Super Rugby 2026
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@Nepia said in Super Rugby 2026:
Even if the majority of what he says is true, a CEO who was in charge of a fiscally failing organisation (which didn't have to pay the players) might need to have some of his comments taken with a grain of salt.
Shows you how tough it is out there tho.
When someone else is paying most of your wage bill, and you still cant stay afloat.
And a rainy day can fuck you completely.
I'm sure it aint much different at the other SRCs.Wellington rugby really is a basket case at the mo.
Just lucky for them there is another rugby institution just round the corner worth $3.5 billion to bail them out.
Make the call, and down to the coffee shop.Love to know what the Wellington PU got for their 50% canes stake.
That’d give you some idea of what they canes were worth, probably fuck-all.
Probably handed it over for nothing, in exchange for a bail out by NZR.
All the financial arrangements are “confidential.”
NZR are calling all the shots tho, giving all the guarantees to allow WPU and Canes to pay their bills.
Right now, NZR could merge them if they wanted.
The canes being worth zilch means the Pte Equities don’t have much, or any, say.Funny that the Horowhenua RFU are the only PU in the region that now has a direct stake in the canes (3%).
All the other PUs are only “stake holders.”
The Horowhenua RFU a little fiscal power-house, who’d have thunk it. -
@mohikamo said in Super Rugby 2026:
Funny that the Horowhenua RFU are the only PU in the region that now has a direct stake in the canes (3%).
All the other PUs are only “stake holders.”
The Horowhenua RFU a little fiscal power-house, who’d have thunk it.Lol I would mate, been singing their praises for quite some time.
A well run union, books been in the black at last 18 AGMs, and in that time have built own new HQs at the Levin Domain! -
@mohikamo said in Super Rugby 2026:
The Horowhenua RFU a little fiscal power-house, who’d have thunk it.
I think they got 10 cents everytime they were mentioned on air by Ken Laban.
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@mohikamo said in Super Rugby 2026:
Super/NPC rugby is the only pro rugby i'll actually take the time to watch nawadays.
Although that game in Pretoria last night got my attention.
I still follow international rugby, but a lot of that is absolutely dire; extra disappointingly the very big games seem to be the most dire.
Still watch the locals tho; saw some cracking games from the amateurs last season; very entertaining.As for the league v union thing.
A good game of union will shit all over a good game of league . . . BUT . . . you get a lot less good games of union, than you do of league.
League is a little more simple than union; and that seems to ensure that every game is going to be, at a minimum, a half-decent spectacle.
You cant say that about union, a lot of games can be complete shite.
At times a close score line is the only thing making it interesting.Just on top of that, the guys I know who have played both legaue and union (I never played league) generally say that they actually prefer to play union.
Even the shite games of union can be fun, if you are actually playing.
But playing and spectating are lots different.Not sure I agree with that, and especially not based on last years games. I nearly got banned from the league forum I'm on for not fawning over a game last year (I think I got a couple of shots on here too), I can't remember which one but I think it had a spectacular end but was average throughout. But I like both so honestly think they both have great games and they both have shit games. I'm a dirty both sideser,.
I was a forward in rugby and a back in league so two completely different experiences for me. Could do a lot more walking in league as the standard in the Bay wasn't that high.
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@Nepia said in Super Rugby 2026:
@mohikamo said in Super Rugby 2026:
Super/NPC rugby is the only pro rugby i'll actually take the time to watch nawadays.
Although that game in Pretoria last night got my attention.
I still follow international rugby, but a lot of that is absolutely dire; extra disappointingly the very big games seem to be the most dire.
Still watch the locals tho; saw some cracking games from the amateurs last season; very entertaining.As for the league v union thing.
A good game of union will shit all over a good game of league . . . BUT . . . you get a lot less good games of union, than you do of league.
League is a little more simple than union; and that seems to ensure that every game is going to be, at a minimum, a half-decent spectacle.
You cant say that about union, a lot of games can be complete shite.
At times a close score line is the only thing making it interesting.Just on top of that, the guys I know who have played both legaue and union (I never played league) generally say that they actually prefer to play union.
Even the shite games of union can be fun, if you are actually playing.
But playing and spectating are lots different.Not sure I agree with that, and especially not based on last years games. I nearly got banned from the league forum I'm on for not fawning over a game last year (I think I got a couple of shots on here too), I can't remember which one but I think it had a spectacular end but was average throughout. But I like both so honestly think they both have great games and they both have shit games. I'm a dirty both sideser,.
I was a forward in rugby and a back in league so two completely different experiences for me. Could do a lot more walking in league as the standard in the Bay wasn't that high.
I think im the exact opposite of @mohikamo (although i haven't watched a lot of league over the last couple of years)...but when i did watch league regularly i felt you more easily and more often got a game of league that was 5 tackle and kick....five tackles and kick....five tackles and kick....with a couple of moments of brilliance...and even a "bad" game of union wasn't that repeditive
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@booboo said in Super Rugby 2026:
@taniwharugby said in Super Rugby 2026:
@canefan its going back a couple of years, but when the Drua played here in Whangarei, the Drua fans were great, signing, dancing, was a great atmosphere, but NZ grounds seem to prefer to play shitty music and kept playing it over the top of the crowd creating that faux ambience.
This needs to be emphasised and repeated.
Not just NZ and not just rugby. Classic examples at Suncorp in recent years (won't bore with specifics).
And ‘we are Red, we are Red’
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@Unite said in Super Rugby 2026:
@booboo said in Super Rugby 2026:
@taniwharugby said in Super Rugby 2026:
@canefan its going back a couple of years, but when the Drua played here in Whangarei, the Drua fans were great, signing, dancing, was a great atmosphere, but NZ grounds seem to prefer to play shitty music and kept playing it over the top of the crowd creating that faux ambience.
This needs to be emphasised and repeated.
Not just NZ and not just rugby. Classic examples at Suncorp in recent years (won't bore with specifics).
And ‘we are Red, we are Red’
Hated that, but the kids around us really bought into it. And at least it involves the crowd.
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last time i went to a Reds game at Suncorp the crowd was so shit they were piping crowd noise over the PA when ever the Reds got in the 22. Hilarious.
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@mariner4life said in Super Rugby 2026:
last time i went to a Reds game at Suncorp the crowd was so shit they were piping crowd noise over the PA when ever the Reds got in the 22. Hilarious.
They did that a few times when I there too mariner, even with average crowds. I wondered if they thought their supporters were so dumb they needed coaching on cheering.
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@Dan54 said in Super Rugby 2026:
@mariner4life said in Super Rugby 2026:
last time i went to a Reds game at Suncorp the crowd was so shit they were piping crowd noise over the PA when ever the Reds got in the 22. Hilarious.
They did that a few times when I there too mariner, even with average crowds. I wondered if they thought their supporters were so dumb they needed coaching on cheering.
they were too busy blaming the ref to cheer
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@mariner4life said in Super Rugby 2026:
@Dan54 said in Super Rugby 2026:
@mariner4life said in Super Rugby 2026:
last time i went to a Reds game at Suncorp the crowd was so shit they were piping crowd noise over the PA when ever the Reds got in the 22. Hilarious.
They did that a few times when I there too mariner, even with average crowds. I wondered if they thought their supporters were so dumb they needed coaching on cheering.
they were too busy blaming the ref to cheer
Of course mate what was I thinking?
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@Duluth said in Super Rugby 2026:
@Tim said in Super Rugby 2026:
@Bovidae said in Super Rugby 2026:
Feb 6: Blues vs Crusaders – Takapuna Rugby Club, Onewa Domain, Auckland
Might be a fun afternoon on the Shore.
Good excuse for a TSF catch up
Sure, live rugby? Whats that again?
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@Nepia said in Super Rugby 2026:
I can't remember which one but I think it had a spectacular end but was average throughout.
For any union guys who haven't partaked for a while; league has really picked up over the last few seasons;
Even some of my leaguie acquaintances say that.
League is constantly tinker with the rules.
Their ball in-play is up to 56 minutes per game (union is still in the 30's).
Noticed last season the refs were working on getting the play the ball done in less than two seconds.
And the average is now under two seconds.
The players are definitely in energy conservation mode at the start of games, you really notice that when you are actually at a game, not so much on TV.
And getting the spectacular game ending almost looks like it's considered part of the object of any rule changes.
Almost like an NBA (and NFL) game; where the game doesn't really start until half-way thru the 4th quarter.I compare NRL with all union, not just SR/NPC.
SR/NPC is the only brand of union I watch at present.
But SR/NPC is a bit different to the rest of the union game; possibly to the detriment of the NZ national team.
LOL during one of the Aus/NZ tests this year when the ref had to remind the players that they were now playing "international" rules, not "super" rules.I think as entertainment spectacles both codes are heading in the same direction, league just going a bit quicker.
Comments i've read from WR union honchos are that there will be more rule tinkerings this year.
Probably some "super" type rules being brought into the international game.
All these types of rule tinkerings going forward will work in NZ rugbys favour.
So the more tinkering the better.Never played league; keen observer of both, a both sideser.
Constantly comparing both codes, and the way each is evolving.
Often amused when one code makes a change; which has already been done in the other; and found not to have the intended result.
Should be more keen observers of both, save themselves a waste of time.And as a keen observer of both . . . a great game of union is still better than a great game of league.
And if both codes maximise their "rules potential" union will eventually provide a consistently superior "spectacle."
