Tahs draw Rebels for Super opener

[travelling_gerry]

Tahs draw Rebels for Super opener

• Jon Geddes
• From: The Daily Telegraph
• May 31, 2010 12:00AM

THE Waratahs will kick off the Super 15 season against newcomers the Melbourne Rebels at AAMI Park, according to the draft draw obtained by The Daily Telegraph.

The revelation came as the Bulls claimed the final Super 14 title with a 25-17 win over the Stormers in an all-South African final on Sunday morning.
South Africa president Jacob Zuma, who delayed an international trip to attend the game, told the 40,000 crowd at Orlando Stadium that they had witnessed a significant moment in the history of South Africa.
That said, all Australian eyes will be on the Waratahs and Rebels when they face off in round one of the Super 15 competition.
Australia's fifth Super side has already recruited former Wallabies skipper Stirling Mortlock, Dragons forward Jarrod Saffy, Knights winger Cooper Vuna, Julian Huxley and Mark Gerrard.
The Rebels, who will be coached by the Wallabies' 1999 World Cup-winning mentor Rod Macqueen, also have an international flavour through All Blacks forwards Greg Somerville and Kevin O'Neill and former English five-eighth Danny Cipriani.


It is expected to be confirmed shortly that the two teams will play for the Weary Dunlop Trophy.
The Rebels are then scheduled to play the Brumbies in Melbourne in round two, while the Waratahs will have another blockbuster match, this time against the electrifying Queensland Reds - which could well be one of two games played at Homebush.
In the revamped competition, the five Australian sides will play each other twice. However, they won't play some South African and New Zealand sides at all.
The Waratahs won't play the Stormers, who beat them in this year's Super 14 semi-final, or the Hurricanes.
The expanded draw means the regular season games are played over 18 weeks and each team has two byes.
It is much more supporter-friendly with the Waratahs to now have eight home matches.
The Waratahs are expected to lobby hard against playing home games on Friday nights because they struggle to attract big crowds.
It is believed they want to play a few games on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, as well as Saturday evenings. The Force look to have drawn the short straw.
They have a bye in round three and their only consecutive home games are in the final two rounds.
In the Super 14 final, the Bulls led from start to finish as five-eighth Morne Steyn booted 20 points.
Bulls captain Victor Matfield said the victory justified his side's contentious move to rest 14 players in the final round.
"The decision to have a break in the last week of the tournament also proved to be the right one," Matfield said. "Everything just worked out for us."
Matfield described the game in Soweto, South Africa's biggest black township of 1.7 million, as "an awesome day for our country".


http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/spo...-1225873199739

[TOCC]

2011 is going to be a great year for Rugby in Australia, from 6 australian home games to 20 is a major boost for australian rugby. Throw in the increased interest due to the RWC and it will be a busy year.

Even better is the fact that 2012 continues this trend, with the inclusion of Argentina into the Tri-Nations and the British Lions tour of Australia in 2013..

The next 3 years potentially stand to replicate the boom in rugby that we experienced in the lead up and during the 2003 RWC, if anything its going to make for a interesting few years for rugby fans.

[WF2006]

from 6 australian home games to 20 is a major boost for australian rugby

I think you'll find this to only be 8 home games?

One against each Aus side and 4 others.

---------- Post added at 10:59 ---------- Previous post was at 10:53 ----------

[B] The Force look to have drawn the short straw.

Now THERES a suprise!

[blueandblack]

yeah lovely formatting in that article. First sentence is second sentence in paragraph. Next sentence is first sentence in next paragraph.

[beige]

I think you'll find this to only be 8 home games?

He's referring to derby matches - 20 instead of 6.

[Darren]

yeah - what beige said...

[jargan83]

Given the strength of Sydney club scene how would it make sense to play a game on a saturday arvo?

yeah lovely formatting in that article. First sentence is second sentence in paragraph. Next sentence is first sentence in next paragraph.

Its an article in a Sydney newspaper for a Sydney audience

What did you expect?

[beige]

With regards to games in Australia, there are a guaranteed 41 next year (including 1 final), as opposed to 26 currently.

[TOCC]

I think you'll find this to only be 8 home games?

One against each Aus side and 4 others.

what beige said.. the local derbies are really the important aspect of the whole competition, they are the games which really drive the ratings and headlines for the game. Ultimately, 1 local derby match is worth 2 matches against a new zealand or south african team in terms of ratings and exposure.

Given the strength of Sydney club scene how would it make sense to play a game on a saturday arvo?

the seasons really only overlap for the second half of the S14 season, this will be obviously drawn out more in 2011, but i still think the first 8 S15 Rounds are free of any club rugby.

[jargan83]

the seasons really only overlap for the second half of the S14 season, this will be obviously drawn out more in 2011, but i still think the first 8 S15 Rounds are free of any club rugby.

Fair cop for the first 8 rounds but still could a bit tricky for the last 8. I would assume that is where the sunday arvo games would come in though

[Little Ox]

Can't wait for the rebels first game next year (especially if they can beat the tahs), especially at the new stadium. I was there on the weekend and was very impressed.

[Burgs]

"It is expected to be confirmed shortly that the two teams will play for the Weary Dunlop Trophy."

Would be a good opportunity for the ARU to start our own "Ranfurly Shield" comp with the oldest Union and youngest franchise playing each other.

[TOCC]

The idea has merit, however even with the extra derbies there probably isn't enough to have that sort of trophy

QLD premier grade also has a similar concept trophy 'Caxton Cup'
Posted via Mobile Device

[eleypinkbit]

The idea has merit, however even with the extra derbies there probably isn't enough to have that sort of trophy

QLD premier grade also has a similar concept trophy 'Caxton Cup'
Posted via Mobile Device

Sponsored by the Caxton Hotel with the prize being drink vouchers at the Caxton?

[blueandblack]

Its an article in a Sydney newspaper for a Sydney audience

What did you expect?

Some professionalism perhaps, but then it IS an Aussie paper. Not surprising at all.