New Zealand's 40 new franchises are listed here.

I think you'll find the bras on the fence franchise – that's the NRL, not rugby.

New Zealand's 40 new franchises are listed here.

Yeah! Go the fricking Taihape Pirates!

Actually, one game with Jonathan Kaplan and they could set a new benchmark as the only team to have all their players binned at the same time.

The Jaapies get to keep their domestic competition intact complete with Springboks so they can nuture their player base.

For no apparent reason the Aussies get another team that will be allowed to pinch?

And O?Neill gets his much coveted Provincial Championship by proxy.

And our NPC is officially 2nd tier.

And the Northern Hemisphere can continue sending development sides here in June.

John must be in heaven

Yeah! Go the fricking Taihape Pirates!

I just know that, despite all the good ideas for names, Tauranga will still end up with something dumb like the Steamers...

My preference would?

Let's concentrate even more money and emphasis on 5?

The new Super deal is astoundingly bad. Does SANZAR/NZRU perform any market research or do they just ask the person at the next desk for their opinion?

I got very excited when Tew said that the changes to Super rugby (a term I hate!) were already being discussed "out there".?

I just know that, despite all the good ideas for names, Tauranga will still end up with something dumb like the Steamers...

I thought they were from Cleveland?

I'd have though that Tauranga's team might be called The Zimmer Frames or The Tauranga Sprawl. I guess that some cities will?

Who's keen to see The Te Aro Macchiatos vs The Karori Pajeros?

So long as they do an exhibition match in Argentina.

I'd have though that Tauranga's team might be called The Zimmer Frames or The Tauranga Sprawl.

What about the Tauranga Riot? [Referencing events at the Mt. around New Years]

I haven't seen any mention of the tri-nations in the bits of media I've read. What happens to that?

Same (bloated) format.

Only difference is that it will always start with the South African home tests (late August) and finish with the Bledisloe Series.

This is to ensure that all?

Not quite sure why we swallowed that one.

I'm struggling to understand how the NZRU swallowed any of it. Had they already decided that the Air NZ Cup was a gonner? I understood the S14 struggled to make any money (as does the NPC) but by focusing on (what I?

Same (bloated) format.

Meh. That's the bit I could have quite happily had reduced. 6 games was fine, 9 is silly.

Meh. That's the bit I could have quite happily had reduced. 6 games was fine, 9 is silly.

Especially when we seem to be adding what is currently a fourth Bledisloe match to be held overseas anyway.

Frankly, I think it would be acceptable to play a Bledisloe decider outside?

I just know that, despite all the good ideas for names, Tauranga will still end up with something dumb like the Steamers...

What's wrong with "steamers" ? It's the perfect description for a pile of dung!

What's wrong with "steamers" ? It's the perfect description for a pile of dung!

You could go one step further and call them "stanleys", as in stanley steamer, à la Roy & H.G. As used, for example, in H. G. Nelson's sign-off when calling the state of origin:

"So it's good?