Australia to host new international tournie in 2017

The Australian Rugby Union are planning a four-week international tournament in June 2017, featuring Scotland alongside Italy, US, Pacific Island sides and other lesser-ranked teams.

From foxsports.com:

Australian Rugby Union looking at hosting international tournament in 2017 to secure June revenue

By Iain Payten, The Daily Telegraph

Planning for the future ... David Pocock could lead the Wallabies at the proposed tournament in 2017. Australia could host an international tournament in 2017 featuring as many as eight teams, including the likes of Japan, the United States and Pacific Island sides.

The invitational competition is being contemplated by the Australian Rugby Union in a bid to ensure the Test window of June five years hence is kept exciting despite most tier one nations being unavailable.

The British and Irish Lions will be touring New Zealand in 2017, and with France scheduled to tour South Africa for a three-Test series, the best talent of the European teams will be tied up.

The Wallabies have Italy and Scotland penciled into the future tour schedule but the ARU would face the prospect of dwindling revenue playing either in a multi-Test format.

Discussions have been held, therefore, about bringing lesser-ranked teams to play against the Wallabies and each other in a mini-tournament.
Planning is still in an embryonic stage but the tournament could feature three, four or as many as two pools of four teams, with round-robins, semi-finals and a final to be played over a four-week period.

Scotland - who usually do not supply a huge amount of players to the Lions - and Italy would be involved, and the rest of the teams could be made up of tier nations who've been crowd favourites at Rugby World Cups, but rarely get any international exposure between tournaments.

Japan (coached by Eddie Jones) are seen as a natural fit for the 2017 tournament just two years out from the first World Cup in Asia, and there would also be a big push for Pacific Island representation given the ARU's initiatives to help grow the game in Samoa, Tonga and Fiji. There is even potential for an emerging tier two nation like Georgia or Russia to join in.

The idea of staging double-headers as big events has been discussed, to encourage fans to buy tickets to games they might not otherwise attend.

Staged after the current broadcast deal expires in 2015, the ARU could potentially even attract interest from expanding markets like Japan and the US to buy TV rights.

Like a World Cup, games would also be held across the country and at non-traditional Test venues, such as the refurbished Adelaide Oval. ARU boss John O'Neill recently committed to playing a "major Test" in Adelaide in 2014 before revealing the 2017 tournament plans.

"It is not a once-off. We're going to have a tournament style competition in 2017, and Adelaide will feature in our plans around that tournament as well," he said.

Planning for a 2017 tournament has to occur this year in order to lock in participants.

An ARU spokesman confirmed: "We are committed to developing our competition schedule for the 2017 season and while no firm plans are in place we are exploring numerous options to provide world class rugby."

Sounds like a really intersting concept, i'd def be keen to watch some of those games.

I don't like the idea, the only reason why they are planning it is to make money they would of lost out because they wont have a tier one nation touring that year.

At least the smaller countries get to play some rugby

It's a pro game, all matches are there to make money. I see no reason why Oz shouldn't want to try to cover its losses while the Lions tour is on

To be honest, it's a great idea. Not only will 'lesser' teams have a chance to test themselves against the Wallabies, they'll get to compete with each other. Could really help develop them a lot.

2017 is the year Wales are due to tour the PI unless I'm mistaken. Wonder how that'll fit into things.

I think the idea has potential. I wouldn't shell out my cold-hard to see Aus V Italy in an empty stadium but throw in Japan V Fiji and give it a seven's style, RWC party atmosphere and you could have something.

At the very least it would appease those people who say Aus do nothing for their Pacific Island neighbours.

Nations usually not involved in tournaments are getting a crack at an invitational and much needed experience on the international stage in a well known Rugby loving country. Can't complain to that, i hope they broadcast it over here in the UK to be honest.

Criticism's that all these are just to make money are not completely unfounded, but i think a little pessimistic. Yes, they are there to make money, as almost every game is technically since the game went professional, but i think the pro's outweigh the con's in this case.

There's nothing wrong what so ever with the idea.

Bring it on!

Just hope the Scots do provide a decent amount of Lions in 2017.

Ieuan of course money is their motivation. But that doesn't take away the benefits to the smaller nations from the exposure to test rugby that they get. This isn't a charity event to raise money for malaria. Of course in the professional era Australia has to be commercially minded. To me it´s a lot better idea than playing the ABs in Hong Kong.

and people say the lions is a good thing!!!

I think it's a great idea to get teams like Japan, the US, PI even Russia over here during a busy rugby calender year for NZ and SA in 2017.

No doubt it will be well marketed and I would seriously consider going to a double header featuring any of these teams. Surely it's good for the development of the game and is a positive initiative by the ARU.

I just feel as though british teams will miss out on this tourny(as i think it has a great chance in being a regular thing) due to it possibly being played during lions times..Id much rather play a tourny

Maybe they should send out a development side like the Churchill Cup - the 'Saxons'? or players who miss the Lions squad.
Food for thought, mystir?

yeah thats a good idea. i suppose if scotland are in it- however will scotland be in the lions if they go independant??

That's never going to happen... But yes, of course, we'd still be part of the British Isles and the British and Irish Lions

Couldn't we just send a full team? I'm presuming we would be at least fairly weakened by the Lions anyway

kiakahaaotearoa wrote:Ieuan of course money is their motivation. But that doesn't take away the benefits to the smaller nations from the exposure to test rugby that they get. This isn't a charity event to raise money for malaria. Of course in the professional era Australia has to be commercially minded. To me it´s a lot better idea than playing the ABs in Hong Kong.

I know my opinion is very ideological and I know unions need money in order for rugby to played at any level in that country. It just annoys me unions are now playing games with the sole purpose of making money.

Yes i agree with you it is very good for the smaller nations but Australia are just using them because they have no one else to play against and the smaller nations can't say no because the need to play more rugby against better teams.

And...

We need to remember that its a professional game.

Yes i agree with you it is very good for the smaller nations but Australia are just using them because they have no one else to play against and the smaller nations can't say no because the need to play more rugby against better teams.

I believe that's called win/win. Aus get enough cash so as to avoid a tough financial year and a host of smaller nations get the exposure to a top class nation and each other that they wouldn't have had normally. I fail to see a loser.

8 teams in two leagues with all the games played as double headers (one on Saturday one on Sunday) for the first three weeks, everyone plays each other in the leagues. In the fourth week a massive day of rugby with 4th vs 4th, 3rd vs 3rd, 2nd vs 2nd and then the championship decider 1st vs 1st. That's got to draw some crowds purely for the spectacle.

It is win/win for that year but the small nations are going to be continued to be ignored before 2017 and after 2017.

It is win/win for that year but the small nations are going to be continued to be ignored before 2017 and after 2017.

Even if the Samoans show up and best Austraila again? There certainly isn't a lot going for the smaller nations but at the same time something is better than nothing and if this paves the way for future events of a similar nature then everyones a winner (again). Personally I'd like to see Italy host a tournament in the summer with the likes of Russia, Georgia and Romania taking part.

Not if they keep winning - they won't

Yes if the keep doing this every four years with the lions. I'm not sure South Africa would ever run the tournament though because they don't have thousands of Pacific Islanders living there so they wouldn't be able to draw the same crowds as Australia and the New Zealand.

Italy holding a hosting a competition against the other small European teams would be good for world rugby.

Italy holding a hosting a competition against the other small European teams would be good for world rugby.

Could be good for Italian rugby. Spread the games round a bit, the locals get to watch Italy win a few games which is always a morale booster. If it can be kept inexpensive then there might be a few touring fans from Russia, Romania and Georgia. Rugby has become popular with sporting organisers in Italy because of the peaceful crowds who tend to be happy to drink and eat together. It means security is minimal (the opposite of Italian football) and stadium refreshments are easily sold. Could be a good advertisement for the sport if tickets can be kept cheap, that would be key.

Sounds like a very good idea if it actually comes off - the Tier 2/3 nations are crying out for some more representation/games/money and if any of them show up well against Oz/Italy/Scotland then it could lead to more fixtures against some of the bigger nations during the AI's.

And Ieuan - just look at how many games Wales play just for money (like the 4th AI every year) - but the positive is that it allows the unions more money to invest in grass roots and in this case gives the Tier 2/3 sides game time against a very good team, a competition to compete in and much needed money.

I am not a fan of extra games WRU arrange in order to make money. By the end of this year in 15 month time frame Wales will of played Australia 6 times.

I'm not sure it will lead to them getting more AI fixtures because games against Samoa, Fiji and even Argentina for that matter simply don't sell that many tickets in the UK compared to the SANZAR teams.

ieuan wrote:I am not a fan of extra games WRU arrange in order to make money. By the end of this year in 15 month time frame Wales will of played Australia 6 times.

I'm not sure it will lead to them getting more AI fixtures because games against Samoa, Fiji and even Argentina for that matter simply don't sell that many tickets in the UK compared to the SANZAR teams.

I'm not a fan of the extra games either, and by the time we'll tour Oz in the summer our players will have played for a year and a half with only a month or 2 break (because of training camps, extra games, the WC and the warm up games).

But you're seeing more Tier 1 teams playing teams like Samoa and Fiji in the AI's, particularly as it's difficult to get all of the 3 SANZAR teams, and I expect teams to start playing Japan more often in the run up to the 2019 WC (probably from 2016) as there'll be more Japanese around the world with an interest in the game and the team should be getting better.