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Reuters

Super Rugby will retain the same structure for 2017, but there is an acceptance that it is not perfect and changes are possible for the following season, Sanzaar chief executive Andy Marinos said on Monday.
The 2016 season was the first with 18 teams, including new franchises in Argentina and Japan, and there were some major mismatches as well as criticism of a conference system which allowed home advantage in the play-offs to some teams despite them having a worse records than others.
“Looking at the overall structure, the competition is locked and loaded for next year,” Marinos said.
“But we are looking at all the anomalies and see how we best can correct it. I’m not saying we will get everything right, but at least we can have a good crack at addressing it.”
Watch: 2016 Super Rugby final - Hurricanes 20 Lions 3


Nothing would be “off the table” when it came to proposed changes to the structure of the play-offs, he added, but expansion meant there could be no return to the days when each team played everyone else.
At a meeting with the national unions, Super Rugby coaches and TV broadcasters in Sydney last week, Marinos said the main concerns expressed had been over the competitiveness of some teams.
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“If the teams are all competing well, that does go a fair way towards managing people’s expectations around the integrity of the competition,” he said.
“The big thrust there is getting the competitiveness back to where it was.

“It’s a damned good competition. The competition is in a very good space. We had a global audience of 50 million and two million came through the turnstiles.”
Australia’s ability to maintain five teams and South Africa six was a “concern”, Marinos said, but any contraction or further expansion of the competition would have to wait until at least 2018, if not 2020 when the current TV contract expires.
Thrown to the wolves? Former All Black Filo Tiatia named coach of Japan’s Super Rugby side
Marinos has led a drive to put in place Sanzaar’s first 10-year strategic plan and consultants are due to make a series of recommendations later this year.
The Zimbabwe-born former Wales centre, though, clearly believes expansion is essential for the health of southern hemisphere rugby, which provided all four semi-finalists at last year’s World Cup.

An amazing day in sunny Welly. Thank you to our fans for showing up at Civic Square #canesloyal pic.twitter.com/bXXIe8jP4X
— Hurricanes Rugby (@Hurricanesrugby) August 10, 2016

“There is no shying away from the fact that the money in the game in France and England is a significant threat,” he said.
“We’ve already seen a mass exodus of players out of Africa and Australia and, if it continues the way it is, it could impact on the other markets.
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“It’s a reality that we have to deal with and looking at expansion and looking into new markets – a driver for that is to increase revenue and fund more in our core markets to enable us to retain the best players for as long as possible.”
Marinos said that the Australia, New Zealand and South Africa markets were reaching saturation point and the only way to drive “exponential” growth was to move into new countries.

TEAM OF THE SEASON: @ChiefsRugby fullback McKenzie heads impressive team #SuperRugby https://t.co/p53wy9YZiY pic.twitter.com/E7GQlpmX3R
— Super Rugby (@SuperRugby) August 9, 2016

The United States was “attractive” but, Marinos said, the lesson of bringing Argentina into Sanzaar had been that expansion should not happen overnight.
“You’ve got to get in there and strategically invest to build sustainability over a period of time so that when they do compete at the top table they are competitive,” he said.


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Super Rugby 2016

New Zealand's Hurricanes celebrate their victory after the Super Rugby final against the Lions of South Africa. Photo: AFP

epa05428296 Stormers players celebrate with the Conference trophy after the 2016 Super Rugby Union game between the Stormers and the Kings at Newlands Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa, 16 July 2016. EPA/RYAN WILKISKY

The Hurricanes celebrate their victory after the Super Rugby final against the Lions of South Africa. Photo: AFP

Captain Dane Coles (left) and Hurricanes teammates celebrate with the trophy after winning the Super Rugby final against the Golden Lions. Photo: AFP

epa05458093 TJ Perenara of the Hurricanes (L) chased down by Faf de Klerk of the Lions in the final Super Rugby match between the Hurricanes and the Lions at Westpac Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand, 06 August 2016. EPA/ROSS SETFORD EDITORIAL USE ONLY

Franco Mostert of the Lions (C) is tackled during the Super Rugby final match between the Wellington Hurricanes and Lions of South Africa at Westpac Stadium in Wellington on August 6, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / MARTIN HUNTER

epa05458087 Warwick Tecklenberg of the Lions (L) clashes with Victor Vito of the Hurricanes in the final Super Rugby match between the Hurricanes and the Lions at Westpac Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand, 06 August 2016. EPA/ROSS SETFORD EDITORIAL USE ONLY

Cory Jane of the Hurricanes (L) dives fights off the defence to score a try during the Super Rugby final match between the Wellington Hurricanes and Lions of South Africa at Westpac Stadium in Wellington on August 6, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / MARTIN HUNTER

World Cup hero Ayumu Goromaru keen to open French doors for Japanese players

Toulon’s new Japanese recruit Ayumu Goromaru meets the media at the French Top 14 outfit’s Mayol Stadium. Photo: Reuters

Japan’s Sunwolves stun Los Jaguares for first Super Rugby win

The Sunwolves celebrate after defeating the Jaguares 36-28 at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground in Tokyo on Saturday for their first Super Rugby win. Photo: Kyodo

Derek Carpenter, right, of Japan's Sunwolves is tackled by Matias Alemanno of Argentina's Jaguares during their Super Rugby match in Tokyo, Saturday, April 23, 2016. The Sunwolves won 36-28. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

epaselect epa05273080 Facundo Isa of the Jaguares throws the ball during the Super Rugby competition match between the Sunwolves of Japan and the Jaguares of Argentina at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, 23 April 2016. EPA/FRANCK ROBICHON

epa05273079 Hitoshi Ono of the Sunwolves in action during the Super Rugby competition match between the Sunwolves of Japan and the Jaguares of Argentina at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, 23 April 2016. EPA/FRANCK ROBICHON

‘Embarrassing’ Sunwolves concede 92 points in Cheetahs mauling

Japan’s Sunwolves “gave up long before the final whistle” said South African TV analyst Nick Mallett after the Super Rugby newcomers’ 92-17 loss to the Cheetahs on Friday. Photos: AFP

Sunwolves centre Mifiposeti Paea (left) and Cheetahs winger Sergeal Petersen battle for the ball in Bloemfontein.

Sport

Rugby

Sanzaar chief executive Andy Marinos accepts there are issues with the expanded 18-team southern hemisphere tournament, including the highly criticised home advantage format in the play-offs


Super Rugby will retain the same structure for 2017, but there is an acceptance that it is not perfect and changes are possible for the following season, Sanzaar chief executive Andy Marinos said on Monday.
