Stop Supersizing
rugby365 columnist Ebrahim Moerat takes a look at SANZAR’s proposed expansion of the Super Rugby tournament after the southern hemisphere governing body met in Dubai last week.
SANZAR (South Africa, New Zealand and Australia Rugby) met in Dubai last week to discuss the possibility of an expanded Super Rugby series which may be implemented by 2011.
The new format, which is likely to be rubberstamped by the Super 14 broadcaster News Corp, will see the tournament expand to 15 teams but the identity of the fifteenth franchise has not been agreed upon yet.
Fourteen years ago NewsCorp made a deal with SANZAR which saw the three nations pocket in the region of US$500 million when they agreed to a Super 12 and in 2005 they extended the deal which gave SANZAR over US$300 million when the Super 14 was introduced.
While the expansion of the Super Rugby series remains a lucrative option the tournament has been losing entertainment value since the last deal was brokered. With so many mediocre teams trying to compete for the Super 14 title ‘quality’ does not seem to be a major consideration.
Expansion seems to be the only option whenever a new deal is in the offing because more teams equals more games, more TV coverage and more money. There’s far too much rugby and very few franchises are actually able to draw big crowds at their venues. The Stormers and Bulls are the only South African teams capable of consistently filling stadiums while New Zealand and Australian games regularly attract small crowds.
Yet, the quantity-over-quality approach has led to SANZAR exploring opportunities as far as Japan, the Pacific Islands and Argentina.
While SANZAR can be applauded for trying to meet the ever-changing demands of the game, continued expansion is overdrawn. There’s been an attempt to make the game more spectator-friendly with the implementation of the Experimental Law Variations but it has not had the desired affect.
However, Cricket has been able to cope with demands as it introduced the smaller – yet dynamic version of the 20/20 tournament.
It might be more entertainment than actual cricket but what it has done is appeal to a ‘new’ crowd, thereby enhancing the overall appeal of the game. While SANZAR attempts to increase the popularity and marketability of Super Rugby, the governing body could be better off exploring the value of a complete make-over rather than expansion.
An option would be for a twenty-twenty-like tournament to precede the Super 14, with franchises using it as valuable pre-tournament preparation but also providing great value for spectators. It will also give SANZAR an opportunity to explore different markets as fixtures could be played all over the world. The tournament will also give SANZAR an opportunity to trial new laws and formats which could help determine entertainment value.
The purists may shudder at the thought of rugby’s version of 20/20 but the concept may not be that deplorable, as marketability already dominates SANZAR’s agenda.
Rugby has become a commercial success since the game went professional but it’s time Super Rugby reaches out to a new crowd…without using more teams.
Do you agree/disagree with Ebrahim? It’s your shout.
