SANZAR CEO says no 16th side till 2013!

Sanzar CEO Greg Peters says Super Rugby expansion will not be possible until 2016 when the current broadcast deal ends.

Last Friday, Saru CEO Jurie Roux confirmed that the Southern Kings will play Super Rugby in 2013. However, he added that it had not been decided how they would be accommodated along with the other five South African franchises (the Bulls, Stormers, Sharks, Cheetahs and Lions) and he hoped that Sanzar would allow all six teams to compete next year. However, Peters said another tournament format change will not be possible for the next three seasons.

‘Sanzar has sold the current structure of Super Rugby to broadcasters and commercial partners for the period ending December 31 2015, so until that time expansion of the competition is not possible,’ Peters told The Times.

This will force Saru to drop one of the current participating South African franchises to make way for the Kings next year, most probably the Cheetahs or Lions, who have enjoyed the least success. However, Saru vice-president Mark Alexander, who is one of Saru’s two representatives on the Sanzar board, dismissed Peters’ statement as he believes a tournament format change is still possible.

‘We still have to meet with our partners in Sanzar. Greg Peters cannot decide there won’t be any expansion of the tournament. 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,’ said Alexander.

‘Our relationship with Sanzar has improved tremendously. We are very close to our partners in Australia and we work very closely with New Zealand and our relationship has changed. There is a window of opportunity provided we sell a workable solution about 16 franchises playing in the competition.’

This is really looking threatening for the Lions and Cheethas. Not good at all. Good luck with the solution.

I suspect the Queens will get the boot after getting slaughtered in 2013. If the Lions and Cheetahs continue in the Super 16 where will the Queens get their players?  SANZAR will have something to say if they are clearly not up to scratch.

Just goes to show what two faced twats Roux and his cronies at SARU are, Of course they knew all along that no changes could be made until after the broadcast deal ends....they are after all part of SANZAR. Yet they spin these yarns knowing that gullible Saffers will suck it all up. How much is the bet the will continue to spin more stories until the end of the year when they suddenly kick one the existing franchises out.

I still cant understand that unanimous vote re the Queens inclusion. How could the Lions or Cheetahs possibly agree to that?

That is exactly what I predicted would happen. There is no way that SANZAR are going to fix SARU's crap for them. I agree with juzzy. They will come back to the Lions or the Cheetahs and say: "Sorry boys. One of you will have tp stand back. It is not our fault. It is those mean irresponsible arseholes at SANZAR"

Beeno, I stand corrected but I believe it was  an unanimous decision by the Exco or presidents council. This therefore does not include all the Unions. I also think it is made up mostly of reps from the smaller unions.

The S12 was a better competition than the S14, which will be better than the S15 or S 16.  There is no value in dragging out the season and spreading the good players over more teams. Quality comes with fewer numbers.

Juzzy surely major unions like the Lions and Cheetahs are part of the Council. Yes probably will place the blame on the unreasonable SANZAR partners who dropped them in the dwang! We shall see.