Rugby: Growing chasm between NZ and rest a big problem; Gregor Paul; NZ Herald

Super Rugby has an enormous fix-it job ahead. That much has been clear since this time last year, but just how big and how hard it is going to be to restore credibility is only beginning to be realised.

The problem can essentially be boiled down to one thing - that the gulf between New Zealand's five sides and almost every other team is starting to look unbridgeable.

Certainly, if it can be mended, it won't be quickly as the statistics are trending into dramatic territory.

In 44 cross-conference games last year, New Zealand teams won 85 per cent.

Only seven times did either a South African or Australian side beat one from New Zealand and it only happened twice on New Zealand soil.

So far in 2017, the picture is even more alarming. New Zealand sides have played 22 cross-conference games and won 21.

A win ratio of 85 per cent last year has now jumped to 96 per cent in 2017. But that figure is only the tip of the iceberg.

It's these statistics which have led to a number of significant commercial difficulties. Last week, the Waratahs posted their lowest home crowd in Super Rugby history when just 10,555 people turned up to watch them lose to the Southern Kings.

Compared with last year the Waratahs, historically the best supported Australian side, are looking at a 29 per cent drop in crowd numbers compared with last year.

Broadcast figures so far this year in Australia and South Africa have, according to New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Steve Tew, "plummeted".

Sanzaar's great hope is a reduction to 15 teams next year and a return to the three conference format used between 2011 and 2015 will increase the intensity of competition.

By running fewer teams, the theory is Australia and South Africa will be able to better pool their resources and see an improvement in basic standards.

But as much as the theory may stack as credible, the reality may be different as standards have slipped so far.

The return to credibility will be a troubled and difficult path for Super Rugby and how much so, could become clear in Canberra tomorrow when the Brumbies host the Blues.

The Blues, for several years now, have been New Zealand's basket case franchise. For a multitude of reasons they have battled to retain players, attract players, hold coaches and get anywhere near fulfilling their potential.

And yet, for all their problems, they have still managed to finish, mostly, near the middle of the pack.

This year, while they again sit bottom of the New Zealand Conference, they are unbeaten against sides from South Africa and Australia.

Their game against the top-placed Brumbies will reveal plenty about the true state of Super Rugby.

If the weakest side in New Zealand can travel to the strongest Australian side's fortress and win, it will be further confirmation of how the game has collapsed on one side of the Tasman and thrived on the other.

It will also set off concerns about when, or even if, an Australian side will defeat one from New Zealand this year.

This will be the 40th encounter between New Zealand and Australian teams since expansion and so far the latter have only three wins to show for their endeavour.

The Blues, desperate for competition points to stay in playoff contention, know that whatever recent history says, they are in for a torrid battle.

"They have got tough forwards," says wing Matt Duffie who spent the early part of his career playing for the Melbourne Storm and understands the Australian sporting psyche.

"That is probably our main challenge. It is going to be a battle of the forwards, I suppose. They love the lineout drive and they are good over the ball when defending. We are going to have be on our game and get to the rucks quickly."

By the numbers

* 0 - Australian wins in New Zealand since the competition expanded in 2016.
* 0 - Australian wins against New Zealand teams anywhere in 2017.
* 0 - Wins for South African sides on New Zealand soil in 2017.
* 8 - Times this season alone New Zealand sides have scored more than 50 points in cross-conference games.
* 39 - The Melbourne Rebels' average losing margin against New Zealand sides this year.
* 52 - Combined total competition points for Australian sides, compared to the combined total of 150 points secured by Kiwi sides.
* 57 - Points conceded by the Stormers in their last two games in New Zealand.
* 555 - New Zealand sides' combined total points differential. Australian sides have a combined points differential of -368.

- NZ Herald

 This article sums up what many of us know already, i.e. NZ teams are too dominant if you look at s18 from a financial perspective. For sure they will have to do something to fix this, they have already made it easier for SA & Ozzie teams to get into the finals but the problem still shows up when kiwi teams play Oz or SA teams.
I stick by my suggestion of kiwi teams having to give the opposition one player from their side each time they score a try.

2 Australian sides should have been dropped. Having one less team will help them- but it should have been 2. They are even worse than SA teams this year so far. 
SA should improve by removing 33% of the players, This will help cover injuries to key players in a better way. 

JW at this rate of SA sides losing I would suggest that the Kiwi teams give up two players for each try scored.
Against the Queens, they should only be allowed to have 10 players take the field.
Give us a shot at winning should be the guiding light.

 

 this dominance of the NZ teams could be very problematic for the SR comp itself,... people is losing interest,.... viewers want competitiveness and good rugby, something this year only the clashes btwin NZ teams can offer,.... probably the Lions could also be there but we cannot know since they are not going to play the NZ teams this regular season (which is one of the many things that sucks with the 18 team format)

and the gap is getting bigger and bigger,.... SA and aussie SR teams seem to be in a big trouble,... they don't have the players (sometimes becuse their luring from Europe) but they don't have the coaches neither,.... the SA and aussie professional estructures are not up to the task and this is difficult to fix,...

while I've been very critic with the 18 teams format, I think SANZAAR did the right thing reducing the comp to 15 teams,.... SA and Aus cannot complete more than 4 teams (probably not more than 3 but that reduction could be very drastic)

the Sunwolves could also had been culled from the comp since they are not competitive but I can understand the reasons to mantain them,.... the Japanese market (with its 126 million potential viewers) is as big as the british and french market combined (imagine some TV revenues as big as those of the british and french TV revenues combined) ,.... the next WC is probably a unique ocassion to introduce into the japanese market and the asian market in general

they are going to revert to the 3 conferences system,... NZ conf, Aussie with the Sunwolves and SA with Jaguares,.... they are going to increase the number of "derbies" (or games btwin teams of the same conference) and while I've always been contrary to the conferences and defended the "every team plays every other team" system (wich is the fairest) with the current NZ domination this 3 conferences system is probably the best option to hide it,.... it won't be fair with the NZ teams that are going to play more against other NZ teams (hence they'll have it more difficult to obtain points and classify for the finals) but as I said, probably the best option with the current situation

 The Japanese market (with its 126 million potential viewers) is as big as the british and french market combined (imagine some TV revenues as big as those of the british and french TV revenues combined),.... the next WC is probably a unique ocassion to introduce into the japanese market and the asian market in general

At the big exception that the french and english markets are operated to the benefit of the french and rugby english clubs.

For some time, Japanese people might accept to lose against the ABs. Even though in the long run, they will want to win.

Japan is not SA, the support for rugby will not go without benefits for the locals. A large support without local windfalls will not happen. The Japanese will not accept to fund SR if it does not mean they win and their players are largely represented.
It is a wall football hit in the past. They tried to spread to Japan and South Korea (going up to giving a WC biased against european countries, when those events are biased in favour of european countries)
It did not work.

This is a critical point for SA as they fit in this scheme as the carpet for Japanese people to sweep their studs on.

 Well, here's an idea: Ozzies to play in NZ NPC as part of player development. This would have been unheard of a few years back but something has to be done to develop Oz rugby. What about SA you might ask?
Article published in Rugby Stuff

Look out! Australia wants to join New Zealand's NPC to fix its broken rugby game

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

 

The Australian game has hit rock bottom in Super Rugby, with their trans-Tasman record now reading 0-15 and their conference leaders (the Brumbies) with four fewer points than New Zealand's bottom side (the Blues), so it's no surprise to discover some radical proposals are being mooted.

 

The latest solution being aired across the Ditch is for Australia to essentially use the New Zealand provincial game as its chief development pathway and send its second-tier National Rugby Championship club teams to participate in the Mitre 10 Cup.

 

The Brumbies' defeat to the Blues was Australia's 15th from as many attempts against Kiwi opposition this Super Rugby season.

The Brumbies' defeat to the Blues was Australia's 15th from as many attempts against Kiwi opposition this Super Rugby season.

 

That's a proposal being supported by NSW Waratahs chief executive Andrew Hore, who just happens to be a New Zealander.

 Well the Kiwi league players play in the Australian NRL.

 ha ha, good comeback Denny But they don't play there as a deliberate strategy to develop NZ teams as far as I know.

 That's a silly comment. For starters there's no NZ league competition so where and how else would they raise their standard of play.....and earn a fat salary.