Super Rugby’s new expanded format is about as clear as the skies above Shanghai. It’s a great big dirty mess which has left most fans bewildered and that cannot be good for a tournament aiming to increase audiences and attract fans in new markets. It’s still early days yet, but the expansion and new format appears to have struck gold with the inclusion of the Jaguares and the revised bonus point system (which sees a team earning a try scoring bonus point for scoring three more tries than their opponents – adding an exciting “the point isn’t banked till the final whistle blows” dimension). The format, however, is convoluted and will come under increasing scrutiny towards the business end of the tournament when qualification for the play off matches is at stake. It remains to be seen whether fans will come to understand and accept it. We’re stuck with it, for now, and so long as the tournament’s format is fair or as fair as possible to all participating teams, we can live with the mystifying structure. It goes without saying that any sporting tournament should aim to provide an even footing upon which teams compete, something which isn’t negotiable. And this new format – at least from a South African perspective – is flawed and unfair. […]
Posts written by: Geronimo Feather (Gold's Member)
Flawed Format: Let’s Have More Fairness
29 Mar 16 09:21 by Geronimo Feather (Gold's Member) | 36 Comments