BY PETER FITZGERALD RUGBY UNION
13 Nov, 2009 08:33 AM


Confirmation Melbourne will be the 15th Super Rugby team in an expanded competition from 2011 could jeopardise the ACT Brumbies' prospects of retaining Rocky Elsom beyond next season.
The Wallabies captain is Melbourne-born and is undoubtedly on the new franchise's hit-list as a potential high-profile lure and possible inaugural captain.

Ending months of uncertainty, governing body SANZAR announced yesterday independent arbitrators had awarded the new licence to Melbourne instead of the Southern Kings from South Africa.

The decision will inevitably strip the four existing Australian teams of significant player talent.

While Queensland were the biggest losers when the Western Force joined the competition in 2006, the Brumbies lost their brightest star when Matt Giteau accepted a $1.5 million per season deal to leave Canberra for Perth.

Elsom will attract significant interest from the new Melbourne set-up. He is contracted to the Brumbies for 2010 with an option for 2011.

Speaking in Ireland yesterday ahead of Monday morning's Test, Elsom spoke briefly but positively about Melbourne's success.

''It's really important to have another team and I can't see too many down points of having a team in Melbourne,'' Elsom said.

Asked if he would be the club's first marquee signing, Elsom replied: ''I'm yet to join the Brumbies so I'm not really speculating on it.''

Brumbies coach Andy Friend was unsure on Elsom's thoughts regarding a possible Melbourne move.

''It's possible [but] we haven't really spoken about that,'' Friend said. ''His concern [in not committing to the Brumbies for 2011] was he had never lived in this city before and he wanted a potential out if he didn't enjoy it here.

''But most guys find when they come down here they tend to like it and generally don't leave.''

The Super 15 will comprise five teams from each of Australia, South Africa and New Zealand in a new-look conference-style format.

Each team will play the others in its conference twice per season - once at home and once away - plus each team in the other two conferences once per season.

Brumbies chief executive Andrew Fagan described the structure of the new-look competition, now that Melbourne was locked in as the new team, as ''ideal''.

He admitted it would drain the Brumbies of some player-power but that the club was prepared for that.

''Whenever you spread existing talent wider it naturally becomes challenging in the short term and I expect that to be the case here but in the long term, Australian rugby will benefit,'' Fagan said.

''Early on it will be challenging to maintain the depth in your squad ... but if you're running a good program and playing good footy, I'm confident we'll be fine.''

Fagan believed it was those elements that could convince Elsom to stay in Canberra.

''It will take a lot to lure a player away if they're happy in their environment, they and their team are playing quality rugby and the structures are there for further success,'' he said.

''It's an unknown but it would be a pretty big move to make.''

ARU boss John O'Neill praised SANZAR's decision to award the 15th team to Melbourne.

The ARU will lobby for concessions to allow Melbourne to recruit as many as 10 foreign players for its debut season to lessen its need to poach players from other Australian squads.

''It would only be a concession for Melbourne and only in the start-up phase,'' O'Neill said.

''The idea is to populate this franchise with Australian players and to give the national team, the national coach and selectors a much bigger talent pool from which to choose the Wallabies.

''We could give preference to some Argentinean players because we are keen to get Argentina into the Four Nations sooner rather than later and Pacific Island players.''


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