Sanzaar will release a strategic report this week that reveals the options being considered to revamp Super Rugby in 2020.
According to the New Zealand Herald, this includes taking more games to neutral venues (such as USA, Canada and parts of Asia) and expanding the number of teams back to 18 or sticking with 15 teams — but not necessarily the current 15.
The Sunwolves’ place in the tournament is also under some serious threat. The Tokyo-based team finished 18th and 17th on the combined log in 2016 and 2017 respectively, and are currently bottom of the 2018 log having lost all five of their matches. They could be replaced by a Pacific Islands team in 2020, when Sanzaar’s new broadcast deal begins.
The New Zealand Herald says Sanzaar’s report is believed to have ruled out any prospect of Super Rugby returning to a straight round-robin format as it was between 1996 and 2010, arguing that the conference model is the only way to deliver a financially sustainable competition.
However, the New Zealand Rugby Players Association is apparently not sold on the idea of having so many local derbies and is convinced that a round-robin format can be rekindled with 14, 15 or even 16 teams.
