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O'Neill envisages Super 14 expansion
AAP | Saturday, 4 August 2007
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4151921a10295.html
South Africa's interest in exploring moves into the Northern Hemisphere could open the door for Super 14 rugby teams based on the Gold Coast and Melbourne within three years.
So says Australian Rugby Union chief executive John O'Neill, who believes more Australian teams may be established when the SANZAR broadcast rights are renegotiated in 2010.
O'Neill said South Africa's failure to commit to the Super 14 and Tri-Nations in the long-term meant alternative teams needed to be considered.
With South Africa in the same time zone as Europe, officials in the Republic are interested in investigating an inclusion in the Six Nations and a change to their season.
If that occurred, the current SANZAR agreement would break down and it would be unlikely the five South African franchises would remain in the Super 14.
"There's a lot of things up for grabs coming into 2010," O'Neill said yesterday.
"There's conjecture that South Africa might join the Northern Hemisphere.
"I think they would prefer to stay in the SANZAR relationship but they've told me they will explore the option of going north. . . whether that's brinkmanship or not I don't know.
"Australia and New Zealand would then clearly have opportunities (to expand) but we're not looking for South Africa to leave us.
"Australian rugby wants to get as big a footprint around Australia as possible.
"A team in Melbourne and a team on the Gold Coast I think would be a pretty sensible option."
Victoria lost out to the Western Force for Australia's fourth license in the expanded Super 14 two years ago but hope the Melbourne Rebels, playing in the inaugural Australian Rugby Championship (ARC), will help lift rugby's profile in the AFL-mad state.
The tourist strip is already home to the NRL's Gold Coast Titans while the AFL is pushing the relocation of the Kangaroos from North Melbourne to ensure a bigger Australian rules presence in Queensland.
O'Neill yesterday visited the construction site at Robina Stadium which will be the home next year for ARC club East Coast Aces and the Titans.
Given the large number of New Zealanders living on the Gold Coast, O'Neill said it could be prudent for New Zealand and Australia to form a joint venture side based on the Coast.
A combined Pacific Islands team has been speculated as a possible franchise in the past with the Coast as a cost-effective base.
O'Neill said he would like to see the ARU work more closely with the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) at all levels.
"Maybe as our Australian Rugby Championship becomes more of an attraction there might be some room for engagement with the New Zealand National Provincial Championship," he said.
"I think New Zealand and Australia have come to the conclusion that we need each other to be strong.
"The more we can co-operate to our mutual benefit the better."
O'Neill said he expected the ARC to "take pain" financially in the first three years but added there was enough investment to ensure the competition remained viable in the long-term.