Super 14's Rugby 2007

[Snaggletooth Tiger]

The SUPER 14's season kicks off on February 2nd...
Question is,
Are the new kids on the block the 'WESTERN FORCE' going to show more signs of improvement this year?
...Well they can't do any worse than what they've done previous!
I'm sure Rugby Union Victoria are rubbing their hands together with the fact that those Sandgropers
who in the Vics minds cut their lunch & started a Super 14 franchise right under their noses instead of a Melbourne based club
are struggling right down the bottom after their first season!

GO BRUMBIES!!!!

[TroyGFC]

Snaggletooth,
Who are the teams? This must be the local equiv to the other rugby thats being held on Adelaide Oval at Easter.

[Snaggletooth Tiger]

...yer kidding me
Looking for a new bandwagon eh?
Rugby Union has always been an amateur sport... That was up until the mid 90's when Rupert Murdoch began throwing his cash around for the burgeoning Pay T.V. market (re.'The Rugby War' written by former Wallaby Peter Fitzsimons)
Rugby Super 12's (now known as Super 14's with the introduction of the 'Western Force' & the 'Cheetahs' last year) was developed as a club based competition from the highly competetive 'TRI-NATIONS':- Australia, New Zealand & South Africa.
Super 14's can be only be seen on FOX SPORTS I'm afraid.
The teams (by country) are...

AUSTRALIA
1.) BRUMBIES:- Australian Capital Territory
2.) REDS:- Queensland
3.) WARATAHS:- New South Wales
4.) WESTERN FORCE:- Western Australia

NEW ZEALAND
1.) BLUES:- Auckland
2.) CHIEFS:- Waikato
3.) CRUSADERS:- Christchurch
4.) HIGHLANDERS:- Dunedin
5.) HURRICANES:- Wellington

SOUTH AFRICA
1.) BULLS:- Pretoria
2.) CHEETAHS:- Bloemfontein
3.) LIONS (formerly the CATS):- Johannesburg
4.) SHARKS:- Durban
5.) STORMERS:- Cape Town

[TroyGFC]

I guess since i support all other Brisbane teams I better go for Reds plus isn't that the team Eddie Jones coaches now, and maybe Loti Loqori (sc?) may be signing up with if he says with Union.
If only Adelaide had a rugby team eh? Prehaps the Brighton Tigers could join only a hope away from you.

[Snaggletooth Tiger]

Gawd help us...
If you wanna jump on the bandwagon at least get their names right!
It's Loti TUQUIRI peanut!!!

If I do go to Adelaide Oval this Easter...
Don't come anywhere near me!

Also if your wearing a brand spanking new Reds jersey (price tag still attached)
I'll tear it off your back & chuck it in the piss trough!

[MagicKiwi]

Yikes ST that snuck up on us, only a few weeks to go.

The Western Force finished their season on a high last year - keep your eye on them, I certainly will. I will be going for the Hurricanes and hoping they get another crack at it this year.

[Wedgie]

Could be the last year of Super 14s, South African teams want to join a Europe league instead.

[Snaggletooth Tiger]

Could be the last year of Super 14s, South African teams want to join a Europe league instead.

Mate, that sucks!... I hope it ain't true!
From what I believe, the main reason the 'Western Force' came in to existence was the fact that Perth is the closest city to South Africa so travel time wouldn't be that much of an issue!
Not to mention the large Afrikaan community living over in Western Australia anyway!

[MagicKiwi]

Could be the last year of Super 14s, South African teams want to join a Europe league instead.

Mate, that sucks!... I hope it ain't true!
From what I believe, the main reason the 'Western Force' came in to existence was the fact that Perth is the closest city to South Africa so travel time wouldn't be that much of an issue!
Not to mention the large Afrikaan community living over in Western Australia anyway!

After 2010 ST and Wedgie, not before. Some South African teams feel they are disadvantaged by the amount of travel.

[Snaggletooth Tiger]

There has been talk of Pacific Island Nations joining the competition...
But money, crowds & sponsorship's been a bit of a negative issue!
I also heard of a combined Tonga/Samoa/Fiji franchise but in all honesty,
can you seriously see the likes of that getting off the ground?
(Geography, cultural differences etc.)

I reckon a team based in Hong Kong might work (re. Hong Kong 7's)
It's not too far away & it's mega-rich!

[TroyGFC]

Snaggle Tooth were you at the last game at Adelaide Oval when the Wallabies played Pacific combined team? Big boys and very rough.

[Snaggletooth Tiger]

The point I'm getting across is Super 14's is a comp developed for Pay-TV
& most of the Island Nations don't have the cash or infrastructure to support
such a concept!

[Wedgie]

Yeah, even though there's talk of the African nations going there's also speculation that (as mentioned) a Pacific Islands team may join and there's even been further speculation about a team from Japan and possibly Argentina.

[Magpiespower]

The South African provinces are probably jack of being shown up by the Australian and New Zealand teams.

Year after punishing year...

[MagicKiwi]

The Pumas are only touted to join the Tri-Nations comp, not the Super 14s.

[Wedgie]

Apparantley the NZ teams aren't playing their top national players this year, an Australian team might finally have a chance.

[Snaggletooth Tiger]

Apparantley the NZ teams aren't playing their top national players this year, an Australian team might finally have a chance.

With the World Cup in France looming, the host nation are looking like the team to beat.
The All-Blacks being aware of this & therefore resting some key players from Super 14's
New Zealand though odds on favourites, don't want to take any chances.
(It's been several World Cups since they won one!)

I reckon they're still hurting after several of their players suffered food poisoning before
playing The Springboks in their losing final circa. 1995 World Cup in South Africa.

Maybe the Brumbies can step up again (being Australia's only Super 12 side to take out the Big One!)
fitting for the great man Wallaby Skipper George Gregan's swansong year.
(His Bledisloe Cup match winning tackle is truly one of the Greatest moments EVER in 'The Game they play in Heaven' eh!)

[Wedgie]

Hate the Brumbies (despite being a mad Canberra Raiders fan).
Go the Warratahs!

[MagicKiwi]

Richie's holding the Dave Gallaher trophy: France 3 - New Zealand 47

[Snaggletooth Tiger]

I'm sure Richie McCaw knows not to count his chickens before they're hatched! (MagicKiwi's avatar )
When bookies are looking to name a World Cup favourite it's always been "Kia-ora Aotearoa!"
But they've only ever won it once, back in the RWC's inaugural year 1987!
Once again they're odds on, but we'll all see come October eh?

GO WALLABIES!!!