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By DUNCAN JOHNSTONE - Rugbyheaven Last updated 07:40 13/05/2009
South African boss Oregan Hoskins has called for an end to Sanzar's public fighting as the three partners get set for another round of talks over the future of Super Rugby.
The past few weeks have been marred by some airing of dirty laundry in the messy affair as New Zealand, South Africa and Australia try to find a way forward for the Super 14.
They have to provide their broadcast partners News Ltd with their proposal beyond 2010 by the end of next month.
South Africa is at loggerheads with the trans-Tasman neighbours over the starting date of an expanded tournament.
That has prompted Australia and New Zealand to consider going it alone and South Africa has been linked to a move north.
Australian boss John O'Neill inflamed the situation on Monday when he suggested South Africa were "bluffing" over their future and he doubted they had an alternative to Super rugby.
"As chairman of Sanzar I wish to call on all parties not to make public statements. It's unbecoming and breaching protocol," Hoskins told South Africa's 24.com website.
"We are supposed to discuss issues at meetings. It complicates the partnership when someone makes statements in the media. We can issue joint statements."
Hoskins will chair this week's crucial meeting between the three countries as they try to break the deadlock.
"We have a meeting now where we can talk straight and we'll have to find a solution, even if it takes some time."
But he still maintains his country is they key player in the three-way alliance that needs unanimous decisions over any changes.
"Australia and New Zealand cannot do without South Africa. We have the biggest market and the most lucrative TV component. We add a lot of value," Hoskins said.
He put the problems in a nutshell with this summary: "South Africa believes Super rugby should start in mid-February. Australia and New Zealand want it to start early in March. They also want Super rugby to be played at the time of the June test window. We are against that. Those are the issues we should be focusing on."
The annual Tri-Nations test tournament between the three countries is not threatened by the current impasse.
But clearly tensions are rising and the outspoken O'Neill added fuel to the fire when he declared: "From all the enquiries we've made, we believe there isn't an exit for them in the north.
"What has happened is Australia and New Zealand, out of pure frustration, have worked on a trans-Tasman competition which does work, with five or six teams from Australia and five or six from New Zealand.
"It's a Super 10 or Super 12, played over two rounds, and bringing in Japan in a couple of years' time. It's a pretty elegant solution.
"The roles have changed in that we have a plan B and I'm not sure South Africa do.
"On a couple of occasions we thought we'd had an agreement but the South Africans have changed their minds. They're very unpredictable.
"We don't want South Africa to drop out of Super rugby, we want them to stay in. But the conditions they're attaching to their participation are in our view unreasonable."
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/2...ack-at-O-Neill