O'Neill sets up Super 15 for 2010

[KenyaQuin]

O'Neill sets up Super 15 for 2010
By Jon Geddes

September 10, 2008 12:00am

ARU general manager John O'Neill has unveiled plans for a major shake-up of the rugby landscape in 2010 - including a fifth Australian side to take part in an expanded Super 15 competition.

O'Neill revealed details of the exciting blueprint for the future as guest speaker at a sellout luncheon at The Rugby Club in the city. "I think in 2010 we'll have Super 15 and with an extra team in Australia - I don't know where yet,'' he said.

The Super tournament is set to be expanded from its current 15 weeks to between 24 and...Read More Here.

[AndyS]

I'd really like to see the format. They currently have 16 weeks (not 15), so with another team and an extra final week, it would be 18. Assume a second bye week and it would be 19, with four more games for the domestic conference taking it to 23. So what are the extras that push it out to 24-26 weeks?

[shasta]

with four more games for the domestic conference taking it to 23. So what are the extras that push it out to 24-26 weeks?

Dunno, but hopefully we'll have an election result by the time the details are out and RugbyWA can use the extended format as another reason why Government should reconsider their position on Stadium Pachydermus Albatus.

[robyn <3]

i think they should wait another couple of years. australian rugby is still recovering from the start of the force, with already-wallabies and future wallabies over west other s14 teams have suffered a bit. one aussie team has made one grand final since the start of the force and im not sure every s14 club will be ready for their players to all disappear by 2010.
maybe 2011 or 2012...

[beige]

Ah, we knew all of this already... I want to know where the new team's actually going!

In an ideal world you would delay the expansion til 2011, when the new tv deal comes in, but the threat from Europe has become too great. As it is, the Super 14 teams don't generate enough money to keep all of the top players here and there is no top-level rugby after May for those players not in the Wallabies.

Like the final line of the article says: "It means for the Tahs, the Brumbies, the Reds, the Force and wherever the fifth team goes, they will all have a home-and-away against each other so they can become more viable financially.''

I agree, Andy S - I really like the format but I also came up with 23 weeks

[The Man]

What a moron ONeil is

[.X.]

What a moron ONeil is

And I am so glad you told us about your alternative.

great comments as always Man. Looking forward to the next one.

[GIGS20]

I'd really like to see the format. They currently have 16 weeks (not 15), so with another team and an extra final week, it would be 18. Assume a second bye week and it would be 19, with four more games for the domestic conference taking it to 23. So what are the extras that push it out to 24-26 weeks?

Six team finals sets up a possibility of more than one more week for the finals series (ie preliminary, qualifying, semi, grand) or something even more convoluted!

ps Beige, I reckon putting all this in place before the TV deal is renewed could work in our favour. It'll still increase the revenue of the teams already playing through increased takings, It'll add another team to the comp which will either be a PI team at no cost to us or a team with a funding model like the 's which will be pretty self-sufficient. Either way, the money's pretty much taken care of and the negotiators can point to a significant upturn in gates to push for a better TV deal. It might just work out better than negotiating on the promise of doing it all.

The risk is that we spend all the money and gate takings fall....then the TV deal will be no better than what we've got!

[AndyS]

That is my guess too - six weeks of finals to bore the tits off everyone.

[beige]

ps Beige, I reckon putting all this in place before the TV deal is renewed could work in our favour. It'll still increase the revenue of the teams already playing through increased takings, It'll add another team to the comp which will either be a PI team at no cost to us or a team with a funding model like the 's which will be pretty self-sufficient. Either way, the money's pretty much taken care of and the negotiators can point to a significant upturn in gates to push for a better TV deal. It might just work out better than negotiating on the promise of doing it all.

News Corp has been kept in the loop this whole time behind the scenes - and has been providing positive feedback from what I've read - so you could be right... I hope so!

I hope we don't get any more than 3 weeks of finals though...

[jargan83]

]"We are hoping to move the inbound tours out of June, when (nations) never send their best teams, and move them into August,'' he said.

Scrap them altogether, the Northerners never send down a team worth playing anyway, all we end up risking is injuries while we win by 15-20 points

[BLR]

Scrap them altogether, the Northerners never send down a team worth playing anyway, all we end up risking is injuries while we win by 15-20 points

A bit rich considering what we did in Jo'Burg...

[jono]

we dont do it every time though BLR.
jargs has a legitimate point. one which has been raised by more people than just him before.

Jo'Burg isnt something the wallabies do every tour. while we may not always win away games. we certainley dont get flogged like we did against the saffas. we just had a bad game. we might have lost last night but we sure as hell played truckloads better than we did in africa.

[jargan83]

A bit rich considering what we did in Jo'Burg...

Funny, I didnt know we played touring Northern Nations in Jo'Burg?? Which was the point of the post

That was a Tri-Nations game against a strong opponent. As opposed to playing the likes of 3rd String Welsh, English, French etc sides who usually lose quite convincingly



I don't remember mentioning the 3N at all...................

[BLR]

we dont do it every time though BLR.
jargs has a legitimate point. one which has been raised by more people than just him before.

Jo'Burg isnt something the wallabies do every tour.

New Coach new tactics, who knows if Dingo will rest players like he did in Jo'Burg more often. The NH teams have a much more complicated club scene so often the unions hands are tied, Dingo fielded alot of players not good enough simply because he wanted to. The comparison is pretty apt.

Funny, I didnt know we played touring Northern Nations in Jo'Burg?? Which was the point of the post

That was a Tri-Nations game against a strong opponent. As opposed to playing the likes of 3rd String Welsh, English, French etc sides who usually lose quite convincingly

I don't remember mentioning the 3N at all...................

We shipped in and shipped out 5 players for the game, and went from a competitive win to a abysmal loss due to the lack of quality....sounds familiar.,,