Melbourne endorsed by ARU for inclusion in Super rugby competition

[griffo346]

Melbourne endorsed by ARU for inclusion in Super rugby competition

August 12, 2009 The Australian Rugby Union has endorsed Melbourne as the country's sole contending venue for the 15th Super rugby licence and called on the three bidders from the southern capital to join forces.
Melbourne was chosen by the ARU ahead of bids from western Sydney, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast while New South Wales Country withdrew last week.

ARU chief executive, John O'Neill said Melbourne gave Australia the best chance of securing the 15th franchise in the face of offshore competition.

The Super 14 is to expand by one team in 2011 with governing body SANZAR to decide later this year where the new side will be established.

While the 15th team will play in the Australian conference as part of a revamped competition, interested parties in South Africa and New Zealand are also bidding to have the side based within their national boundaries.

"The ARU has called on the three parties from Victoria who put forward separate expressions of interest to join forces to ensure Australia's prospects of securing the 15th Super rugby licence are maximised," an ARU statement said on Wednesday.

Managing director and CEO John O'Neill added: "We want to make sure the 15th team is in Australia; thus the ARU will facilitate the potential for a seamless and sensible amalgamation of those interested parties.

"It will surely put us in the best position possible.

"There are elements in each of the Melbourne expressions of interest that ensure the sum of the parts will be extremely powerful.

" ... At this stage in the evolution of Super rugby, we believe Melbourne has the best chance of success.

"We are in a three-nation race for the licence and we want the 15th team in Australia.

"So we need to focus our energy on what will be our most compelling bid."

"We believe western Sydney, Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast all have great prospects for the future," O'Neill said of possible further expansion.

A final decision from SANZAR on the successful bidder is expected in late October.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25919059-5002381,00.html

 

[Twizzle]

good, another thing we can beat the Vics at

 

[Te Kaha]

Was always gonna be Melbourne ... with the amount of Kiwis there they should do ok.

 

[kia ora storm]

Yep...I will be there from game one. But my loyalties will still be with the Canes.

 

[griffo346]

John O'Neil says that the Gold Coast is next choice for expansion but Melbourne way out weighed for our next pic as they have new stadia

 

[shiznit]

John O'Neil says that the Gold Coast is next choice for expansion but Melbourne way out weighed for our next pic as they have new stadia

gold coast is next choice for expansion?? :lol:

you guys cant even handle 4 teams... if you get this 5th team its gonna be a mash of sanzar and pacific players.

if you get a 6th.... it will be a deadset joke...

 

[Thomas]

Short term pain for long term gain. There are more professional Australian rugby union players playing overseas than there are in Australia.

 

[shiznit]

Short term pain for long term gain. There are more professional Australian rugby union players playing overseas than there are in Australia.

:lol:

im telling you... the day you guys get a 6th team will be the day Sanzar will die.. SA wont allow it... and provinces here wouldn't let it happen.

we still dont even know if there going to get a 5th team... they certainly dont deserve one...

The reds are so bloody bad... they would be odds on to get relegated in our NPC.

i still reckon SA might get this team.

 

[Parra]

:lol:


i still reckon SA might get this team.

Then it would become a laughing stock.

 

[shiznit]

Then it would become a laughing stock.

why??? they have far more playing depth... a bigger population and a bigger share of the viewing audience.

it would become a laughing stock if the extra team goes to the country who couldn't even get one of there sides in the semi's.

 

[Parra]

A team from SA that plays home-and-away against Aussie sides, but not sides in their own country?

Aussies wont care at all, neither will the South Africans. The aim of the franchise will be to become part of the South African conference.

The conference system will work only if the borders & local comps are respected. This also gives Australia a platform for a local competition - throw in the Rams and we have a six team ARC.

 

[shiznit]

A team from SA that plays home-and-away against Aussie sides, but not sides in their own country?

Aussies wont care at all, neither will the South Africans. The aim of the franchise will be to become part of the South African conference.

The conference system will work only if the borders & local comps are respected. This also gives Australia a platform for a local competition - throw in the Rams and we have a six team ARC.

you obviously dont know how the conference system works... they would play home and away against the aussie sides... but also a heap of inter-conference games in between. they would have 8 conference games and 8 games against sides from other conferences.

it works the same as the NFL.

 

[Parra]

You play all the teams in your conference twice. You then play most of the teams in the other conferences.

So the proposal is for a South African team to play in the Aussie conference. 50% of their matches would be against Aussie teams. From every perspective this new side would rather be in the SA conference and they would do what they could to get in there.

 

[shiznit]

You play all the teams in your conference twice. You then play most of the teams in the other conferences.

So the proposal is for a South African team to play in the Aussie conference. 50% of their matches would be against Aussie teams. From every perspective this new side would rather be in the SA conference and they would do what they could to get in there.

the decision about the system has been made already. its now down to whoever wants to be that team. whoever it is will be playing in the Australian conference. so when they apply to be in the competition they do so knowing full well who they will be playing.

i dont see a problem with a NZ or SA team getting that spot...

 

[Te Kaha]

the decision about the system has been made already. its now down to whoever wants to be that team. whoever it is will be playing in the Australian conference. so when they apply to be in the competition they do so knowing full well who they will be playing.

i dont see a problem with a NZ or SA team getting that spot...

It has, Is and will be Melbourne... that has been a given from the begining...

This is the begining of the seperation of super rugby.. there will eventually be an expansion of 2, maybe 3 more teams per conference... its invisaged that included in that is the Argies, a pac island team and a jap team as well as another NZ team over the two conferences here and another 2 yarpie teams...

it will mean that there will be home and away fro your conference alone and with an expanded "finals" the top 3 teams in each conference will play for the "cup" while the rest will play for a "shield"...

whether it ever eventuates... is dabateable.

 

[kia ora storm]

Can't wait..I'd imagine the Melbourne team will attract some 35 year old Wallaby at the end of his career and a few promising youngsters but nothing more for their first season.

 

[Te Kaha]

Can't wait..I'd imagine the Melbourne team will attract some 35 year old Wallaby at the end of his career and a few promising youngsters but nothing more for their first season.

They will undoubtedly target one or two converts, because thats what the idiots at the ARU do...

 

[Timbo]

Hopefully they focus on trying to bring some of the premium talent that has left for Europe back.