The uncertain future of Super Rugby should be of concern to every rugby lover in the Southern Hemisphere and the Asia Pacific region.
Uncertain future of Super Rugby
The current state
The current scenario is looking more and more unsustainable, with a complex competition structure that spectators dislike and does not fit the bill as not all teams play against each other in the regular season.
There is an inherent mismatch of agendas at play, as SANZAAR have recently had ambitions to continually expand their product offering. This was happily accepted by rugby fans in Argentina and Japan as they were awarded Super Rugby franchises. The reality though is that the core fan base of Super Rugby would prefer that the completion is reduced in numbers and is of a higher quality. The popular number seems to be 12 teams. As we have previously reported, Super Rugby viewership was significantly reduced in 2016.
A powerhouse franchise such as the Sharks has admitted to being in the red this year. Although there are many internal issues which would have resulted in this happening, Super Rugby is the cornerstone of their earnings. Gone are the days of full stadiums and rich pickings at the gates.
The future of Super Rugby
A fair amount of discussion has been taken place recently regarding the possible future look of Super Rugby. One of the suggestions included stripping each of the original SANZAR countries of one of their franchises.
This would create a huge problem for all three of these countries. In New Zealand, which team could be sacrificed? On recent form alone, it would probably be the Auckland Blues. In Australia, there has been a change at the bottom end of the standings. Until recently the Melbourne Rebels would have been the first choice to lose the franchise, but now the Western Force are back in the frame. This would serve as a body blow to the Australian Rugby Union’s desire to grow the game both nationally as well as in terms of the pecking order in Australian sport. Former Wallaby Brett Papworth is of the opinion that Australia should withdraw completely and grow their game within their own borders.
In South Africa the decision is not that easy. At face value it would be goodbye to the Kings given their bottom of the table result in 2016 with only one win. However, it is not that easy. The South African Rugby Union (SARU) has made a commitment to National Government to bring top flight rugby to the Eastern Cape Province. If SARU agreed to drop the Kings franchise, they would be in direct conflict with the commitment they made. Any South African can attest to the difficulty SARU would face should they not deliver on the commitment they have made. This would then bring the Cheetahs sharply into focus. They have already spent a few years in what was it commonly regarded as an unholy alliance with the Lions. This was an arrangement that worked for neither side as they tried to deal with the travel, shared home games and conflicting rugby philosophies.
Research into future structure
Consultancy group Accenture recently conducted research with representatives from the current Super Rugby teams as well as their home broadcasters to work on a workable model for the future. There is no plan on the table at the moment, but we can accept that the only certainty would be change. The current format is prolonged and not popular with the viewing public. Dropping teams from the tournament does represent problems of its own as it could change the dynamics of the game in any of the countries involved. In some instances, this is against the home union’s expansion plans.
The most popular solution does appear to be reducing the number of teams involved, but a change in the entire competition structure will also not come as a surprise. A pool based competition would only be slightly more popular than the current mismatched structure, but cannot be ruled out.
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