Kon’nichiwa Japan Super Rugby?

With the imminent announcement of which new franchises will compete in the 2016 Super Rugby Tournament, opinions are starting to emanate from a number of sources. Most commentary has generally come from individuals who have a vested interest in the outcome.

Brave Blossoms coach Eddie Jones was quick out of the blocks to underline Japan’s credentials, which include an ever-strengthening local league, as well as entering the top ten of the IRB rankings for the first time in their history. Many Pacific Island players have also been seen making comments in social media, bemoaning the fact that the region is not even being considered as a possible home for a Super Rugby franchise. Thrown into this melting pot of global opinion has been an expression of interest out of Singapore.

A Japan Super Rugby Franchise?

Before we can consider the merits of any new franchise, it would be worthwhile to first have an understanding of how the competition will be structured. The make-up of each conference would naturally have a direct impact on who would be the best fit for the competition. Below, we have detailed how each conference stacks up. The franchise mix in the South African conference is an example only as the make-up of each conference is yet to be determined.

There will be 17 rounds in total, with games being each team playing 6 games within their own conference, 5 games against another conference in the Australasian Conference, 4 games from a second South African Conference and two byes. The first four Quarter Finalists will be the four conference winners and they will be seeded in descending order of points earned in the league phase of the competition. To determine seeds 5 to 8, the next best team in both South African Conference and the next 3 teams from either Australasian Conference. These teams will also be seeded in descending order of league points earned. In the Quarter Finals, the team seeded number one will play against the 8th seed, with the rest of the fixtures taking shape using the same methodology. The Semi Final and Final contenders will then be decided on a knockout basis.

So now we know the competition will work, who will play in it?
The two Australasian Conferences are pretty simple to determine as these are the franchises contesting the current format of Super Rugby. The complexity arises when we contemplate who will be awarded the two new franchises competing in the two South African Conferences. At this juncture, it is probably worth stating that there is little point in contesting that the South African Rugby Union (SARU) has used its financial muscle in extending the format of the competition. SARU generates 66% of the income generated under the current SANZAR agreement and Australia and New Zealand can simply not walk away from the money. They have an eager market and need to make good on promises they have made to the South African government to develop a sustainable rugby franchise in the Eastern Cape Province. This is where we see the reappearance of the Southern Kings in Super Rugby and this has already been accepted as a done deal. SARU have given them a glide path into the 2016 competition by guaranteeing them participation in the Currie Cup for the next two years. They have quietly being assembling a team under the guidance of Kiwi Carlos Spencer.

Argentina has already been awarded a Super Rugby franchise and only time will tell how they will structure this team. Rugby in Argentina is run largely on an amateur basis, with their top players earning their keep in France. The IRB have committed to assisting the Argentinian Rugby Union financially in order to successfully kick-start this venture. This will be critical as without the funding they would struggle to field a team much stronger than the Pampas team which competed in South Africa’s 2nd tier competition, the Vodacom Cup.

So who are the contenders for the remaining 2 spots? Let’s take a look at some of the options being bandied about and consider the impact of their participation.

Pacific Islands:
There was a lot of sentiment around a possible combined bid from the Pacific Island nations. In reality, it was never going to happen. Attracting a title sponsor was always going to be a challenge, especially considering the financial woes of the Fiji Rugby Union. They have also been significantly affected by a player drain and it is unlikely that any of their key players would willingly give up on the plush European or Australasian contracts they have in hand. Purely from a playing perspective there is a recent example of how an amalgamation of players does not work. The unholy alliance between the Lions and Cheetahs that competed in Super Rugby between 2000 and 2006 could not be made to work as players were away from their home base for extended periods and the cultures of the two teams simply did not meld into a single unit.

Singapore:
This was probably the most left field of the possible contenders put forward. The Singapore Rugby Union has certainly been successful in growing rugby locally. They place a lot of focus on 7’s and 10’s rugby and have successfully hosted the IRB 7’s tournament before. What they don’t have is any form of quality 15-a-side rugby. Awarding them a Super Rugby franchise would mean a quantum shift for their rugby and they would have to throw a lot of money into making this work. With no top-level players of their own, they would have to dig deep into player resources from elsewhere.

Japan:
Logic tells us that Japan would be the best fit for Super Rugby. They have recently taken 10th spot on the IRB rankings, ahead of Fiji, Argentina and Tonga. Japanese nationals have also started to appear in Super Rugby squads in both New Zealand and Australia. Their domestic league is growing and improving in quality and is strongly financed. Participation in Super Rugby though would cause a significant upheaval in their rugby though, as the Super Rugby competition significantly overlaps with the Japanese Top League and this will prove to be a fundamental problem for them. Many of the international stats playing in Japan took up contracts for two reasons. The cash is an obvious one, but thrown into the equation is the fact that many were trying to escape the rigours of Super Rugby. Their players would also be subjected to the same exhausting travel and playing conditions which the South African sides have been complaining out since the inception of the competition.

Whilst we believe that Japan will be the successful bidder, we will have to wait until the end of October for the decision. What we do know is that this evolution of Super Rugby is a significant move towards the globalization of the game.

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