Sports Rugby World Cup 2023

[Makasene]

Does NZ then become an island for Union in the southern hemisphere? With Union on life support in oz who is left to drive interest in the region? If the only focus is on the super 14 etc (not sure what it's called this year) I feel like the door is wide open for NRL to win nz hearts and minds. What's NZ rugby's long game from here?

I think you will continue to see improvement from the Island nations, especially if they reduce the stand down protocol for dual internationals.

You only have to look at the improvement of Fiji which is largely down to the Drua in Super Rugby.

Union as a whole in NZ is in a pickle with what seems to be a long overdue review of the NPC but there is enough talent and love for the ABs for them to continue as the #1 in the country

The last 4 years have been about the very worst in terms of performance and yet they continue to sell out every single game.

In terms of the NRL in NZ, I think it won hearts and minds long ago but it is the on field performance and emerging cultural identity of the Warriors that can make the biggest advancement for Rugby League which is not just the NRL.

 

[jonesy101]

I think I understand this better now.

Even though the TMO may have seen the knock on straight away the fact that we scored means they shouldn't have been able to go back to it?

It's got a bit of the Ben Cummins 6 again about it. The right decision was made but in the wrong fashion!

When applied correctly (within 2 phases) it's the equivalent to league where you don't go back to an incident that occurred before the last play the ball - although the Warriors were bizarrely on the receiving end of that rather innocuous tackle against the Roosters earlier in the season which happened about 2 play the balls earlier. And how frustrating that was at the time. Its unfathomable to think in union they would go back for tries scored 5 or more phases after a knock on, so hope this never enters their minds as being a normal part of the game for the sake of getting every call correct.

 

[Uce Willis]

There should be an All Black fan waiting outside his house to follow him around in his everyday life and boo him like a Samoan playing for the Kiwis.

My samoan kids dressed as ghosts for Halloween lastnight, but I quickly got them to change their costumes before yelling boo at anyone through the fear of angering any kiwi supporters.

 

[Damo]

My samoan kids dressed as ghosts for Halloween lastnight, but I quickly got them to change their costumes before yelling boo at anyone through the fear of angering any kiwi supporters.

You should have had them dress as donuts for the amount of points Samoa could score against the Kiwis.

 

[Matiunz]

Does NZ then become an island for Union in the southern hemisphere? With Union on life support in oz who is left to drive interest in the region? If the only focus is on the super 14 etc (not sure what it's called this year) I feel like the door is wide open for NRL to win nz hearts and minds. What's NZ rugby's long game from here?

Think we need to look back at including Argentina and Japan back in Super Rugby, 2 teams each. Need to look at what to do with MP, it didn’t work full time in Auckland but I believe it’s too expensive to base in the PIs full time.
Schedule ‘tour blocks’ with a bye either side, eg NZ and Aus teams Alterbate between playing both of the Japanese/Argentinian/Drua&MP home & away alternate years, Japanese/Argentina/Drua&MP play alternate years all the NZ teams or All the Aus teams home/away for a ‘mini tour’ with a bye either side. Open up to have super rugby players able to play for any super rugby side and still be eligible for their countries- maybe cap at 5 ‘foreigners’ per squad?
Add a team to the RC, have a 5 team ‘Pacific cup’ last placed RC team playoff against winner of Pacific cup for promotion/Relegation;
RC teams NZAus/SA/Arg/Fiji
PCup teams Japan/Samoa/Tonga/USA/Canada
Eg Scenario Fiji and Japan play off for RC spot

 

[defensivebomb]

I'd quite like to see:
1. The Bledisloe Cup gets vacated when series are drawn, so the defender actually has to win the series to keep it
2. A Ranfurly Shield-like international cup, where the defender has to put it up at a home game / home series
3. A world club series, much like the FA cup

Too many regular international fixtures are just snorefests on repeat

 

[Damo]

2. A Ranfurly Shield-like international cup, where the defender has to put it up at a home game / home series

This would be awesome, there is a well known 'unofficial' one that has been going since the first test that South Africa now hold called the Raeburn Shield, we took it off Ireland who held it for their streak before the QF.

Raeburn Shield - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Wellington Taniwha]

Some good analysis by Scotty Stevenson:

Great analysis. Barnes and the TMO can’t be blamed for the game. They were doing what they are paid to do. When someone gets injured they forensically examine what happened - Frizzell card. The Sam Cane card. It was Kolisi who complained about the high shot. The guy who got hit was fine. Same with Savea, he was fine but alerted the referee….

I think a couple of our guys got elbows from etzabeth but just carried on. No cards. When the TMO is so involved in a game you just throw your hands up - if the all blacks had won, the game would still have been tarnished.

I’d like to see a strong nrl with nz teams. Stuff the northern hemisphere and their crap rugby.

 

[Bay39er]

Referee Barnes has tossed it in following abuse

Wayne Barnes retires: 'The abuse has become too much'

The Englishman who oversaw the final between South Africa and New Zealand decides to hang up his whistle, citing online abuse and threats.

www.stuff.co.nz

 

[snake77]

It seems common at least one team in the Rugby World Cup will get eliminated and have issues with the refereeing. It happened with South Africa a few World Cups ago as well.

I can understand the frustration as it's the event they all aim towards and there is a lot at stack. Also, the way the sport is the rules can be interpreted differently even by the experts.

The abuse isn't good to see and gets worse now with social media.

He's at an age where he may have been thinking of retiring anyway. The travel would start to wear thin as well. The abuse might have been the final nail in the coffin for him to thing he's had enough.

 

[defensivebomb]

I didn’t even think Barnes was bad. It was the TMO and other refs’ involvements that marred the game

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

I didn’t even think Barnes was bad. It was the TMO and other refs’ involvements that marred the game

Agree.

It’s the rules that cause the frustration in the fans that ends up getting taken out on the officials.

Sports need to try to take the rules out of having a big influence on the game but union officials have gone the other way which can only result in more fan frustration.

 

[Wigan Warrior]

Delighted with 3rd for England given our last 2 years, but not sure the winning SA penalty was a penalty.

As for the final......I don't think either incident is a red card but if you send Caine off then I feel like you have to send Kolisi off.

I posted on here after the Currie suspension that the head high rules are stupid. He gets sent off and 2 games for that and then there have been far worse given yellows.

20 teams is too many as clearly some nations are not up to it. Feel like the increase to 24 will just make things worse, but roll on 2027.