Expansion of Pacific nation Cup

justsomebloke

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3551_8425572,00.html

So it looks like the USA and Canada have joined the Pacific Nations Cup. Hopefully the extra bit of exposure will help all the countries involved.

ClongowesBoy

It's a step forward, the problem with rugby in the USA however is to do with their youth system or lack thereof. Until they correct that this will be of little benefit for them I feel.

Canada have much the same problems as the USA but to a far lesser extent because they dont have to deal with the presence of basketball or football. They'll probably get more of a positive outcome from the PNC.

Winters

This can only be great news for the development of the sport worldwide.

This diagram of playing numbers always fascinates me:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yeSN53py7PI/TmXJ4UMiD1I/AAAAAAAAAgs/54kHw_zo9AY/s1600/IRB+Player+Numbers.jpg

As you can see Canada's adult numbers are less that the US but they have had the upper hand over the US in the last few years.

[Jackass]

Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, Japan, USA & Canada now the participating nations (although it says in article Samao will not be competing in this seasons one to play a different tournament in SA with Italy and Scotland.)

Not a bad line up. You'd wonder though how much teams can get above a certain level without higher competition ... would be nice if the Pacific Nations Champion earned a spot in the rugby championship each season...

Podge_irl

[Jackass] wrote: »

would be nice if the Pacific Nations Champion earned a spot in the rugby championship each season...

Much like relegation in the 6N, that would be stupendously pointless at the moment.

The competition is good news, but if I'm not mistaken the PNC used to contain US and Canada years ago no? It'll take a lot more than a new comp to increase rugby's reach in these places.

[Jackass]

Podge_irl wrote: »

Much like relegation in the 6N, that would be stupendously pointless at the moment.

I wouldn't be so sure, the current champions, Samoa, came within a try of South Africa in the world cup and Tonga of course famously beat eventual finalists France in the world cup also.

It's very different from the second tier European teams like Russia, Romania etc. who get a half century put on them against any half decent opposition.

thebaz

are those figures right ? Ireland more players than NZ

also I always find it strange that so few country's break into the top tier - Argentina are the only major country to breakthrough recently - to a lesser extent Italy and Samoa

Podge_irl

[Jackass] wrote: »

I wouldn't be so sure, the current champions, Samoa, came within a try of South Africa in the world cup and Tonga of course famously beat eventual finalists France in the world cup also.

It's very different from the second tier European teams like Russia, Romania etc. who get a half century put on them against any half decent opposition.

Yes, but the PI nations receive a lot of funding in the lead up to RWCs and have their players a lot longer and are generally in a much more professional set up. It would require another big outlay of cash for them participating in the RC to any use.

Also, results like what you've mentioned are extraordinary one-offs. In the previous incarnations of the Pacific Nations Cup, the JABs walked all over everyone else in it.

thebaz wrote: »

are those figures right ? Ireland more players than NZ

also I always find it strange that so few country's break into the top tier - Argentina are the only major country to breakthrough recently - to a lesser extent Italy and Samoa

Think the Irish figure includes all tag players as senior males. At least I heard that before.

CIARAN_BOYLE

[Jackass] wrote: »

Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, Japan, USA & Canada now the participating nations (although it says in article Samao will not be competing in this seasons one to play a different tournament in SA with Italy and Scotland.)

Not a bad line up. You'd wonder though how much teams can get above a certain level without higher competition ... would be nice if the Pacific Nations Champion earned a spot in the rugby championship each season...

Is that not the idea of having the top tier 2 nation playing in the quadrangal tournament. At least they are trying it out.

Swiwi

[Jackass] wrote: »

Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, Japan, USA & Canada now the participating nations (although it says in article Samao will not be competing in this seasons one to play a different tournament in SA with Italy and Scotland.)

Not a bad line up. You'd wonder though how much teams can get above a certain level without higher competition ... would be nice if the Pacific Nations Champion earned a spot in the rugby championship each season...

Um, no thanks. I don't really want to watch your pick of NZ, SA or Aus thrashing USA by 50 points or so on several consecutive weekends.

Maybe the winner could replace Italy or Scotland in the 6N..

Swiwi

thebaz wrote: »

are those figures right ? Ireland more players than NZ

also I always find it strange that so few country's break into the top tier - Argentina are the only major country to breakthrough recently - to a lesser extent Italy and Samoa

Samoa are in the top tier...just not recognised so by the home nations and sanzar. I mean scotland slip further and further down the pecking order...but retain their 2 votes on the IRB council, while samoa have all of 0.33 votes from their share with fiji & tonga. Now that samoan players no longer have to play for a sanzar nation to earn good coin, many are electing to play for samoa and ply their trade in europe or japan. Kahn Fotuali being a prime example.

Swiwi

Winters wrote: »

This can only be great news for the development of the sport worldwide.

This diagram of playing numbers always fascinates me:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yeSN53py7PI/TmXJ4UMiD1I/AAAAAAAAAgs/54kHw_zo9AY/s1600/IRB+Player+Numbers.jpg

As you can see Canada's adult numbers are less that the US but they have had the upper hand over the US in the last few years.

That piegraph of playing numbers always makes intriguing reading. I can only assume there is helluva lot of very amateur players in england who trot out for a fairly sedentary game on saturday afternoon before retiring to the pub for steak & kidney pie and ale. With those playing numbers england should be utterly unbeatable.

irishbucsfan

Swiwi wrote: »

That piegraph of playing numbers always makes intriguing reading. I can only assume there is helluva lot of very amateur players in england who trot out for a fairly sedentary game on saturday afternoon before retiring to the pub for steak & kidney pie and ale. With those playing numbers england should be utterly unbeatable.

More like Kids and Women.

Also 7s and Tag rugby players are included to beef up the numbers I think.

I think the only numbers that really matter for short-term analysis are the Senior Male figures. England aren't miles ahead of South Africa and France in that regard.

Thud

would doubt tag numbers are included, you don't need to register with any club or branch to play tag, would assume that represents registered players.