Super Rugby to be a new ball game

• Two South African franchises will be dropped in new structure from 2018

The body that operates Super Rugby, made up of SA, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina, has announced that the Super Rugby tournament has been restructured and will start in 2018 with a three-conference‚ 15-team format.

The body that operates Super Rugby, made up of SA, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina (Sanzaar), has announced the Super Rugby tournament has been restructured and will start in 2018 with a three-conference‚ 15-team format: five teams from New Zealand‚ four from Australia‚ four from SA‚ one from Japan and one from Argentina.

It is still unclear which teams from SA and Australia will be cut.

The restructuring represents a crucial step in Sanzaar’s strategic planning process, which has included an assessment of the economic and sporting environment under which its tournaments, which includes The Rugby Championship, are operating.

This assessment highlighted a need to adjust and strengthen Super Rugby in the short term to ensure a robust and sustainable tournament meets the requirements of all stakeholders.

The change sees an overall reduction of three teams from the 18-team format‚ two from SA and one from Australia.

The Sunwolves will move into the Australian conference. The Australian and South African teams will be confirmed in due course by the respective national unions.

Sanzaar chairman Brent Impey said: “The decision to revert to a 15-team format reflects a consensus view of the mandated Sanzaar executive committee that met in London recently.

“It was not the determination of any one union or stakeholder and follows a thorough assessment and review of the tournament over the last nine months.”

SA Rugby chairman Jurie Roux said: “Fans, media and broadcasters have spoken and we have listened to them.

“The 18-team Super Rugby competition has not worked and we had to face up to that hard fact,” he said.

“From a South African rugby high-performance perspective, we’ve had to acknowledge that the dilution of talent and resources across six franchises — at a time when rand weakness has led to more departures to Europe and Japan — has seriously affected our ability to compete across the board.”

The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) said it would address the Super Rugby competition restructure at a media conference in Sydney on Monday.

Force CE Mark Sinderberry said he was confident the franchise would survive the cull. “We’re going to be financially independent of the ARU, and on top of that we’re the thirdbiggest rugby community in Australia,” Sinderberry said.

New Zealand Rugby CEO Steve Tew welcomed the restructure, saying “the strength of all teams is essential to ensure that New Zealand clubs can be successful on and off the field, while providing a fantastic platform for the best players in the world to be on display.”

Sanzaar CEO Andy Marinos said: “Sanzaar cannot continue to ignore the extensive feedback it has received from fans‚ stakeholders and commercial partners around the integrity of the competition format and performances of the teams.”

FANS, MEDIA AND BROADCASTERS HAVE SPOKEN AND WE HAVE LISTENED TO THEM. THE 18-TEAM SUPER RUGBY COMPETITION HAS NOT WORKED