New Zealand-born rugby administrator Andrew Hore "believes Welsh and Pro12 rugby teams could one day join the Super Rugby elite in an expanded competition," according to STUFF.
Hore, who was once the Crusaders' trainer, is leaving his role as CEO of Welsh club Ospreys "to become the Waratahs' new CEO in Sydney."
He fears that the Pro12, which features clubs from Wales, Ireland, Scotland and Italy, "is in danger of falling behind other European competitions -- England's Aviva Premiership and France's Top 14 -- because of their considerably stronger financial muscle -- and subsequently further the gap between the northern and southern hemisphere."
Hore believes a radical shakeup is required for the Pro12 to survive, with something that is "uniquely different" to the competitions in England and France -- and something that can increase Pro 12's TV appeal. Hore: "There is so much in common between clubs like the Ospreys and states like New South Wales. NSW are permitted only one foreigner, so like the Ospreys they have to keep developing their own talent. But they need to generate more revenues, like we do, so they need to help the Australian Rugby Union come up with better products. I want to be actively involved in that. ... Getting the financials right gives us a platform to launch further still. But what we need is a vehicle to launch that platform and that has to be the competitions we play in. We are delusional if we imagine the Pro12 on its own is going to solve our problems" (STUFF, 3/28).
BIG PLANS: REUTERS' Ed Osmond reported European Professional Club Rugby said that plans are underway to organize "an annual match between the European club champions and the Super Rugby winners." EPCR said in a statement, "EPCR can confirm that it is actively formulating a strategy on how best to organise and market a match in the future between the winners of the European Rugby Champions Cup and the winners of the Super Rugby competition." The main issue surrounding the proposed game "is where to place it in the congested international calendar so that both teams involved would be at full-strength" (REUTERS, 3/25).
