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Wallabies star calls for rethink of 'outdated' Super Rugby model

(Photo by Teaukura Moetaua/Getty Images)

Wallabies playmaker Matt Toomua believes an overhaul of the Super Rugby format is needed once rugby returns to action after the coronavirus lockdown.

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Speaking to rugby.com.au, the Melbourne Rebels star said that the competition – which features teams from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Argentina and Japan – needs to be localised to feature teams in similar time zones.

“Maybe the model that we’ve got is a little bit aged and outdated and maybe we need to have a rethink,” the 30-year-old said.

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“I guess this is almost forcing us to do it, whether it be in the short term until those borders open or whether it be long-term into something else that’s a bit more sustainable, bit more domestically focused.

“I think there’s a lot of people who are wanting to have a domestic model for quite a while now, whether it be Australia-focused or Australia-New Zealand focused or something along those lines.”

The 2020 Super Rugby season was suspended midway through March after seven rounds of action due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and is set for a reduction to 14 teams next year following the axing of the Tokyo-based Sunwolves.

An anticipated increase in international airfares is expected once the crisis has passed, however, which could take its toll on the financially-embattled SANZAAR unions, who are already bracing for multi-million dollar revenue deficits this year.

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That could play into the hands of a Australian or trans-Tasman Super Rugby concept beyond this season, which could lead to a surge in fan interest that Toomua believes has waned over time.

“If I’m a Rebels member, what do I get? I get seven home games, maybe five against teams that I know, two or three against teams that I don’t know or don’t care about, and then three games that are in time zones that aren’t suitable,” he said.

“It’s just not, for me personally if I’m a supporter, I don’t think that’s an attractive product, I really don’t.”

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Flankly 2 hours ago
'Absolute madness': Clive Woodward rips into Borthwick in wake of NZ loss

Borthwick is supposed to be the archetypical conservative coach, the guy that might not deliver a sparkling, high-risk attacking style, but whose teams execute the basics flawlessly. And that's OK, because it can be really hard to beat teams that are rock solid and consistent in the rugby equivalent of "blocking and tackling".


But this is why the performance against NZ is hard to defend. You can forgive a conservative, back-to-basics team for failing to score tons of tries, because teams like that make up for it with reliability in the simple things. They can defend well, apply territorial pressure, win the set piece battles, and take their scoring chances with metronomic goal kicking, maul tries and pick-and-go goal line attacks.


The reason why the English rugby administrators should be on high alert is not that the English team looked unable to score tries, but that they were repeatedly unable to close out a game by executing basic, coachable skills. Regardless of how they got to the point of being in control of their destiny, they did get to that point. All that was needed was to be world class at things that require more training than talent. But that training was apparently missing, and the finger has to point at the coach.


Borthwick has been in the job for nearly two years, a period that includes two 6N programs and an RWC campaign. So where are the solid foundations that he has been building?

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