Sign up with GoogleWith the apperent deadlock over who should get the 15th Super rugby team, I would like to give my idea. While the Melbourne groups bicker, and and Idiot O' Neil says that the Southern Kings would be a logistical nightmare, I came up with a 16 team tournement, that should cut down logistics and please SA and Aus. I know that the tournement will only go to 15 teams, but this is what I would have done.
Group 1:
Stormers
Bulls
Lions
Cheetahs
Group 2:
Southern Kings
Sharks
Western Force
Melbourne Rebels
Group 3:
Queensland Reds
NSW Waratahs
ACT Brumbies
Auckland Blues
Group 4:
Waikato Chiefs
Canterbury Crusaders
Otago Highlanders
Wellington Hurricanes
It keeps the teams geographically close together, which cuts down travelling. I would have the teams play teams in their group twice, home and away, for six games. The play 2 other groups 2 teams from each group at home and 2 teams away, for 8 games. That gives a total of 14 games. The 2 groups to be played should rotate each year.The group phase could take 15 or 16 weeks.
After that I would have the top four teams from each group ranked 1 to 4. The next best 4 teams would be ranked 5 to 8. These teams would start the quarter finals with 1 playing 8, 2 playing 7, 3 playing 6 and 4 playing 5. The higher ranked team should have home advantage. The semis would be 1/8 vs 4/5 and 2/7 vs 3/6, with the higher ranked team having home advantage. The final would then be played at a predetermined venue. This phase would be 3 weeks long or 4 if a break is needed between semis and the final.
That would give a tournent of 18 to 20 weeks, with every country getting the number of teams they want. There would be geographic groups to cut down travel, and a balanced, regualar tournement. The predetermined final could be bid for by SANZAR cities possibly moved somewhere else to spread the game.
The tournement would run from the second week in Febraury to the last week of June or first week of July. That still leaves palce for incoming tours, and a 4 game-per-team tri-nations. The Currie Cup could also still be played with this model.
I just tought that I'd put my idea out there.
Group 1:
Stormers
Bulls
Lions
Cheetahs
Group 2:
Southern Kings
Sharks
Western Force
Melbourne Rebels
Group 3:
Queensland Reds
NSW Waratahs
ACT Brumbies
Auckland Blues
Group 4:
Waikato Chiefs
Canterbury Crusaders
Otago Highlanders
Wellington Hurricanes
It keeps the teams geographically close together, which cuts down travelling. I would have the teams play teams in their group twice, home and away, for six games. The play 2 other groups 2 teams from each group at home and 2 teams away, for 8 games. That gives a total of 14 games. The 2 groups to be played should rotate each year.The group phase could take 15 or 16 weeks.
After that I would have the top four teams from each group ranked 1 to 4. The next best 4 teams would be ranked 5 to 8. These teams would start the quarter finals with 1 playing 8, 2 playing 7, 3 playing 6 and 4 playing 5. The higher ranked team should have home advantage. The semis would be 1/8 vs 4/5 and 2/7 vs 3/6, with the higher ranked team having home advantage. The final would then be played at a predetermined venue. This phase would be 3 weeks long or 4 if a break is needed between semis and the final.
That would give a tournent of 18 to 20 weeks, with every country getting the number of teams they want. There would be geographic groups to cut down travel, and a balanced, regualar tournement. The predetermined final could be bid for by SANZAR cities possibly moved somewhere else to spread the game.
The tournement would run from the second week in Febraury to the last week of June or first week of July. That still leaves palce for incoming tours, and a 4 game-per-team tri-nations. The Currie Cup could also still be played with this model.
I just tought that I'd put my idea out there.
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