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Pro 16 Discussion

1235

Comments

  • #122
    Red Silurian
    Registered Users Posts: 8,308 ✭✭✭Red Silurian


    Eod100 wrote: »
    Not sure what different format could be used for 24 teams and Munster basing season tickets on current model.

    They could split it into the old style and have 6 groups of 4

    That means Munster season tickets would cover 2 of the 3 home games and they could then sell more tickets to the third game. They are expecting full crowds to be allowed from January so if the third game were t happen then they could make plenty of profit off that


  • #123
    ClanofLams
    Registered Users Posts: 4,210 ✭✭✭ClanofLams


    One thing they really need to improve next season is digital content.

    The current three min highlights are awful. Don’t follow super rugby but know their highlights are 6-7 minutes long per game which gives much better insight into how game went.

    They should have game highlight packages of six minutes each and then put them into hour long show with presenter and an analyst from each hemisphere. I don’t know if that will be possible with tv rights but would be ideal.

    Half hour - 45 minute preview show every Thursday with analyst from each hemisphere too. Covid has shown how effective zoom etc can be for these so it shouldn’t really cost a lot.

    I follow the pro14 very closely and know nothing about South African teams really, would think I am in large majority both in this hemisphere and South Africa. If they want league to work need to change that.


  • #124
    thomond2006
    Registered Users Posts: 45,433 ✭✭✭✭thomond2006


    Supersport in SA has a very active YouTube channel. Perhaps content will be made available by them.


  • #125
    ClanofLams
    Registered Users Posts: 4,210 ✭✭✭ClanofLams


    thomond2006 wrote: »
    Supersport in SA has a very active YouTube channel. Perhaps content will be made available by them.

    Yeah that might work, think it would be better if it was done by league though. Can’t see it being a massive cost to get for example Bernard Jackman or whoever and one SA maybe Pienaar given his knowledge of both league and South Africa for an hour a week.

    There will definitely and inevitably be some teething problems with the league but this seems like basic enough stuff to get right. To be honest they should have done this a long time ago, assuming rights allow.


  • #126
    AbusesToilets
    Registered Users Posts: 9,949 ✭✭✭AbusesToilets


    RC aside, I'm pretty stoked for the next season. The SA teams should be a great addition. If the Welsh teams could ever pull the finger out, the league would be in good shape competitively.

    Have they clarified when the SA teams will be eligible for the HC?


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  • #127
    randomname2005
    Registered Users Posts: 1,931 ✭✭✭randomname2005


    ClanofLams wrote: »
    One thing they really need to improve next season is digital content.

    The current three min highlights are awful. Don’t follow super rugby but know their highlights are 6-7 minutes long per game which gives much better insight into how game went.

    They should have game highlight packages of six minutes each and then put them into hour long show with presenter and an analyst from each hemisphere. I don’t know if that will be possible with tv rights but would be ideal.

    Half hour - 45 minute preview show every Thursday with analyst from each hemisphere too. Covid has shown how effective zoom etc can be for these so it shouldn’t really cost a lot.

    I follow the pro14 very closely and know nothing about South African teams really, would think I am in large majority both in this hemisphere and South Africa. If they want league to work need to change that.

    Definitely they need to improve the highlights, and from what I remember it was TV rights that forced the 3 minute limit. Don't see why pro 1x can't dictate that as they co trip the TV rights. Would be great to have a build up and review show on free tv.


  • #128
    Digifriendly
    Registered Users Posts: 4,015 ✭✭✭Digifriendly


    ClanofLams wrote: »
    One thing they really need to improve next season is digital content.

    The current three min highlights are awful. Don’t follow super rugby but know their highlights are 6-7 minutes long per game which gives much better insight into how game went.

    They should have game highlight packages of six minutes each and then put them into hour long show with presenter and an analyst from each hemisphere. I don’t know if that will be possible with tv rights but would be ideal.

    Half hour - 45 minute preview show every Thursday with analyst from each hemisphere too. Covid has shown how effective zoom etc can be for these so it shouldn’t really cost a lot.

    I follow the pro14 very closely and know nothing about South African teams really, would think I am in large majority both in this hemisphere and South Africa. If they want league to work need to change that.

    Your point re Super Rugby highlights is explained by nature of high scoring games compared to Pro 14 as well as extra mins being usually taken up with introductory commentary and the odd conversion. Personally I'm happy to see the tries and if penalty or conversion wins a game then that as well.


  • #129
    Lost Ormond
    Registered Users Posts: 3,736 ✭✭✭Lost Ormond


    Thoughts??

    https://twitter.com/BrendanFanning/status/1404554194787487745


  • #130
    awec
    Administrators Posts: 53,329 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭awec


    What a dumb name.

    4 pools with 1 league table? My mind is blown.


  • #131
    bilston
    Registered Users Posts: 17,742 ✭✭✭✭bilston


    Will wait until tomorrow for.thenfull details, but home and away derbies is great news....for Benetton


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  • #132
    Thrashssacre
    Registered Users Posts: 1,257 ✭✭✭Thrashssacre


    Finish 8/16 and string a couple of performances together to win the league, absolute farce! I was all for the league revamp with the south African additions but they've somehow managed to make the competition even worse!!


  • #133
    Cookiemunster
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 11,790 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cookiemunster


    awec wrote: »
    What a dumb name.

    4 pools with 1 league table? My mind is blown.
    It's basically what everyone expected. Play everyone once and then add the three return derbies.

    I assume we'll get TV details tomorrow too.


  • #134
    thomond2006
    Registered Users Posts: 45,433 ✭✭✭✭thomond2006


    My first reaction was that it read like the Super Rugby conference system which was a convoluted mess.

    The name isn't great, it sounds like a placeholder for a title sponsor. URC is much better than Pro16, however.

    We'll see what it all looks like tomorrow but at this stage it doesn't have to be great to be an improvement on what is there now.


  • #135
    ClanofLams
    Registered Users Posts: 4,210 ✭✭✭ClanofLams


    If it’s pools by countries (Sco/Italy) that’s ridiculous. 4 best teams in the league this season are Irish.


  • #136
    Neil3030
    Registered Users Posts: 16,971 ✭✭✭✭Neil3030


    Thrashssacre wrote: »
    Finish 8/16 and string a couple of performances together to win the league, absolute farce! I was all for the league revamp with the south African additions but they've somehow managed to make the competition even worse!!

    Assume at least 3 competitive teams from each of Ireland and SA. That's 2 spots left for the likes of Glasgow, Benetton, Scarlets, Ospreys, the remaining Irish province and remaining SA side....

    Should be fairly competitive, imo.


  • #137
    ClanofLams
    Registered Users Posts: 4,210 ✭✭✭ClanofLams


    Neil3030 wrote: »
    Assume at least 3 competitive teams from each of Ireland and SA. That's 2 spots left for the likes of Glasgow, Benetton, Scarlets, Ospreys, the remaining Irish province and remaining SA side....

    Should be fairly competitive, imo.

    If it’s by country though you’re gonna have two of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Treviso and Zebre making the quarters….


  • #138
    Neil3030
    Registered Users Posts: 16,971 ✭✭✭✭Neil3030


    ClanofLams wrote: »
    If it’s by country though you’re gonna have two of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Treviso and Zebre making the quarters….

    Quarter spots have never been ringfenced by country in the various Pro competitions, have they?


  • #139
    ClanofLams
    Registered Users Posts: 4,210 ✭✭✭ClanofLams


    Neil3030 wrote: »
    Quarter spots have never been ringfenced by country in the various Pro competitions, have they?

    We have never had pools though.

    Just looking more at Twitter, apparently it’s going to be each pool winner into quarter finals and then a combined league table with top four not qualified as pool winners making up the quarters.

    Still seems far from ideal, though there is probably isn’t an ideal format. It will be interesting to see if pool winners are guaranteed home quarters which could lead to some farcical situations if for example Munster were 2nd to Leinster in actual table but as pool runners up had to travel to South Africa.

    Seems complex, two pools of 8 with simple top 4 qualifying would have worked better maybe but will see details tomorrow I guess.


  • #140
    sydthebeat
    Subscribers Posts: 40,943 ✭✭✭✭sydthebeat


    I've a feeling it will be pool winners and next four wildcards.

    So quarters will be 3 Irish, 3 bokke, 1 Welsh and 1 scot/Italian.


  • #141
    aloooof
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 10,135 Mod ✭✭✭✭aloooof


    Is it just me or does rugby, more than any other sport, consistently come up with odd / convoluted formats?

    I guess the unions will rightly always want home and away derbies, so any solution is going to be lob-sided, but the continual changing must have had some affect on converting casual fans to more regular observers.


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  • #142
    ClanofLams
    Registered Users Posts: 4,210 ✭✭✭ClanofLams


    Points in favour

    Likely makes almost every game relevant.
    Guarantees good geographical spread in play offs.

    Points against
    Very complex, the casual viewer is going to struggle to understand this.
    Makes league inherently unfair, or more so.
    If pool winners are guaranteed home play offs, then potentially have second best team in league having away play off.


  • #143
    icdg
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,499 Mod ✭✭✭✭icdg


    Not really. I struggle to understand the formats of any US sport league, and I love watching the NFL but my god the scheduling rules take some understanding, and it’s the most straightforward of the lot of them!

    United Rugby Championship? Really? Who gets the do the marketing for that I wonder.


  • #144
    Dave_The_Sheep
    Registered Users Posts: 7,328 ✭✭✭Dave_The_Sheep


    What's wrong with calling it Celtic League and Friends?

    Format sounds gash.


  • #145
    AbusesToilets
    Registered Users Posts: 9,949 ✭✭✭AbusesToilets


    Have they learnt nothing from Super Rugby's issues over the years? How hard would it be to just do Home or Away, alternating with top 4 or 6 into a playoff?


  • #146
    Sabre0001
    Registered Users Posts: 7,499 ✭✭✭Sabre0001


    9:30 announcement according to post on Instagram so not long to wait at least

    🤪



  • #147
    salmocab
    Registered Users Posts: 11,278 ✭✭✭✭salmocab


    sydthebeat wrote: »
    I've a feeling it will be pool winners and next four wildcards.

    So quarters will be 3 Irish, 3 bokke, 1 Welsh and 1 scot/Italian.

    Although it’d be hard for say the third Irish team as they have tougher return matches than say the Scot/Italian second place team. The easier group might allow for the extra few points that make the difference


  • #148
    Eod100
    Registered Users Posts: 11,624 ✭✭✭✭Eod100


    Sabre0001 wrote: »
    9:30 announcement according to post on Instagram so not long to wait at least

    On their twitter too https://twitter.com/PRO14Official/status/1404687868291915780?s=19


  • #149
    irelandrover
    Registered Users Posts: 3,675 ✭✭✭irelandrover


    The name is fine. Means they dont have to change everytime there is a change to the teams.

    And the format is as expected really. A league where you don't play everyone isn't good so 2 groups of 8 was never going to happen. And teh welsh and the Irish were never going to give up their derbies as that's there biggest attendances.


  • #150
    sydthebeat
    Subscribers Posts: 40,943 ✭✭✭✭sydthebeat


    hopefuly, its just a straight out meritocratic battle for league places.... but when they mention 4 conferences then i get worried about guaranteed spots and wildcard systems


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  • #151
    icdg
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 11,499 Mod ✭✭✭✭icdg


    FT article. Interesting points - no mention of Premier Sports, majority of games to be FTA in U.K./Ireland, and talk of a global OTT streaming service.

    https://www.ft.com/content/a818f21c-10f3-444b-8f10-3b531e11352b


This discussion has been closed.
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