Virus may prove a knockout blow for Super Rugby

Virus may prove a knockout blow for Super Rugby

WELLINGTON: Super Rugby has confronted numerous problems during its 25 years, but experts warn the coronavirus pandemic may prove a knockout blow for the southern hemisphere’s premier club competition.

With 15 teams in five countries straddling 16 time zones from Buenos Aires and Cape Town to Sydney and Christchurch it has long been criticised as unwieldy, expensive to run and exhausting for elite players.

Now virus-related travel bans have put the competition in limbo, leaving administrators scrambling to set up locally-based alternatives that do not require international travel.While officials say Super Rugby is on hold “for the foreseeable future”, in reality they are preparing for the season to be scrapped.

SANZAAR admitted that would place the governing body and its constituent unions “in a precarious position”, as broadcasters have paid huge sums for the rights to cover the game.

“Without that revenue, without the ability to be playing in front of stadiums that have crowds, it all does have a direct impact on the bottom line,” SANZAAR chief executive Andy Marinos told Newshub.

“That’s something I know the national unions are dealing with all of their clubs and then indirectly with all their governments.”Short-term plans are focused on staging local derbies in New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, with Japan’s Sunwolves potentially part of the Australian competition and the Jaguares of Argentina based in Africa.

However, that may not satisfy broadcasters.New Zealand’s Sky Network Television noted in a market update this week that “the company has options to recover some costs associated with sports content rights”. Australia-based sports consultancy firm Global Media Sports (GMS) said SANZAAR’s members were in no position to pay back tens of millions of dollars in broadcasting revenues.

Article source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/631208-virus-may-prove-a-knockout-blow-for-super-rugby