Springboks great Schalk Burger insists that the United Rugby Championship is not as strong as the Super Rugby competition he played in, but claims that it is more beneficial for South Africa.
After being axed from the premier club tournament in the southern hemisphere in 2020, SA Rugby decided to align their franchises with the northern hemisphere.
Their four biggest teams – Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers – duly joined the PRO14 with it being renamed the URC.
They have had plenty of success since the competition began with the country being represented in every final so far.
Fewer ‘high intensity’ games
“I think this competition – the URC – suits us with the player group we’ve got now. Super Rugby was a tough comp and we have really good squads, but this is a softer competition,” Burger told the Behind the Ruck podcast.
“This can come across bad but it doesn’t. Not every week is a high-intensity game, or a make-or-break game. There are certain Welsh sides that are not strong enough to really compete against us, especially at home, and we saw that last month as the Stormers beat them with a bonus-point every weekend – so too the Bulls.
“The Sharks didn’t get bonus-points but they got wins. It’s only the Lions that were battling a bit this year.
“You’ve got your two Italian sides who have not had a lot of success. Benetton are a decent side and nearly made top-eight but not quite.
“The Irish sides have lost a bit of form. Connacht and Ulster were 10th and 12th respectively (editor’s note: 13th and 14th). It was only Munster and Leinster [who reached the play-offs].
“In Scotland, their two sides were super competitive. Glasgow, they’ve got the number of the Stormers every time and were defending URC champions. Edinburgh are not quite the same prospect.”
South Africa’s Super Rugby record
The Bulls – in 2007, 2009 and 2010 – were the only South African team to win Super Rugby before their departure a decade later.
Their inability to compete with the riches on offer in Europe and Japan certainly contributed to their lack of success, but that is almost why Burger believes the URC move has been good for the Republic.
Given the fact that some of their best players have understandably moved abroad when big money is put in front of them, each franchise has to keep refreshing their squad.
The Boks legend duly reckons that the lower standard of competition enables them to keep developing players while also remaining competitive.
“The competition suits us and the current crop that we’ve got here. We can develop players that can compete and be comfortable playing at that level,” he said.
“With the old Super Rugby – especially Super 12 and Super 14 – you had to have your best players based in South Africa; to develop them, keep them together and try and compete against the Crusaders, Chiefs, Hurricanes, Waratahs, Brumbies and Reds.
“It was a brutal comp and the best provincial comp I’ve ever played in.”
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/schalk-burger-urc-a-softer-competition-than-brutal-super-rugby
