According to a front-page story in Rapport on Sunday, the world’s best players will take part in an eight-team IPL-type tournament. The matches will be played in 20 minute halves, with this new version of the game having new exciting rules making for running rugby. South Africa will host this competition from January 2012.
Players could earn more from appearing in the three-week competition than from their annual provincial or club contracts. This is currently the case in cricket, with its stars making more than $1 million in the six-week IPL (Indian Premier League). The IPL has been a massive success and is growing far beyond the expectations of the owners.
Western Province senior professional coach Rassie Erasmus is said to be part of the consortium that will manage the tournament.
Whether this will be good or bad, considering the amount of rugby currently being played at the moment, will have to be seen. With talks already rife of a Super 18 tournament and the extended 4 Nations Southern Hemisphere tournament, we will be killing the game and potentially killing the Currie Cup in the process.
Tweet
Its going to end up being a bad cross between sevens and rugby league
I reckon you right Rob.. It won’t take off like the IPL did.
Leave rugby as it is for now.. We don’t need any more of it, thank you very much!!
@robdylan (Comment 1) : @Richard Ferguson (Comment 2) : I agree with both of you’s just leave the rugby as it is 👿 let it be 😈
This does not sound like a good idea, but the one postive is that it may keep SH players here, with a bit of cash.
If this happens, rugby as we love it will change for the worse. No doubt 👿
@war1 (Comment 4) : Might be, but how much rugby can a guy play. Retirement will start at 25 😈
Rassie and his lawer must have dreamt this up over a couple of beers looking at sunset off camps bay. money spinner, yes. good for the game? NO. Sad really.
No thanks
All about the money ! Nothing else ! Well as long as they are in the system try and milk it 👿
Oh GREAT!! 🙄 🙄
Fucking up cricket wasn’t ENOUGH?? 👿 👿
Just about an extended version of 7s. With a bit of league. And i dont think it will keep players here. If the IRB sanctions it, you could be anywhere in the world (refer to T20), and just pop in for a 3 week stint and off you go back to your club/franchise.
I vote NO.
i applaud rassie for trying to be innovative but i doubt this is the answer ,rugby is going to change because of money but it needs to be changed in the ryt way
And its going to weaken test rugby I tell ya 👿
who in their right minds is going to get into their cars, drive to a stadium to watch 40 minutes of rugby. this will only work as a sevens type tournament.
Yea just what we need more rugby – besides doesn’t 7’s fulfil this role?
Rassie continues to display his penchant for being a dumb ass
I’ll wait for the details to emerge before commenting.
Am very glad, however, that it is once again the safaas taking the initiative.
As for it being all about money – well what isnt?
Do you lot miss the big change we had in 1995?
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 15) :
Mate, to be fair you’ve read one article in the beeld and are passing judegment on Rassie based on about 150 words.
They had that 10s comp a few times over the last few years and that seems to have gone down well.
Is this for real??? Rather spend the effort and money developing the 7’s game in order to attract the big names to 7’s (eg Bryan Habana)
It`s only due in 2012, why worry about it now already?