New competition ‘not sustainable’

New Zealand Rugby believes a five-team Super Rugby Aotearoa competition is ‘‘unsustainable'' but is keeping an open mind to what the future could look like, including a trans-Tasman option with Australia or even extending the number of New Zealand teams.

‘‘We've got to be open to all sorts of options,'' NZ Rugby chairman Brent Impey said in an interview with Stuff.

NZ Rugby's decision on the future of Super Rugby will be one of its most significant in its recent history. Even before Covid-19 hit, the competition was struggling to engage supporters in the way it once did.

Despite four New Zealand teams making the finals, crowds fell by 6 per cent in 2019 while Sanzaar partners Australia and South Africa had issues of their own, with Australian Super Rugby teams struggling to be competitive since 2013.

The way New Zealanders have embraced Super Rugby Aotearoa has confirmed their preference for games between Kiwi sides, and Impey said that message was coming through loud and clear in the booming attendances and TV audiences.

‘‘Certainly from a New Zealand perspective, we know what the public want . . . and we've known for a long time what the public want,'' Impey said. ‘‘They want the derbies.''

Adding New Zealand teams would create an extra layer of excitement for supporters but would be a complex process. However, one thing seems clear: a repeat of the five-team format in 2021 is unlikely to be on the cards.

‘‘The challenge is that it's pretty hard to run a sustainable competition with five teams.

‘‘It worked perfectly this year but going longerterm, it's not really a sustainable model.''

That means the door remains open to Australia, particularly as a trans-Tasman competition would still offer New Zealand fans a healthy share of derbies while also providing NZ Rugby with a partner without disrupting the Crusaders, Chiefs, Highlanders, Blues or Hurricanes.