Rugby ruckus but well be right
April 2nd, 2008, 11:16 pm Hobbies News
Decisions are far from being made but what we do know is change is in the air.
How these changes will affect the deep south is still uncertain at this time but if we glance at the information in front of us, Southland should be included in the Air New Zealand Cup under most revised formats.
An eighth and two sixth-place finishes in the past three years show the Stags are competitive and, probably more importantly, Rugby Southland is producing Super 14 players at the moment.
My preferred option is to retain a similar 14 team competition but make some adjustments to the financial side of the game to make improvements.
A reduced salary cap, somewhere between $400,000 to $1 million, rather than the $2.7 million it is currently at, would be a start.
As Rugby Southland boss Roger Clark alluded to last week, reducing the salary cap will do two things: it will help create an even competition that any team could win each year, which in turn should help build excitement with the fans, and it would also help unions reduce their costs, which seems to be the major problem at the moment.
There is an obvious negative that sticks out if the salary cap were reduced.
Fringe Super 14 players would be paid less and overseas offers would become more appealing.
However, there is only so much money to go around and expenditure cant continue to exceed revenue.
While there is merit in keeping the Air New Zealand Cup to a similar 14 team format, a revamp to the Super rugby competition is needed.
The Super competition needs to be the marquee professional rugby competition that draws in the large corporate dollars and attracts the big crowds.
Everything has been suggested in recent weeks and most has merit.
One suggestion that probably wouldnt sit well with southern rugby folk is axing a team based in New Zealand.
Instead the NZRU could have a team based in Japan or Hong Kong.
This would draw in Asian money, allowing a Daniel Carter or Jimmy Cowan to head overseas but still be available for All Black selection.
You wouldnt need two guesses to figure which franchise would be first in line for the chop.
It is all pie in the sky talk at the moment but watch this space %26mdash; rugby is nearing a major makeover.
%26bull; On another note Im about to debut in the greyhound industry today.
Ive teamed up with Southland Times racing reporter Jamie Searle and Invercargill real estate agent Brendon Burke to line up Ruthless Tiger in race one at the Southland dogs.
The excitement is building.
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