Super Rugby 2026
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@SouthernMann said in Super Rugby 2026:
@Canes4life said in Super Rugby 2026:
@SouthernMann said in Super Rugby 2026:
@nostrildamus said in Super Rugby 2026:
@Canes4life said in Super Rugby 2026:
This is the year of Riley, he’s primed for a big season.
And I've never heard that before...
Every year. Then he gets injured.
You’re talking like he’s been around forever.
2025 was the year he was talked up big time because Jordie was in Ireland and we were finally going to see Higgins get a good run at the next level after looking like a cheat code in the NPC. (Similar to Pledger this year). Unfortunately he got injured and Jordie’s now back.
Higgins showed even with a handful of appearances last year that he’s destined to do very well at Super level as well and will push for higher honours, let’s hope he stays on. the park.
Oh and he’s definitely not going to Wales.
I certainly hope he stays on the park. Petone, Lower Hutt, Wellington, the Canes and NZ as a whole needs a fit and firing messiah.
All going well he'll largely only play for the latter two going forward.
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@Canes4life was that one of the years he was used on the wing also?
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@Bones said in Super Rugby 2026:
@Canes4life was that one of the years he was used on the wing also?
A Holland special was it? I vaguely remember that.
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@Canes4life said in Super Rugby 2026:
@Bones said in Super Rugby 2026:
@Canes4life was that one of the years he was used on the wing also?
A Holland special was it? I vaguely remember that.
Sounds like a very invaluable midfielder that's using cheat code then eh...
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@Bones said in Super Rugby 2026:
@Canes4life said in Super Rugby 2026:
@Bones said in Super Rugby 2026:
@Canes4life was that one of the years he was used on the wing also?
A Holland special was it? I vaguely remember that.
Sounds like a very invaluable midfielder that's using cheat code then eh...
Pffffft. On the wing, in the midfield, with finishes like the below, the guy can play anywhere. #cheatcode
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@Duluth said in Super Rugby 2026:
Van Royen makes the mistake of talking about he population and assuming the Blues have a huge advantage.
The Chiefs region is more populated than people think
2019 population numbers for the franchises:
Region Population Blues 1.396m Chiefs 1.333m Hurricanes 1.019m Crusaders 0.797m Highlanders 0.337m He should make the point about the schools comp attracting outside talent instead
I do think there is an issue with franchise distribution though. 40% of contracts being in the SI and 20% being in Dunedin isn't a good spread
Might not be good for the players - but what about the fans?
The Highlanders certainly used to have the best average crowd (and possibly still do)
The Blues struggle to get a crowd to match their population with one team, so why chuck another team up there. The crowds Moana get are poor.
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Some buzz around Jeneriro Wakeham. He is a 2.08 m/140 kg lock who was signed by Stade Français as a teenager and then played for Pro D2 side Stade Niçois and RFU Championship club Ealing Trailfinders. Also involved in the NFL International Player Pathway training camp last year.
A few others with NZ school/PU connections.
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@frugby said in Super Rugby 2026:
Might not be good for the players - but what about the fans?
You are taking a very narrow view of 'fans'. Of course it's good for fans in Dunedin to have a subsidised team. Is the current situation good for fans in Tauranga? They produce plenty of players have a population 150% that of Dunedin but they get pro rugby scraps
I think there should be more teams and the larger ones should be broken up. There should be more opportunities for players to play close to their home.. that makes for a more tribal competition with more interest.
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@Duluth said in Super Rugby 2026:
I think there should be more teams and the larger ones should be broken up. There should be more opportunities for players to play close to their home.. that makes for a more tribal competition with more interest.
On that.
I'm thinking most players are a bit more particular about which NPC team they play for than they are about their SR team.
As soon as an SR contract comes their way; they're in, they don't care which team. -
@mohikamo said in Super Rugby 2026:
@Duluth said in Super Rugby 2026:
I think there should be more teams and the larger ones should be broken up. There should be more opportunities for players to play close to their home.. that makes for a more tribal competition with more interest.
On that.
I'm thinking most players are a bit more particular about which NPC team they play for than they are about their SR team.
As soon as an SR contract comes their way; they're in, they don't care which team.I don’t think that’s the case at all, every player will have a Super franchise they support growing up and for most players that would be their first option no doubt. This is only true if they are struggling to find an opportunity and a spot at another franchise is their only option.
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@Canes4life said in Super Rugby 2026:
I don’t think that’s the case at all, every player will have a Super franchise they support growing up and for most players that would be their first option no doubt.
Agree with that.
It would be their first option, if they had options.
For young players I dont think it gets to the "option" stage very often; they are going with the first franchise that actually shows an interest in them, wherever.
I think the Crusaders have got themselves into a bit of a national first option franchise.
Where as with the NPC, they are more likely to go with the PU in the area they grew up. -
@Duluth said in Super Rugby 2026:
@frugby said in Super Rugby 2026:
I think there should be more teams and the larger ones should be broken up. There should be more opportunities for players to play close to their home.. that makes for a more tribal competition with more interest.
I find this quite fascinating. Have recently been in the UK, and the sheer density of population/football teams in London is incredible, and it goes back to your first point.
Why is it, that Auckland, a city of 1.5m, struggles to support two Super Rugby teams, given rugby is our national game?
Sydney is about 2x as big and they support 9 NRL teams.
Is it better to look at the population of rugby fans as opposed to actual population?
I think a ranking of average crowd size for the 14 NPC sides + the 5 Super Rugby sides would be interesting.
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@frugby i think its a mix of two things, cost of living obviously....but its just not, no longer?, the culture to go to games or even watch games "every" week like other countries, especially the more casuals fans, i found even people that had no idea what they were talking about..."had" an AFL team and were happy to go to the pub with people to watch a game if not hit up one or two games a year
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@frugby said in Super Rugby 2026:
@Duluth said in Super Rugby 2026:
@frugby said in Super Rugby 2026:
I think there should be more teams and the larger ones should be broken up. There should be more opportunities for players to play close to their home.. that makes for a more tribal competition with more interest.
I find this quite fascinating. Have recently been in the UK, and the sheer density of population/football teams in London is incredible, and it goes back to your first point.
Why is it, that Auckland, a city of 1.5m, struggles to support two Super Rugby teams, given rugby is our national game?
Sydney is about 2x as big and they support 9 NRL teams.
Is it better to look at the population of rugby fans as opposed to actual population?
I think a ranking of average crowd size for the 14 NPC sides + the 5 Super Rugby sides would be interesting.
Auckland also has The Wahs and Auckland FC to compete with, and with a cost of living crisis, rugby is bring squeezed out by rival codes. Compare that with the population of the Canterbury region which is about 700,000 currently and growing and has ONE professinal sports team. Lets see how they cope once they eventually get a league team down the track. There's no competition currently in the South Island and the crowds down there are still pathetic most of the time.
Sydney is also not 2 times as big, it has a population of 5.5 mil.
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@Canes4life said in Super Rugby 2026:
@mohikamo said in Super Rugby 2026:
@Duluth said in Super Rugby 2026:
I think there should be more teams and the larger ones should be broken up. There should be more opportunities for players to play close to their home.. that makes for a more tribal competition with more interest.
On that.
I'm thinking most players are a bit more particular about which NPC team they play for than they are about their SR team.
As soon as an SR contract comes their way; they're in, they don't care which team.I don’t think that’s the case at all, every player will have a Super franchise they support growing up and for most players that would be their first option no doubt. This is only true if they are struggling to find an opportunity and a spot at another franchise is their only option.
Professional rugby is like other workplaces. Grads (or in rugby terms 19 - 21 year olds) will go where there is the best opportunities for them. Some of the top kids will get to chose, others will make strategic decisions based on the opportunities available and some will just end up where there is a spot available. Same as in the corporate world. Kids may have firms they want to work for, but will end up in the Mainfreight grad programme on the end of the broom.
Most 20-year-olds won't automatically make 23s and being squad player 36 for their chosen team may be a dream come true. It will just do fuck all for their development. Same with being a WTG member.
Wrampling-Alec wanted to be a Chief. Is now a Blue due to opportunities.
Tangitau held tacklebags for two years at the Blues. Tore it up at the Landers.
Solomon offered a WTG spot at the Canes and a full gig at the Landers. Still to be seen if he can overcome his lack of size.
The best thing players can do is listen to good considered advice. Jacomb for example probably signed a year too long at the Chiefs.
Having a favourite team is fine. Getting gametime is even better.
Then historically, some of the franchises best players would not have dreamed of playing for the teams they became icons with. Brodie Retallick, McKenzie or ALB dreamed of becoming Chiefs. Or Aaron Smith a Highlander. Or Richie McCaw being one of the best Canterbury sportsmen ever.
Mika Muliaina talked about suporting the Chiefs.
The biggest tool for recruitment of players, whether local or from outside the known catchments is to tell the story of how/when the player will be a full-time regular. The Blues couldn't do that with Tangitau (when he left he was stuck behind All Blacks). The same with the Crusaders and keeping Oudenryn. Not hooki g spots available at Crusaders HQ.
Every guy will want to be playing regularly as soon as possible. Boyhood loyalties will fade when it is clear a player could be starting instead of playing clubrugby and holding tackle bags.
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@African-Monkey said in Super Rugby 2026:
@frugby said in Super Rugby 2026:
@Duluth said in Super Rugby 2026:
@frugby said in Super Rugby 2026:
I think there should be more teams and the larger ones should be broken up. There should be more opportunities for players to play close to their home.. that makes for a more tribal competition with more interest.
I find this quite fascinating. Have recently been in the UK, and the sheer density of population/football teams in London is incredible, and it goes back to your first point.
Why is it, that Auckland, a city of 1.5m, struggles to support two Super Rugby teams, given rugby is our national game?
Sydney is about 2x as big and they support 9 NRL teams.
Is it better to look at the population of rugby fans as opposed to actual population?
I think a ranking of average crowd size for the 14 NPC sides + the 5 Super Rugby sides would be interesting.
Auckland also has The Wahs and Auckland FC to compete with, and with a cost of living crisis, rugby is bring squeezed out by rival codes. Compare that with the population of the Canterbury region which is about 700,000 currently and growing and has ONE professinal sports team. Lets see how they cope once they eventually get a league team down the track. There's no competition currently in the South Island and the crowds down there are still pathetic most of the time.
Sydney is also not 2 times as big, it has a population of 5.5 mil.
Yep bang on AM, it's pretty different when you look Sydney has population of whole of NZ .
Problem is getting that 5.5 mill to stadiums involves a fair bit of travelling.
Brisbane las about double pop of Auckland doesn't it, and has one of each code , I think, with a couple of teams in surrounding cities? My main take is travel and of course w got a lot of people who these days quite enjoy the convenience of sitting on couches? -
The atmosphere at rugby games in NZ fucking sucks too. That Eden Park Bledisloe sounded like a cricket game, lots of talking with the very occasional roar. What is the actual pull to go watch in person?
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@SouthernMann said in Super Rugby 2026:
@Canes4life said in Super Rugby 2026:
@mohikamo said in Super Rugby 2026:
@Duluth said in Super Rugby 2026:
I think there should be more teams and the larger ones should be broken up. There should be more opportunities for players to play close to their home.. that makes for a more tribal competition with more interest.
On that.
I'm thinking most players are a bit more particular about which NPC team they play for than they are about their SR team.
As soon as an SR contract comes their way; they're in, they don't care which team.I don’t think that’s the case at all, every player will have a Super franchise they support growing up and for most players that would be their first option no doubt. This is only true if they are struggling to find an opportunity and a spot at another franchise is their only option.
Professional rugby is like other workplaces. Grads (or in rugby terms 19 - 21 year olds) will go where there is the best opportunities for them. Some of the top kids will get to chose, others will make strategic decisions based on the opportunities available and some will just end up where there is a spot available. Same as in the corporate world. Kids may have firms they want to work for, but will end up in the Mainfreight grad programme on the end of the broom.
Most 20-year-olds won't automatically make 23s and being squad player 36 for their chosen team may be a dream come true. It will just do fuck all for their development. Same with being a WTG member.
Wrampling-Alec wanted to be a Chief. Is now a Blue due to opportunities.
Tangitau held tacklebags for two years at the Blues. Tore it up at the Landers.
Solomon offered a WTG spot at the Canes and a full gig at the Landers. Still to be seen if he can overcome his lack of size.
The best thing players can do is listen to good considered advice. Jacomb for example probably signed a year too long at the Chiefs.
Having a favourite team is fine. Getting gametime is even better.
Then historically, some of the franchises best players would not have dreamed of playing for the teams they became icons with. Brodie Retallick, McKenzie or ALB dreamed of becoming Chiefs. Or Aaron Smith a Highlander. Or Richie McCaw being one of the best Canterbury sportsmen ever.
Mika Muliaina talked about suporting the Chiefs.
The biggest tool for recruitment of players, whether local or from outside the known catchments is to tell the story of how/when the player will be a full-time regular. The Blues couldn't do that with Tangitau (when he left he was stuck behind All Blacks). The same with the Crusaders and keeping Oudenryn. Not hooki g spots available at Crusaders HQ.
Every guy will want to be playing regularly as soon as possible. Boyhood loyalties will fade when it is clear a player could be starting instead of playing clubrugby and holding tackle bags.
I 100% agree that if you're not getting gametime or even selected at your franchise of choice then the obvious thing to do is move. My argument is that for the most part players (especially those considered future stars and that have come through academies) often end up at their home franchise. Obviously, this isn't always the case, but it more often than not ends up being true.
I do agree that the landscape is changing and younger players want gametime right off the bat i.e. Solomon going to the Highlanders, so each to their own I guess.
Would be cool to see some sort of draft take place in the future if franchise allegiance becomes less of a factor.
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@mariner4life said in Super Rugby 2026:
The atmosphere at rugby games in NZ fucking sucks too. That Eden Park Bledisloe sounded like a cricket game, lots of talking with the very occasional roar. What is the actual pull to go watch in person?
people seem to be a lot more vocal about the stuff they dont like than the stuff they do like, thats why i dont bother with the match day threads...theyre not enjoyable to read
my personal experience with football, an added aspect that sometimes helps when the game is shit is the wider comp, almost everyone is fighting for something, automatic promotion....or play offs...or relegation...even in afl you hear people start to talk about good draft picks if theyre having a shit season...rugby comps....are just a bit blah
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@mariner4life said in Super Rugby 2026:
The atmosphere at rugby games in NZ fucking sucks too. That Eden Park Bledisloe sounded like a cricket game, lots of talking with the very occasional roar. What is the actual pull to go watch in person?
I haven't found much difference in either country really mariner, but then we tend to be a bit quiet at sport in general. I haven't been to a test at Eden park since Lions in 2017, was great then, but we had the Brits ! I been to a lot of rugby in Aus too and found it the same. Was the crowd at Auck Bled especially quite, I only saw it on tv.
