Has a Super 14 team ever played an English Premier team? Or European pro side?

Question

It appears many people hold close opinions about this subject! Personally, I just think it would be nice for a friendly between the winner of the Super 14 and the winner of the Heineken Cup? One simple game. Played north then south on a rotational basis. Imagine Crusaders vs. Wasps, Toulouse vs. Bulls, Western Force vs. Stade Francais! etc...

Answer 1

Yep I seem to remember there was a comp for a season in wales where south african club teams came over and played welsh clubs.....about 12 years ago.

Newport definately played Natal Sharks once too...remember watching it on tele. It was a Gary Teichmann testimonial thingy.

Answer 2

Why lower the standard of playing?  A Southern Hemisphere team would dominate.  Unfortunately it also has a lot to do with the style of referring.  The northern and southern hemispheres do deviate a lot on various fundamentals.

Answer 3

Unlike the ugly step brother of rugby union that is rugby league. They have a Champions Club Challenge. Which is the winner of the English Rugby League Cup play the winners of the NRL. This is usually played in England and has been exciting now and then.

As for the greatest game ever invented & played or as they say played in heaven, due to international rep games, domestic cups and club games its been hard fit; to have champions from Super 14, Heini, Guinness & the Euro Premier Cup face each other to see who is the best. There has been talk long time ago from the IRB and other rugby bodies but wouldn't work due to national conflicts with domestic tournies, not even to mention the national rep games that is played both in the northern and southern. There is the British Lions Tour, Tri Nations, Test Cups and World Cup Qualifiers. So it has been very difficult to get the club rugby to battle it out. Lot of clubs will be losing the great players to national representative matches which are considered far more important.

Everyone has their opinion and there has been no consideration for this type of competition...more like the northies are scared of the southies wooping them, but on a serious tip alot of the resistance comes from Aussies, Kiwis, Bokkies, Poms & Frenchies. This will interrupt the other competitions held and national rep games. Us Aussies did have a domestic cup and thanks to the bloody John Oneil evil b*****d, its done as he has decided to pull the funding. Nice one Johnny thanks for keeping the spirit alive in Australian Rugby you bloody poof, thanks for giving Australia a great rep in the international stage and killing our prospect for young upcoming rugby players that may one day represent the once great Wallaby side, serious you are a poof mate, you need to be ixnayed cause ya bloody useless...sorry got side track.

I do agree it would be great to have theses champion teams from each winning competition to have it out to see which is the best club out there. Call it the International Club Championships have the Super 14, Hein Cup, Guiness Cup and the Euro Club Cup battle it out in a knockout comp winners takes all, it would be a instant semi-final and grand final, worth to watch a great match facing the best of each hemisphere and competition. Finding the best time to have this is challenging see the different finishing times for each comp, then the international games, then domestic matches/leagues. If all that can be sorted i would be front row too see these great battles.

Answer 4

I think the competition between the Welsh clubs and the South African clubs was called the Rainbow cup. It only lasted one season as the South Africans were sending reserve teams over.

Answer 5

No, the Northern teams would never agree to it as they'd get smashed by the South and their brand of 'rugby' would be shown up as the dire rubbish it is.

Answer 6

NO - there is talk about including Argentina in the Super 14 tournament, I would like to see something like that - perhaps the top 4 of each league having an annual mini-tournament - I think it would give new and existing players a great opportunity to gain experience... - My personal feeling - is that the Southern Hemisphere teams would come out on top - if you look at the Crusaders or Sharks the skill those guys have is comparative to National Sides - It would be a h**l of a good tournament!!!