Aussies lay down the Super 14 law

Radical changes proposed

Daniel Carter could play for the Brumbies and Matt Giteau could run out for the Blues if the Australian Rugby Union get their way.

ARU deputy CEO Matt Carroll has raised the prospect of some major changes to the Super 14 from 2010.

One is to allow franchises to sign a marquee player from overseas. This is similar to the football A-League where teams can sign a marquee player who sits outside salary caps.

Under Carroll's plan, if an All Black, Wallaby or Springbok moved to another franchise he would still be available for his national team.

Another of Carroll's eyebrow-raising thoughts is to form a new team in Melbourne made up of Pacific Island and Argentinian players.

The ARU are desperate to tap into the sports-mad market in Melbourne but concede that Australian rugby won't stretch to a fifth team and sees this as a solution to that problem.

Carroll revealed he had met with Argentinian officials and said Sanzar partners Australia, New Zealand and South Africa were keen to find ways of "refreshing" the Super 14 and Tri-nations competitions as southern hemisphere rugby heads towards a new broadcast deal in 2010.

He also believes new ideas, like marquee players, are needed to stop the drain of players to cashed up clubs in England and France.

"We need to make sure Super 14 is powering along," Carroll said.

"Make it an attractive competition to players, and make sure it's generating good money to pay the players' salaries.

"Expansion is something we have to consider. I don't think Australia could tolerate an extra team from our own resources.

"But that doesn't mean you can't have other teams coming in made up of players who might miss out in Super 14 teams."

"Unless we have strong competitions in the southern hemisphere, both in terms of quality rugby and strong financially, then we won't be able to retain our players," Carroll said.

Carroll also raised the prospect of Argentina joining an expanded Tri-nations and hosting their tests in Melbourne.

He said he recently met officials from World Cup semi-finalists Argentina, who sit on the sidelines of both the Six Nations and Tri Nations.

"Their initial solution was to play in Europe but they've been rebuffed," he said.

"Does the Tri-nations need freshening up? Yes it does.

"Could Argentina provide that freshness? Quite possibly yes. What have we got to do? Make sure the Argentinians have their best players so we've got to find a solution for that.

"It might not seem obvious, but that solution could be Melbourne."

- © Fairfax NZ News