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THE ARU is looking at an innovative two-pronged approach to create a development pathway via a national club competition and involving Australia's Super Rugby B teams in the Pacific Nations Cup (I assume the article is actually talking about the Pacific Rugby Cup which is different).
Since the game went professional in 1995 there have been repeated calls for the creation of a development competition in Australian rugby, but it is an expensive exercise.
Apart from the ill-fated Australian Rugby Championship in 2007, there has never been a third-tier competition to bridge the gap between club and Super Rugby.
But the ARU has devised what it believes are two financially astute schemes. It is planning to put places in a proposed national club competition out to competitive tender, with the successful teams likely to pay licensing fees to participate.
And the Super Rugby B teams would play in the Pacific Nations Cup with Fiji, Samoa and Tonga in a competition funded by the IRB.
Read more: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spor...-1226718882792