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U20

SANZAAR issue two sentence long statement amid reports of Sunwolves extinction

By Peter Thompson

20 Mar 2019

The Sunwolves celebrate in NZ

SANZAAR will make an announcement on the future of Super Rugby on Friday amid reports the Sunwolves will be axed.

Media in Australia reported that the Tokyo-based franchise are to be cut from the competition after the 2020 season.

The Sunwolves only joined Super Rugby in 2016 and have struggled to compete since being included.

It is claimed the tournament will be reduced to 14 teams, but SANZAAR will give no details over the future of the competition until later in the week.

A statement released by Super Rugby organisers on Wednesday said: “SANZAAR will issue an official statement on the future of the Super Rugby tournament on Friday 22 March [at] 14:00 Sydney local time.

“SANZAAR and its stakeholders will not be making any comment on Super Rugby until the statement has been released.”

A spokesperson for the Sunwolves told The Australian that they had been asked to pay a Super Rugby participation fee, something which is not asked of other franchises.

The timing is not ideal with the Rugby World Cup set to take place in Japan in less than 8 months.

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Comments on RugbyPass

JW 14 minutes ago

Can Les Bleus avoid a Black-wash in New Zealand?

It was a reply to both your posts sorry, I mean stuff you replied to NB about only focusing on 6N and hoping that.. narrowness will benefit a WC campaign.

I think WCs are harder to win than that (requires many factors other than being able to play the best winning rugby), and 5 matches that aren’t must win and are broken up is not a good test (especially compared what the All Blacks offered).

I’m fully aware that French International players participation into Top 14, European Cups & 6 Nations will hinder their preparation for a WC.

So I wasn’t saying suggesting that. Your competitions are fine, they just aren’t going to provide everything.

Interesting insight on the last campaign, and again, those components they’re adding are also practical and sensible attempts to improve their chances at a WC. So they question remains, why go to those lengths and throw it all away by not picking a better team to travel to New Zealand?

I’ve suggested in other topics they are really close to making it work, but also the data that’s been presented in this articles shows that even now they could have also made the tour to NZ work.

That is both in the view as presented here by NB and what other players were available, and in the long term planning that you say Galthie has undertaken, in not taking the opportunity to make it work even better (factors like the dates of these tests could have seen finalists available from test 1) for a tour like this.

TBH, I can understand if Galthie made a calculated decision to undervalue the tour. Many have had a bad opinion about the All Blacks ability/level under Foster, and even in test 1 he might have shown such an attitude to be correct still under Razor.

341 Go to comments

JB 20 minutes ago

Have France made New Zealand's forthright pundits come over all sheepish?

All the journalists have done Justin Marshall a disservice here. He made it clear, he doesn't disrespect the French coach and players. He understands the problem regarding player workload. He is calling out the structural problem with French rugby, in which the international window is not respected.

44 Go to comments

IkeaBoy 35 minutes ago

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Crowley's last hit out in the URC quarters was in the plus column. Be good to see him get going again.

Agree on O'Connell. Very straight forward guy.

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IkeaBoy 37 minutes ago

Fissler Confidential: Liam Williams' club future up in the air

Stick to roofing ya gobshite.

Filthy, dirty player.

2 Go to comments

GL 37 minutes ago

Caleb Clarke ruled out of second France Test with ankle injury

I meant of the selected and of the available wings. Both Clarke and Ioane are there on experience and reputation but not form

15 Go to comments

JW 39 minutes ago

Can Les Bleus avoid a Black-wash in New Zealand?

Nah, what factors are you trying to retain (like) in a club comp?

341 Go to comments

GP 40 minutes ago

Caleb Clarke ruled out of second France Test with ankle injury

Clarke scored no tries in Super Rugby for the Blues. They made it as far as the semi’s , where is this hidden gold dust that you and Scott Robertson see in him ?

15 Go to comments

IkeaBoy 40 minutes ago

Can Les Bleus avoid a Black-wash in New Zealand?

Apology accepted, hero!

Care to tell us how millionaires/billionaires don't own the top 14?

341 Go to comments

Flankly 41 minutes ago

Springboks directly address concerns after axe swing selection

Yes. Commentators keep presenting it as an axe-swinging exercise in response to the Bok performance of last week. But that is not what Rassie has been saying at all. They always had a selection in mind, designed to support rotation, building depth, combinations etc. And they are saying that they have changed three or four of those names for this game.

What is more interesting is that they have repeatedly said that they are going to fix the breakdowns and one or two other things. Matfield called this at half tie in the first game, btw. The solution has included an approach to the administrators to get clarty on how the breakdown should be refereed.

So if there is an article to write then it is about how the Boks will get clean and quick ruck ball, and how this is necessar to launch the back line.

3 Go to comments

JW 43 minutes ago

Can Les Bleus avoid a Black-wash in New Zealand?

Indeed, a very small factor. You know how LNR negotiated for that huh? So again, why don’t you think they would negotiate a little more?

If they came up with a proper plan it could have it’s benefits too. Fans would understand which specific windows the 20 will be available for, so actually get to see their idols and heros in club footy, and FFR would have one (or perhaps two?) window every four years to make a marquee tour that is to help prepare for the next WC. For instance next time it might be American tour vs north and south america, and one off tests (in say a triangular series previously popular in cricket) against none Lions opponents teams.

I’m not sure though whether they would like to hold it during the Lions, or a year out from a WC, or whenever, just that say LNR would agree to limit a FFR 20 or more to a certain window of club weeks one year.

341 Go to comments

IkeaBoy 48 minutes ago

Contepomi makes 7 changes as Pumas look to bite back against England

Ponderous first halve and an excellent, controlled George Ford second halve did for them last week.

They'll never be consistently great until they sort out the slow starts.

I do fancy them to bounce back tomorrow.

1 Go to comments

JW 53 minutes ago

Can Les Bleus avoid a Black-wash in New Zealand?

What is their revenue compared to others? Have you included compensation?

Tier 1 brackets are required to partake in reciprocal tours.

Of course they haven’t, it hurts them probably more.

It was just a joke about “france being serious about player welfare”, when their own league has more games than a player should be involved in each year, never mind a short tour at the end of the season making a difference.

Or if it was the last paragraph you didn’t understand the context of, I think it was J Marc saying they have a sentimentality of us against the British and their expats. Typically those are the tier 1 nations (which again is just a label for the above) and theres no reason tier 2 rugby can’t be a more exciting product (I preferred watching those countries much more in the WC for instance). So a viable idea imo, of course I don’t think it will get to that.

341 Go to comments

BA 57 minutes ago

Ben Kay: 'Watch out Lions, James O’Connor could perform the ultimate redemption arc.'

Bro Marcus on bench easy should be there,been turning up all tour brave lil fella and has been there highest levels, not the only dude to drop a kick get caught out of position miss a tackle on this tour and they don’t have the kick meters linebreaks try assists he has, Huw or Freeman is the dude who plays 15 if there is 2 injuries during game,

And of course never know u might be chasing the game and Marcus can do that

4 Go to comments

GP 58 minutes ago

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Fantastic George Bell has re-signed for a good period of time with the Crusaders. Like fellow Crusaders hooker Codie Taylor has/is I see real leadership in George Bell with the Crusaders going forward.

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SC 58 minutes ago

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