Singapore Super Rugby bid receives strong backing

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http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/10258451/Strong-backing-for-Singapore-Super-Rugby-bid

Pacific rugby could get a major boost if a rugby-loving Frenchman is successful in setting up a Super Rugby franchise in Singapore. Toby Robson investigates.

Eric Series is the chairman of Samoa Water, a company which sells one of the Pacific Island's most pure commodities by the bottle.

He's also a rugby man. Born in France, but living in Mauritius, Series became the first overseas investor in New Zealand rugby as one of the Chiefs' private backers.

The 37-year-old entrepreneur is also a chairman of Kiwi company Sealegs, makers of amphibious boats and an official sponsor of the All Blacks.

Series also happens to be the owner of the Asia Pacific Dragons, a barbarian styled team which started four years ago and has become the foundation for a bid to become the first Asian-based team when Super Rugby expands to 18 teams in 2016.

If Series is successful, it is easy to see the Asia Pacific Dragons becoming many New Zealanders' second, or for many first, favourite professional rugby team.

That's because Samoa, Fiji and Tonga produce another pure and natural commodity of great interest to Series - professional rugby players of Pacific Island descent.

There are currently 632 such players plying their trade around the globe, a decent chunk of the 4500 professional rugby players on the planet. Series wants to provide a meaningful pathway for Pacific talent to play and be paid in the southern hemisphere.

''I don't think anyone in the world of rugby, with hand on heart, can dispute that the Pacific Islands players should not have the first option to be included,'' he recently wrote in a letter to the Sunday Samoan.

For those wondering if the Dragons are serious, there are several points to consider.

1. Their most recent coach is former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga, whose next assignment will be to guide the team against the New Zealand Maori at Singapore's new air-conditioned national stadium this November.
2. The Dragons alumni in their short history already displays high powered links with Fiji's Rupeni Caucaunibuca and Sermaia Bai, Australian's George Smith, and Samoa's Mahonori Shwalger, Alesana Tuilagi and Kahn Fotuali'i among its ranks.
3. Recent former All Blacks have included Mils Muliana, Steven Brett, Isaac Ross and and Anthony Tuitavake.

New Zealand Players Association boss Rob Nichol says the ability to draw on a player base outside of Super Rugby's current player pool would be a major plus for any competition hopefuls.

The Singapore option also holds one major and seemingly insurmountable advantage over its Asian rival - travel time. It would take 22-hours to fly from Japan to South Africa and vice versa, compared to 11 hours to transit a team to and from the Republic to Singapore.

Series also believes Singapore would be an ideal stop over point for teams travelling to South Africa from Australia and New Zealand, or vice versa.

He also describes Singapore as the ''gateway'' to commercial opportunities in Asia saying financial support in the region ''would not be an issue'' and that his side would be competitive from the outset.

A big win for Super Rugby may be Pacific players like currently departing Samoans Alapati Leiua, Jack Lam, and Faifili Levave remain in the competition rather than heading to Europe.