United Rugby Championship

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Mike
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United Rugby Championship

Post by Mike »

I saw an article that SA teams are in a comp with Welsh, Scotish, Italian and Irish teams In RU. For me a setup like that sounds inticing to watch. Whilst that sort of thing is happening in the other code, we're replacing north american teams with Leigh. Transcontinental competitions are not new or unusual, butwWhilst eveyone else is looking outward, we look in and reduce the market for our game. How will we be able to compete for attention and market share against competitions like these in 20 years time?
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Jonathon Kerr (JK)
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Re: United Rugby Championship

Post by Jonathon Kerr (JK) »

I know the North America Rugby League season got pushed back until next year on the back of COVID. But Super League should be genuinely worried. If they manage to put a flamboyant American promotion on this new venture, Super League will quickly fall behind and become a third tier behind both the NRL and USA.


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AndyNick
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Re: United Rugby Championship

Post by AndyNick »

Mike wrote: Wed Jun 16, 2021 4:09 pm I saw an article that SA teams are in a comp with Welsh, Scotish, Italian and Irish teams In RU. For me a setup like that sounds inticing to watch. Whilst that sort of thing is happening in the other code, we're replacing north american teams with Leigh. Transcontinental competitions are not new or unusual, butwWhilst eveyone else is looking outward, we look in and reduce the market for our game. How will we be able to compete for attention and market share against competitions like these in 20 years time?
Sadly its a dreadful end product. The teams are all under the control of the National boards and therefore when International games are approaching players get rested. You also see teams will target the European Competition and field near enough reserve teams in the League. Leinster are head and shoulders above every other team in the competition, they used over 60 different players last season in all competitions and their "First team" was used exclusively in Europe.

You look at a fixture between Munster and Scarlets. You look at the list of internationals playing for each and it looks like a great fixture. The reality is that you will see maybe a handful of their Internationals who need a performance to nail down their national squad place but the majority will be fringe/young players and the standard is appalling.

I'm hoping that by bringing in the top 4 SA sides (Stormers/Sharks/Bulls/Lions) That might change it up, but the SA Sides are in exactly the same boat with the National board. There have been 2 SA sides in the Pro16 for a couple of years now but its been the Cheetahs and Kings who were the 2 that SARU didn't enter into the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby comp, and they have basically been the whipping boys of the league along with the Italian teams.
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