Japan Rugby
Japan’s hopes of playing in the 2016 Super Rugby tournament still appear to be doomed but their exit could also force the Southern Kings out of the expanded tournament.
The Japanese Rugby Union formed the Japan Super Rugby Association (JSRA) to run the new Super Rugby team but the JSRA has struggled to sign players for the new team.
Their expectation was that the Japanese Top League teams would release players to the Super Rugby team but they don’t want to do that and instead they want the Top League to be considered at a higher level than Super Rugby.
SANZAR are believed to be so concerned about the situation in Japan that they have started discussing alternate tournament models for the 2016 season and possibly beyond.
Tournament organizers SANZAR gave Japan a deadline on 31 August last month to show a list of 20 contracted players but reports suggest that the standard of players is not at a level that will make the new Asian team competitive.
Reports in Australia say that SANZAR are now considering taking the Super Rugby licence away from Japan indefinitely.
The writing appeared to be on the wall early last month when Japan coach Eddie Jones announced that he would not be re-signing with the national side and he would not be available as the new Japanese team’s Director of Rugby.
While the Japan team’s inclusion seems unlikely it is understood that the 6th South African side, the Southern Kings are also struggling to sign a full squad and in recent months there have been financial problems and player strikes due to wages not being paid.
South African Rugby has seen a large exodus of players this year and this, coupled with large numbers of retiring players after the Rugby World Cup, and SARU are said to be concerned that they don’t have enough quality depth to field a 6th team.
The Southern Kings played Super Rugby in 2013 after heavy political pressure from the South African government but many of the players were loaned from other sides including the Lions, who they replaced before being relegated.
If Japan are removed from Super Rugby it would leave 17 teams, which is a difficult number of teams to include in the tournament, so SARU may have to try and convince the South African government to relax the pressure and give the Southern Kings more time to prepare.
In contrast the new Argentinian team are racing ahead with the signing of players and even former SANZAR CEO Greg Peters has joined the management of the team… so the tournament could go ahead with a 16 team format.
Meanwhile World Rugby boss Brett Gosper has revealed that South Africa and Italy could be considered as possible replcement hosts for the 2019 Rugby World Cup if Japan are unable to prove to them that they are still capable of hosting the tournament by the end of this month.
rugbyweek
Would be a very bold move to cancel Japan’s Super Rugby licence and also at the same time to take the 6th SA Franchise team, the Southern Kings out.
Might seem like a massively forced change… but may be a huge blessing in disguise, as it could then revert back to a more managable Conference format.
If the Cheeky brigade do not come through with the supposed massive sponsor they have been bragging about, there is no way they could stay financially afloat in a Super Rugby tournament next year, and similtaneously they will not be able to sign a strong enough and competent enough squad to compete realistically at Super Rugby level in 2016!
The Kings debacle is what happens when politics interferes in sport. Of all the non SR unions in SA, possibly the Pumas and Griquas are more deserving than the Kings in terms of rugby.
Go for it SANZAR, boot them both into touch!
But eish, they’ll have to redo the fixtures schedule;in late July I was informed of my team’s SA dates for 2016…some chokers in Cape Town on 18 March and we were to be playing in “Bloomfountain” a week later!
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