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Rugby Union - time for a Southern Hemisphere 6 Nations?



Pavilionaire

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
30,499
New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Argentina, Japan, Pacific Islanders (Tonga, Samoa, Fiji). Some pluses:

1. A broader global appeal that the blandly-named Championship of four nations they currently have.
2. A symmetry of global rugby structure.
3. Big money for the Pacific Islanders, giving them a chance to improve their domestic infrastructure.
4. The novelty value of a new Pacific Islanders 'West Indies-style' team competing regularly on the world stage.
5. Possible prevention of better Pacific Island players defecting to Australia / New Zealand (i.e. Sivivatu).

I see that this idea has been mooted before but the Pacific Islanders need it to happen at least once every two years for it to work financially. I also see that the Tri-Nations expanded their own competition with more rounds and the Super 10 has been expanded to the Super 14 now.

It seems to me that if rugby is to truly progress as a global sport that the balance between national and club/regional competition has to be realigned and some of the money redistributed.
 

KZNSeagull

Well-known member
Nov 26, 2007
19,671
Wolsingham, County Durham
New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Argentina, Japan, Pacific Islanders (Tonga, Samoa, Fiji). Some pluses:

1. A broader global appeal that the blandly-named Championship of four nations they currently have.
2. A symmetry of global rugby structure.
3. Big money for the Pacific Islanders, giving them a chance to improve their domestic infrastructure.
4. The novelty value of a new Pacific Islanders 'West Indies-style' team competing regularly on the world stage.
5. Possible prevention of better Pacific Island players defecting to Australia / New Zealand (i.e. Sivivatu).

I see that this idea has been mooted before but the Pacific Islanders need it to happen at least once every two years for it to work financially. I also see that the Tri-Nations expanded their own competition with more rounds and the Super 10 has been expanded to the Super 14 now.

It seems to me that if rugby is to truly progress as a global sport that the balance between national and club/regional competition has to be realigned and some of the money redistributed.

There is scope for it, certainly - the 4 nations usually play each other twice home and away (only once this year due to the World Cup). Argentina's Rugby has certainly benefited from it. It is the Super 14 that takes up most of the time - that seems to go on for ages now, but the crowds going have been dwindling significantly, certainly here anyway.
 

Tom Hark Preston Park

Will Post For Cash
Jul 6, 2003
69,788
Does sound like an obvious good thing. Not being a rugger bugger, other than by sheer fluke happening to pick a ticket for the Amex game that changed the rugby world forever, I'm genuinely surprised such a thing as a Southern Hemisphere six Nations does not exist already.
 

Pavilionaire

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
30,499
It is a shame that "Super" competition in the Southern Hemisphere continues to add teams, as this only makes it less likely there will be space in the calendar for international rugby.

It's been expanded from Super 10 to Super 15 and I see they're adding another South African franchise, plus a side from Japan and a side from Argentina, so it's poised to become a Super 18 and the Pacific Islanders can, presumably, do one.
 


Tom Hark Preston Park

Will Post For Cash
Jul 6, 2003
69,788
It is a shame that "Super" competition in the Southern Hemisphere continues to add teams, as this only makes it less likely there will be space in the calendar for international rugby.

It's been expanded from Super 10 to Super 15 and I see they're adding another South African franchise, plus a side from Japan and a side from Argentina, so it's poised to become a Super 18 and the Pacific Islanders can, presumably, do one.

Sounds like it should maybe be divided up into regions rather than hemispheres. A bit like FIFA is, but without so much corruption if such a thing is possible.
 

KZNSeagull

Well-known member
Nov 26, 2007
19,671
Wolsingham, County Durham
It is a shame that "Super" competition in the Southern Hemisphere continues to add teams, as this only makes it less likely there will be space in the calendar for international rugby.

It's been expanded from Super 10 to Super 15 and I see they're adding another South African franchise, plus a side from Japan and a side from Argentina, so it's poised to become a Super 18 and the Pacific Islanders can, presumably, do one.

Although I believe that if they expand it further, the idea would be that teams play in a conference, then progress to finals, so perhaps it would not take quite so long. Certainly Internationals seem to be better supported than these franchise games here, mainly because the Saffers rarely win it!
 


Pavilionaire

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
30,499
I also think that rugby union lends itself to national competition more than any other sport in the world. The physicality of the sport and - by extension - the psyching up that goes on in preparation of the contest makes it more of spectacle. It often seems like war with a ball in a way that football can never hope to replicate.
 

Simster

"the man's an arse"
Jul 7, 2003
54,093
Surrey
New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Argentina, Japan, Pacific Islanders (Tonga, Samoa, Fiji). Some pluses:

1. A broader global appeal that the blandly-named Championship of four nations they currently have.
2. A symmetry of global rugby structure.
3. Big money for the Pacific Islanders, giving them a chance to improve their domestic infrastructure.
4. The novelty value of a new Pacific Islanders 'West Indies-style' team competing regularly on the world stage.
5. Possible prevention of better Pacific Island players defecting to Australia / New Zealand (i.e. Sivivatu).

I see that this idea has been mooted before but the Pacific Islanders need it to happen at least once every two years for it to work financially. I also see that the Tri-Nations expanded their own competition with more rounds and the Super 10 has been expanded to the Super 14 now.

It seems to me that if rugby is to truly progress as a global sport that the balance between national and club/regional competition has to be realigned and some of the money redistributed.

Romania, Canada and Georgia shouldn't be ignored - all countries where rugby has had a foothold for a while, and the USA where it is growing.

Perhaps Japan should be admitted to that tournament, and the rugby world at large could do more for the Pacific Islands in the shape of making space in the calendars for a Lions-style tour to the big rugby nations of an all Pacific Islands team.
 

el punal

Well-known member
In principle it's a fine idea. The problem of course is the travelling and distance between the competing countries which are spread over three continents. In the existing 6 Nations the furthest distance is probably not even 1000 miles between, say, Ireland and Italy.

A suggestion would be to have a tournament in one country involving all the Southern Hemisphere teams, and Japan, every four years between Rugby World Cup years (i.e. 2017, 2021 and so on).
 


Yoda

English & European
Romania, Canada and Georgia shouldn't be ignored - all countries where rugby has had a foothold for a while, and the USA where it is growing.

Perhaps Japan should be admitted to that tournament, and the rugby world at large could do more for the Pacific Islands in the shape of making space in the calendars for a Lions-style tour to the big rugby nations of an all Pacific Islands team.

Almost time for Georgia to step up to the 6 Nations. They have won the European Nations Cup on 7 of the last 8 years.
 


Gwylan

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
31,320
Uffern
Almost time for Georgia to step up to the 6 Nations. They have won the European Nations Cup on 7 of the last 8 years.

Been impressed with Georgia this WC. Competed strongly with Argentina until Gorgodze (sp?) got sin-binned, a few regular games with better opposition would propel them up the rankings (and Romania aren't far behind). I'd watch Germany too, they're a long way off now but the sport is only just taking off there. We know from football that it's a country prepared to invest in sport, it wouldn't surprise me to see Germany in a European tournament within 15 years
 

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