US-style revamp plan for Super 14

[Punkpapa]

The Kiwi's are never happy, must be the weather.

That's because they won't be able to raid Rarotonga, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa or any other PI to make up the AB's!

[TOCC]

i remember reading somewhere that Mitsubish contributes $8million/year to there team in the Japanese league. I dont know how true that is, but it does highlight the potential sponsorship dollars that are available in Japan.

I think Japan could in someway act as a cash cow to Australian rugby, If a Japanese team was brougth into the S14, then not only would the Japanese team benefit from the sponsorship dollars available in Japan but it could be quite possible that Japanese companies would also sponsor Australian teams. We could have the Toyota Brumbies, Sony Waratahs etc.

Then again, the sponsorship culture in Japan is a bit different to Australia, they tend to own the team rather then pay of naming rights and stuff like that, so it could be a small issue in that regard.

[jargan83]

Even in Australian you see it a bit already, with Emirates Western Force and the HSBC Waratahs, the Chartered Accountants Brumbies and the QR Reds

[BLR]

Then again, the sponsorship culture in Japan is a bit different to Australia, they tend to own the team rather then pay of naming rights and stuff like that, so it could be a small issue in that regard.

Well wasn't O'Neill speaking about making our franchises like that? Probably the main reason he is pushing for Japan to be added to Super rugby.

[TOCC]

Even in Australian you see it a bit already, with Emirates Western Force and the HSBC Waratahs, the Chartered Accountants Brumbies and the QR Reds

i meant in terms of Japanese companies sponsoring the australian teams, they were probably bad examples considering those companies operate in Australia too.

Well wasn't O'Neill speaking about making our franchises like that? Probably the main reason he is pushing for Japan to be added to Super rugby.

Yes well thats true, the Japanese team will be hard since it is supposed to be a joint venture team between the JFRU and ARU, so i wonder who will be calling the shots on it, where the funding and stuff will come from, and whether private equity will be allowed in.

If the Japanese team is admitted we will just have to hope they cant offer to much money and steal all our S14 teams top players.

[jono]

I think the best thing to work with the PI, Argentine and Japanese sides is to perhaps make a deal with airlines or meat out the funding a bit more. It is imperative for the game that they are based in thier home countries, despite the travel involved.

I mean, Japan would most likely pack out 60,000 + stadiums every week and because of Japanese rugbies ties to large businesses they could easily get a large sponsorship deal which would pay for travel around the world.

The PI's I don't think have the stadium size or the money to do much travelling so will have to be based in NZ no matter what, and I don't think it will cause the PI's to support thier team any less, their devotion to the game is not in question.

The Argentines however are an unknown quantity, could they pack out some of thier large stadiums to capacity? The travel could be a problem, maybe have two bye weeks, one before playing in Japan and another before playing in Argentina. But I think the benefit of Argentina playing in Argentina will definetely be the different (and intimidating) flavour the fans and ground play when teams travel there. Plus if they get thier own team it will hopefully spurn their union to go pro and I think out of the three suggested locations Argentina would be the most potential to yield even more quality teams into Super rugby down the track....

byes wouldnt work.
because argentina would need one after their tours, meaning at least 3 byes for them.

and thats only if they play all their games in the other countries at the same time.
i was thinking about this the other day.
same story for japan really as well i would say.
geographically i dont think it would work.

[jargan83]

I might have to agree, the travel would be too much, it's bad enough at the moment. I wouldn't mind just seeing the Super 14 being made home and away over 26 rounds, you can still have a couple of teams having the bye so it would probably be 27 rounds, but that may see logistical concerns raised again.

Something needs to be done for Argentina and Japan but it would seem to be logistically difficult to incorporte both of them into the Super 14