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Why rugby should walk the road less travelled

Japan coach Eddie Jones is banging his drum frantically, insisting his adopted home is the right choice for the extra Super Rugby franchise. Mind you, Jones would tap out that rhythm, wouldn’t he, given that it would bring him back into the global rugby heartland, which Japan is, in geographical terms, on the edge of.

Japan coach Eddie Jones is banging his drum frantically, insisting his adopted home is the right choice for the extra Super Rugby franchise. Mind you, Jones would tap out that rhythm, wouldn’t he, given that it would bring him back into the global rugby heartland, which Japan is, in geographical terms, on the edge of.

Jones’ stance makes sense if South Africa, New Zealand and Australian Rugby (SANZAR) wants to alienate the South African franchises, and also fail to spot a golden opportunity for true global growth for the game.

Singapore is investing heavily in an expanded sporting infrastructure, which is the envy of the region, and that determination, combined with the convenience of location, is what caught the South African Rugby Union’s eye, and led it to give the Singapore concept the thumbs-up. That and the fact that it’s a 23-hour, one-stop flight from South Africa to Japan, a less than appealling option if you’re from the Rainbow Nation.

Of course SANZAR could take the safe option of aiming for expansion to Japan, but what would that achieve in terms of genuinely opening up new frontiers? Absolutely nothing. Surely, the idea of expansion is to take your product to new markets, tapping into new passion and an audience with a hunger for the product.

Singapore is in the process of proving that hunger: The recent Tens was a perfect example of what the country can achieve. One Brumbies player told me after the event how impressed the playing group had been with the infrastructure and attention to detail in Singapore.

SANZAR is heading towards a vital crossroads for the game of rugby’s short–to-medium-term future.

The powers-that-be can take the fork towards a well-known and safe path that leads to Japan; or they can embrace the real definition of expansion, making a bold and adventurous decision down the road that leads to Singapore.

Ben Coles is Sports Editor at TODAY.

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