So, does the United Rugby Championship make sense? That’s the question under discussion this week in the wake of comments from former Wales and Lions skipper Sam Warburton.
The ex-Cardiff flanker was responding to a challenge from outspoken South African journalist Mark Keohane in the wake of two teams from the Rainbow Nation - the Bulls and Stormers - making the semi-finals of the new expanded competition.
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Taking to Twitter, Keohane said: “So Sam Warburton, you asked what value the SA teams add to the URC after the first month, but you have gone AWOL since.” He then suggested yours truly could get an answer from Warburton.
But my services were not required. Sam himself delivered the retort, tweeting: “I’ll give you an answer no problem. There’s no doubting their ability. Fantastic rugby nation. League just doesn’t make sense and looks a random mix and match of clubs.”
Such a comment from such a household name was bound to be picked up and draw a reaction. Understandably, there were some disgruntled responses from South African fans. But the Welsh people who chipped in were generally supportive of his views, while the likes piled up.
So, with the dust having settled a little, just what are we to make of this whole debate? What is the verdict on the first season of the URC and the introduction of the four SA Super Rugby sides - the Bulls, Stormers, Sharks and Lions?
Well, in terms of what they have brought on the field, it’s fair to argue it has been a success. As Keohane alluded to, there was a lot of doubt expressed over the first month of the competition. The opening four rounds saw 16 cross-continent fixtures and just four victories for the South African new boys. This inevitably led some to question the wisdom of the project.
Yet there was context to consider. The franchises were away from home for all 16 matches due to a Covid-influenced schedule. They were also without all their Springbok stars who were involved in the Rugby Championship and didn’t come on board in the league until the new year, amid autumn international commitments. There was also the aspect of the teams having to come to terms with new conditions and new refereeing interpretations.
So it wasn’t really that much of a surprise to see them struggle for results early doors, while there was also an expectation that they would get stronger as the season progressed. That has certainly proved to be the case.
Since those opening four weekends, there have been a further 33 cross-continent fixtures and the South Africans have won 28 of them, including the Stormers’ quarter-final play-off victory over Edinburgh last weekend. They have been almost unbeatable in their own back yard, losing just two of their 25 home matches against European sides. Connacht beating the Lions in Johannesburg and Edinburgh defeating the Sharks in Durban have been the solitary successes on the Rainbow road for the teams up north.
All of that has seen the SA sides come flying up the table as the season has gone on, with three of them - Stormers, Bulls and Sharks - finishing in the top five. So, in terms of improving standards and providing sterner opposition for the all-dominant Irish sides, they have certainly done that. Some of the stuff they have played in the second half of the campaign has been top notch, a mixture of brute forward power and counter-attacking flair and pace from the backs.
The impression they have made is evident from the make-up of the URC Dream Team of the Season which was selected via a media vote. They provide ten of the XV, with the Stormers leading the way with five. The Irish provinces fill the rest of the spots. Not one Welsh regional player makes the side. So you could argue that, in pure rugby terms, South Africa coming on board has been vindicated.
There is another key aspect to consider in terms of whether the URC makes sense and that’s money. Given the current financial climate within the game, that’s a pretty pertinent issue.
Now, my understanding is having the four South African sides involved brings in around £10m of additional competition income per year compared to what it would be if it was just the PRO12. There are clearly travel costs involved, but there is a significant uplift revenue-wise.
The counter argument is that a British & Irish League might bring in more cash again. But, at present, that isn’t on the table as an option, with no movement in that direction from the English clubs and little apparent enthusiasm for it in Ireland. So, right now, the URC is the only show in town when it comes to generating additional income via the bread and butter domestic competition. As such, you can understand why the respective Unions and teams went for it.
The competition organisers will also point to record television viewing figures. The previous best of 12.9 million for a season was surpassed after round 12. In this respect, the decision to show more matches on free-to-air terrestrial channels has been vindicated.
So there have been positive stories to report and the season is reaching a fascinating conclusion with the semi-finals coming up this weekend. Reigning champions Leinster take on the Bulls in Dublin on Friday evening, with the Stormers hosting Ulster in Cape Town the following day. Those are two top quality fixtures and will add fuel to the fire of those who like to wheel out the URC = Best League motto on social media.
Certainly in those two countries involved at the sharp end of the play-offs - Ireland and South Africa - the verdict is a pretty upbeat one. Irish fans are happy to see their teams facing stiffer competition, while SA supporters have enjoyed the way the franchises have come on leaps and bounds, answering initial question marks over their performances.
But what about here in Wales? Well it’s probably fair to say the reaction has been lukewarm in parts. Now it may well have been a different story had our regions been more competitive and we had some involvement in the play-offs. As it is, there’s a sense of being distant onlookers, with pretty minimal interest in the title shake-up.
Then there’s the more general question of to what extent the new league has captured the imagination of Welsh supporters and how much they have bought into it. The fairest answer there is that it’s probably a bit of a mixed picture. Once again, the competition organisers will point to the increased TV audience, but that does need to be balanced by the fact that games are now back live on BBC Wales via ScrumV.
Where Warburton’s words really seem to strike a chord with some people here is when he talks about the league being “a random mix and match of clubs”. That echoes his previous comment from last year about it being a "mish-mash". And there undoubtedly is a hybrid nature to the competition with teams from five different countries and two continents involved.
Now some view this as definite positive. Take the thoughts of Leinster’s backs coach Felipe Contepomi, who is looking to end on a title high before joining the Argentine coaching staff. He says it is “a great tournament to be involved in,” adding: “For coaches, it’s unbelievable because you play against different style week in, week out, different sorts of rugby. I watch a lot of rugby, I watch Top 14 and URC is much more attractive rugby."
So there’s that side of the argument from one of the men at the coal-face - that variety is the rugby spice of life. The counter-argument would be the tournament lacks the clear singular identity of one-country leagues like the Gallagher Premiership and Top 14, with all their traditional club rivalries.
Then there’s the issue of getting to games. With all the will in the world, it’s a big, big ask for supporters to travel out to South Africa for matches. This is an issue which is now animating English fans as well, with five teams from the land of the world champions competing in Europe next season, something which has provoked a fair bit of disquiet over the bridge following the official announcement.
When you look at the URC, one of the main drawbacks is the lack of away support at matches, which does inevitably detract somewhat from the atmosphere and sense of occasion. That was an issue before with the PRO12/14 and it’s even more so the case now with fewer league fixtures and trips to South Africa involved.
For Welsh fans, it’s a matter of continuing frustration that the likes of Bath, Bristol and Gloucester are just an hour or so away, but such journeys are not part of the league schedule, with attending away matches outside of the derbies generally involving getting on a plane. So, from that point of view, you can see where Warburton is coming from when he says the URC doesn’t make sense.
But, on the other hand, in terms of improved quality on the field and enhanced income, you could argue it does, with perhaps the bottom line being it is what we have for the foreseeable future, with no Anglo-Welsh league fixtures on the horizon.
So we have to make the best of it and, with that in mind, investing in our pro teams to enable them to be more competitive in the tournament would be a decent starting point. Now that really would make sense.
