Lucky Sithole
Kungenzeka ukuthi i-Super Rugby ibe wumqhudelwano wamakilabhu wamazwe omhlaba omkhulu kunayo yonke emlandweni wezemidlalo.
Kusukela ngesizini yokuqala ngo-1996, ngesikhathi i-Blues ishaya i-Sharks kowamanqamu ohlangothi olulodwa, kwavele kwacace ukuthi kwakuwumqhudelwano omkhulu. Ukubuka i-All Blacks idlalela amaqembu ayo (noma ama-franchise njengoba ayebizwa kanjalo) ngesikhathi ebhekene namaBhokobhoko adlalela izifundazwe zawo ahlelelwe imiqhudelwano ethokozisayo.
Ukubuka uRichie McCaw edlalela i-Crusaders futhi enza into egcokeme isonto nesonto ukufakazela ukuthi ubengomunye wabadlali bebhola lombhoxo base-New Zealand abahamba phambili. Kodwa-ke u-Andre Joubert wayedlalela i-Natal Sharks, uJames Small edlalela i-Bulls ngesikhathi uStirling Mortlock edlalela i-Brumbies.
Umqondo ogqamile kanye nefomethi ethokozisayo. Kodwa kusukela ngesizini yokuqala yango-1996 kwaze kwaba ngesizini yokugcina yango-2019, kwaba nento eyodwa eyadonsisa la maqembu ahamba phambili kanzima.
Ukuhamba ingxenye ewuhhafu yomhlaba ukusuka empumalanga kuya entshonalanga, noma ukusuka entshonalanga kuya empumalanga, kubakhiphile ngempela kubadlali. Kuye ngokuthi izindiza zahamba kanjani, amaqembu ngezinye izikhathi ayechitha amahora angu-25 eya kwelinye izwe futhi bekudingeka ukuthi adlale ngemva kosuku noma ezimbili.
I-Jetlag yayivame ukuba yisici esinqumayo.
Namuhla, nge-United Rugby Championships lapho amaqembu ase-Southern Hemisphere edlala namaqembu e-Northern Hemisphere, i-jetlag isiphelile.
Kodwa juseyiplanethi enkulu. Futhi njengoba yayibaluleke ngendlela efanayo ne-jetlag ngaleso sikhathi, isimo sezulu sisadlala indima yokunquma. Zama noma yini, abafana bendawo babedonsa kanzima ukusuka kwihlobo laseNingizimu Afrika ngempelasonto eyodwa ukuya kubusika base-Ireland ezinsukwini ezimbalwa kamuva. Kumele kube nzima ukudlala ngaphansi kwesimo sezulu esishisayo KwaZulu-Natal ukudlala umdlalo olandelayo e-Ireland, ukwenza isibonelo, kuheleza umoya oshubile osuka olwandle olubandayo lwase-North Atlantic. Ngokunjalo abafana basenyakatho kumele bathwale kanzima ngenxa yomswakama waseKZN nomoya omncane wase-Highveld.
Abahleli kumele bajabule kakhulu ngendlela i-URC edlala ngayo njengoba amaqembu aseNingizimu Afrika namaqembu ase-Europe asethubeni elihle lokudla umhlanganiso. Kodwa umgadli onesibindi kuphela ozobeka imali yakhe eqenjini elivakashile, noma ngabe yiliphi eliwina umdlalo wamanqamu.