What is the point of the June internationals

Every year the north goes on a holiday to the south with a seriously depleted team which doesn’t really offer the rugby spectators with anything of value to watch. If you consider the astronomical prices that gets charged for these tickets, one often wonder what the point is in having these team tour. Surely the IRB must step in and stop making a mockery of these internationals. I for one believe that there should be an incentive in these matches and that all internations in both hemispheres should be played during an international season where the teams play against each other at full strength. What do you guys say, any point in these games at all?

The more tests the better, there is nothing better than watching rugby tests played between the top rugby nations. By all accounts England will bring their strongest side, excluding the injured. Bring it on I say. Cant wait to watch that series

You answer your own question its the money - certainly not player welfare.

Players are asked to simply soldier on. Nice break for them from the intensity of the Super 15!!!

I do not think that there is a single player who would not grab a chance to represent his country. So, forget the idea of them wanting to have a nice break after the S15.

We have forgotten the real sense of international rugby. It has become a stupid cycle of boring TN  and 6N matches, and not even the inclusion of the Argies into the SANZAR competition is going to break that boring routine. How many times have we not been moaning about the fact that international tours have disappeared. No, the fact that the winter and summer tours are taking place is not because of more money. IMO they have become watered down because of money. There is more money at stake in the two SH and NH competitions than in "cross-hemisphere" tests. That is why these tests never really involve full strength squads for bith side taking part in them.

The SANZAR competitions have generated a hell of a lot of money, but it is not to the benefit of rugby in the broader sense of the word. We need more of these winter/summer tours and on a broader basis with weekday games, etc ove an extended period of time.