Super 18 from 2016??

Super Rugby chiefs are seriously considering splitting the current three-conference system into two from 2016 and adding two teams from Argentina.

Under a possible Super 18 model which appears the most logical future competition, Australian and New Zealand sides would join together in their own conference while South Africa would combine with Argentina.

Leading officials also say there's the possibility of Japanese teams being added in three years' time, but there's plenty of work to be done.

One thing's for certain: Super Rugby expansion will occur after the 2015 World Cup with governing body SANZAR committed to ensuring the recently-relegated Southern Kings will be one of six South African teams.

While SANZAR, which aims to finalise its next model by the end of the year, has a lot to consider before deciding upon its preferred model, the three-conference system looks to be coming towards an end.

SANZAR chief executive Greg Peters said the time-frame for the competition - currently played over 21 weeks, including three weeks for play-offs - could not be extended.

That makes it virtually impossible to keep the current structure if new teams are added as all three national unions want their local derby matches to played at home and away.

With the rigours of travel to and from South Africa combining to make player welfare a bigger issue, the simplest solution is for a two-conference split.

That would see the five Australian teams play each other twice and the five Kiwi sides once for 13 matches before both conferences came together in a six or eight-team finals series.

ARU boss Bill Pulver, who is also on SANZAR's executive committee, said the ARU hadn't decided on its preferred model but stressed the five Australian teams would remain.

"We're trying to keep a very open mind to what this structure looks like," he said in Sydney.

It's more likely two new Argentinian teams, rather than one, would be added to what would become an eight-team South African/American conference.

It would allow all teams to play home and away over 14 rounds.

The heavy political pressure for South Africa to have six teams only intensified with the Port Elizabeth-based Kings losing a tightly-fought two-match relegation play-off with the Johannesburg-based Lions last weekend.

"We really understand the desire for that from South Africa," Peters told AAP. "The Kings have 32 per cent of the playing population and 72 per cent of that is coloured," Peters said.

"We understand the need for six teams in South Africa."

While there's massive commercial benefits with the inclusion of Japan before it hosts the 2019 World Cup, there's logistical problems in fitting them into the Australasian conference.

SANZAR and the ARU are both pushing for the June international window to be moved to July to ensure Super Rugby can be played in one complete block instead of being interrupted for Test matches before the play-offs.

SOUNDS LIKE A CROCK OF SHIT TO ME..WHO WANTS TO SEE A DILUTED COMP!!

if the new teams to be added are a saffa and two argentinan teams*, then their should be two divisions, a premiership divison consisting of the best of the best and a championship division.

u take the top three teams from the SANZAR conferces (using the final ladder placings of the 2013 spXV) and u would have the bulls, cheetahs, stormers, chiefs, crusaders, blues, reds, brumbies and waratahs and they make up the premireship, while the rest including the new teams would make up the championship divison.

but seriously, everyone plays each other once, and the OZ and NZ teams can play 2 of their games v SA teams in SA, meaning SA teams would have two games to play in OZ and NZ combined.

its a rough template, but i would have no problems with a of format toughly of this kind, but tis important that SA gets a favourable travelling schedule, so imspared from reading the many excuses about the tales of woe that saffa teams routinely suffer, :oP

 Dumb plan. It would just be a glorified Currie Cup in the league rounds. The SA / NZ / Aus rivalry combined with the domestic derbies is what makes Super Rugby awesome.

 I for one are fed up of having to watch the same teams play each other up to five times every year. For example, I just saw the bulls play against the stormers 3 weeks ago and now have to watch them again, but with lower grade players. 

I do think that their should be two tiers. But I want the best teams competing. I also don't want teams to have any easy ride by hording players, the bulls, Sharks and Stormers are well known for doing it. 

I would go back to the super 12 format and add a second league where teams in that tier play home and away. 

The lowest team from each country will automatically be relegated.

If you only took the top 12 teams this year and moved the weaker team into a second tier comp. The lowest finishing team from each country in the first tier would automatically get relegated. So if the Waratahs were playing the sharks in the final round, 4 or 5 points could mean whether the stay up or go down.

If we took a little bit further, the sharks, waratahs and Hurricanes would get relegated and the rebels, Lions, Highlanders would get promoted.

None of these dum play-off matches. The only question is what do you do with Argetina? I think they are 5 - 10 years away from having a strong Super team that can compete, but each team should be alloud to have at least two argetinian players in their squads. There players will get game time. 

Alternatively

If one of their teams were to finish top of the log then I would almost say that a country with the weakest collection of teams would automatically loose a team and go down to 3 teams rather than an automatically have 4 teams. 

The lower tier would allow teams to develop and have time to work with their youth structures. It will give them time to strengthen their squad for the next season.

I think they lions did really well to hold onto their players as it was touch and go whether they would qualify. What they did well was to arrange some games to keep the core of their squad, but they had to arrange their own matches. The second tier comp would fill that void.

With the shorter format we will see the best teams play each other, 

If Aus want a conference system then they can have it after the comp. They have 5 teams now and should be able to start a decent local competition and even include the two argentinian teams in that comp which would give them 7 teams. 

This means that both currie cup and NZ competition can carry on unmolested.

That would be silly. How can a team like the Sharks not be involved? More often than not of late we are challenging for play-off/semi spots. One season plagued with injury and now all these first class players need to find a union to compete in the premiership.

Even the NZL and Aussie rugby men rate the Sharks as SA's finest. If you dont believe me, watch earlier episodes of Reunion and the Aussie equivalent (forget its name) where both countries tipped the Sharks to be there at the end.

And how will they fit in all these games?