International Super Rugby

[The_Pumpkin_King]

Johannesburg – The involvement of former Springbok flank Rassie Erasmus in the new International Super Rugby (ISR) competition will not affect his job as director of coaching at the Western Province Rugby Union.

Capetonians can therefore rest assured that Erasmus will still put the interests of the Stormers and WP first and foremost and will still strive to make these two teams the most successful in the country.

Erasmus, his namesake Frikkie Erasmus, a Cape Town lawyer businessman, and two very well-known names in South African rugby are in the process of founding a new international competition in South Africa – something that will change the look of SA rugby dramatically.

The new competition will begin in January 2012 and is based on the Indian Premier League cricket series with shorter matches lasting only half as long as a normal game, and adjustments to rules to make the game faster.

More than 200 of the world's finest rugby players will fight it out at the city's brand new World Cup Soccer stadiums in Cape Town and Durban, playing in a series in which eight teams with a lot of international flavour will compete for about three weeks for handsome prize money.

Springboks like John Smit, Victor Matfield, Bryan Habana, Schalk Burger, Jean de Villiers, Juan Smith, Jaque Fourie, Heinrich Brüssow and Bismarck du Plessis, All Blacks stars like Richie McCaw and Daniel Carter and the Aussies Phil Waugh and James O’Connor, as well as several other top players from England, France and Argentina will be part of the new competition.

Erasmus has already discussed his future, and ISR plans, with the WP rugby bosses and they are satisfied that he will stay on as the Cape Town director of rugby.

The planned ISR competition will however force the country's provincial unions to review their current players' contracts. South Africa, New Zealand and Australia's Super Rugby franchises may also have to think about their preparations for this annual competition between teams of the Southern Hemisphere.

Super rugby teams usually start training early in January but in 2010, coaches may have to wait until February before they can begin preparing as players may be involved with the new competition.

All the international players who have been earmarked to play in the first ISR competition, have contracts with their national bodies and relevant provincial unions and teams that expire at the end of 2011.

According to Sport24's information, they will only sign new contracts with their countries and any provincial unions or teams if they are allowed to take part annually in the ISR competition from 2012.

But the new competition Could also be of great benefit for the South African Rugby Union as local players will be able to earn extra money in the series and therefore not have to leave the country for better pay overseas.

The expectation is that top players will earn millions – more than their current annual salaries – in the ISR series and will have no reason to seek greener pastures outside of South Africa.

http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Rassie-brings-IPL-to-rugby-20100621

40 minutes game with new rules???

IPL = Rubbish = ISR?

 

[Zyzzyva]

But the new competition Could also be of great benefit for the South African Rugby Union as local players will be able to earn extra money in the series and therefore not have to leave the country for better pay overseas.

The expectation is that top players will earn millions – more than their current annual salaries – in the ISR series and will have no reason to seek greener pastures outside of South Africa.

40 minutes game with new rules???

IPL = Rubbish = ISR?

I like that bit.

 

[Sting]

Glorified combination of touch rugby and Rygby League?

No thanks.

 

[cr@zydude]

Ok this is getting it's own thread, I already posted it in the Rugby in General thread. The way I see, is that this will be the end of the Currie Cup as a 'top level' competition.

 

[The_Pumpkin_King]

Ok this is getting it's own thread, I already posted it in the Rugby in General thread. The way I see, is that this will be the end of the Currie Cup as a 'top level' competition.

ah i didnt look in there.

i dont even see where they're going to fit this in the calender

 

[Kilgore_Trout_Redux]

This sounds just as bad as 20/20 cricket. I hope it dies a horribly inglorious death. If you don't have the attention span to sit still and watch a sport for 80 minutes go eat a shotgun.

 

[APoc184]

Bad idea.

The same players that complain about fatigue and too much rugby will be the same guys playing here. BECAUSE MONEY TALKS.

 

[Alan]

*sigh*

Idiocracy

Yet another sport is dumbed down.

 

[APoc184]

I'm currently running a "poll/opinion" post on our Rugby15 Facebook and Twitter accounts.

After a few early votes it looks like the majority support the idea.

Will let you know what the final "score" was.

 

[BLIXEMPIE]

This format won't last a single season. In fact, I strongly doubt it will ever materialize.

 

[Kilgore_Trout_Redux]

Now, if they brought back a version of rugby where players couldn't wear pads and rucking players on the wrong side of a ruck is legalized again I'd watch it.

 

[ponder]

Pass, not enough time to drink beer.

 

[hawkeyecf]

The way I see, is that this will be the end of the Currie Cup as a 'top level' competition.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but the Super 14 all but took away the point of the Currie Cup. I still love it, but the Super 14/15 and subsequently ISR is a much more talanted and varied competition.

The ISR sounds like a brilliant idea, none-the least that the CT stadium will be used.

 

[cr@zydude]

Well SARU have started the talks about this new series:

East London - A delegation from the South African Rugby Union met the developers of a proposed new rugby competition in East London on Sunday.

The five-man SARU delegation received a formal presentation from Rassie Erasmus and Frikkie Erasmus on a proposal to hold a pre-season rugby tournament in South Africa in January 2012.

Mr Oregan Hoskins, the president of SARU, made it clear at the meeting that any such tournament would require the sanction of SARU before it could be held.

The SARU delegation will report back to the 14 provincial unions on the meeting as well as to key stakeholders, such as the International Rugby Board and SANZAR.

News24