SOUTH Africa, New Zealand and Australian Rugby (Sanzar) chief executive Greg Peters do not expect that a four-man delegation from South Africa will be able to change Super Rugby's structure by next year.

Brand de Villiers of the Bulls, Kevin de Klerk of the Lions, Brian van Zyl of the Sharks and Cheeky Watson of the Kings will accompany SA Rugby Union chief executive Jurie Roux and vice-president Mark Alexander to Sydney next week.

The delegation hopes to convince alliance partners in the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) and New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) to expand the Super 15 to 16 teams next year to allow South Africa to field a sixth team.

If not, one of the Bulls, Cheetahs, Lions, Sharks or Stormers will be relegated to make way for the Southern Kings in the 2013 Super 15 tournament, the five teams voted for the Kings' inclusion.

Peters has continually dead-batted any chance of expansion before 2016, as Sanzar is contractually bound to broadcasters in the current three-region structure until the end of 2015.

The delegation will meet the ARU and NZRU boards early next week and is expected to also send a proposal to the Sanzar board when it meets on March 21.

"We haven't received any proposals from that group as to how they see the future structure of Super Rugby," Peters said.

"However, having spoken to Jurie Roux I know that they have worked up two or three alternative proposals that they want to table at those meetings.

"Now, I can only assume at this stage those proposals are likely to involve reverting to a round-robin structure."

According to one source the delegation could threaten to walk away from the Sanzar deal after 2015 if its demands for an extra team in 2013 are ignored.

But Peters feels it is an empty threat.