O'Neill wants entertaining Super 14
February 02 2010
Australian Rugby Union boss John O'Neill has called on teams to adapt an entertaining style of play during the upcoming Super Rugby season, insisting the success of the competition's expansion in 2011 depends on it.
Last year's Super 14 saw crowd numbers dwindle amid general dissatisfaction at the fare on offer, and SANZAR (South Africa, New Zealand and Australia Rugby) has instructed referees to police key areas of the game in a manner that encourages attacking rugby in a desperate bid to improve the spectacle and boost attendances.
New interpretations of the breakdown laws as well as tougher policing of the scrum, in an effort to limit the number of excruciating re-sets, are among the main changes to be implemented when the fifteenth Super Rugby season gets under way on February 12.
And O'Neill believes an exciting 2010 season can smooth the way for the introduction of the new Melbourne Rebels franchise, as well as a league structure based around three national conferences, next year.
"This is a critical year to show that we've turned the corner," O'Neill said at the official launch of the 2010 season in Sydney.
"Next year the new Super Rugby format is breath-takingly improved, the amount of local content just goes up massively and that in itself is going to be a wonderful opportunity for us.
"But if this isn't a good year for us in terms of performances on the league table as well as an attractive style of play, well it doesn't mean you go into 2011 with a spring in your step.
"So if we want to go into a brave new world in 2011, 2010's the year when the foundations will be laid."
While the impact the changes will have remains to be seen, O'Neill is confident coaches and players will embrace the new attacking ethos.
"I think the message has sunk in, the time for talk has stopped and now the execution and the playing of the game will show the reality of that message has taken hold," he said.
"The universal and very unanimous view of SANZAR, the owners of this competition, is that it was time to refresh the product, and that's what we're doing.
"If there's an opportunity to play a spectacle that is entertaining that opportunity will be taken. It's (about doing) what you need to do to win but it's also recognising the need to avoid negativity."
He also warned officials that they will have to play their part or face the consequences.
"After week three or four we'll get to see whether the consistency is there, the referees will be assessed and those that are doing the job we've asked them to do will be rewarded and those that aren't will be demoted," he said.
Meanwhile, O'Neill confirmed SANZAR's commitment to providing a better spectacle is likely to extend to the annual Tri-Nations tournament between New Zealand, South Africa and Australia.
"The three SANZAR countries are united on this so if they're united on Super Rugby there's no reason why we wouldn't be doing the same thing in Tri-Nations," he said.
"None of the interpretations that we're putting out there were reached by waking up one morning and saying 'this is a good idea'.
"We saw statistical evidence that in some games anywhere from 12 to 25 per cent of the total game-time was used up in re-setting scrums - not a lot of fun.
"There was one Tri-Nations game where there was seven minutes to go and the game was on a knife edge, and six minutes were used up in scrum re-sets.
"I think the Tri Nations will follow suit. We're in the mass-entertainment business and our fortunes are very much reflected on the viewing audience, on television and the people through the turnstiles.
"We know what we need to do ... it's time to stop talking and time for action."