SANZAAR eyes American expansion

Super Rugby chiefs are reportedly considering expanding into the United States, despite their previous failed attempt to increase the southern hemisphere competition to 18 teams.

Australia's Fairfax Media said a leaked paper titled "SANZAAR 2030 Strategy" examined long-term options for the competition, including a push into North America.

Fairfax said one possibility was a 20-team, four-conference format likely to feature at least one US team.

Gaining a foothold in the lucrative and ultra-competitive US market would be a bold move considering the failure of the 18-team competition. 

SANZAAR's strategy paper found the resulting competition was "confusing, lacked integrity and was ultimately not supported by fans, stakeholders and commercial partners," Fairfax reported.

It said the current 15-team format would remain until 2020, when the governing body would consider five options - retaining the status quo, contraction or three expansion scenarios.

Senior officials such as New Zealand Rugby boss Steve Tew have indicated in the past that they believe Super Rugby must expand to survive.

Fairfax New Zealand sports writer Duncan Johnstone said rugby in the United States was a "sleeping giant" and the southern hemisphere needed to push into the market before their northern rivals

"If SANZAAR can't come up with a formula to find inclusion, you can be sure someone else will," he wrote. "Whoever gets in first will likely laugh all the way to the bank."

The paper also throws up new and re-heated ideas for competition innovation, including the popular concept of a southern hemisphere "Lions" team and a fan-picked All Stars-style match to be played in the lead-up to the Super Rugby final.

A women's competition is also mooted "In time, any competition could become a SANZAAR competition and be wrapped into the commercial arrangements of SANZAAR," the paper states.

Full story via The Sydney Morning Herald