This will be a good opportunity to try new players, players that need game time or coming back from injury, new combinations, game plans etc. ??
And it’s quite nice to have Rugby available to watch over Christmas??
Especially when going to the pub after festive dinners and such :)
I don't agree, summer is cricket time, being at the beach and with family and friends. Don't have time to sit in 30 degrees in a stadium
"And it’s quite nice to have Rugby available to watch over Christmas??"
I don't know about you okes, but just looking at the playing calendar and it makes absolutely no sense.
Hear, hear Stav 
Got it, I don’t want the European teams to change their schedule at all. They should continue to play their games, but why don’t we star our season earlier. So SA teams play a round of derby games. There are for teams so it means they can wrap it up in 6 weeks given they have home and away games. So instead of starting September, just start July, middle of championship rugby, but the boks won’t be available anyway, but it means SA will have a pool of fringe boks to call on.
All SA teams take a break from 15 December for a month with light training and the play the euro cup end Jan for 2 weeks and then shut down for 2 months until after the six nations, everyone gets a break, enjoy the summer and the start playing proper rugby in March. Season ends end of June. Some off time for a month and SA teams can start again
I just don’t agree with the SA teams playing in Europe anyway.
So you don’t want them playing there at all? It feels a bit like SA is the odd man out.
When Super Rugby stopped we managed to get into Europe comps, but it never truly felt like the right move.
Just my opinion. And I think there might be more feeling that SA don’t truly belong in these NH competition.
So what next for SA? Wouldn’t it be better if we try and join the SH competitions again?
If we can’t be competitive in the Champions Cup, what is the use of playing there?
Maybe it would be best to leave URC and only play the Champions Cup.
Then at Least we can focus on that and not be to scattered in between the Competitions and travelling??
I just think the whole idea is ludicrous. It benefits no-one.
Yes I think SA would be better rejoining the SH comps. It makes more sense.
Well I tend to agree with you Becs. Ever since SR stopped, I missed it.
It just had a total different feel to it and I know it will not be the same , but I would like to have it back.
AB, SA,Oz , Pumas,Fiji and Samoa should join forces for Super Rugby again.
Wish it was so simple, but unluckily it’s up to the men in charge of Rugby.
I agree with that.
Why join SH again when the only actual competition is NZ.
Nah!
Love the URC with the SA teams in it.
Good luck, with how attendance and revenue has grown, convincing anyone that the SA teams should leave the URC.
The URC is the first step towards a truly global rugby champonship for top club franchises...but the structure needs work...we did not really fit in as equals in SR either...I would like to see a competition between 8 SH teams and 10 NH teams...it can run overlapping with some existing leagues.
So plum and DB you guys think we should rather stick to URC?
It does seem to be a problem for us to find a competitive groove being part of both Comps.
I think champions Cup might be better and more Competitive because of the French teams to?
So we were not equals in SR and yet again not equals in NH…surely SA teams after WC glory should be in high demand?
And because of that we can bargain a better deal. Bargaining a deal out of desperation, will never work.
All I do know is, we can’t be losing Games with those kind of scores… that’s Embarrassing!
It does seem to be a problem for us to find a competitive groove being part of both Comps.
I'm not seeing the problem either. I don't see it being a case that South African teams can't compete in the Champions Cup, its just going take a bit of time for South African teams to learn how to best balance the demands of competing in the two tournaments at the same time.
I think on paper the full strength South African teams can be competitive with anyone (maybe the Lions a little less so) but I don't think they are as stocked in depth as some of the northern hemisphere teams. The Sharks though I reckon are the only team team from South Africa with a realistic chance of winning the Champions Cup.
I think champions Cup might be better and more Competitive because of the French teams to?
It is the best club rugby tournament in the world, though its not as good as it use to be because of format changes. The URC with the inclusion of the South African teams has become a fine tournament in its own right.
So we were not equals in SR and yet again not equals in NH…surely SA teams after WC glory should be in high demand?
What do you mean not equals. You're not shareholders in the URC or EPCR something that will change from next season. But that's the standard joining process that the like's of the Italians had to go through as well.
The Irish, Scots and Italian's have no issues with South Africa's teams competing in either. They think its great. The Welsh less so but they have been moaning about competing in the URC and its predecessor tournaments for years. Yes reaction in France and the UK has generally less receptive on the grounds of tradition and the long distance travel evolved but I think they will come round if the South African teams are competitive.
All I do know is, we can’t be losing Games with those kind of scores… that’s Embarrassing!
It doesn't help perceptions, but other teams outside of South Africa do it as well. Back in 2022, Montpellier sent over the academy team to Leinster and got trashed 89-7.
" You're not shareholders in the URC or EPCR something that will change from next season. But that's the standard joining process that the like's of the Italians had to go through as well. "
It’s what I meant. Thanks for clarifying it. So then we will be on better footing in that regard next season.
Like you say, if we can find our balance, we will be more competitive.
On paper the sharks are strong, but if they can put it over into action on the Field, we will have to wait and see.
The Bulls is also a strong team, especially there pack. They somehow just not switching over into that next gear.
The Stormers that has won the URC once, does look a bit lost at the moment. They do need some fresh players though.
Although the Lions don’t have all the superstars on paper, they are not to be underestimated.
It’s what I meant. Thanks for clarifying it. So then we will be on better footing in that regard next season.
Yes financially South African will start receiving money from both the URC and EPCR and as shareholders South Africa will be able to host Champions Cup semi-finals something they can't do a present.
I miss old super 12, maybe Super 14, no more. When we had 5 teams and you can plug in on Friday morning and Watch 2 / 3 games on a Friday and 2/4 games on a Saturday. I would watch every South African team with interest.
I still think Super Rugby is where SA should play.
Well Becs it looks like SA Teams is there to stay for now:) Don’t upset yourself to much….
I am still wondering why we’re we kicked out from SR?
Was it only because of travel or the one party wanting more money than the other?
I’ll just have to put up with you, Mpower 
I don’t know why you were kicked out of SR. It seems the natural place for your teams.
:)
Corne Krige doesn’t think the travelling is a problem at all……
The former Stormer revealed that he believes the issue revolves around the time of the year when the games are played because in the Super Rugby era December was a rest period for South Africans.
“We compare travel in the Champions Cup to travel in Super Rugby and I mean in Super Rugby we used to fly halfway around the world and then play a few days later. So I don’t think it’s too bad,” Krige told Telecom Asia Sport.
Time of the year
“It’s this time of the year that we’re not used to playing, which is usually our off-season, now, suddenly we’re playing in some serious competitions.
“I think that’s maybe the issue we need to look at.
“But, in general, I don’t think the [Champions Cup] travel is such a big problem.
“There’s not a massive time difference and that doesn’t make it that much more difficult for the players.”
Whether or not the travel is as taxing as the Super Rugby era a solution to scheduling must be found where teams can spend a fortnight away from home rather than two big travel weeks back to back.
Off topic, but have you heard of the River Wharfe in Yorkshire?
There is a stretch in that River called the Strid. It’s only 1,5m wide, but very turbulent.
Get this at its deepest spot in this narrow Strid, it’s 65 m deep….people have died there already because it’s so dangerous.
Watching it on You tube….scary black water. Interesting.
Becs stop being sooooo bloody narrow minded
It’s a very dangerous piece of water, Mpower.
Saffolk…..shut up
Sees the South African public has got behind derby matches over Christmas. Kings Park stadium is sold out for the Sharks vs Bulls game.
Over 20,000 tickets sold for the Stormers vs Lions match.
Our test players are now effectively playing a 12 match season….injuries have to increase.
"Our test players are now effectively playing a 12 match season….injuries have to increase."
Correction….month season.
I remember so philosopher wrote after living in a brothel, the most interesting woman was those that kept their clothes on rather than those who were naked. You got to leave something for the imagination and not have it all at once.
If you one of those that are addicted to rugby, there are other teams you can watch. But for me it is about building up the excitement for the season, who to watch out for and really look forward to a game my team will play in, but if I have to watch Bools and stormers for the fifth time, I have absolutely no interest what so ever.
I also want to look forward to our teams playing against foreign teams, but I want to know who they are and the players. If it is some Welsh team with no name players, then there is no interest for me.
I probably knew about 60 super rugby players from both Australia and New Zealand with great interest.
I still only know 5 foreign players from the URC after 3 years and those are x south african players and probably a few more from the Irish team. No Welsh, no Scottish, no Italian
So less is more, 5 months of Super rugby and 3 to 4 months of test rugby is where we should be
When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do …. I think Right now we have to respect the difference with being part of the NH competition.
Fact is the SH don’t want us and we should just carry on with this and give it our best shot.
I also miss SR, but at the same time I feel relieved that we are at least part of the NH comps.
If we win the Championship Cup, it’s going to feel very special:) Here,s hoping for that!
kingcorn
Senior player2,866 posts
I don't know about you okes, but just looking at the playing calendar and it makes absolutely no sense. First, most of the key boks will be rested from Feb to March and won't be playing in the derbies.
Then, there are matches that are spread out from Dec until mid March. Most of these games are local derby games except for the European rugby championship.
Why not just end 15 December and then start the season again on 22 March. There are two championship games at the end of Jan. But we just skip these derby games and start them earlier. Players get a break, they can occupy their time for European cup games and then have a proper switch off. Pointless rugby
Stormers