FF:NZ Super 18?

With Nick Evens departing and many other high profile NZ rugby player having left or leaving... has the Super Rugby niche gone stale?

The apparent cure(?) upping the team numbers to Super 18, this only a few seasons from the increase from Super 12 to Super 14.

5 NZ Teams
5 Australian Teams
5 South African Teams
1 American Team based in South Africa
1 Japanese Team based in Australia
1 Pacific Island Team based in NZ

Do we think this will help with players suddenly not getting lucritic offers to head overseas? I think not.
Do we think this will help MysteryMan win Virtual Super Rugby games? I think not (have a hard time keeping up with the teams already in the competition - although I am currently beating Jono )
Do we really want Japs and Yanks in the competition? I think not.

Time constraints and travel and round robyn... extra teams... more flights to South Africa... not to mention more time away from the NPC competition and training for the AB's perhaps...

//sigh//

I'm not sold.

NZ1 Auckland Blues
NZ2 Waikato Chiefs
NZ3 Wellington Hurricanes
NZ3 Canterbury Crusaders
NZ4 Otago Highlanders
Oz1 Reds
Oz2 Brumbies
Oz3 Stormers
Oz4 Warratahs
Oz5 Force
SA1 Sharks
SA2 Cheetahs
SA3 Bulls
SA4 Lions

So what's next
SA5 Waterbucks / Rhinos / Buffalo / Warthogs?
Jap1 Japanese Suns / Sushi / Whale killers?
USA1 American Bisons / Eagles / Obeasts?
SAm1 Agentina Pumas?

 

No thanks...

 

Your right, What about promotion / relegation with all the Air NZ Championship teams.
Top 4 or 5 go on to play Super Rugby.

After 12 rounds in virtual I?m on 349 points. My best in many years.

 

I'm with Jeff.

Have an SANZAR/Asia-Pacific Champions league with the top four provincial teams from each country.

If the IRB goes for it (with I doubt will happen this century), the Champions League players get the big buck$.

If the NPC is our main focus as our "semi-professional" game there would be more interest for fans and stir up more provincial pride.

Super Rugby as it is, is $h!t boring. I don't think I've watched a whole game this year.

 

I don't think I've watched a full game of rugby in ages... world cup probably. Haven't really followed Super 14 since I was in Chch and I had mates who wanted to go out and have a few brews while doing so, my mates up here aren't so rugby orientated. My picks on virtual rugby are mostly guesses... "Lion vs Highlanders" - lion would eat them, so I go for lions , na I mostly go from the TAB betting percentages given at the bottoms But don't watch the games so don't know how the teams are actually playing... couldn't tell you who's top 4...

/shrug/

 

Haven't watched any rugby since the World Cup and haven't worn my All Blacks shirt since either...I'm still hurting