Super 14 sides target crowd-pleasing displays

Wednesday 27 January 2010
Published By: Amy Nicholson
Super Rugby > Brumbies

With the Super 14 season fast approaching, it seems teams down under are planning to make a concerted effort to get people in the stands.

The endless kicking and problems at the breakdown have been frustrating fans, but the Sydney Morning Herald reports that the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) is not turning a blind eye to the issue.

Rather, ARU chief executive John O'Neill revealed that all four Super Rugby franchises in the country have agreed to make tactical and philosophical changes.

It's not just because there were no Australian representatives in last year's semi-finals, but also because crowd figures show supporters are simply losing interest and something needs to be done.

"I think we've hit the bottom and every one of the four teams is determined to deliver winning and entertaining rugby," said O'Neill.

Whether the northern hemisphere takes a similar approach remains to be seen, but supporters fear the opening of the Six Nations on February 6th will see the kicking trend continue.