This archive report was first published on 18 July 2020.
Published on July 18, 2020
Plans for a Pacific side in a revamped Super Rugby competition have been unveiled by New Zealand Rugby, with the team set to feature in a new-look competition from 2021.
The proposed shake-up would see South African teams and Argentina's Jaguares culled, with New Zealand's five existing teams and two to four from Australia making up the new competition.
Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan has expressed his preference for the Pacific team to be based in western Sydney, citing the large Pacific Islander population in the area.
“We have a large and wonderful Pacific Islander population in Sydney and I think that would strengthen rugby long term,” McLennan said.
“Basing them in Auckland would be detrimental to the (Auckland) Blues, it would be madness for the Blues.”
McLennan also suggested that the Pacific team could be delayed until 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has made long-distance travel impossible.
