SOUTH Africa's chances of successfully lobbying for a sixth team in Super rugby from next year were dealt a severe blow by Greg Peters, chief executive of southern hemisphere governing body Sanzar
"Sanzar has sold the current structure of Super rugby to broadcasters and commercial partners for the period ending 31 December 2015, so until that time expansion of the competition is not possible," Peters said.
This means the earliest South Africa could possibly introduce an extra team into the already congested tournament is from 2016.
At last week's South African Rugby Union (Saru) general council meeting in Cape Town, all 14 unions voted unanimously for the Southern Kings to be included in Super rugby from 2013. Under the current structure, the Kings' inclusion would require that one of the five existing SA franchises - the Bulls, Cheetahs, Lions, Sharks or the Stormers - drop out next season.
But the council failed to reach consensus on a mechanism to relegate a team. Instead of accepting the proposal put forward that the bottom team in 2012 would drop out to make way for the Kings, in time-honoured rugby fashion the decision was deferred until the next general council meeting on March 30. Saru will now lobby its partners at Sanzar to expand the competition to 16 teams from next year.
Saru deputy president Mark Alexander, who is one of South Africa's two representatives on the Sanzar board, dismissed Peters's assertion.
"We still have to meet with our partners in Sanzar. Greg Peters cannot decide that there won't be any expansion of the tournament," Alexander said. "That was an irresponsible statement to make.
"There is a window of opportunity with our partners in Sanzar. We are currently preparing a 16-team schedule so that we can go and debate with them.
"Our relationship with Sanzar has improved tremendously, we are very close to our partners in Australia and we work very closely with New Zealand."
Peters suggested that because of the existing broadcast deal it would be impossible to expand the tournament to accommodate an extra team. But South African broadcaster SuperSport, which pays the largest percentage of the broadcast rights to Sanzar, has not ruled out the possibility of adding an extra team as early as 2013.
If Saru's bid for an extra team fails, the general council will have to make a decision about who drops out next season and how.
6th Super rugby side may wait
SOUTH Africa's chances of successfully lobbying for a sixth team in Super rugby from next year were dealt a severe blow by Greg Peters, chief executive of southern hemisphere governing body Sanzar
"Sanzar has sold the current structure of Super rugby to broadcasters and commercial partners for the period ending 31 December 2015, so until that time expansion of the competition is not possible," Peters said.
This means the earliest South Africa could possibly introduce an extra team into the already congested tournament is from 2016.
At last week's South African Rugby Union (Saru) general council meeting in Cape Town, all 14 unions voted unanimously for the Southern Kings to be included in Super rugby from 2013. Under the current structure, the Kings' inclusion would require that one of the five existing SA franchises - the Bulls, Cheetahs, Lions, Sharks or the Stormers - drop out next season.
But the council failed to reach consensus on a mechanism to relegate a team. Instead of accepting the proposal put forward that the bottom team in 2012 would drop out to make way for the Kings, in time-honoured rugby fashion the decision was deferred until the next general council meeting on March 30. Saru will now lobby its partners at Sanzar to expand the competition to 16 teams from next year.
Saru deputy president Mark Alexander, who is one of South Africa's two representatives on the Sanzar board, dismissed Peters's assertion.
"We still have to meet with our partners in Sanzar. Greg Peters cannot decide that there won't be any expansion of the tournament," Alexander said. "That was an irresponsible statement to make.
"There is a window of opportunity with our partners in Sanzar. We are currently preparing a 16-team schedule so that we can go and debate with them.
"Our relationship with Sanzar has improved tremendously, we are very close to our partners in Australia and we work very closely with New Zealand."
Peters suggested that because of the existing broadcast deal it would be impossible to expand the tournament to accommodate an extra team. But South African broadcaster SuperSport, which pays the largest percentage of the broadcast rights to Sanzar, has not ruled out the possibility of adding an extra team as early as 2013.
If Saru's bid for an extra team fails, the general council will have to make a decision about who drops out next season and how.
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