Sunwolves remain on Rugby Australia's radar as announcement nears regarding domestic competition
Rugby Australia hasn't ruled out the prospect of the Sunwolves partaking in the new domestic Super Rugby competition, which is set to be confirmed in the coming days.
Despite Melbourne Rebels chief executive Baden Stephenson saying on Friday that it is unlikely that the Sunwolves will participate in the competition due to international travel restrictions, interim RA boss Rob Clarke says there is still hope that the Japan-based franchise will be able to compete.
"We're still in discussions with the Sunwolves and the Australian government on that," Clarke told media on Saturday.
"As you can imagine it's not a quick process trying to get clarity from certainly the government in the first instance and then the Sunwolves having to react to that to understand exactly what they can do and in what time frame, so we're working diligently on it, but we don't have a final answer."
Similarly, Clarke said there is still work to be done to ensure the Western Force will join the four Australian Super Rugby clubs in the new league, although he remains confident the Perth side will feature in the competition.
An additional element of the league, which is due to kick-off on July 3 and run through until September 19, that needs to be finalised are broadcast arrangements, which have come under scrutiny in recent times as RA have battled to secure a television deal beyond this season.
Clarke said he is in negotiations with current broadcast partner Fox Sports about a new deal for both the 2021 campaign and the upcoming domestic league.
"That's a number one priority for me and the business," he said. "I've had very fruitful discussions with our current broadcast partner in Fox Sports this week about how the shape of the balance of this year looks.
"Those discussions will continue next week and I'm confident we'll get some clarity within a week or two, given that we're trying to kick off a Super Rugby season domestically on the third of July, time is of the essence."
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“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
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