Open letter to Sanzar: Deal or no deal

Gentlemen:

Over the past 48 hours there have been a number of reports emanating from New Zealand and Australia concerning a hybrid tournament of the Super 14.

Interesting proposals, but it clearly reveals the market is ready for change and that the Sanzar announcement last month of the expansion of the Super 14 finals to a Top Six play-offs series next year does not adequately address the problematic issues Sanzar faces — besides which, you have contractual agreements that end on May 31 2010.

Please will you and your unions consider the following solution for Sanzar, in advance of your visiting South Africa and providing us Sanzar rugby supporters with your comments so we can all progress this option.

In a top-down exercise Sanzar expands the Tri-Nations to a Five Nations and provides Super 14 rugby with an additional inventory and attractive rugby spectacle by introducing a revamped Super 14 competition format with commercial sponsorships to a greater television audience.

Not in 2010, but in 2008.

We suggest that Sanzar consider an option for the way forward to be:

1. The Tri-Nations expands to the Five Nations with the inclusion of Argentina and a composite Pacific Islands team. This can roll out in 2009.

2. The Super 14, still with 14 teams, could be as follows:

a. South Africa to have six (five plus one) franchises with the fifth-placed South African franchise in the Super 14 to play the sixth franchise in a relegation and promotion tri-game series (home, away and neutral territory).

b. New Zealand to have six (five plus one) franchises with the fifth- or last-placed New Zealand franchise in the Super 14 to play the sixth franchise in a relegation and promotion tri-game series (home, away and neutral territory).

c. Australia to have five (four plus one) franchises with the fourth- or last-placed Australian franchise in the Super 14 to play the fifth franchise in a relegation and promotion tri-game series (home, away and neutral territory).

d. The three Sanzar franchises not competing in the Super 14 from February to May each year play in a new round-robin S14 Challenger Series against an Argentinian side and a Pacific Islands side. This tournament is offered to free-to-air national television and radio broadcasters in each of the Sanzar territories.

(This has the net effect of immediately slowing the migration of players to Europe by retaining each country’s player asset base and ensuring that the Super 14 rugby product, with the Top Six play-offs, is the optimum television viewing and commercial property with a remodelled, commercially viable product.)

Sanzar is now in the unique position of presenting a coherent, far-reaching, strategic rugby solution in 2008 that is capable of remedying the enormous financial and political challenges we all face in our respective unions.

Best of all, it can be implemented with minimum to zero disruption of the existing Super 14 tournament that ends on May 31 2010.

Please do advise us of your comments.

And you, the rugby supporter, go right ahead and make your voice heard.

Yours in rugby,

South African, New Zealand and Australian rugby supporters