Tuesday, March 17th, 2009...1:55 pm
Q:For the money or the game (Tew and ONeill must decide)?
Source: Big calls needed over Super 14 impasse – Marc Hinton
Extracts..
New Zealand and Australia could split from South Africa, form a new alliance for franchise rugby, bring in Japan, possibly a presence in the Pacific Islands and start again with a blank canvas. Design the perfect season, with a heck of a lot less travel in it. In an ideal world the Tri-Nations would stay intact, but that would require significant goodwill from a suddenly disaffected South Africa.
So, why wouldn’t they just go ahead and do it?
Money, that’s why.
At present South Africa bring in the lion’s share of the broadcasting revenue in Sanzar’s existing deal with News Corporation. That’s a tidy sum, and if the trans-Tasman alliance were to cut them loose they’d be sacrificing some pretty serious wedge.
Which brings us to the crux of the matter. Do Steve Tew and John O’Neill have the stones to make the big call?
Or will they fall meekly into line with the South Africans?
The next few weeks will tell that story.
COMMENTS: A: Of course they don’t, if it does happen (a split) it will because O’Neill says so, Tew is follow the leader. For the money or the good of the game, we shall see if professional rugby forces more stupid administration decisions.
Super rugby MUST:
1) Start latter !
2) Less travel demands.
3) 1 more Aussie Team.
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