SEX! Now That I’ve Got Your Attention, Super Rugby Starts Tonight
DYOR Dave
With Less than a month before the kickoff of god’s winter game, you would be forgiven for not even remembering that there was another code of Rugby played in this country, such is the woeful promotion of this year’s Super Rugby season.
After a fractured past two seasons, which saw rule changes, format reshuffles, and probably some other events that no one took notice of, Rugby fans are hoping that this new season can bring some excitement back into the game, with new rule changes and another format reshuffle to try grab the attention of dribblers around the world.
Along with the rules they have already borrowed from Rugby League, such as the 50/22 kick and the goal line dropout, the competition has introduced a golden point rule to replace the ‘golden try’ that was implemented last season.
While there was only one match that went into overtime in 2021, the NZRU have convinced Australia to agree on a golden point system, although many fans are apprehensive about the change, as it places significant importance on the luck of the coin toss rather than the skill of a team.
One genuinely exciting change that they have made is the inclusion of two new teams, Moana Pasifika and Fijian Drua, who will for the first time represent pacific island nations and could possibly bring an exciting brand of rugby into a league that has struggled to produce entertaining footy in the last decade.
Both Pacific Island teams have planned pre-match war cries, meaning there will be at least something interesting during these matches
While the novel coronavirus has made it difficult to properly incorporate pacific island nations into the League, Fijian Drua have already locked in one game to be played in Suva in round 7, with another possibly on the cards later this year, although the majority of their home games will be played at Leichardt oval, Suncorp, and Commbank Stadium.
Meanwhile, Moana Pasifika will play out of Mt Smart Stadium, representing the nations of Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, and the Cook Islands. Their season is off to a shaky start already with a minor covid outbreak forcing them to postpone their opening match against Roger Tuivasa Scheck’s Auckland Blues.
Teams in New Zealand have gathered in a bubble on the South Island, while Australian teams are free to play in their home towns (except for the Western Force), although officials are confident that teams will be able to travel freely between their home cities by the midpoint of the tournament.
Fans are hoping that the addition of two pacific teams, as well as the removal of South African teams, will provide a more exciting and energetic brand of Rugby, rather than the penalty heavy brand we’ve seen in the past.
The Waratahs will open the tournament tonight at 7:45 against the Fijian Drua at Commbank stadium in Parramatta, where hopefully a few rugby fans can make the trek to an area that they’ve probably never visited before.
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