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What NZ Rugby could learn from the attention demanded by NBA's blockbuster Luka-AD trade
Guy Heveldt • February 4th, 2025 8:43 am
Never has the evidence been more clear. Super Rugby needs a draft and the ability to trade.
I'm not the first to suggest this, and I won't be the last. But the past 24 hours has shown it's not just the on-court, or in rugby's case, the on-field product that garners headlines.
If you've been living under a sporting rock, the NBA had what some are calling 'North American Sport's biggest-ever trade deal' with Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis essentially trading places - Doncic going to the Lakers and Davis hitting straight to Dallas.
At a time when the NBA is supposedly in its biggest battle for ratings, the sporting world still exploded about its news.
Now, let me make this clear straight off the bat. I'm not saying any trade in Super Rugby would garner even a skerrick of interest the Doncic-Davis detonation has, but the principle is the same.
This move in the NBA literally hit some of the league's biggest names tweeting their disbelief, reactions that spelled out its significance - social media in general was abuzz.
Rugby is facing its biggest battle for fans interest and ratings. It used to dominate headlines in this part of the world, now it fails to attract nearly the same amount of talk as it once did.
A draft and an ability to trade would help that. Fans keep an interest and the lowly teams can have a silver bullet that would help propel them back into contention.
There are pitfalls and roadblocks, of course. Is New Zealand and our neighbouring nations ready for this? Perhaps not. Are players are open to the idea of being forced to move cities at the drop of a hat? Probably not.
And is New Zealand rugby ready to allow its players to play outside of New Zealand, even if it is in the same competition? We all know the answer to that: definitely not.
But it's come to a time when the powers that be have to think outside the box a bit and do things differently to what has ever been done in this part of the world.
Would it be a silver bullet and an instantaneous fix? No. But would it an add an element of intrigue that isn't there at the moment and is so desperately needed? Absolutely.
Blockbuster trades get people talking about your sport and rugby needs it | Beaver & Guy on Sport Nation
