NSW Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson backs Sunwolves' survival in new Super Rugby structure

Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson says he is a fan of next year's revamped Super Rugby competition structure and believes it is important to keep a Japanese team involved moving forward. 

Following the news an Australian Super Rugby team will be cut from the competition next year, the Australian Rugby Union has been criticised by some for agreeing to chop a local side while the Sunwolves kept their place. 

• SHARE
• Share on Facebook SHARE
• Share on Twitter TWEET
• Link

Former Wallabies coach Alan Jones grilled ARU chairman Cameron Clyne on Wednesday, saying he believed there had been a lack of desire to look after the best interests of Australian rugby.

But Clyne told the radio presenter even if the Sunwolves were dropped, so too would be an Australian team, such is the strained financial state of the game in this country. 

It will be a bitter pill to swallow for whichever club does get cut knowing the Sunwolves, who have won just two matches from 22 starts since they came into Super Rugby last year, will be there for the immediate future. 

The Sunwolves will join the Australian conference next year, with a favourable timezone one of the main reasons why they are staying in what is now a 15-team competition. 

Gibson conceded it was sad to see an Australian side dropped but stressed it was important to have a Japanese presence in Super Rugby. 

"The change does incorporate the expansion areas which, when you look long term at the global reach of Super Rugby, I think that's important considering the World Cup in Japan and the fact the Sunwolves have a presence," Gibson said.

• SHARE
• Share on Facebook SHARE
• Share on Twitter TWEET
• Link

"Having them in our conference makes a lot of sense with the timezone and that growth into Asia which when we talk growth markets, it's is a key one given the World Cup is going to be a focal point in 2019. 

"It makes sense. Unfortunately it's at the expense of an Australian team but I think the unique thing is the global nature of our game and that's a point of difference, particularly in Australia." 

As of next year, the Waratahs will play the four other teams in their conference twice, home and away, something Gibson has approved. 

NSW will also come up against eight of the 10 teams across the New Zealand and South African groups. 

"Returning to Super 15 certainly gives more of an emphasis on those conference derbies," Gibson said. "It's certainly fairer in that every team will play just about everyone." 

New Zealand teams have complained that the current structure is unfair because they are only guaranteed one home quarter-final. 

Next year, there will be quarter-finals hosted in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, with a fourth one up for the grabs for the fourth-ranked team overall, which will quite likely be a Kiwi side. 

Gibson, a former All Black, said the new structure would reward the best teams even more. 

"In that format you've got to play everyone just about and so if you're the next best team at the end of that, you probably deserve to have a final," Gibson said. 

While the Waratahs' future is secure, the Western Force and Melbourne Rebels will be biting their fingernails this week as uncertainty continues. 

The Rebels played with plenty of courage on Saturday night, beating conference leaders the Brumbies 19-17. 

Gibson says he can sympathise with Rebels and Force coaches Tony McGahan and Dave Wessels in such a difficult period. 

"Dealing with the uncertainty for your players and staff and so forth, particularly stuff that's not in your control, I'm sure they're using that situation and galvanising and rallying the troops around using that as motivation," Gibson said. "On Saturday night you saw the Rebels really rallied around each other and they got an excellent result for themselves."