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Wallabies star Jack Maddocks 'welcomes' culling of South Africa, Argentina from Super Rugby
By AAP
Wallabies young gun Jack Maddocks has blown full-time on Super Rugby as we know it, saying he’d welcome the cutting of South Africa and Argentina.
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Maddocks is not fussed either if Australia must continue going it alone post-coronavirus, but is adamant it’s time for an overhaul.
The 23-year-old says the battling code must win back fans and that won’t happen if his NSW Waratahs or the Brumbies, Queensland Reds and Melbourne Rebels are playing in the middle of the night.
“I think it’s pretty clear that it’s not going to be a worldwide sort of competition like we had before with South Africa and Argentina and all that and, from my point of view, that’s welcomed,” Maddocks said.
“Firstly, the travel aspect but also the time-zone aspect, I think it’s important that we play teams in our own time zone and that makes it easier for people to follow and keep up with and fans to feel involved with it.”
New Zealand powerbrokers are believed to be pushing for a 10-team competition retaining five Kiwi sides, but with only two or three Australian teams and at least one from the Pacific Islands.
“There’s people who are a lot smarter than me making these decisions and a lot comes into it but, from my point of view, Australia and New Zealand or no New Zealand, I think as long as we’re in the right time zone and playing good footy, that’s all that matters,” Maddocks said.
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“For me personally, I put myself in the boat of the English Premier League, I follow that pretty closely and when I was 18, 19, 20, I used to get up and watch all the games at 3am.
“Now that I have an actual job, I just can’t do it anymore so I find I’m not as engaged anymore.
“So I’ve been there as a fan. It was in a different sport but it was the same thing.
“So I think it’s really important having people watching in the same time zone.”
