South African, New Zealand and Australian Rugby said that Japan "has beaten out Singapore as the preferred host for the 18th team in the expanded Super Rugby competition," according to Mulvenney & Linden of REUTERS. The southern hemisphere provincial competition will increase from 15 to 18 teams in '16, "with one team from South Africa and another from Argentina already awarded places." Japan and Singapore "were vying against each other for the last available spot" with Japan getting the vote after a meeting of the SANZAR exec board. SANZAR CEO Greg Peters said in a statement, "While ultimately edged out in this instance, Singapore presented a highly attractive bid and we will maintain a positive relationship with an eye to potentially working with them in the future. Following the Executive Committee's decision however, SANZAR will now work exclusively with the JRFU to finalise arrangements for their entry in to Super Rugby, subject to execution of the formal participation agreement." The new format of the competition will feature two South African conferences, "one of which will include the Asian team, and coincides with the renegotiation of the broadcasting agreements that financially underpin it." Earlier this month, South African Rugby Union President Oregan Hoskins told reporters that "Japan's bid proposal had been changed to include Singapore as a host for some of the matches." Singapore would host up to four matches at its 55,000 seat, retractable roof National Stadium at the city-state's new $1B Sports Hub, although the format and number of games in the '16 season "is yet to be determined" (REUTERS, 10/24).
