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Report: Highlanders boss reveals future of Super Rugby for 2021 and 2022
By AAP
New Zealand and Australian Super Rugby sides are due to play a series of crossover matches at the end of their domestic competitions next year, according to Highlanders chief executive Roger Clark.
Clark told a meeting of business leaders in Invercargill on Thursday night the cross-over competition would be confirmed shortly while two teams from the Pacific would be added in 2022, Stuff Media reported.
"I think in '21, you'll find it will be us and the Australians and in 2022 you'll find Fiji and a Pasifika team fall into that competition," Clark was quoted as telling the Southland Chamber of Commerce event.
The move comes after Super Rugby, which comprised 15 teams from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina and Japan was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, with teams only able to compete in separate domestic competitions.
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) said earlier this month they would reprise their domestic Super Rugby Aotearoa in 2021 because of coronavirus restrictions, with two full rounds of the competition and a final.
They also indicated they were still hoping to have crossover matches with Australian sides at the conclusion of the domestic competition and remained open to sides from the Pacific joining in 2022.
Clark added there was the possibility of crossover matches with South African sides every two years and a potential clash with the European Cup winners every four years.
South Africa Rugby said last month they were walking away from Super Rugby and looking to Europe for their cross-border club competitions.
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Latest Comments
Look there are a few unarguable facts here that are very clear. SARU was close to bankruptcy with SR, bailed out by the Lions and they need the URC and EPCR. Inclusion of SA teams in URC has been a great for for ALL concerned, from a rugby perspective and financially, moreover there is massive growth yet to come. The GP is in financial trouble and this will be the catalyst for EPCR change to further cement the Boks.
If this all plays out with even greater rewards for the urc AND the Top14 & GP via EPCR, the 6N will become 7N. Nz and Aus NEED to get their version firing with Japan & the PI’s, otherwise they will find themselves increasingly regressing…
Go to commentsPerofeta came back and was available for the eoyt right? Or was that why Love was in the squad (but got injured in the last week)?
It was such a frustrating year. Perofeta looked a service stop gap until Jordan was fit, but then got injured. Plummer was selected because of Pero's injury and dmac shat the bed in the second half in Australia but Clarke (?) got himself binned at the 65 min mark so Plummer couldn't come on (at least with the risk adverse Razors thinking) when he was planned to.
So many other exciting opportunities that could have happened without injuries, but then theyre probably balanced by knowing Sititi probably wouldn't have been given a chance without multiple injuries happened.
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