Rugby Australia looks to quit Super Rugby Pacific competition

Rugby Australia Chairman Hamish McLennan has suggested Australian teams may not compete in Super Rugby Pacific competition beyond the 2024 season and will be looking to create a new domestic competition in the lead-up to hosting the 2027 World Cup.

Media reports indicate that Rugby Australia is exploring the option of ending their ties with New Zealand Rugby and setting up a domestic-only competition.

This year only one Australian team made the semi-finals of the competition.

Five franchises each from Australia and New Zealand currently ply their trade in the 12-team Super Rugby Pacific tournament, but Rugby Australia have not committed beyond the 2024 season.

McLennan told Foxsports “we’ll honour our commitments in ’23 but we need to see what’s best for rugby in Australia leading up to the RWC in Australia in ’27.

“All bets are off from ’24 onwards with NZ.”

The Sydney Morning Herald has reported that an imbalance in the broadcasting revenue is the driving force behind Rugby Australia thoughts along with the loss of South African and Argentinian teams from the competition.

McLennan notified New Zealand Rugby Chair Stewart Mitchell as of yesterday afternoon of their intention to potentially quit Super Rugby Pacific.

This drew a stern response from New Zealand Rugby Chief Executive, Mark Robinson who also told the Sydney Morning Herald “from our view, NZR is committed to our relationship with RA and any discussions in relation to the future of Super Rugby will be had first and foremost with them, and not through the media.”

Rugby Australia is considering selling a stake in its commercial assets to private equity, similar to New Zealand Rugby's deal with USA-based Silver Lake.

McLennan said the Rugby Australia board did not want to "prejudice” the potential sale with any competitions presented as a fait accompli, adding “some board members have strong opinions that a domestic-only competition like the AFL and NRL would generate more money for the game, and that is fair comment."

Matt Nobbs, Chairman of the Canberra-based Brumbies team, said all the Australian teams were behind RA in exploring its options, noting “we need to act in the best interests of the game and our financial viability comes into that as well.”

It has been reported this week that Netball Australia is in danger of financial collapse - a predicament that commenced with the body ending the trans-Tasman series in 2016.