Super Rugby expansion under threat

...what a joke.. the Japanese can't even find a coach or a team..

But Sydney's Daily Telegraph newspaper reports that contingency plans have been drawn up that involve running a 17-team format without Japan, or going to 16 teams with just the Argentina side...

Officials from Sanzar toured Japan earlier this month and raised concerns that suggested a delay in the Asian stronghold's entry could be a possibility.

It seems a power struggle between the wealthy company-based Japanese clubs and the Super Rugby ambitions are at the base of Japans problems.

 ...what's happening with the Kings?...sounds like they're too broke to be included in 2016 as well.... competitions turning into a total goat fk...

I lost interest years ago already. It can now at best be called a development tournament, although total goat fk as you put it is more accurate.

 Just the other day I told someone that, IMO, SANZAR and their Super Rugby competition could well be the downfall of SH rugby pretty soon..................
Actually............ it will not even be a purely SH competition anymore. 

 Looks like the NZ/Aus setup will be the one to watch . SA, Argies & Japs I dunno, especially when thinking of the depleted makeup of our teams next year & of course the EP Kings . There's going to be a helluva lot of kak games .

 BB
There sure are going to be problems with the SA sides - but I think some of the departures from the scene of players would be a blessing in disguise and that we have sufficient and better youngsters to replace them.   They have become to big for the game in any event.   The Bulls showed us on Saturday what damage has been done to the team by Ludeke, Spies and Matfield over the last three years.   
I was definitely impressed by the Lions and the Bulls this year.  The Stormers have backline problems - but I think Jones will fix the problems.  I wrote elsewhere about the issue and hope the Stormers can find a proper flyhalf and get rid of the midgets who are defensive liabilities.   
The sides that would be problematic are the Sharks and the Cheetahs - but they would not be worse than they were this year.   The Kings are plain and simple BS in capital letters.     

 blobbok
 
Status: Bok regular 
Posts: 1131RE: Super Rugby expansion under threat
August 26, 2015, 11:18:22

 Looks like the NZ/Aus setup will be the one to watch . SA, Argies & Japs I dunno, especially when thinking of the depleted makeup of our teams next year & of course the EP Kings . There's going to be a helluva lot of kak games .

Add to that the crap setup with the two SA conferences. I noticed this the other day and has nit seen many comments about it. Compare the two SA Conferences (which has not even been finalized yet) with the two OZ/NZ conferences. Bearing that in mind, I have to agree that the SA, as one of then three "main" SANZAR partners, has effectively been side-lined into a second rate "leg" of the competition.
Australian ConferencePosTeamPWDLPFPAPDTFTATBLBPts1Brumbies0000000000002Force0000000000003Rebels0000000000004Reds0000000000005Waratahs000000000000
New Zealand ConferencePosTeamPWDLPFPAPDTFTATBLBPts1Blues0000000000002Chiefs0000000000003Crusaders0000000000004Highlanders0000000000005Hurricanes000000000000 Africa 1 ConferencePosTeamPWDLPFPAPDTFTATBLBPts1tbd0000000000002tbd0000000000003tbd0000000000004 Argentina (Super Rugby)000000000000Africa 2 ConferencePosTeamPWDLPFPAPDTFTATBLBPts1tbd0000000000002tbd0000000000003tbd0000000000004 Japan (Super Rugby)000000000000The format leaves OZ nicely with all their pool games in OZ on  home turf and the same for NZ. SA and the Jap and Arg teams will be flying all over the world, unless the plans are to base the Jap and Arg teams in SA for the duration of the competition. That would, IMO, defeat the object of "bringing Super Rugby to Arg and Japan".
In fact, SANZAR would be beating their chests over "their" efforts in expanding the game in Arg and Japan while, in effect, it is mostly done by SA and SA teams. The chances are that and OZ or NZ team could win the Super Rugby Competition without ever setting a foot outside of OZ/NZ.