Argentina and Asia likely to have Super Rugby team as 2016 expansion announced

By Peter O’ Dwyer

Super Rugby is to expand to 18 teams in two years with one of the clubs likely to come from Argentina and another from Asia.

There is interest from a number of areas including the US, Singapore, Hong Kong and Argentina in forming a Super Rugby franchise as well as from within South Africa which already has five representatives in the competition.

It is understood the most likely outcome is that demand for an additional South African side will be met. The prospect of an Argentinian side joining the premier Southern Hemisphere club competition as the national side did with the Rugby Championship also seems likely.

There is then a preference for the final team to come from Asia, according to Australian Rugby Union chief executive Bill Pulver.

“Our strong preference is for the 18th team to come from Asia as we believe this will attract significant commercial opportunities for us in the future,” he said.

He also said that the plan, which has been ratified by governing body SANZAR, gives Super Rugby “the potential to become a truly global competition”, while his New Zealand counterpart Steve Tew told reporters that discussions were already underway with a number of credible bidders for the new franchise.

The new competition structure would see two regional groups, South Africa and Australasia, each containing two conferences.

The South Africa group would feature the five current sides from that country as well one additional South African side, the Argentinian side and the 18th team.

The other group will have ten teams and consist of the 10 current Australian and New Zealand franchises.

Teams’ travel itineraries would be much reduced by the new format, according to Tew, as matches would be played predominantly between teams in the same groups.

Tew also rejected suggestions that the constant evolution of the competition, which began in 1986 as the Super Six before expanding to accommodate 10, 12, 14 and 15 teams in subsequent years, would alienate fans.

“Professional rugby in this part of the world is still incredibly young, so we’re evolving…and we don’t make any apology for looking to do things better. We’re keen for the game to grow and we see SANZAR as being the vanguard of all that,” he said.

Of Argentina he said: “They have told us categorically that if they can’t have a professional team in a competition like this then their ability to compete in Test rugby will be compromised.”