The next edition of Super Rugby Aotearoa will not feature a Pasifika team however there are plans to expand the competition in 2022 and the Fijian Drua are one of the franchises that could be considered.
New Zealand Rugby says the tournament will return in 2021 with the same five-teams, two-round format, a final to determine the winner, as well as the possibility of a trans-Tasman crossover fixture, where the NZ champions take on the Super Rugby Australia champions.
NZ Rugby had expressed interest in adding a Pacific Islands-based team and received bids from several parties eager to fill such a role and although those bids were explored, NZ Rugby says an agreement was ultimately unable to be reached, claiming none were ready to be added for next season.
But it's still looking at options for 2022, when it intends to add a minimum of three new teams.
The organisation has a shortlist of four potential franchises, which includes an Auckland or Wellington-based Pasifika team, Fijian Drua, Australia's Western Force, and a Bay of Plenty-based South China Lions team, which may also play in Shanghai or Hong Kong.
NZ Rugby will make a decision by November 30 on which teams will join Super Rugby Aotearoa from 2022.
[Source: Newshub]
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