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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/
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Originally Posted by Coach
Supporter" starring the #SeaOfBlue
hmmm a bit hypocritical of me isnt it !
