Tri Comp

If SA leave SANZA, would you be happy with Japan as a replacement or the Pumas long term?

Looks like 2 major issues are creating an impass btwn the 3 Nations
Starting dates, and the June tour window. I can see SA going to play in the European season. I am in favour of the Argies coming in, and even coming into our SP14 squads, also bring them and US and Asia combination into the comp. Also bring the Pumas into the Tri Nations.

World-wide rugby development is actually in a bit of a mess, a result in part of geography, but also of professionalism and underlying fan-base.

ARG cannot effectively participate in S14/15/whatever both because the distance is simply too great, but also because their elite players are committed to NH professional clubs. In addition, they do not have the fan base to sustain TV revenues. ARG could participate in a new Tri-Nations, so long as it is played out of NH season - but it would make for a very grinding life for Argie players, with no effective breaks.

The arguments against USA and CAN participation are in part geographic (it is a 14-hour plane trip form LA or SF to Sydney, with a 17-hour time change!), and in part a lack of competitiveness. Neither country has a professional club system, so although there is widespread club play across both countries, there is no development system, and no basis for US- or CAN-based teams to have players who can commit to availability. Look at the Churchill Cup competitions: the national teams of US and CAN are not seriously competitive against the A-side Home Countries or NZ Maori; USA playing at home cannot beat Munster or Clermont-Auvergne (without all their top players). So what could a rank down do against S14 teams? There also is no basis for a TV contract in NA that makes any money.

Japan has the professional club structure and the fan base to make a reasonable showing, and the travel is plausible. Travel is fine for PI, but their player base in dispersed and they have 0 money.

Maybe a way forward without SA would be to invite ARG to Tri-Nations, and institute a S10-A and S10-B. Get support for IRB for a S10-B arrangement with Japan, Korea, PI, USA, CAN (or something like that), and put the fear of the lord into S10-A with a promotion/relegation scheme suchas is used in association football.

Actually, I think the Saffers are daft to think about trying to ally with Europe, and after more Sturm und Drang we'll see everybody kiss and make up when they finish running the numbers and venting for the home politics.

EDIT: I should have put my last paragraph first, but took the conditional structure of the question seriously. Dangerous is right: O'Neil is a tosser who has lost the plot, and NZRU ought to be trying to fix this before they all damage themselves.

Mark L