With the Gallagher Premiership over; and Saracens Rugby claiming the highly regarded ‘double’ fans can be happy to know that Super Rugby is ‘here to entertain you’.
That has seemingly always been the catchphrase from the Super Rugby devotees. That the Southern hemisphere product appears to involve more open play, width of the field football, and engages fans in so many different ways; from the Northern hemisphere style.
Sure, that was true of Super12. Even Super 14, which often included scores of 80+ points per game. Yet while defences might have been shored-up with more organized systems in both hemispheres, the tryscoring action is still bound to offer fans as much entertainment now that the Premiership is over. That is, while they await the June International friendly matches and crucial Rugby World Cup preparations.
Mind you, after 22 rounds of the Premiership, some may wish to sit back, finish their summer ale, and enjoy some sport without their regional allegiances. To simply be entertained.
And what better alternative is there, than Super Rugby.
Premiership over; well Super Rugby is here to Entertain
After another great year for the Gallagher Premiership, the huge fan base has been fully satisfied by domestic and European rugby championship fixtures. So after being fed a great mix of sustained rugby union, with the modern inventive play that local and imported talent has generated so far which has truly boosted the Premiership, don’t rugby fans need a holiday?
Maybe. That is not for Last Word on Rugby to presume though. What this site and many others from downunder will admit is that ‘if you have a thirst for good rugby, then Super Rugby is where you look’.
Where some fans can safely cast an eye on their local sports TV broadcaster, and many will most certainly be entertained. Although, you might also ask, what is the huge draw-factor in switching channels?
Competing against sports like the Cricket World Cup, or alternatives like the Betfred Super League, why would Northern fans switch attention?
Simple. The unfamiliar is almost always just as attractive.
Think EPL fans watching MLS soccer. Or possibly County Cricket fans who have switched to the IPL or Caribbean Premier League. The alternative can often ‘feel like a holiday’. So in that vein, Super Rugby is the natural option.
Tune into Super Rugby during ‘Spring Break’
Options are what you get when shopping on eBay. But options are also available across all sports. From the cricket to Basketball, from the NFL to Canadian Football. Even Formula 1 versus Formula E, the choice today is in the hands of the spectator.
So, when the seasons are completed, why wouldn’t Northern hemisphere fans choose to view Super Rugby as the most natural option after enjoying the 2018/19 Premiership.
When did props learn to pass like this?! Join @PiriWeepu as he looks at all the best moments from the weekend.
FULL VIDEO ?? https://t.co/zf1E3cFqQt pic.twitter.com/z1mJ7ueydu
— Super Rugby (@SuperRugbyNZ) June 4, 2019
Obviously, there are many rugby union variants to choose from:
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Super Rugby (available through many sports broadcasters)
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Major League Rugby (United States)
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SuperSport Rugby Challenge (South Africa)
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Shute Shield (Australia)
Then add in all the club rugby and schools First XV rugby that is now broadcast on Pay TV, and you get the options that fans can choose from. Today the rugby public can be more than satisfied with a wealth of choice – so much more than in previous generations.
That might be due to the expanding coverage of the game [naturally]. However, quality is the real test. So, will Saracens or Gloucester fans wish to ‘subscribe’ to matches from New Zealand, Australia, South America or [within the European timezone] South Africa? What is the motivation? (after having a feast of footy themselves).
Promoting the option that Super Rugby is here to Entertain, is often the natural symmetry of rugby seasons. From May to July, from the end of Northern hemisphere seasonal rugby until some even consider the preseason, NH rugby fans can consider Super Rugby their natural viewing option. Why wouldn’t you add it to their familiar rugby-intake?
Why not add the ‘choice’ of Super Rugby this year.
Not wholly different to the Premiership diet they have been enjoying. Due to the fact that the game has become very similar across the board. Champions Cup, Challenge Cup, Top 14, Guinness Pro14 and the Premiership are wonderful examples of the evolution of the sport is clear to see.
But when compared to the majority, not only due to the speed of Super Rugby but as much due to the year-round appetite of fans, after the Premiership is over you can expect more numbers viewing the last rounds of the regular Super Rugby season; prior to the Finals Series for 2019.
It’s an opportunity you might say. Time to witness both sides of the rugby-hemisphere, to view both as an alternative and, of course, some entertaining rugby union.
Hey, why not.
“Main photo credit”
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