GoulburnSuper 14: What and Why and Added to...
January 29th 2007 16:13
I just realized, (because I at the moment am slow on the world cuptake) that this being Rugby World Cup year, the Super 14 is starting earlier than usual and I haven’t really been doing the right thing by my blog and actually I’ve been a right slacker ass blogger (technical term - SAB).
Super 14 starts in a matter of days and the trial games are already underway and I have not written a word to explain any of this. Total SAB.
So with much ado about everything, up, up and awayyyyyy....
What is Super 14?
It’s the largest Rugby Union championship in the Southern Hemisphere, made up of 14 provincial teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Each team plays 13 games during the regular season, which runs for 4 weeks.
The Super 14 is a ‘round-robin’ competition with each team playing every other team once, with six or seven home games and six or seven away games. Games are held over 14 weekends with each team receiving one bye (week off).
A team receives four points for a win, two for a draw, and none for a loss. Teams also receive a bonus point for scoring four tries, regardless of the final result. A bonus point is also earned by a team that loses a game by seven points (a converted try) or less.
The top four teams at the end of the round-robin phase then play semifinals, with the first placed team hosting the fourth placed team and the second placed team hosting the third placed team.
Phew...did you get that?
The two winners then play the final, which is played at highest ranked (points wise) finalists home ground.
It has never been played in my backyard.
Why does it exist?
To make me happy.
How did it start?
Rugby turned 'professional' after the '95 World Cup in South Africa.
Prior to this, competitions were held around the Southern hemisphere like the South Pacific Championship which was launched in '86.
This competition had 3 teams from NZ (Auckland, Canterbury, Wellington) and 2 from Australia (NSW and Qld) and Fiji.
This was relaunched in '92 as the Super Six after we won the '91 World Cup because we're legends and deserve to win every match. Even when we lose.
The Super Six proved so popular that it was 'relaunched' again the next season and was renamed the Super 10 - enter the South African teams, Western Samoa joined for a few years, as well as Tonga but Fiji dropped out.
This is really interesting considering the huge debate about having a Pacific team in the now Super 14.
It's like the Rugby sours that be, forgot that the Pacific is made up of many countries but NZ didn't want to lose their All Blacks because if there ever was a Pacific team, the All Blacks would be the Short of players Blacks.
And then there was 12...
Okay, now filthy lucre started to rear it's....er...filthy head.
Twas blooming Pay TV...a deal was done....sacrifices were made...blood was spilled and all before half time...Foxtel had just started or was about to, whatever, it's here now, in my house, grrr, and this was their exclusive enticement to woo viewers.
That's quite difficult to say....woo viewers....
Aneeewayyy. There was also a danger of losing players to league as there was such a thing as Super League around this time and their salaries were actually higher. I know, hard to believe but you know, money talks....just not when it's a small amount.
So by setting up the Super 12, the greedy people had a product that was in demand from viewers,
The first Super 12 series was held in 1996 and SANZAR (South African, New Zealand and Australian Rugby) was formed to administer an annual 12-team provincial competition and Tri-Nations Test Series between the three countries.
And thus the Mighty ACT Brumbies were born
(to be continued when I'm awake)
I'm awake now. And a lert. Not a larmed.
And now there are 14...
What really really annoys me is how the dollar determines sense.
Again...PayTV dick-tates Rugby.
Sheesh.
Apparently SANZAR started negotiating way back in 2004 for a new TV deal to take effect in '06.
The News Corp. won the broadcast rights for Australia, UK and NZ and some other money hungrypain in the... pay TV won the South African rights.
This contract is worth....wait for it...USD 323 million over five years.
Okay, you can faint now.
Under this new deal, Australia and South Africa each got one extra team in the competition, and a third round of fixtures was added to the Tri Nations Series.
*The Tri Nations Series is an annual international rugby union series held between Australia's Wallabies, New Zealand's All Blacks and South Africa's Springboks.
The Bledisloe Cup is played for during this series between the All Blacks and The Wallabies.
The All Blacks have never won The Bledisloe Cup.
...and...um...I'm lying. Big time.
For a while there was a possibility that the comp would be split up in to 2 seven team divisions but that was rucked off pretty quickly.
What is a real bummer (technical term) is that all talk of including Argentina and the Pacific Islands was also rucked and mauled to death.
It would have been fantastic to have a Pacific Islands team because the wealth of rugby talent that comes out of there is enormous. Practically every Rugby team in the world has a Pacific Islander playing for them....and you wondered why that Japanese player looked a bit...um..different?
The Wallabies had Radike Samo from Fiji and Lote Tuqiri was born in Fiji.
The All Blacks have Joe Rokocoko.
BUT...that was the problem...all the non Pacific teams would have lost their players who would have been proud to play for their country and provincial teams...BUT...the Pacific teams could not afford to pay their players the money they get paid to play for their existing teams.
Ahh money....it talks but it doesn't always make sense.
Anyway.
So 2 new teams were added;
The Western Force based in Perth.
The Central Cheetahs based in South Africa.
And that's all she wrote folks because now she...that would be me....I need to write about the teams.
The Supermen of the Super 14....on to the next post. (coming very very soon)
Super 14 starts in a matter of days and the trial games are already underway and I have not written a word to explain any of this. Total SAB.
So with much ado about everything, up, up and awayyyyyy....
What is Super 14?
It’s the largest Rugby Union championship in the Southern Hemisphere, made up of 14 provincial teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Each team plays 13 games during the regular season, which runs for 4 weeks.
The Super 14 is a ‘round-robin’ competition with each team playing every other team once, with six or seven home games and six or seven away games. Games are held over 14 weekends with each team receiving one bye (week off).
A team receives four points for a win, two for a draw, and none for a loss. Teams also receive a bonus point for scoring four tries, regardless of the final result. A bonus point is also earned by a team that loses a game by seven points (a converted try) or less.
The top four teams at the end of the round-robin phase then play semifinals, with the first placed team hosting the fourth placed team and the second placed team hosting the third placed team.
Phew...did you get that?
The two winners then play the final, which is played at highest ranked (points wise) finalists home ground.
It has never been played in my backyard.
Why does it exist?
To make me happy.
How did it start?
Rugby turned 'professional' after the '95 World Cup in South Africa.
Prior to this, competitions were held around the Southern hemisphere like the South Pacific Championship which was launched in '86.
This competition had 3 teams from NZ (Auckland, Canterbury, Wellington) and 2 from Australia (NSW and Qld) and Fiji.
This was relaunched in '92 as the Super Six after we won the '91 World Cup because we're legends and deserve to win every match. Even when we lose.
The Super Six proved so popular that it was 'relaunched' again the next season and was renamed the Super 10 - enter the South African teams, Western Samoa joined for a few years, as well as Tonga but Fiji dropped out.
This is really interesting considering the huge debate about having a Pacific team in the now Super 14.
It's like the Rugby sours that be, forgot that the Pacific is made up of many countries but NZ didn't want to lose their All Blacks because if there ever was a Pacific team, the All Blacks would be the Short of players Blacks.
And then there was 12...
Okay, now filthy lucre started to rear it's....er...filthy head.
Twas blooming Pay TV...a deal was done....sacrifices were made...blood was spilled and all before half time...Foxtel had just started or was about to, whatever, it's here now, in my house, grrr, and this was their exclusive enticement to woo viewers.
That's quite difficult to say....woo viewers....
Aneeewayyy. There was also a danger of losing players to league as there was such a thing as Super League around this time and their salaries were actually higher. I know, hard to believe but you know, money talks....just not when it's a small amount.
So by setting up the Super 12, the greedy people had a product that was in demand from viewers,
enabling them to sell a 10 year contract for exclusive television rights to News Corp for US$ 555 million, giving them both coverage and financial support
The first Super 12 series was held in 1996 and SANZAR (South African, New Zealand and Australian Rugby) was formed to administer an annual 12-team provincial competition and Tri-Nations Test Series between the three countries.
And thus the Mighty ACT Brumbies were born
(to be continued when I'm awake)
I'm awake now. And a lert. Not a larmed.
And now there are 14...
What really really annoys me is how the dollar determines sense.
Again...PayTV dick-tates Rugby.
Sheesh.
Apparently SANZAR started negotiating way back in 2004 for a new TV deal to take effect in '06.
The News Corp. won the broadcast rights for Australia, UK and NZ and some other money hungry
This contract is worth....wait for it...USD 323 million over five years.
Okay, you can faint now.
Under this new deal, Australia and South Africa each got one extra team in the competition, and a third round of fixtures was added to the Tri Nations Series.
*The Tri Nations Series is an annual international rugby union series held between Australia's Wallabies, New Zealand's All Blacks and South Africa's Springboks.
The Bledisloe Cup is played for during this series between the All Blacks and The Wallabies.
The All Blacks have never won The Bledisloe Cup.
...and...um...I'm lying. Big time.
For a while there was a possibility that the comp would be split up in to 2 seven team divisions but that was rucked off pretty quickly.
What is a real bummer (technical term) is that all talk of including Argentina and the Pacific Islands was also rucked and mauled to death.
It would have been fantastic to have a Pacific Islands team because the wealth of rugby talent that comes out of there is enormous. Practically every Rugby team in the world has a Pacific Islander playing for them....and you wondered why that Japanese player looked a bit...um..different?
The Wallabies had Radike Samo from Fiji and Lote Tuqiri was born in Fiji.
The All Blacks have Joe Rokocoko.
BUT...that was the problem...all the non Pacific teams would have lost their players who would have been proud to play for their country and provincial teams...BUT...the Pacific teams could not afford to pay their players the money they get paid to play for their existing teams.
Ahh money....it talks but it doesn't always make sense.
Anyway.
So 2 new teams were added;
The Western Force based in Perth.
The Central Cheetahs based in South Africa.
And that's all she wrote folks because now she...that would be me....I need to write about the teams.
The Supermen of the Super 14....on to the next post. (coming very very soon)
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Comment by Cibbuano
20/20 Filmsight
Science News
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak
Comment by David
It's nice to see you finally do a post 'about Rugby' ***
Re this:
To make me happy.
Have you ever considered seeking any counselling regarding your delusions? ***
David ...
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
I would love to make a comment but I know nothing about rugby....so I'm just popping in to say hellooo....
Tracyy
Comment by DuskDevi
Rugby World Cup 2007
Do I really have to answer that?
Comment by DuskDevi
Rugby World Cup 2007
14...not 4...I was sleepblogging.
Comment by DuskDevi
Rugby World Cup 2007
Mah Treasure chest bursting with pleasure, quips and whips...
Adore you.
...and if you were in front of me right now, you'd feel a door too....
Grand Slam.
mwah, mwah Moi
Comment by DuskDevi
Rugby World Cup 2007
Good to 'see' you.
Dusk
Comment by David
All this tennis talk? ...
And door slamming? ...
When I was living near Sydney ... Lake Bathurst to be precise ... A few miles down the road was a pub at Tarago called 'The Loaded Dog' ... (the walls? Decorated with cartoon depictions of Henry Lawson's poem 'The Loaded Dog' ... Real Aussie pub this one ... Shearers and Tradies mainly ... rough as guts ... (Me? I just blended in perfectly .. ***
Crusty old codgers in there ... I was there one Anzac Day ... (that day when you're legally allowed to play two up without going to Crown Casino) ... It's a day when Australia goes more 'betting mad' than Melbourne Cup Day ... They'll bet on anything ... A bloke will bet you you won't have a bet on Anzac Digger Day ...
So, anyway ... This bloke said to another bloke ... "I bet you if I draw a chalk-line on the floor ... and we stand toe-to-toe, you can't punch me in the face. Ten Bucks says you can't." .... The 'another bloke'? ... He's chaffing at the bit ... He's up for the take ... So he goes, "Get your hand off it. You're on." ...
So the bloke? He opens the door separating the front bar from the saloon bar. Draws a chalk-line/mark on the carpet exactly where the bottom of the door would be if it was shut ... Then, he says, "Okay ... here we go Digger." ... He walks into the saloon bar, slams the door shut, and yells out ... OKAY HIT ME NOW! ....
Easy way to earn ten bucks on Anzac DAy? You betcha ... ***
David ...
Comment by DuskDevi
Rugby World Cup 2007
...and A Grand Slam is more about tequila than tennis.
Although it is a Rugby term.
I don't do tennis.
I really am not a fan of women with balls under their skirts.
Rugby women run on test-rogen.
Comment by David
You funny biatch ...
I don't mind women tennis players with balls under their skirts, myself ...
Why? ... Cos the way they have to hitch them up ... gives me a peek at their bum cheeks ... ***
But tennis ... It's a sport not a 'Crying Game' ... As to women with Dongers? Nup ... Give it a miss thanks ...
Rather listen to the Trannie ... than go out with one ...
David ...