Otago's Got Ta Go!
Seeing the Save Our Teams people are having so much fun, I’d though I’d start my own campaign.
It’s got to have a nice slogan – like “Save Our Teams” – so how about Otago’s Got Ta Go! From the Super 14 that is.
All the kerfuffle about the NPC and the teams that should take the drop have raised, at least in my strange mind, a different question – why the hell do we continue to put up with the Highlanders in the Super comp?
If the NPC relegation was based on performance this year alone, there would be a fair degree of ants in the kilts in Dunedin given that Otago is currently 5th from the bottom just one point ahead of Manawatu who are odds on to go down.
While you could possibly argue that the performance of Southland (currently 4th equal but fifth on for and against) mitigates the lowly position of Otago, it’s a pathetic effort for the base of a Super franchise.
More importantly, Otago’s performances in the Super comp doesn’t stack up either:
- 2009 – 11th and last of the NZ franchises
- 2008 – 11th and last of the NZ franchises
- 2007 – 9th and last of the NZ franchises
- 2006 – 9th and last of the NZ franchises
- 2005 – 8th and last of the NZ franchises
- 2004 – 9th and second to last of the NZ franchises
- 2003 – 7th and second to last of the NZ franchises
Based on the last seven years, Otago’s lucky it’s not a racehorse – it it was, it would be canned and Fido’s favourite.
Like my flat earth friends at Save Our Teams, there will likely be someone crying but look at Otago’s past record.
Sadly, the past has nothing to do with the present when it comes to sports teams. Much of Otago’s successes in the 1980’s and early 1990’s came from the imports who played out of Otago University. With the development of professional rugby and academies, Otago’s lack of quality players is woefully exposed as the players don’t need to pretend they’re at university to play rugby full time.
It’s no surprise to see Hawke’s Bay for example prosper in the professional environment when for many years their best and brighest went away to play first division and super rugby and many of those to Otago.
Off the field, Otago doesn’t appear to have the commercial support either although the replacement of Carisbrook creates a bit of a moral dilemma.
However, if it came down to performance, then the Highlanders should go north.
