Super 15 expansion hopefuls are yet to receive crucial documentation to allow them to bid for a place in the tournament, even as organisers reach a deadline to submit their blueprint to broadcasters.
Super rugby’s governing body SANZAR will submit its proposed 24-week competition to bank-rolling rights holder News Limited on Tuesday.
News has the first right of refusal on the proposed tournament, which would begin in 2011 after the current rights deal expires at the end of next season.
A decision on the 15th team was never going to be made before the June 30 deadline, but Australian Rugby Union officials had previously said bidders would receive the criteria they are expected to meet before then.
The expansion team will play in an Australian conference, although a bizarre South African bid is likely, along with those of favourites Melbourne and the Gold Coast.
Bidding consortia are understandably reluctant to criticise the process too harshly but remain privately perplexed that they have not yet received the crucial criteria.
“We’ve had no indications on anything so we’re just sitting and waiting to see what happens,” Gold Coast bid team chief Terry Jackman told AAP on Monday.
“It seems a bit strange. They’ve had a few Test matches to worry about I guess.”
Victorian Rugby Union president Gary Gray added: “We are looking forward to soon receiving the SANZAR criteria for the expression of interest process.
“We can’t go as far as we’d like to until we understand what the criteria is and all of the details surrounding it.”
ARU deputy chief executive Matt Carroll said bidders could expect the criteria as early as next week, “depending on SANZAR”.
But bidders are keen to get on with finalising their submissions and learning their fate so they can begin recruiting players and staff.
“Obviously the later it gets in the year the more pressure it puts on the winning consortium … to properly prepare,” Gray said.
“The longer it goes, your opportunities become weakened to maximise the strength of your team.”
South African side the Southern Kings are reportedly so confident they will get the go-ahead to be the fifth “Australian” side, they have started recruiting players.
“I don’t know how that will work but we respect their right to have a crack and that will create good competition and keep everyone on their toes,” Gray said.
The Victorians say they will scour the globe in the search for a high profile coach should they get the green light.
“Melbourne will need headline coaches and headline people related to the team in terms of players,” Gray said.
“This is an international game as has been proved by the decision, which was a fantastic one, for Robbie Deans to coach the Wallabies.
“Some of the best Australian coaches are currently coaching overseas.
“We could have a South African, we could have an Englishman, it’s a question of getting the right person that fits into the culture of the team.”
Gray also hinted the defunct Australian Rugby Championship’s Melbourne Rebels could be revived as a Super 15 outfit, although he said no decision had yet been made on a team name or colours.
“We’ve already got some equity in that brand,” he said. “It’s a positive in Melbourne, it was seen as successful.
“It fits very well in terms of its values, it’s sort of an underdog which Melbourne will always be in the rugby community.”
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Brett McKay said | June 30th 2009 @ 8:10am | Report comment
hmmmm…
Don’t know whether to be concerned, or just put it down to admin lag between the SANZAR partners?
LeftArmSpinner said | June 30th 2009 @ 8:34am | Report comment
Usually, you would get a bit nervous but, given SANZAR’s recent spat and the previous years of Super rugby, nothing surprises me. a few days wont hurt.
as long as the Aussies team gets the nod, and my preference is for Victoria. There are plenty of rugby supporters downt there for a strong franchise. Geez, they got 20k to a Aust second XV V Italy. It will have a state of the art ground that creates great atmosphere to play in!!!! eventually, Melbourne Storm will collapse as News pulls out and then that support come across too.
Bay35Pablo said | June 30th 2009 @ 8:39am | Report comment
Typical ARU plonkers. Big end of town my arse.
Melbourne it should be. The Saafies are dreaming.
LAS, I agree with your read of the crowd. Growden and the other dingbats were carrying on about how poor it was, but to me it was proof they have 20K rugby hard care who will even go to 2nd rate Tests, and thus will probably be the Rebels fan base to build off.
Hammer said | June 30th 2009 @ 8:47am | Report comment
After reading this it’s pretty evident where the current (and possibly new) aussie franchises see where their “depth” is coming from – and possibly why the Southern Kings are reportedly so confident …. I think there’ll be some very heated discussions around that SANZAR table when all the bids come in ….
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-14/2546206/Cruden-top-target-of-Aussie-raiders
True Tah said | June 30th 2009 @ 8:53am | Report comment
Hammer
let the young man choose who he would want to play for, under grumpy old Graham Henry or the dynamic straight shooting Deans. Look at the respective future of each side, Australia has a lot more going for it right now.
Watching the Lions tour and more specificly who they played against, it is clear that South Africa’s depth is evident. I will say that this depth is not apparent in Super 14 for whatever reasons, but there is no way Australia could field a side like the Highland XV or South Kings which would get within coo-ee of the Lions. When you add in all the South Africans playing for European sides, their depth is even more impressive.
Brett McKay said | June 30th 2009 @ 8:54am | Report comment
Hammer, and this is what concens me. If there’s no agreement on where Team 15 goes, will we still get a 15 team comp?? This smacks of the ill-feted first attempt to go to a 6 team finals series to me..
Hammer said | June 30th 2009 @ 9:11am | Report comment
TT – that’s not what I’m saying the debate about Deans and Henry is on another thread …. it isn’t specifically about Cruden and anyway given he’s a kiwi I’d bet his dream is to wear a black jersey not a yellow one …
what got my attention was this comment … “I was approached by all but one of the Australian franchises about all Under-20 players prior to them departing. So they’re on to it. They’re looking to recruit.” …
I can’t see the NZRFU sitting in the background doing nothing and if it means siding with SAFU on the Southern Kings bid then I can see that happening in order to ring fence their top emerging talent and this is perhaps why the Kings are so confident
Bay35Pablo said | June 30th 2009 @ 9:15am | Report comment
Hammer,
“I’d bet his dream is to wear a black jersey not a yellow one … “. In the famous words of the 12th Man, that’s Australian Gold my friend and don’t you forget it …
Siding with the Kings won’t solve this issue. Try signing the boy to an ABs contract. Of course the ARU will trying stealing talent. It’s easier than fixing our club program, which still produces good talent despite being ignored.
Playing U-20s should lock you into the country played for, and that be that. With perhaps a 2 year residency rule to change countries, like they used to have.
True Tah said | June 30th 2009 @ 9:28am | Report comment
Hammer
I agree with what you’re saying, but the NZRU is run by a bunch of muppets these days. John O’Neill basically plays the tune and the NZRU dances to it. They might not be a fan of JON but they do seem to do whatever he wants.
Pablo hit the nail on the head, lock them in at U20 level and problem solved.
Hammer said | June 30th 2009 @ 9:28am | Report comment
Bay … as I said he’s not the problem – he won’t be going anywhere – a talent like that won’t be allowed to be let slip …. (and personally I’m hoping he stays at Manawatu also)
…. it’s the rest that will be the concern to the NZRFU – they won’t be able to tie down all of them satisfactorily .. that’s why I can see the NZRFU looking at reducing the risk factor by keeping the status quo of 4 aussie sides and backing the Kings bid – Brett will probably say this risk factor would be reduced if the NZRFU allowed AB selection across all Super teams – but that doesn’t seem to be on the NZRFU radar