D'Arcy Waldegrave: It's not "too early" for Super Rugby

“It’s too early for Super Rugby”. Possibly the most irritating comment in sport.  

Stop it. It’s like people who text me during Sportstalk (7-8pm Monday to Friday on this fine station) to complain about an hour of sport talk. A staple of ZB that has sat in that slot for decades. It’s a constant, and will remain so, if you don’t like it, go for a walk.  

Same with Super Rugby Pacific. It's started in February-ish forever.   

Sport is no longer seasonally locked in.   

The global nature and ease of viewer access now has presented fans with a constant diet of what they want, when they want it.  

Football does what it wants. I don’t hear complaints about turf billiards in summer. Cricket is restrained somewhat by weather but is played across the world so that matters not. Rugby? To fit everything in, the Super season must start earlier than traditionalists want to accept. Tough. Deal with it.   

It’s warmer for the attendees, less likely to be destroyed by wandering bouts of extreme climate variables and fills a hole for the restless sport fan. Most of us are back at work, dealing with the horrors of the 9-5, this year the home cricket season has all but bailed on us, there’s no NRL, from a sports news point of view it’s been a bit skinny. So the timing is perfect to launch a new season.   

The new fantasy league has given a new sense of engagement, albeit somewhat belatedly, and in a sparse regular sporting landscape, the super season has put appointment viewing back on the agenda again. There’s something quite comforting in anticipating a structured weekend of rugby.  

So, is it too early? No, no it isn’t. It’s right on time.   

If it’s too early for you, I’ll give you the tip.  

Don’t watch it.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News Talk SEDB.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Here it is the most irritating comment in sport. It's
too early for Super Rugby s TFU. Stop it. It's
like people who text me during sports talk that's seven
to eight minute of a Friday on this fine station
to complain about an hour of sport talk. It's as
staple as ZB that's sat in that slot for decades.

(00:32):
It's a constant, it will remain so if you don't
like it, go for a walk. Same with Super Rugby Pacific.
It's started in February Ish forever. Sport's no longer seasonally
locked in the global nature and the ease of your
access now is presented fans with a constant diet of

(00:53):
what they want and when they want it. Football does
what it wants, play them ever they want a middle
of summer window order new cares. Why don't you complains
about turf billions in summer. Cricketers restrained somewhat by but
it's played right across the world, so that matters. Not rugby.
They've fitted everything in. The super season must start earlier
than traditionalists are willing to accept TOLF deal with it.

(01:17):
It's warmer for the attendees, it's less likely to be
destroyed by wandering bouts of extreme climate variables, and it
fills a hole for the restless sport fan. It's like
most of us are back at work dealing with the
horrors of the nine to five this year. The home
cricket season is all but bailed on us. There's nowhere
NRL so from a sport news point of view, it's
been a bit skinny. The timing is perfect to launch

(01:39):
a new season. The new Fantasy league has given a
new sense of engagement, or be it somewhat belatedly and
in a sparse regular sporting landscape, the super season has
put appointment viewing back on the agenda again. There's something
quite comforting and anticipating obstructured weekend of rugby. So was
it too early? No, No, it isn't. It's the right time.

(02:03):
Too early for you will give you the tip don't
watch it. That'll do.

Speaker 1 (02:10):
For more from the All Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk set B on Saturday mornings,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.