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Super 14 debate intensifies
By DAVID LONG - Sunday News
Last updated 00:00 15/03/2009
NZRU boss Steve Tew has reaffirmed New Zealand's position of strength around the bargaining table as Sanzar negotiations reach a critical stage.
With the South African and Australian rugby unions taking public snipes at each other in the media, the NZRU have been the voice of reason.
The dispute is over how Super Rugby would look from 2011.
South Africa and Australia are fighting over having an extra team. The SARU wants the season to start in January while the ARU and NZRU want it to begin in March.
But in a wide-ranging interview, Tew told Sunday News that:
South Africa's money doesn't mean they hold all the chips in the negotiations. Work on a plan B option for an Asia/Oceania competition has intensified.There is no obvious solution as to where to fit the June tests from 2011.The NZRU is talking to provinces about how to fit the NPC around the World Cup.
There have been media claims South Africa can call the shots at Sanzar because they bring with them the most money from broadcasting deals, and the threat of them leaving Super Rugby means the ARU and NZRU must meet their demands.
But Tew rejected South Africa hold all the cards.
"We completely disagree with that.
"South Africa have the largest television market, there's no doubt about that.
"But you could easily argue Australia has the greatest potential because it's an untapped market.
"We have a significant advantage around the strength of our teams, the history we bring and the value that's always ascribed, particularly to the All Blacks."
Tew said he was not nervous about negotiations on how Super Rugby will look when the TV deal with News Ltd ends after the 2010 season, but said the NZRU and ARU have pressed on with a back-up option.
This would be for a Super 12 competition with five sides from New Zealand and Australia, one from the Pacific Islands and one from Japan.
The top placed teams would play in a series against the top South African sides.
"We've been talking to Australia for quite a long time," Tew said.
"Not in too much detail, that's really just started to become a more necessary issue in the last month or two.
"That's just good business practice. You've got to have a back-up option and you've got to mitigate your risks in doing so."
Historically, South African teams draw smaller crowds in New Zealand than games against Australian or other New Zealand sides and it could be argued plan B is more appealing than plan A.
"Whatever we decide will have some advantages and disadvantages.
"An Australasian or Asia Pacific conference potentially has some advantages, but ultimately all of this will be determined by what value the broadcasters put on the offers we put.
"Because if they're not prepared to pay enough we won't be doing it."
If the ARU and NZRU get their way with a Super 15 from March to August one conundrum will be what to do with the June tests against northern hemisphere nations.
"That remains one of the big issues for us.
"We don't see an obvious perfect solution.
"You finish the competition before the June internationals start and then you cram them in and you don't give yourself an opportunity to expand in Australia, Tew said.
"You stop and start again, you lose momentum.
"You play through, then you've got a distraction and you've got the issue of teams being weakened by test players being taken out.
"So there's not one 100 percent right answer. That remains an issue we've got to resolve. All three might have to compromise.
"South Africa have a view, Australia have a view and so do we."
"(Our view is) somehow you've got to play through it and just manage it the best you can, split rounds and more byes, but keep the competition going.
"You manage the draw, you clearly wouldn't have the Blues playing the same weekend as the All Blacks in Auckland."
Meanwhile, Tew said work was underway on what to do with the NPC in 2011 when it clashes with the World Cup.
"Now we've got a (World Cup) fixture list and we know exactly what's happening that's helpful, but we'll be talking to the Air New Zealand Cup chief executives again shortly. We've had one session on options and we're starting to develop some possibilities.
"By the end of the year we'll have an idea of what we're going to do."
Tew said it was possible the NPC could happen at the same time as the World Cup, but they would need approval from the IRB.
"Contractually, we're not allowed to but we could go back to the IRB and ask for permission.
"It would be a big call. There's a lot of rugby on over that period and 13 New Zealand venues are involved (in the World Cup) and it would be a big ask to try to logistically run another competition during that period."
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/s...tures/2263582/
interesting
I vote - GIVE US A RECTANGLE STADIUM!!!!!!
I wonder if any of the commercial stations are in the mix for broadcast rights beyond 2010?
it would be nice if they showed the gridiron though...
South Africa digs heels in against Super plans
16th March 2009, 16:15 WST
The gloves have come off in the Super rugby expansion battle with South Africa refusing to move their second-tier Currie Cup to accommodate an extended 15-team competition in 2011.
At a special weekend meeting, SA Rugby decided it would not allow the Currie Cup to be devalued in any manner in a move which is at odds with Australian and New Zealand plans for a later Super competition kick-off.
Afrikaans newspaper Sondag reported the decision was made by SARU in consultation with SA’s five Super franchises, players’ union and broadcaster Supersport before an important SANZAR meeting this week.
SA Rugby has sold its television rights for the Currie Cup from 2011 until 2015 and agreed to refuse any proposal which waters down the competition.
In another example the brinkmanship has started in negotiations for an expanded 22-week Super 15, Sondag revealed South Africa is also preparing a radical plan-B by forming their own competition with Argentina, the USA and sides from Scotland and Ireland.
The left-field plan was reportedly struck in response to trans-Tasman suggestions of a Pacific Super 12 including Japan and the South Sea Islands if South Africa continued to oppose a longer Super 15 which would end in August, after the Currie Cup kicks off.
Australia and New Zealand argue February is too hot to be playing rugby while crowds don’t get truly interested in football until autumn.
Australian Rugby Union boss John O’Neill last week said while a 22-week Super 15 remained the first preference, other options, such as the Asia-Pacific model, have been worked on “just in case”.
The ARU on Monday would not comment on the latest reports out of South Africa, where rugby chiefs are also resolutely determined to see a sixth South African franchise - from the highly-populated Eastern Cape - given the 15th licence.
Melbourne looms as the favourite to be admitted if SANZAR decides the best option would be a fifth Australian side to play in a competition which would have three five-team conferences from each country.
BRISBANE
AAP
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.as...ntentID=130398
Get lost you dirty Saffa's!!!!hmmm a bit hypocritical of me isnt it !
Seriously though I can proudly say that i love my new Country and the Super14 is not worth the brinkmanship being displayed by South Africa every time this contract comes up for review.. I Say bring on a Pacific Super12, that way i dont have to get up at 12 at night to watch the game i love!!
SARU dummy seen in it's third orbit over Perth at 15:48WDST;
IRB deploying a truckload of cement powder to SA
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
Srsly. With the Saffa's nearly carking it from the heat only a couple of weeks ago, and they want the bloody thing to start in January?
Suicidal, much?
Success is not final, failure is not fatal:
it is the courage to continue that counts.
- Winston Churchill
Thanks for the heads up Burgs, I'll re-direct the truck west to use the cement for our new stadium.
So now they want to form a league with the argies, yanks, scots and paddys without upsetting the current structure of the magners league. As the SAfr teams have trouble travelling now, are all games to be played at the neutral venues of the Falkland and Canary islands?
Too far to travel to those venues Ox, the proposal is to use Lesotho and Swaziland...
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
One week they want to leave super14, the next week they claim they own it and want more teams.
Someone should tell them to make up their mind so we can get on with rugby.
A Super 12 comp might be an excellent idea... there is no point being held to ransom unconditionally by the South African rugby... The Tri-nations can also discontinue leaving the Saffers playing the a majority of countries outside the top 6...
Their not worth the trouble or the travel or the time... Tar Tar & Good-bye South Africa a banana republic is just around the corner....enjoy your Currie Cup…