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SANZAAR nations working on other options if World League fails to eventuate

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SANZAAR’s partner nations are working on other options if the mooted world league doesn’t go ahead, with a more meaningful Rugby Championship on the SANZAAR agenda.

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The exact format for the mooted 12-team Nations Championship tournament, which would be played in all non-World Cup years, is still to be thrashed out.

Players have expressed concerns about workload and question marks remain over promotion and relegation and which nations would initially contest the competition.

While Rugby Australia supports the concept, chairman, Cameron Clyne revealed his organisation was looking at other options if the tournament didn’t get a green light.

“We’re working with our SANZAAR partners to create new versions of the Rugby Championship with things going forward to the next broadcast cycle which hopefully will mirror that concept and create something that’s a bit more meaningful,” Clyne said.

Asked what changes could be implemented Clyne said: “We’re pretty flexible.”

“We’re happy to look at any of the concepts.

“Things like promotion and relegation, those sorts of things which I know are difficult concepts but that adds interest to the game.

“We’re open to any sort of formats.”

A report in the Sydney Morning Herald suggested that broadcasters are pushing for a host of changes to the Super Rugby competition, including moving the final to a neutral venue from 2021 instead of the home ground of the highest-ranked team.

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This would mirror the European Champions Cup competition final and the Super Bowl in the NFL which is bid for year-to-year by a new host city.

The broadcasters have asked for more player movement across teams to provide parity with a pool of ‘marquee players’ able to move across the SANZAAR nations without it impacting their test eligibility, as well as a return to all Super Rugby teams featuring their home city or region in their names, as was the case when the competition started.

The Rugby Championship would also move towards a ‘touring’ model where extended squads can be used to play mid-week games against Super Rugby teams in the lead-up to test matches.

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Nickers 34 minutes ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

I thought we made a lot of progress against that type of defence by the WC last year. Lots of direct running and punching holes rather than using width. Against that type of defence I think you have to be looking to kick on first phase when you have front foot ball which we did relatively successfully. We are playing a lot of rugby behind the gain line at the moment. They are looking for those little interchanges for soft shoulders and fast ball or off loads but it regularly turns into them battering away with slow ball and going backwards, then putting in a very rushed kick under huge pressure.


JB brought that dimension when he first moved into 12 a couple of years ago but he's definitely not been at his best this year. I don't know if it is because he is being asked to play a narrow role, or carrying a niggle or two, but he does not look confident to me. He had that clean break on the weekend and stood there like he was a prop who found himself in open space and didn't know what to do with the ball. He is still a good first phase ball carrier though, they use him a lot off the line out to set up fast clean ball, but I don't think anyone is particularly clear on what they are supposed to do at that point. He was used really successfully as a second playmaker last year but I don't think he's been at that role once this year. He is a triple threat player but playing a very 1 dimensional role at the moment. He and Reiko have been absolutely rock solid on defence which is why I don't think there will be too much experimentation or changes there.

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