The Rugby Union General Discussion thread

These 7s messing this thread up bad. Too hard to follow when you only click every few days.

Super Rugby format is going to be UUUGGGLLLYYY... 4 conferences; 5 NZ teams , 5 AUS teams and 2 SA, 3 SA teams each plus the Jags & the other the Sunwolves.

Finals = 4 top conference teams plus next best 3 NZ & AUS and next best 1 SA conf.

Originally posted by AUniner:
These 7s messing this thread up bad. Too hard to follow when you only click every few days.

Super Rugby format is going to be UUUGGGLLLYYY... 4 conferences; 5 NZ teams , 5 AUS teams and 2 SA, 3 SA teams each plus the Jags & the other the Sunwolves.

Finals = 4 top conference teams plus next best 3 NZ & AUS and next best 1 SA conf.

Sorry AU, but there is nothing we can do bro.

Since this isn't a Rugby forum, we don't want to spam up the Other Sports section with Rugby threads. (Since the majority here can't tell Rugby Union & Rugby League apart)

Keeping this thread just for general discussion & having a separate [GameDay] thread would be ideal, but we just have to make do. (So combo thread it is)

Plus you have to get on that Sevens hype this season... All these young men & women are about to get their shot at Olympic glory... I know I'm excited about it.

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I posted a couple of articles about some of the reservations people have towards the new Super Rugby format earlier in the thread. I agree with you, the format plus logistics is a nightmare & while I'm excited for Argentina & Japan. I have some serious concerns about player welfare & the overall quality of the tournament.

I guess time will tell.

Player fatigue/burnout is always a hot topic in Rugby as the seasons seem to get longer & longer, not to mention the toll of the ridiculous travel schedules.

I can't think of of a sport that asks more of it's players in terms of travel... Super Rugby players spend an insane amount of time travelling & cover crazy distances. (Which has just gotten even worse)

Probably why we're going to see a lot more players taking sabbaticals to prolong the careers. (Pocock may be the latest)

Two weeks out from the start of the Super Rugby season, powerbrokers have launched a staunch defence of the expanded competition.

What will need to be done is RSA teams battle it out on their own turf top two go to the championship, aus and nz the same, meanwhile the argies and japan do a 3 country tour they each play the top 2 teams of each country, if they have a marginal loss then they fall away, repechage is loser out. Nah thats f**king with my head confusing maybe have two premier sides eg hurricanes and hurricanesA

Travellings the killer.

Too bloody hard on the players

Changed my mind about it, good on promoting rugby more but player fatigue unless they use more of a conference league.

Originally posted by 4x4niner:
Too bloody hard on the players

They played more preseason games over the weekend. (I never bother trying to watch preseason, but I often check the news the next day)

A disturbing trend is starting to emerge.

Already with a few men down, two loose forwards were added to the casualty ward, with No 8 Maama Vaipulu off after 25 minutes with an injured right shoulder, which he later had in a sling, and openside flanker Mitchell Karpik - having got a start with Sam Cane ruled out due to illness - gingerly left the field with an injured left knee three minutes into the second half. He was later on crutches.

TJ Perenara, Brad Shields, Motu Matu'u, Matt Proctor, Leni Apisai, Willis Halaholo and Ben May were among the Hurricanes forced from the field. Locks Blade Thomson and James Blackwell had injured themselves the day before, while the team was still in camp up in Gisborne.

Queensland had Gill for just 15 minutes after he was injured stopping a flying Joe Tomane. The injury to Fakaosilea looked more serious, especially given the thin ranks of big men at Ballymore, but may not have been as bad as it first appeared despite him being in pain as he was aided from the park.

Rugby season is long enough. (Often end of Feb - beginning of Dec) It's seriously time we consider taking a leaf out of the NFL's book & scrapping a number of meaningless games or at least not playing frontline players in them. (Preseason should be for evaluating unproven players... First team guys should play week one of the regular season)

They did the same thing before the world cup, with those stupid warmup games & teams like Wales were poorer for it.

Results (2016)

FRA defeat IRE - 10/9
http://en.espn.co.uk/six-nations-2016/rugby/story/286741.html

WAL defeat SCO - 27/23
http://en.espn.co.uk/six-nations-2016/rugby/story/286761.html

ENG defeat ITA - 40/9
http://en.espn.co.uk/six-nations-2016/rugby/story/286851.html

They will definitely have to revise if too much traffic in the season.

I think for Super Rugby they would be better served using a 2 tier system like the ITM Cup. Top Division plays for the premiership bottom plays for promotion/relegation. 9 teams each home and away = 16 games each plus finals series, promotion/relegation.

People talk about no helmets in American Football being a solution to the CTE crisis, they often talk about Rugby as the sport with the answer... I've never been convinced by that. Every season time & time again I see players getting rocked or knocked out cold. I've always thought it seems like there is more CTE in American Football because they look for it more & if Rugby was to look as hard they'd find it in large quantities as well.

The above articles/investigation, along with the videos are disturbing... To be honest I think Rugby has a serious CTE issue much like that of American Football.

Warriors managing director Jim Doyle wants the club to move to a central Auckland stadium when their new deal runs out in 2028.

Regional Facilities Auckland and the Warriors announced on Friday that the NRL club would remain at Mt Smart Stadium until 2028, but when that contract ends Doyle would like a new stadium in the heart of the city, which would be shared with the Blues.

Super Rugby 2016 is only a week away (Feb 26 - July 16)

Kaino, who was handed a red card for the hit in the Blues 24-12 victory, pleaded his case to New Zealand Rugby and apologised for the incident, but could not escape a ban which makes him unavailable for their season-opener against the Highlanders at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday night next week.

Plans are well advanced for a million-dollar 10-a-side rugby tournament to be launched in Brisbane from next year involving all five New Zealand Super Rugby sides.