I was sent this by our good friend, TonyM, a discussion of whether the Promotion / Relegation System for Super Rugby would work or not.
Johann Lerm, Head Coach of the SWD Eagles and Tony McKeever, former CEO of the Southern Spears give their Opinions.
Johann Lerm:
Yes. No team is going to want to be the one propping up the table at the end of the season. If relegation is a threat then teams will play their hearts out to the end. And imagine what it could do for development of rugby in the lower divisions. A team such as the Southern Kings could sign world-class players with the promise of playing for a chance of promotion to Super Rugby. It worked
for a club like Toulon in France who were able to bring in some world-class players because promotion was a possibility.
Is there a benefit for Super Rugby?
In last year’s Currie Cup the Griquas finished above the Lions and on level points with the Cheetahs, who were the losing finalists
to the Bulls. The talent is there at the smaller unions and if those unions had the opportunity to be promoted it would improve the quality of the competition.
Teams should represent regions. The Southern Cape would be one; the Sharks could be drawn from teams all the way down into the Northern Cape, and then you have the Bulls, the Stormers and the Cheetahs. The Lions should be rolled into either the Bulls or the Cheetahs. Super Rugby would be tougher, better.
More importantly for me, rugby would be developed in the smaller markets that would act as feeder unions. Also think of the passionate crowds that would go to games in Kimberley or PE, fans who never normally get to see those stars in the flesh.
Where would the team promoted into Super Rugby come from?
It should be the Kings; they wouldn’t do any worse than the Lions really. Of course, I come from that region so I am sentimental about having a team at the top table. If we were really serious though there should be a playoff between the last-place Super 14 team and the best team that isn’t playing Super Rugby in each of the three countries. The Griquas for example would have been involved this year. So we’d have a mini league at the end of the Super Rugby season.
Tony McKeever:
Yes. For one thing it would keep the blowtorch intensity right up to the end of the competition, because it wouldn’t just be about winning but also about not being last.
The only real issue is what happens to the team that falls out. We need to establish a second-tier competition between Super rugby and the Currie Cup. I call it Super Rugby Lite and South African rugby must look west, to Argentina, America and Canada to grow the game. It would strengthen Argentine rugby for when the Tri-Nations becomes the Four Nations in 2012. For sponsors it gives them access to new teams and new markets.
Is there a benefit for Super Rugby?
If there were promotion/relegation playoffs it would be a blockbuster for Super Rugby and its sponsors. If you play home, away and a final game at a neutral venue think of the opportunity to break into new markets and educate new fans. Look at the Soweto Derby: Chiefs versus Pirates is just as likely to be played in PE at the new stadium as it is to be played in Soweto.
Where would the team promoted into Super Rugby come from?
The team has to come from South Africa. We have six teams vying for five berths. There are 80 000 registered players in Australia, 140 000 in New Zealand. South Africa has 512 000 players and we are losing that talent to Europe because players want to play at the highest level. Of the 14 unions in South Africa three do not have Super 14 franchises and they’re losing their best players to the bigger unions. An extra franchise would strengthen rugby across the country and benefit the Springboks.
First thing that comes to mind is MERIT. If you challenge for higher honors you must earn it. If any team wants to enter higher grades let them work their way up. So i am totally for promotion and relegation.
Ek dink nie ons het genoeg spelers in SuidAfrika om 5 kompeterende spanne in die veld te stoor nie! Wel, nie as elke span uit ‘n groep van sowat 30 spelers bestaan nie! Was daar al ooit ‘n jaar wat daar nie een van ons spanne om die houtlepel baklei nie?
Ja selfs die Crusaders het n HOUTLEPEL. http://www.rugby-talk.com/?p=11404#more-11404
Hoekom so stil hier manne?
Nee man KingPaul
Ons is uit die 3 Nasies die land met die GROOTSTE “player pool”… Hoe kan ander lande meer spanne as ons he ?
Administrasie, bestuur, kwotas, noem dit wat jy wil ,maar ons het die talent en getalle !!!
Daar is genoeg goeie spelers in SA. Daar is nie genoeg geld om hulle hier te hou nie.
@ dWeePer
Of om hulle te identifiseer en te ontwikkel nie….
Die swaard sny baie kante toe…
There are more than enough of all mentioned…except for proper management !!!
The guys milking the system….
Ek stem vir ‘n promotion / relegation wedstryd. Maar promotion moet vir twee jaar wees, en die gemiddelde punte oor die twee jaar moet na gekyk word vir relegation. Gee ‘n span twee jaar kans om die log te klim.
I’m all for promotion/relegation, providing the teams vying for the incoming spot/s are worthy of the opportunity. I don’t have a problem supporting Tony McKeever’s suggestion that the number of registered players in the Sanzar nations confirms that SA should be given the chance to add to their franchises.
Blouste makes a valid point in respect to management – proper planning of the whole concept would need to be in place, but with a sustained effort, surely it could be made to happen???
Again I was ahead of the competition, posting a promotion/relegation thread a week or so back.
As I said then, the Super 14 is TOO big, less teams, better skill concentration in a smaller amount of competitive teams. Two divisions, A Top 8, and then a bottom eight, including maybe a South Sea Team, and an Argentinean contingent, and even the Kings, playing for propmotion. This way we actually develop the game, and provide some much needed capital influx to developing rugby powers.
12 – Saint
I’m cynically agreeing with your post.
whats wrong with the new format.
We have 3 conferences and extra games against teams out side the individual conference which will iron out the domestic bias. EG Cheetahs are very good domesticall aginst RSA opposition but poor travellers.
Playing some outside conference games evens this out so those representing the conferences at finals time will be cream at the top teams….strength vs strength…rather than flash in the pan teams.
Including argentina and the pacific islanders and other african teams will come in time. Freeloading them straight away will dilute the competition and recovery will take more time than people envisage.
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