Tew: Japan bid not hunky-dory

SANZAR has not given up hope of Japan taking its place in the expanded Super Rugby competition for 2016, though the clock is ticking on the troubled bid.

New Zealand Rugby chief executive Steve Tew updated media on the Japanese situation yesterday from London, following reports that Sanzar were considering pressing ahead without either the Japanese side or the sixth South African team, the Southern Kings.

Tew said he had just hours earlier got off a conference call with the Sanzar executive and there was still hope the proposed Japanese franchise could get its act together in time.

Reports from Japan suggest the organisation putting together the new franchise has struggled to attract high-calibre players and has also been getting little or no co-operation from the existing Japanese Top league competition.

It comes at a disturbing time for rugby in Japan, with the country’s hosting of the 2019 World Cup also under threat as a result of the loss of Tokyo’s new National Stadium as a venue for the tournament.

World Rugby has said the event could be moved to South Africa if Japan does not meet hosting

Steve Tew, pictured assurances by the end of the month.

Tew said Sanzar hoped to have the Super Rugby situation resolved within the next week.

‘‘They are working very hard to get themselves ready to take their spot in 2016,’’ he said.

‘‘We’ve gone back looking for more information. Sanzar will be making some comments on that next week possibly.’’

Tew said at this stage the Japan team was expected to take its place in the expanded competition for 2016.

‘‘We’ve got a draw ready to go with them in it. They have not reached some of the milestones we wanted them to reach on time, and they’re working very hard now to catch that up.

‘‘The report we got this morning showed a reasonable amount of progress, but there are still a couple of areas we require a little more comfort in. It’s just not quite at the point where we could say it’s hunky-dory but not at the point where we could say anything else either.

‘‘I’d say by this time next week we’d be there but we’re just making sure we give them as much time as we can to get it right.’’

Tew said reports the Southern Kings’ place was also under threat were wide of the mark.

‘‘The South Africans are confident the Kings will be ready. We expect any team that comes into this competition to take a bit of time to find their feet . . . Argentina are looking really good, the Kings will be OK, and Japan we’ve got some more work to do.’’

Tew also confirmed in his postNZ Rugby board meeting update that an announcement was imminent on a licensing deal at the Highlanders – the last franchise to complete the part privatisation process.

‘‘We’ve got to the point where we’ve appointed one of our own to sit on the board, but we just don’t have the final agreement signed … we’re very close.’’

The NZR boss also provided some assurances around next year’s Olympic sevens tournament after a meeting in London.

‘‘If you look at photographs of the rugby venue you would be fractionally nervous, but we’re told it will be ready. ’’

Tew also hinted at some changes around the Wellington sevens tournament which is part of the world series circuit.

‘‘Our team has done a really good job of trying to repackage the tournament and get a broader appeal to families and kids. You’ll see a completely different approach to ticketing when it’s announced [near the end of the month].’’

There are no plans to consider a move away from Wellington, with Tew confirming they were not keen to go up against Auckland’s Nines rugby league event.