Brumbies backrower Locky Mccaffrey says he would welcome the possibility of a domestic rugby competition even if it meant the ACT side’s strong Super Rugby start was erased.
Super Rugby has been shutdown for the better part of a month because of the coronavirus pandemic and plans for a five-team
Plans have been floated for Australia, South Africa and New Zealand to play contained competitions while international travel remains banned.
SANZAAR boss Andy Marinos floated the idea that Super Rugby in some form could be resumed any time until October, and even suggested it could run concurrently with the Rugby Championship should it be forced back into the final months of the year.
Rugby Australia had planned on kicking off a domestic competition this month, but that idea was postponed with the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to limit social gatherings.
Should rugby resume, Australia’s conference would likely involve the Western Force, whose Global Rapid Rugby season has been cancelled, and could even bring the Sunwolves back into the fold, if they were cleared to travel to Australia.
Speaking on The Rugby Nation Show, McCaffrey said the idea of returning to a domestic competition was an appealing one, even in the longer term.
“Personally, I love watching Australian derbies too, you know blokes or for punters out there they've gone to school with someone or their cousin knows someone,” he said.
“You've got that affiliation, you've got that connection to the players you're actually watching on television.”
Australian derbies have in recent years arguably paled in comparison to some of their Kiwi counterparts but McCaffrey said he felt there was an extra edge to playing local rivals.
“We've got so many good players in Australia too, I think a lot of people get scared having Australian derbies because they think they won't be as good quality as South African derbies or NZ derbies but I think it's rubbish.
“I think we've struggled with five teams at times, we've brought that down to four (in Super Rugby).
“I think Twiggy and the Western Force are putting some really good things into rugby union in Perth and I wouldn't be worried having an Australian conference (competiiton) at all.
“At the end of the day, the viewers, supporters are the most important thing in our game and if they want to watch more Australian derbies if they want to get behind an Aussie conference system then I would love to be playing in one and I think winning a trophy to be the best in Australia, you'd get just as much joy out of it as winning a different style beating the Jaguares and beating a South Africa or New Zealand team.”
The Brumbies lost just one of their opening six games and were sitting comfortably on top of the Australian Super Rugby conference but should Super Rugby in its current form be scrapped, the ACT side could have to start at zero again.
McCaffrey said it wouldn’t worry him if the Brumbies were asked to effectively restart in a new-look competition.”
“It's a shame but we were coming second place to the Sharks and they'd had one extra game than us so we were in a good position but a lot happens in a season of footy and if we hadn't come to finals yet,” he said.
“We just want to play footy and win something. if that means starting at scratch and playing in a shortened season so be it .
“I don't think we'd be worried about that at all.”
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