Twenty20 Rugby?

thomond2006

http://www.keo.co.za/2010/06/20/get-ready-for-2020-rugby/

South Africa will host an IPL-type rugby competition from January 2012.

According to a front-page story in Rapport on Sunday, the world’s best 200 players will take part in the eight-team tournament. The matches will be 40 minutes each (20 minutes a half) and played at two of SA’s new World Cup stadiums.

The rules of this new version of the game still have to be confirmed but there could be restrictions on kicking, in order to produce more running rugby.

Players could earn more from appearing in the three-week competition than from their annual provincial or club contracts. This is currently the case in cricket, with its stars making more than $1 million in the six-week IPL (Indian Premier League).

Western Province senior professional coach Rassie Erasmus and lawyer
Frikkie Erasmus are part of the consortium that will manage the tournament.

‘We should be given the green light within the next two months,’ Frikkie Erasmus told keo.co.za. ‘It’s something that’s been talked about for a long time. We’ve seen how successful the IPL has been and recognise the need for a rugby equivalent.’

Erasmus added that the tournament could take place before the Super 15 and that ’scientific investigations’ are being conducted to see what impact it would have on players’ conditioning.

He also confirmed that the new franchises would be privately owned and have no association with Super Rugby teams.

No, just no. I know the Twenty 20 format has worked wonders for cricket but I can't see how it would work in rugby.

I can't see the IRB letting this happen, what a crazy idea.

20 minutes a half? Load of shíte.

toomevara

We’ve seen how successful the IPL has been and recognise the need for a rugby equivalent.’

Is this some sort of joke? Please, please say it ain't so. "We recognise how successful the IPL has been"? Oh really? The IPL may make some obscenely wealthy Indians even more obscenely wealthy but its been a absolute disaster for the game on every level that matters. Totally devalued the currency of cricket and existing international structures. Its also leading to the unsavoury spectacle of players clambering over each other to get at the money while ignoring/compromising club/national commitments.

"and recognise the need for a rugby equivalent"; erm...no you don't, you recognise the need for a grubby money making opportunity and you're intent on grasping it. I sincerely hope the IRB and the various national bodies have nothing to do with this and make it clear to players and their representatives that becoming involved in this grimy quick cash scheme will not be tolerated. Rugby needs this like a hole in the head.

JustinDee

There already is, in Sevens, a "Twenty20" version of rugby union but with real representitive teams with priorities right, and run by the actual governing body of the sport.
As for a private individual entity running rugby union competitions with already contracted players, I don't see it as a runner myself.

thebaz

thomond2006 wrote: »

20 minutes a half? Load of shíte.

that would have been bliss to me when i played- 20/20 has worked well in cricket , certainly it has wooed me as someone who yawned through test cricket and the whole ashes thing - but for rugby ? sounds like anything to make a buck , they should just concentrate on 7s , which bores me as it is

myflipflops

This will never happen.

The IPL works because there's a billion Indian people who you can market it to. This is not the case here.

[Jackass]

Good luck getting players.

And good luck getting enough people to pay enough money to see unknown players that contracts will be worth more than provincial or national contracts.

I can see the IRFU letting O'Driscoll, Kearney, Fitzgerald, Earls, Horgan, D'Arcy, Sexton, Nacewa etc. etc. being released to play for a private franchise. Same for any other player worth his salt in world rugby.

d'Oracle

Do we not have Sevens for this?

CouchSmart

myflipflops wrote: »

This will never happen.

The IPL works because there's a billion Indian people who you can market it to. This is not the case here.

My thoughts exactly.

Every year there seems to be new crap ideas coming from the southern hemisphere to get more money out of rugby. They must really be cash strapped down there!

Robbo

I'll only get behind this if they have Multi-Ball Overtime in the event of a draw.

myflipflops

Robbo wrote: »

I'll only get behind this if they have Multi-Ball Overtime in the event of a draw.

Super Idea.

I also suggest a 'powerplay' period of ten minutes a game where the front row swaps positions with the back 3.

Jemo

Sudden Death too, expcept blindfolded to make it more interesting

thebossanova

MULTIBALLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4agc7uL2Nzk

thomond2006

Stormers Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus does not want his new IPL-styled rugby competition to be seen as a rebel movement in the rugby world - instead, he is hoping that the new International Super Rugby (ISR) tournament will benefit South African rugby.

Despite not being at liberty to discuss the finer details of this new competition, which will be held in January 2012, Erasmus told rugby365.com: "We're hopeful of having everything sorted - the rules and the exact format - in about two months' time.

"It's very difficult to say too much at the moment, but all will be revealed once everything - in terms of broadcasting and the commercial details - has been finalised. What I can say, however, is that this tournament shouldn't be seen as a rebel movement - in fact, far from it.

"It's not as if this has suddenly come to us... We've been working on this for a very long time, which is why it's a pity that it somehow got leaked into the media (at the weekend)," he added.

When quizzed about the thorny issue of player welfare, Erasmus continued: "As a Super 15 coach I am well aware of what can and can't be done. In effect, I am wearing two hats, so if the ISR was bad for my players (in the Super 15) that would be a conflict of interest.

"There won't be more rugby - games will be just 20 minutes a half - and we won't be taking 15 players from every Super 15 franchise; it's just the cream of the crop," he added. "That will keep those top guys sharp before the Super 15 and then allow the Super 15 coaches to blood some of their fringe players before the tournament - which is what they normally do in the pre-season matches in any event."

Erasmus and lawyer Frikkie Erasmus are part of the consortium that will manage rugby's version of the much talked-about Indian Premier League (IPL), which, of course, has set tongues wagging in the cricket world - both in a good... and a bad way.

Frikkie told this website: "There are obviously comparisons being made between us and the IPL - especially in terms of all the money being bandied about.

"What I can say, however, is that this tournament will allow South Africa's top players to reap the financial rewards and, thereby, stay put in South Africa after the World Cup - instead of chasing the money overseas. It will certainly be worth their [players'] while."

According to Frikkie, what will count in their favour is that most of the world's top players will be off contract after next year's World Cup in New Zealand.

"Ninety-percent of the world's best players will be off-contract [after the 2011 World Cup] and can thus be contracted for the three-week period in January 2012," he said.

"It's an open secret that a lot of players from South Africa, New Zealand and Australia plan to leave after the World Cup - this gives them another option and will no doubt be beneficial to the local unions (in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand)."

Tournament fast facts:

- Eight teams will take part in the International Super Rugby (ISR) - the name of the tournament could still change before 2012 - with just over 200 of the world's top players being earmarked.

- The prize money on offer will make it the most lucrative rugby tournament in the world.

- The Soccer World Cup stadia in Cape Town (Cape Town Stadium) and Durban (Moses Mabhida Stadium) are being earmarked as potential venues for the ISR.

- A formula will be put in place to ensure that the teams are 'selected' (or rather, bought) in a fair way, with an IPL-style auction set to get things going for the eight privately-owned franchises.

- The tournament will take place over a three-week period in January 2012, with one week set aside for training, before the two-week competition gets underway.

- There will be seven match days over that two-week period - including the semifinals and final. All matches will be 20 minutes per half, resulting in three hours of rugby per match day.

- There will be some law 'adjustments' during the tournament - all in a bid to make the rugby more exciting and, also, to trial some new ideas that Rassie Erasmus has been working on in consultation with other rugby experts. "All that's wrong and boring about rugby can be solved in this format," said Rassie.

http://www.rugby365.com/news/2498700.htm

"All that's wrong about rugby can be sorted"

That terrifies me.

PhatPiggins

thomond2006 wrote: »

"All that's wrong about rugby can be sorted"

That terrifies me.

Why? There's plenty wrong with rugby sticking your head in the sand wont solve things.

Risteard

PhatPiggins wrote: »

Why? There's plenty wrong with rugby sticking your head in the sand wont solve things.

Yeah, but setting up a private tournament and halving the gametime won't sort it either.

From this I get the impression that their suggesting that by speeding up the game will 'sort out rugby' which it won't.

Judgement Day

20/20 cricket is pure ****e and if a rugby equivalent replicates it God help us!:D

myflipflops

Judgement Day wrote: »

20/20 cricket is pure ****e and if a rugby equivalent replicates it God help us!:D

Not a cricket forum but the statement is completely untrue. Twenty20 has been a huge boon for cricket in lots of ways.

Rugby is a different 'product' and this 'Super Rugby' tournament is flawed in it's reasoning. I fail to see any way in which it can work.

A couple of basic differences:

The IPL attracts the worlds best crickets, Super Rugby will not be able to do so (central contracts).

Cricket used to lack regular, meangingful international tournamanents (ODI World Cup every 4 years). Twenty20 allowed this to change - T20 World Cup, IPL, Champions League. Rugby already has numerous tournaments - World Cup, Tri Nations, 6 Nations, Super 14, Heineken Cup. They all pit different countries against each other and satisfy the need for international competition.


This Rassie Erasmus guy is trying to fill a void that just does not exist.

PhatPiggins

Risteard wrote: »

Yeah, but setting up a private tournament and halving the gametime won't sort it either.

From this I get the impression that their suggesting that by speeding up the game will 'sort out rugby' which it won't.

No its a daft idea alright but there is seemingly a fear of any attempt to improve the game in the NH. The over reaction to the ELV's last season was laughable

Risteard

PhatPiggins wrote: »

No its a daft idea alright but there is seemingly a fear of any attempt to improve the game in the NH. The over reaction to the ELV's last season was laughable

Tbh the biggest thing wrong with rugby is inconsistency, which is to be expected as lots of rules are left open to interpretation.

But I think the new breakdown 'interpretation' is actually doing well, plus stricter adherence to the offside lines at kicks. We've seen a lot more attacking rugby not just in the Super 14 but from the NH teams playing under them, whilst still affording players the opportunity to counter the ruck.

I didn't agree with a lot of the ELVs, specifically pulling down the maul and free kick sanctions but some of them were good, the ones that were kept.

thomond2006

PhatPiggins wrote: »

Why? There's plenty wrong with rugby sticking your head in the sand wont solve things.

My worry is they will try to turn rugby into something it's not.

Judgement Day

thomond2006 wrote: »

My worry is they will try to turn rugby into something it's not.

Like they did with cricket and 20/20.

Pete_Cavan

thomond2006 wrote: »

My worry is they will try to turn rugby into something it's not.

Sounds to me like their trying to turn it into Rugby League! Limited kicking and Im sure there will be some attempt to speed up ball at rucks almost making it impossible to contest the ball at rucks. A lot of time is being lost resetting scrums at the minute so they will probably try to avoid scrums. This could turn into Rugby League with two extra players.

Its just another attempt by the SH to claw back interest in the sport which they are destroying with their ELVs and constant reinterpretations of the rules.

The real problem for the SH though is that they are worried they will lose all their players after the WC when they are offered big money to come to Europe. I think the IRB should introduce salary caps to prevent this and also for the sake of decency!