Impasse over Super 14 expansion

The grand plans for Super 14 expansion appear to be at an impasse, with South Africa reaffirming its stance that it won't compromise its existing Currie Cup to allow the Sanzar competition to grow.

With officials from the three Sanzar countries (New Zealand, South Africa and Australia) unable to reach agreement for the best way forward in the Super 14 at their recent meeting in Dubai, further discussions are on the agenda.

But if South Africa's latest pronouncement is anything to go by, the three countries are a long way from having a workable solution to take to their broadcasting partners.

A Sanzar working committee is scheduled to get together in South Africa this week to discuss the issue, but it appears they will have their work cut out.

Australia supports an extended new 15-team competition played in three conferences of five, with extra matches between sides from the same region and an enlarged playoff format.

New Zealand also appears to be supporting this concept, providing it can be worked around existing schedules.

Both countries are in favour of a March start date to the season.

The problem is what part of the calendar does the enlarged Super 15 grow into? The June international window is already causing some head-scratching, while South Africa's latest stance on its provincial competition indicates where the republic lies on the matter.

It has said it will not compromise the Currie Cup, which starts in July, for any Super 14 expansion.

After a special meeting at the weekend between the five Super 14 franchises, SA Rugby, the SA Rugby Players Association and broadcaster SuperSport, that much was made clear.

South African media reported the decision to protect the Currie Cup was taken after feedback from SA Rugby's acting managing director Andy Marinos.

Sanzar's current broadcast agreement with Newscorp runs through until the end of 2010, but the organisation hopes to have a deal in place soon to renew the television rights for the Super 14 and Tri-Nations series.
SA Rugby has already sold its television rights for the Currie Cup from 2011 until 2015 and have made it clear that any proposal which waters down the Currie Cup is not acceptable.

That's where they differ from their Sanzar counterparts. Australia have given up trying to even establish a provincial competition, and New Zealand have accepted that the Air NZ Cup is going to be devalued by growth in the All Blacks and Super 14 programmes.

According to South African newspaper Sondag, suggestions by NZRU boss Steve Tew that New Zealand could link with Australia, the Pacific Island and Japan in a separate competition, with some sort of finals interaction with South Africa, were wholeheartedly rejected by the meeting.

The newspaper said South Africa's response would be to form their own competition with Argentina, the USA and sides from Scotland and Ireland.

Money, as always, lies at the heart of the issue, even if the travel factor involving South Africa also creates major problems.

With South Africa's SuperSport contributing 65 percent of the TV rights money for the tournament, any withdrawal by the republic would be felt hard in the pocket by Australia and New Zealand.

Whether the trans-Tasman unions are prepared to sacrifice that sort of money to forge ahead with a new competition without South Africa has to be highly doubtful.

- © Fairfax NZ News