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'They don't need any more help': Dallaglio voices fears over SA sides in Champions Cup
By Josh Raisey
After a season and two rounds of South African sides being in the Investec Champions Cup, a familiar theme has already started to appear.
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Ten games played at home so far by South African sides and ten victories for the hosts. Reigning two-time champions La Rochelle were the latest side to travel south of the equator and come home empty handed- although a losing bonus point could be regarded as a comforting consolation.
While the South African sides do not necessarily fare too well when travelling (the Stormers and Bulls both losing their matches on European soil in the competition), this is a theme that does not sit well with two-time winner Lawrence Dallaglio, who feels the new competition only benefits the South African sides.
The former England captain raised his concerns on the Evening Standard Rugby Podcast this week, suggesting that the change in conditions and quick turnaround for northern hemisphere sides put them at a disadvantage when travelling to South Africa. On top of that, he worried that the South African sides’ participation only strengthens South African rugby, which he believes is already set to dominate rugby for the coming years.
“The South African concept is not one that sits that comfortably with me at the moment,” the Wasps legend said.
“Some people would argue differently. Maybe the players would. I don’t know, I’d love to hear what the teams themselves think about traveling to South Africa, playing at altitude and in the heat, having been there for five days and then having a quick turnaround and having to then play another game the following week.”
“I think that the South Africans are very good at rugby. We know that they’ve just won the Rugby World Cup again for the fourth time, they don’t need any more help.
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“So I don’t like the fact that we give them more help by introducing them to European Champions Cup Rugby. I think the only team that it benefits are the South Africans really.
“I think that it’s probably a move that’s irreversible, particularly given that (new sponsors) Investec have now invested significant amounts of money and Investec have a big South African presence. South Africa will probably win the next two or three World Cups without any more help from us.”
LD is wrong. Much like SA playing SR/RC made the ABs and Australians stronger, this will help England and the NH in general.
The rugby is a good product for a wider audience so global viewership is up. New markets entirely.
What would be interesting is a Real Champions League. Maybe that shortened version of the game ala Rassie and Co…
Or not.
Would Love to see the top in Japan/NZ etc playing against the best teams in Europe and SA.
I think he was just joking. I think New Zealand will be very offended by the idea that European Club Rugby will make South African rugby stronger compared to what Super Rugby did.
I wonder if he also want European and Japanese clubs to stop using the 132 South African players that play for them? If he sends them all back home South Africa can have a very strong local competition. It seems he wants all the benefits of using South African players and coaches for European Clubs but he doesn't want there to be any benefit for South African rugby.
As for South African teams benefitting from the traveling, it is truly funny. In Super Rugby, Rugby Championship, Tri-Nations, and the URC, South African teams always travel more than teams from other countries. Even if there is now a slight benifit for South African teams in the Investec Championship it will be the first time ever that South African teams get a benifit when it comes to travel.
South Africa has the second largest rugby viewing public in the world. In the long run the benifits to European Clubs are going to be massive.
I think these comments and the fact that he sat on the board of a liquidated club explains a lot about why the Wasps crashed and burned. Must have been a Brexit voter.
The URC had zip tv revenue cos nobody gave a flying, they thought bringing the Sarfers in would change that, they were wrong so now they have ruined the Heiny as well. The whole thing stinks of officials money grubbing.
Perfectly right Lawrence.
We have enough trouble keeping our own clubs solvent, without adding more expense flying to SA. Keep the income in Europe and help our own.
Lawrence so obviously biased and prejudiced he believed Wasps (his old club) should have got special treatment and when you have Leinsters head coach Leo Cullen speaking highly of SA teams contributing to URC and Champions Cup you know how out of touch Lawrence is. What does he want? SA to face isolation again? He discredits himself
You would expect somebody who sat on the board of a Premiership club that went bankrupt to know better.
I thought the URC quality generally improved across the board with the Saffers joining (despite Welsh wobbles) compared with the old PRO & Celtic comps … or not?
I'm not keen on SA in NH competition mostly because its just an odd arrangement wedging one of the SH nations into NH rugby feels untidy. It was more interesting to have the clear divide in hemispheres then a clash at the RWC or an international tour. Plus the demise of Super Rugby is a real shame. I used to love watching games like the Bulls/Sharks against the Crusaders, these epic teams full of stars and contrasting styles was really cool… and I really feel there is no place for in the 6N for SA. The 6N is so good not because of the quality of rugby but because we're all neighbours and rivals. Plus it would devalue the rugby championship and if we're giving out opportunities for development it should be to the likes of Portugal or Georgia, not the 4x world champions. I'm assuming it's not a tantalising financial prospect but a SH rival competition would be great to see with Fiji, Tonga, Samoa included.
Swings and roundabouts, I'm a bok/bulls fan… I love the ability to watch my team live (I live in England) and still watching the men participate internationally against 🇦🇷🇦🇺🇳🇿, results in win-win-win (#Ubuntu) in the long run with a few teething problems along the way. 😊Yup I see Mr Dallaglio’s point, nonetheless, pls remember that the danger of text is that it can be read in varied ways, which leads to misimpretation, but importantly gets people talking. 🤷♂️
This format does advantage South African rugby from multiple angles, nevertheless, it also levels things up a bit between the hemispheres and I am certain that the Northern Hemisphere players wouldn't be complaining about the overnight flight to pretty much the same timezone which results in experiencing a vastly different world in landscape, culture, yummy food, and a slightly different style of rugby.
At the end of the day, rugby is a professional sport and Africa is a massively untapped market that can contribute in time to significantly growing the sport, when (not if) more African countries get involved through long-term investment which one hopes the introduction of South Africa will hopefully imo, one day prove to be the foundation of growth and the betterment of our sport.
No one can argue that world rugby is stagnating and not trying new things.
In short, if it doesn't work after giving it a go in a couple of years, I am reasonably hopeful a new adaptive format will be implemented. 🏆 😁