Dump Super Rugby, look to Asia: Mehrtens
All Blacks great Andrew Mehrtens has called for Super Rugby to be disbanded, encouraging New Zealand and Australia to dump South Africa and Argentina and link with Asia to save the game in this region.
Mehrtens believes a successful link with Asia would also allow All Blacks to play overseas and still be selected for New Zealand.
He’s also frustrated that the huge spread of time zones that hit Super Rugby.
‘‘Going forward if we push into Asia, if we can develop a competition that’s in the same time zone I think it’s going to be a better product,’’ Mehrtens, these days a top rugby pundit, told ESPN.
‘‘I’ve said for a long time, we need to drop South Africa. As much as I love South Africa, logistically it’s a pain in the a..
Same with Argentina.
‘‘Argentina needs to go up their time zone with the USA, South Africa go probably start developing franchises in Dubai or somewhere there. But I think our push is into Asia.’’
Super Rugby currently includes a Japanese franchise in the Sunwolves. But next year is their last season of involvement as Sanzaar has dumped them in revised plans that will see the championship streamlined. The folly of that comes with rugby currently celebrating a hugely successful World Cup in Japan.
Mehrtens, the former Crusaders and All Blacks firstfive, believes increasing a competition with Asian involvement can help counter the growing exodus of players to Europe where wealthy competitions in Britain and France utilise Kiwi talent.
It could also see a relaxation of the strict rules that say a New
Zealand player must be involved in a New Zealand competition to be eligible to play for the All Blacks.
‘‘We’re up against big northern hemisphere economies in Europe and England, so Australia being strong as a rugby brand is important to New Zealand as well,’’ Mehrtens said.
‘‘Australia has a bigger economic footprint into Asia and I’m fully of the belief that’s our future getting into that market there and helping develop that.
‘‘If we push into Asia I think at that point New Zealand rugby has got to say ‘well OK, we’re going to allow our players to play offshore so long as they play in our competition’. If they don’t go to France, they don’t to England or Ireland or whatever; so long as they stay in our competition and it brings teams in this new market for rugby, eventually they’re going to have to face facts and still select them.’’