Newstalk ZB's lead rugby commentator Elliott Smith analyses some of the latest talking points in the rugby world.
An explanation: A weird dance has been happening as more Super teams get afflicted by Covid-19 cases - but not confirming who has it, or how many. On onehand, private medical information is just that but on the other it becomes bizarre when you also list that a player has a shoulder, leg or head knock and will be out.
It's all a bit of a mess - no one wants to get Covid, but it feels like half the country has it and the other half are dodging it until it comes for them. Overseas sports feel a bit more grown up about how they are dealing with it – while New Zealand's sports seem to be caught on the hop.
The Hurricanes are the latest team to be hit by a mass Covid-19 outbreak. Photo / Photosport
A prediction: Highlanders coach Tony Brown has always been an astute observer of the game and his pick that the team that wins Super Rugby Pacific will be the one that stays the most Covid-free doesn't seem too far off the mark given the woes of the Hurricanes this week. Never has the phrase "day-by-day" been more accurate for rugby coaches.
A suggestion: It's time for Super Rugby to embrace fantasyland. This week I've had group chats and Zoom calls lighting up for NRL fantasy drafts ahead of that season starting, with plenty of banter and ribbing as to who has ended up with the best squad and who got left behind. That interest carries through the entire regular season – a game within the games each week.
None of those people have even contemplated playing a Super Rugby fantasy competition because the off-brand ones that exist don't compare to the breadth of the NRL's offering. Fantasy players will watch games they mightn't otherwise because they have a couple of "their" players involved and want to see how many points they rack up and whether it's enough to get them a head-to-head win in the given round.
The Premier League, NBA and NFL all have fantasy leagues yet Super Rugby is left in the dust. Some of the best fantasy leagues worldwide are run by the leagues themselves and can be a new revenue stream. The NRL competition has naming rights dished off to a food delivery company.
An observation: On that note, I've banged this drum hard before but to be the best it can be, Super Rugby needs a cohesive approach across New Zealand, Australia and the two new teams to get the competition humming as it should off the park. Little things matter and can be self-created.
Team list Tuesday in the NRL, which ties back into fantasy, is a rather meaningless event given how much teams change across the week, but it creates conversation. Sport is content and it's not just the 80 minutes on the weekend that matters.
Ex-NRL star and Blues midfielder Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. Photo / Photosport
A question: Is it time to make like the players and embrace what is being played in Super Rugby Aupiki rather than what isn't? A lot has been said about the truncated format, which isn't ideal with no final and playing away from home – but step away and everything I've seen from the players and coaches shows a cohort incredibly proud to represent their franchises. Nothing seems forced or fake about it – finally a long-awaited opportunity to showcase their skills at a level between provincial and test.
