NZ Rugby is expected to recommend a reduction in Australian teams when it unveils its preferred future franchise competition model on Thursday.
All Blacks coach Ian Foster says future Super Rugby competitions can’t afford to carry weak links, heightening the likelihood Australia won’t be offered equal rights in New Zealand’s proposed model.
Findings from NZ Rugby’s review into a future competition structure will be made public on Thursday, with its recommendation expected to feature all five Kiwi franchises in an eight-team competition.
Only two or three Australian sides are likely in the preferred model, with a Pacific Islands team possibly introduced.
Rugby Australia has said it won’t accept a reduction in the number of Australian teams and has threatened to abandon an Australasian alliance and launch its own competition.
Former All Blacks coach Steve Hansen last week said NZ Rugby owed nothing to its trans-Tasman rivals and his successor Foster took an equally hard-nosed approach, questioning whether Australia had the player depth and financial strength to field up to five teams.
Foster said the previous incarnations of Super Rugby had struggled to engage fans because of the succession of weaker teams added over the years.
“This is not a charity. We’ve got to actually make sure they’re feasible, they’re financially viable and the public are going to really get in behind them,” Foster told NewsHub.
“It’s got to be competitive, it’s got to be financially viable.
“We’ve seen in the past that if you let in teams that actually can’t survive, then you’ve got to keep changing the competition around.”
Foster’s thoughts were echoed by former All Blacks greats Mils Muliaina and Sir John Kirwan.
On New Zealand’s Sky TV, the pair advocated for a nine-team competition, featuring three from Australia and one from the Pacific. Muliaina said a fourth Australian team could be added if it could be justified by player strength and a strong bottom line.
The speculation has sparked a rift in trans-Tasman relations, which have been described by RA chairman Hamish McLennan as increasingly “master-servant” in nature.
McLennan’s description won’t have dimmed following the comments of Foster, who pointed to New Zealand’s historical dominance of Super Rugby.
“We’ve got to do whatever we can to get competitive teams against our teams,” Foster said.
“We’re pretty secure in our five so once they (Australia) get their number, I guess we sit around and have a conversation.”
Micko
Roar Rookie
This flawed protectionist model Aus & NZ have adopted will always compromise any pro comp they participate in.
RugbyDave
Roar Rookie
Despite being a long-suffering Australian rugby fan, I have to agree with Foster. Australian provincial teams are too weak to justify four or five teams in any NZ-Australia Super rugby comp. Australia lacks enough quality rugby talent to sustain four or five teams. All the playing talent is in Sydney and Brisbane and ACT, Victoria and WA have not yet developed a critical mass of quality schoolboy or club players from which to recruit for provincial teams. As a result, we have NSW, Qld, ACT, Victoria and WA scouts and development managers all walking the same turf of the Sydney and Brisbane schools competitions and the representative under age competitions in NSW and looking for the next Kalyn Ponga (who went to Anglican Church Grammar School in the Brisbane GPS comp) and Cooper Cronk (who went to St Laurence's College in the Brisbane TAS comp). Even if they find such talent, they cannot compete financially with the NRL clubs. I am very pessimistic. Australian rugby will have to shrink back to greatness. We have diluted the product too much by having five teams.
Double Agent
Guest
A few weeks ago I learnt on the Roar that the 1st Bledisloe of the year is a trial match. Now it seems SR is just trials as well. I wish RA would clarify for us which matches are trials and which are the real thing.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
No response now hey?
Waxhead
Roar Rookie
Well I agree with all the Kiwi's - Hanson, Foster, Muliaina, Kirwan etc etc :thumbup:
The Ferret
Roar Rookie
Um... not sure how any of that is racist. But if we offended you I do apologize.
In brief
Guest
The Force grew the game so much so that they have the third highest participation numbers in Australia. They also produced several home grown wallabies- as did the rebels I believe.
Guess
Roar Rookie
Well with hoops as a coach now, skills shouldn't be a problem ;)
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Yeah but that was the equivalent the best of the 3 test teams, playing the provincial teams without Wallabies in mid week games. Many of the players they selected would be available for example, because they’d be playing for much more money for European clubs.
TimO
Roar Rookie
2004 the Pacific Islanders dished out thrashing to Queensland and to NSW.
Scotty P
Roar Rookie
Buk, you mean like the ANZAC spirit Australia showed by voting for Japan to host the 2011 RWC? It works both ways, pal. Since 2012, Australia always hosted the first Bledisloe. This was a huge advantage to Australia, and a concession that was made by NZ. What exactly has Australian Rugby ever done for NZ?
DAVEC
Roar Rookie
well foster wants to look in his own mirror at his chiefs and gatland then they haven't won a game since the restart and were beaten by the brumbies earlier this year
Gepetto
Roar Rookie
Mea culpa.
Gepetto
Roar Rookie
...and many of them will have been well coached up to their time of arrival and all should be Covid19 free .
Emery Ambrose
Roar Rookie
I don't like this at all from a fellow kiwi. We need to help strengthen the AU. What needs to be done is to lure all those Wallabies and non-wallabies back from Europe and Japan to strengthen the teams. You cant replace the 5 to 10 year super rugby experienced players with under 23 year old players and expect winning and quality. How is this to be done? Private investment? Higher bottom end payments and lower top end payments? Spread the money evenly over more players. Better TV contracts? NZ with 5 Teams and AU with 5, gives more games - with that money we can get those guys back to your teams. There is a barrier in Australia at the moment, once that is found it can be broken down. Ticket prices to high? no visibility in the sports market? No connection to the teams that are visible?
Kiwi in East Perth
Guest
Have to say I'm disappointed in my fellow Kiwis in this short-sighted response that most people I talk to agree with. NZ Rugby is simply too small to compete with the money in Europe and eventually the best players in both AU and NZ will be playing in the North unless both countries can agree. NZ Rugby incl us fans need to help out Australian Rugby as much as possible for the survival of both countries. The Truth is we are insecure of ourselves and can't fathom the idea of helping out our 'big brother' and lose to them in the future.
Lara
Guest
May I also add, a certain coach was offered the Wallabies head coach job, not long after, the Tah players enjoyed a lot of success in the Wallabies colours for half a decade n the head coach has completed his distinguished coaching contract with a pass mark of approximately 50 %. Strange how things work out.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Well I don't follow all 5 teams so all I cared about was the 2 seasons my team didn't beat NZ teams.
ME
Guest
33 zip must still hurt.
adam smith
Guest
Too be fair, Ian Foster knows what he’s talking about...he coached a weak Chiefs side for long enough :laughing: