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An expanded Super rugby competition is a step closer with
Sanzar, the rugby body representing New Zealand, Australia and
South Africa on Thursday forming a a working party on the
issue.
At an executive committee meeting in Dubai, Sanzar decided to
appoint a dedicated project manager tasked with refining the
preferred competition structures for Super rugby and the
Tri-Nations.
It was looking at expanding the Super 14 to include
geographically-based conferences and expanded finals.
New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Steve Tew admitted a lot of
work remained to be done before either competition could be
expanded. "These things are all bookended by
fixtures you can't move -- the June internationals, (South
Africa's) Currie Cup, the Tri-Nations, the Northern Hemisphere
tours in November.
"The biggest problem is 52 weeks in the year is not enough," he
told Radio Sport.
Argentina has been seeking entry to an elite tournament but has so
far been unsuccessful in its inquiries toward joining Europe's Six
Nations or the Tri-Nations.
The Pumas are ranked fourth in the world standings and finished
third at the 2007 World Cup, but say they have been held back by
their lack of regular topflight competition.
"The executive committee also considered a further report from
Argentina and has asked the working party to perform further
analysis on the viability of Argentina joining the Tri-Nations,"
Sanzar said in a stement.
