Super Rugby side Cheetahs CEO Harold Verster said that Super Rugby "will be cut from 18 teams to 16 for next season" following a meeting of SANZAAR in London last week, according to Ian Ransom of REUTERS. Verster reportedly said that one of South Africa's six teams and one of Australia's five "would now be cut from the competition" for '18. He said, "There was even speculation that we would return to a Super 12, but my information is that it is going to be reduced from the current 18 to 16 teams, which means the Cheetahs are safe." In Australia, the Perth-based Western Force and Melbourne Rebels are "seen as the most vulnerable teams in any cull." The "struggling" Western Force has been under the management of the Australian Rugby Union "since falling into financial strife last year" (REUTERS, 3/14).
'LITTLE CLARITY': In Sydney, Decent, Dutton & Lutton reported a decision on the future of Australian Super Rugby clubs "could linger on for another two weeks" after a meeting between club CEOs and the ARU "provided little clarity." It is understood there is "still a fair way to go before SANZAAR pulls the trigger on its plans" for the '18 season. Club execs went into the conference call wanting answers on where their club stood but were not "given anything more than reassurance they would be informed and kept in the loop." On a day when "certainty was sought," speculation has become "even more rife" after a report out of South Africa quoted Verster saying that he "heard Super Rugby would be reduced to a 16-team competition." Verster "may well be correct," but no such decision had been communicated on Tuesday. South Africa "may well represent the wild card in negotiations," with some reservations over whether the South African Rugby Union "would sign off on a reduction of teams in a nation where the code remains highly popular" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 3/14). In Auckland, Patrick McKendry reported Australia's Force and Rebels are "vulnerable," but so too are the Canberra-based Brumbies, despite the fact that they are foundation members and won two titles -- in '01 and '04 -- and finished runners-up three times. The Brumbies have been "a financial basket-case over the past couple of seasons." The club announced a loss of A$864,093 ($653,427) at its AGM last month and the franchise "is fighting to break even this year for the first time" since '03. It lost A$1.07M in '14 and A$1.68M in '15 but has A$1.5M ($1.1M) in cash reserves, and Brumbies Chair Robert Kennedy "believes they were in a better financial state than their rivals" (NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 3/14).
POLITICAL CONTROL: In Melbourne, Wayne Smith reported Super Rugby's "fate appears to rest entirely in the hands of non-rugby people, with broadcasters and South African politicians effectively taking the lead in determining what changes -- if any -- are made to SANZAAR’s southern hemisphere tournament." The ARU is "seemingly sidelined until there is some resolution from South Africa about what is to be done with the Southern Kings." The African National Congress and the South African government have been "strong supporters of the predominantly black Kings but the side has won only three matches out of 18 since coming into the competition last year." One of the questions to be ascertained, apparently, "is how the government would react if SANZAAR moved to jettison it." If, as expected, the South Africa government "insists the Kings are not to be touched, then the presumption is that SANZAAR will leave Super Rugby relatively untouched, at least until the next broadcast deal." But "one possible change might centre on the competition structure." Instead of the "unwieldy four conferences, it could become three conferences of six teams" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 3/15).
