New Zealand Rugby won’t say exactly how many teams it wants in its ideal future Super Rugby lineup: but it seems the five existing New Zealand sides and one from the Pacific Islands is mandatory.
In a statement today, New Zealand Rugby outlined the key areas of focus of the Aratipu Report into the country’s Super Rugby future model for 2021 and beyond.
It favours between eight and 10 teams in the Super Rugby competition, with a “huge desire” for a Pasifika team.
That leaves potentially as few as two Australian teams, or as many as four.
Four Australian sides began in this year’s Super Rugby season, with the Western Force returning in recent weeks for Australia’s stand-alone competition post-COVID-19.
CEO Mark Robinson says the focus is now on confirming the licenses for New Zealand's five current Super Rugby clubs and that work is now underway.
He says they have highly valued the partnership with these five clubs over the last 25 years of the competition and want that to continue.
Robinson says Pacific nations and Pasifika players in New Zealand have added so much to the rich history of rugby in Oceania and the game in New Zealand.
He says to have a team that would provide an additional pathway for Pasifika players to perform on the world stage would be hugely exciting.
"As well, we will also be working with Rugby Australia to seek expressions of interest from their current Super-clubs and other interested parties to join the competition and that work will begin in earnest. We are excited and interested to see what our Australian neighbours will bring to this competition.”
The statement said the NZR board hadn't settled on what the ideal number of teams in the new competition would be, but hoped to have between eight and 10 involved.
NZR said the expression of interest process will begin next week.
[Source: Stuff.co.nz]
