Maori Super Rugby Team
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@nzzp said in Maori Super Rugby Team:
@Cyclops yep. It is an issue for everyone outside elite schools - not just Maori.
Some people just don't develop young. Ben Smith is a prime example- kind appeared in his mid 20's as a fully formed player
Beat me to it. Plenty of kids get recruited to those schools.
School Rugby has become a bit of a pet hate of mine.
And @DrivingMaul: am not a fan. Agree with @Duluth 's response.
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@nzzp said in Maori Super Rugby Team:
@Cyclops yep. It is an issue for everyone outside elite schools - not just Maori.
Some people just don't develop young. Ben Smith is a prime example- kind appeared in his mid 20's as a fully formed player
Is that actually true for Ben Smith? IIRC he played U20s/U21s for NZ so he was in the system, but his selection to the ABs was in his first Super season. It was more the general public didn't really know about him.
On the Kura Kaupapa, I wouldn't think there are that many schools out there that would be sucking up lots of good rugby players.
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As a pakeha NZer. I support the NZ Maori (Maori All Blacks) even though I am not Maori because they are an NZ representative team (with restrictions) who play teams from other countries.
A Maori SR team would be ridiculous and divisive, but I'm glad it is raised, because it highlights how ridiculous an Auckland Pasifika SR team is.
I've already written on the other thread that I am 100% opposed to an NZ based ethnic SR team playing and based within the borders of NZ geographic SR teams. It's just plain idiocy.
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But taking it 'seriously'. There is more case for a Maori SR team than a Pasifika SR team based in NZ. Bigger population and therefore support base and therefore more likely to financially survive.
Both would eat the lunch of the other 5 franchises, considerably eat the lunch of presumably Auckland Blues if that is where it is based.
But both 758% worse options than the Knightiwhas. Who only eat the lunch of one franchise and have a dense population base of circa 600k.
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there is a gap in the HB/Manawatu/Taranaki belt that neither the Chiefs nor the Canes really give a fuck about, they could base something there.
the only real concern i have is, where are we finding the additional 70-odd professional standard players to fill these rosters?
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@mariner4life Hawkes Bay Magpies Maori team has a nice ring to it.
Brad Weber and Wharau Whakatawa are a good start at halfback.
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Looking at population if there's going to be another SR franchise then it should really be in Tauranga so that it has a population base and doesn't eat into the other franchises that can't fill their stadiums already
1 Auckland 1,470,100
2 Christchurch 383,200
3 Wellington 215,100
4 Hamilton 176,500
5 Tauranga 151,300
6 Lower Hutt 110,700
7 Dunedin 106,200
8 Palmerston North 81,500
9 Napier 66,300
10 Hibiscus Coast 59,800
11 Porirua 59,600 -
@booboo Got to agree the school rugby doesn't make sense for the sport or players to me.
Ngarimu Blair made the point recently and I agree with him that kids should keep playing in their clubs not disappear off to school and never come back
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@DrivingMaul You can’t put a franchise in a place with a stock car track and a half stand sports ground as the only options as a home base.
Plus, you really should go Rotorua if you want a Maori team. I mean Tauranga likely counts Simon Bridges in its Maori population.
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@DrivingMaul not that I am advocating a Northland team, Whangarei District is almost 100,000 so slots in at 8th.
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@taniwharugby said in Maori Super Rugby Team:
@DrivingMaul not that I am advocating a Northland team, Whangarei District is almost 100,000 so slots in at 8th.
@DrivingMauls raw statistics have a few holes in them. I can only assume that is Napier’s city population and it disregards the over 70k odd people who can get to McLean park from Hastings in 20 odd minutes.
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@DrivingMaul said in Maori Super Rugby Team:
@booboo Got to agree the school rugby doesn't make sense for the sport or players to me.
Ngarimu Blair made the point recently and I agree with him that kids should keep playing in their clubs not disappear off to school and never come backIn the modern era the strength of New Zealand rugby is in the professionalism at school boy competition. Yes players who can't afford to go to elite schools or don't demonstrate the physical capability at an early age miss out, but NZR is better placed finding solutions to that than trying to construct a 10 team professional competition based on club rugby.
In my opinion Ngarimu's argument is a pipe dream devoid of understanding market economics. Unless NZ becomes a closed market.
And I'd have preferred TJP played the last couple of seasons for the Māori.
