Northern Edition
Select Edition
Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Confirmed: Sunwolves cut from Super Rugby from 2021

The Sunwolves. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

It’s confirmed: the Sunwolves will be axed from Super Rugby in 2021.

ADVERTISEMENT

SANZAAR confirmed reports of its culling of the Japanese franchise in an announcement made on Friday, although the competition’s only Asian-based side will be made to play the 2020 season.

The Sunwolves’ expulsion from Super Rugby comes after a tumultuous opening three seasons, which saw them win just six times from 46 outings.

However, a noticeable improvement in the opening five rounds of the 2019 campaign has seen them secure their first-ever victory outside of Tokyo in the form of a shock 30-15 win over the Chiefs in Hamilton, while pushing the Waratahs, Blues and Reds close in other encounters.

Those results were not enough to ensure their survival in the competition, though.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Buf9r2WAU5Q/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

“The decision to further consolidate the competition format to a 14-team round robin was not taken lightly,” said SANZAAR chief executive Andy Marinos.

“It has involved some detailed analysis and a thorough review of the current and future rugby landscape, tournament costs, commercial and broadcast considerations and player welfare in line with our Strategic Plan.”

“Competition integrity, affordability and a competitive playing environment were further key drivers to ensure that an optimal player development pathway remains in place to feed into international rugby.

“Factoring in the above analysis and review a 14 or 15-team round robin format were considered, as these models delivered best against the criteria we were seeking, including a format that would see each team playing every other team leading into a finals series.”

ADVERTISEMENT

The result of the Sunwolves’ exclusion from Super Rugby means that the new 14-team competition will compose of the five New Zealand franchises, four Australian and South African sides, and the Jaguares from Argentina.

Marinos said the Japanese Rugby Football Union had advised SANZAAR in March that the Sunwolves competing in Super Rugby had become a financially unsustainable, and while still under the ownership of the JRFU post-2020, it was up to the Japanese governing body to decide what the future of the franchise holds.

The Daily Telegraph has reported that with the World Cup to be hosted in Japan later this year, a back-to-back condensed versions of the Top League in Japan were to be held in 2020, restricting the participation of domestically-based Sunwolves players who played Japanese club rugby in the Super Rugby off-season.

That would mean that the Sunwolves are expected to be primarily made up of New Zealanders and Australians in their final season of Super Rugby next year.

ADVERTISEMENT

https://www.instagram.com/p/BvOP1vygO-K/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

“However, Japan and the Asia Pacific region remain strategically important to SANZAAR,” Marinos said.

“We will continue to work with the JRFU, Japan Super Rugby Association and other stakeholders, as we have done throughout this review process, to establish a truly professional league structure in Japan in which current and potentially new teams could participate.”

Marinos suggested that there is a possibility for the Sunwolves to still exist with ties to SANZAAR under a potential second-tier competition that could feature teams from across Asia, the Pacific and the Americas.

“We have presented options to them around the establishment of a Super Rugby Asia-Pacific competition structure including Japan, the Pacific Islands, North and South America and Hong Kong. The concept includes linking high performance programmes of such nations into the potential competition structure. The aim is to deliver a competitive and sustainable international pathway that can align to both current and future considerations around the international calendar.

“We would like to thank the JRFU for their continued support and look forward to working with them going forward and we will continue to be supportive of the Sunwolves through the 2019 and 2020 super rugby seasons.”

The removal of the Sunwolves means that the competition will revert back to the structure it held between 2006 and 2010 in a 14-team round-robin format which will see the removal of the current three conference system and will allow each team play every other team home or away each season.

This means 13 matches for each team, with two byes, in the regular season with the number of home and away matches varying from six to seven based on a two-year alternate match schedule.

This will then lead into a new three-week, top six finals series, where the top two ranked teams on the competition ladder will receive a bye in week one before hosting semi-final matches against the winners from a knockout round between teams ranked three to six.

Watch – NRL chasing SBW again:

Video Spacer

ADVERTISEMENT
Play Video

South Africa vs Black Ferns XV | Women's International | Full Match Replay

Play Video

Namibia vs United Arab Emirates | Asia/Africa Rugby World Cup Play-off | Full Match Replay

Play Video

Lions Share | Episode 5

Play Video

Classic Wallabies vs British & Irish Legends | First Match | Full Match Replay

Play Video

Did the Lions loosies get away with murder? And revisiting the Springboks lift | Whistle Watch

Play Video

The First Test, Visiting The Great Barrier Reef & Poetry with Pierre | Ep 6: The Ultimate Test

Play Video

KOKO Show | July 22nd | Full Throttle with Brisbane Test Review and Melbourne Preview

Play Video

New Zealand v South Africa | World Rugby U20 Championship | Extended Highlights

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Long Reads

Comments on RugbyPass

J
JW 16 minutes ago
Andy Goode: Aussie comments didn't cover them in glory

Yes I was happy with the refs ruling of arrival (and that the tackled player wasn’t obligated to release the ball immediately) but if you see the wide angle you can note how Morgan dives to get there in time.


I don’t mind your (or the refs) view, but what Morgan said is accurate. Both Mils and Beaver agreed on the breakdown, and you will also get the same view from Aotearoa Rugby Pod guys for a pretty unanimous NZ view.

Sometimes when both players are low its a rugby collision and this is one of those times.

Not recently. In the SR finals and AB v Arg series weve seen players clearly bent 90 at the waist still be penalised, only when the attacker does something the ref sees immediate mitigation and rules a rugby incident. Tizzano didn’t offer that he was always in the position Morgan aimed to collect him in.


Happy to not throw the rule book at these situations but the precent is that they are in these situations.

many tries out wide the player is allowed to be tackled while diving

They are diving for the line, not to avoid being tackled.

“In principle, in a try scoring situation, if the action is deemed to be a dive forward for a try, then it should be permitted. If a player is deemed to have left the ground to avoid a tackle; or to jump, or hurdle a potential tackler, then this is dangerous play and should be sanctioned accordingly.”

You can read Nicks article for an updated discourse on this though.

30 Go to comments
J
JW 54 minutes ago
New Zealanders may not understand, but in France Test rugby is the 'B movie'

But he was wrong, he had to take back what he said. But maybe this only happened because he came out and was honest with his initial plans?


He’s simply in a position where he should be far more professional.


I don’t really follow much media, especially SM, but again, I’ve not seen anyone complaining. Plenty of ridicule and pointing out things like it being disrespectful to the game, but as far as the English language goes, that’s not complaining. Nick Bishop for instance hasn’t been complaining, he’s simply saying Galthie made a bad decision for France’s prospects (which when the common reply is ‘thats how it is’).


Complaining would be views expressing that the FFR should have put the tour back a week so that all T14 finalists could attend. Complaining would be saying they’ve been robbed of seeing the worlds best stars. Complaining would be saying players can simply take extra weeks off from T14. I’ve only seen advice and suggestions that these are things France need to look-at-for-the-future.


Basically I tried to communicate with French fans because they don’t understand what’s being communicated. ALL reactions I have seen shared here by French supports have all seemed way over the top compared what I’ve seen expressed about this tour.

the players are expected to play in too many matches, for too many minutes, and need more rest and recovery time.

This is the message I have been sharing. So something needs to happen, whether thats France pull out of more Internationals or rest players from more domestic games, who knows, but I also don’t think what they have now is working. It’s obviously much better than 3-4 years ago, but they appear to want to work even harder at it like you say. Personally I’ve only seen LNR be reasonable, I hear much less of their other internationals being denied/influenced not to play, so I imagine that they will give even further (as I can’t really see France pulling out the other international windows as well).

147 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Wallabies call in new coach just 12 hours after Lions series heartbreak Wallabies call in new coach 12 hours after Lions series loss