Super Rugby side Melbourne Rebels Owner Andrew Cox has "taken aim at SANZAAR over its unprofessional revamp of Super Rugby, as a speculative report emerged from South Africa that his team would be cut from the competition, along with the Cheetahs and Southern Kings," according to Wayne Smith of THE AUSTRALIAN. The Times of South Africa claimed on its website that "those three teams would be the ones culled from the present 18-strong competition to bring Super Rugby back to 15 teams," but it is reported that "no decision has yet been made on the make-up or format" of the '18 series. Cox dismissed the report as "mere baseless rumour" but he also "laid the blame squarely at the foot of SANZAAR for managing its strategic review so ineptly." Cox said, "We are deeply upset at the managing and messaging of this whole process by SANZAAR and think this is incredibly destructive to not only the Melbourne Rebels but to the Super Rugby competition. We are committed to the competition, and this is destabilizing to our sponsors, our members, our fans and, importantly, our players. We have a match (tonight) and yet this is what we're focused on." The competition has been "trashed mercilessly" by its parent body and, while the uncertainty continues, "the damage done will rise exponentially." Cox added, "I've not seen an organization shoot itself in the foot multiple times" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 3/17).
LARKHAM LASHES OUT: REUTERS' Ian Ransom reported ACT Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham "slammed suggestions of a merger between the Canberra-based team and the Melbourne Rebels as Australia awaits the outcome of negotiations on proposed restructuring" of Super Rugby. The lack of information has created a "frenzy of media speculation in Australia." A "number of merger proposals have been floated by club officials and pundits in recent years as solutions for the cash-strapped domestic game," but speculation of a Rebels-Brumbies tie-up has "grown a life of its own this week." Larkham said, "I think it's disappointing that people are even suggesting that. We support this region and the region supports us (REUTERS, 3/16).
