Christchurch, New Zealand: The convoluted conference system format of Super Rugby will come under discussion at a Sanzaar meeting in Sydney next week, following the decline in viewership numbers and questions being asked about the integrity of the competition.
Weeks after the Hurricanes beat the Lions to win the Super Rugby title for the first time, Sanzaar will convene to discuss the format of the competition, one which has been labelled ‘confusing’ by many observers.
The addition of the Sunwolves, Jaguares and Southern Kings to make an 18-team competition necessitated a change in format, which resulted in the teams being split into four conferences and alternating who everyone plays from one year to the next.
This year, for example, the Lions didn’t face any Australian teams, but in 2017 they will not face any New Zealand sides. This lopsided fixture schedule is at the heart of the discussion about the format.
“There are integrity issues,” Crusaders CEO Hamish Riach told the Saturday Star this week.
“Everyone is not playing the same teams, or the same calibre of teams - and that means the matches in the play-offs are easier or harder for certain sides. Ideally, everyone should play everyone, so there’s a question mark around the integrity of the competition.”
Also, the conference system allows certain teams to host a quarter-final, and have an advantage over their opponents, even though they may have ended the league phase with less log points than their opponents.
“We must look at the competition and see what we can do with 18 teams, in a certain number of weeks. If it can’t be changed, then what can we do that’s best for it? These are the issues we need to address,” said Riach.
“The fact of the matter is the structure is complicated and therefore it is not well understood - that’s what I am hearing from the fans anyway. And if that’s the case, then there is an issue. I don’t think there is too much rugby - it’s the structure that is the problem.”
The Crusaders lost to the Lions in Joburg in the quarter-finals, but their record in Super Rugby is unmatched. They are seven-time winners, four-time runners-up and five times losing semi-finalists. This year they fell out at the quarter-finals stage.
Riach says the key to their success is they’ve had ‘extraordinary players coached by very good coaches’ over the years.
When Robbie Deans was in charge between 2000 and 2008 the Crusaders won the title five times and were runners-up twice, while between 2009 and this year Todd Blackadder’s men played in two finals and were losing semi-finalists four times.
“Todd Blackadder did not have the same success as Robbie Deans, something that hurts him, but in Todd’s time we only missed out on the finals series once, in 2015. Also, until this year, every team the Crusaders lost to in the play-offs went on to be crowned the champions - in 2009 and 2010 we lost to the Bulls and they won the title, in 2012 and 2013 it was the Chiefs and in the finals in 2011 and 2014 we lost to the Reds and Waratahs.
“And, in my opinion, if the Lions had played at home in the final this year they may have won the title and that would have meant we’d have lost to the eventual champions as well this time.”
Blackadder has now moved on to coach at Bath in England, so next up for the Crusaders is former player Scott Robertson, who has certainly earned the right to coach the Super Rugby team.
“He coached Sumner Rugby Club for many years in Christchurch and then served as assistant to Rob Penney and Tabai Matson at Canterbury before becoming head coach of Canterbury in the last three years,” explained Riach.
“Scott also coached the New Zealand U20s in the last four years, the last two as head coach. His appointment has been a long time coming, he understands the game here and he knows the people.
“He’s very different to Todd, but he’s a very good young coach and he’s come through the system - he’s the right man to take Crusaders rugby to the next level.”
Saturday Star