“But I don’t think we’ve ever seen the competition, not only as even, where all Australian teams are performing well, but playing a style of rugby we haven’t seen consistent across the board from all teams. The players are playing with a skill level we haven’t seen for some time. They’re all playing with a sense of adventure that the new law variations enable, and advantage an attacking mindset. And the referees are refereeing it brilliantly.”
Herbert’s bold call will stir debate and undoubtedly raise eyebrows; potentially viewed as over-excitement from Australia in a season where local teams are mostly performing well. Three Australian teams – the Brumbies, the Reds and the Waratahs – sit in the top five after five rounds, for only the third time in Super Rugby history, after 1999 and 2022.
Fans of New Zealand teams sitting in the bottom half may also quibble with Herbert’s view. But he believes the evenness of the competition is one of the key factors in elevating it.
Len Ikitau scored a hat-trick for the Brumbies against Fiji.Credit: Getty Images
“The Chiefs v Blues game yesterday was phenomenal. There’s been a number of really good New Zealand games as well,” Hebert said.
“They might not be as dominant as they’ve been, which is good for the competition.
Codie Taylor of the Crusaders charges forward against the Force.Credit: Getty Images
“There’s still plenty of time to go, don’t get me wrong. We’re not certainly counting our chickens, but I think the competition is at an all-time high. It’s entertaining, it’s close, they’re playing with high levels of skill, it’s an attacking mindset. I’ve not seen it this good, going right back to the start.”
Crowds remain much smaller than the halcyon days of Super Rugby’s first decade, but Herbert believes they will climb back.
Downsizing to four teams in Australia, following the shutdown of the Rebels last year, appears to be a major factor, with the spread of players adding to the depth of each franchise. Herbert declined to comment – the Rebels are still in legal dispute with RA – but the chair said coaching quality was a decisive factor in Australia’s improvement.
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“The way that some of the rugby big teams, Ireland New Zealand, South Africa, recognise the value of coaching – we’ve recognised the value of getting strong Super Rugby coaches,” he said.
“You can see that Australia’s now got four teams who are really well coached. That’s showing. Yes, the talent distribution might have something to do with it, but it’s really strong coaching, in my mind.”
After the Wallabies’ Spring Tour, the performance of the Australian sides in Super Rugby and a spate of top-level players recently re-signing has Herbert feeling good about the “momentum” in Australian rugby.
“People are seeing the momentum and they’re committing,” he said. “Twelve months ago, someone asked me and I said, ’I wish the Lions were a year later, because I can see us by ’27 being one of the top teams in the world.
“But if we continue this very strong momentum, I’m very optimistic about the next couple of years.”
