Aussies eye July 3 restart
Canberra: Super Rugby transTasman finals appear unlikely as Rugby Australia looks to lock in a July 3 domestic reboot, which is set to include the Western Force.
Rugby Australia’s Return To Play committee has been meeting regularly to lay down plans for a new-look competition, while they have been absorbing knowledge from the NRL, who will resume later this month.
Melbourne Rebels chief executive Baden Stephenson, who represents the Super Rugby clubs on the seven-man committee, said they’d made some real progress.
RA will give Super Rugby clubs a COVID-19 education briefing early next week, with players set to resume training on May 18, giving them seven weeks ahead of a Friday July 3 start.
Similar to New Zealand’s “Super Rugby Aotearoa” which was announced this week, its set to be a 10-week round-robin competition involving the five Australian franchises, with no crowds.
“It’s progressing really well and at this stage the draft date is the third and fourth of July although there’s a lot to happen before that’s absolutely confirmed,” Stephenson told AAP.
“The conversations and the draft draw include the Western Force but there’s a lot of work still to get done there.”