threads, but nowadays nobody bothers anymore...we need a bit of new blood I suppose...old rivalries makes a lot of threads turn to bickering...thanks for the effort Boorad, hopefully a bit of introspection can wake us up a bit.

Thanks Boorad....I also see what you mean with Rugby chats on Edinburghgunners .....they appreciated the good play of the Stormers and interesting is that they found Manie Libbok,s tactical kicking a bit erratic, but that it played into the hands of the Stormers.....very interesting forum.....what I can gather is that Guys are looking forward to the new season and actually like the fact that SA teams have joined the competitions.....these guys also have a lot of good things to say about Roos....he was key in the Stormers win last night....ja things are looking up and good for the sport of Rugby.....I read quite a bit of comments and must say there is not a lot of moaning and groaning....just straight up Rugby chats....but us SA guys are quite feisty and ja, we like moaning a bit to much....I will read more on there and maybe also join that forum.