Sunwolves’ axeing from competition confirmed
AUCKLAND: The Sunwolves have been given the axe from Super Rugby.
As has been signalled over the past few days, Sanzaar has confirmed it has dropped the only Asianbased franchise in the competition, which will revert to a 14team roundrobin format from 2021.
The Japanese franchise has struggled since joining Super Rugby in 2016, winning just seven of its 43 games.
The Sunwolves won their first away game this month when they upset the Chiefs 3015 in Hamilton.
‘‘The decision to further consolidate the competition format to a 14team round robin was not taken lightly,’’ Sanzaar CEO Andy Marinos said.
‘‘It has involved some detailed analysis and a thorough review of the current and future rugby landscape, tournament costs, commercial and broadcast considerations and player welfare in line with our strategic plan.’’
Super Rugby will therefore comprise the existing five New Zealand teams, four South African teams, four Australian teams and the Jaguares from South America.
The agreed format will be played within the next commer cial broadcast window starting in 2021.
South Africa reportedly pushed hard for the Sunwolves to be dropped by the competition as its teams opposed having to travel to Asia to play them and because of a lack of fan attendance during road games.
However, with the broadcast agreement running until the end of the 2020 season, the Japanese franchise will still have to field a team next year.
That team is likely to be made up of a host of New Zealand and Australian players as the season is set to clash with the 201920 Japanese Top League campaign, which has been pushed back due to the World Cup.
The Daily Telegraph reports many of the Sunwolves’ Japan ese talents are also contracted in the Top League which is where they earn the bulk of their salaries.
As a result, they will not be available for the Sunwolves.
This season’s Sunwolves are already loaded with Anzac talent — 14 New Zealanders and four Australians are among this year’s squad.
‘‘Sanzaar was advised by the Japan Rugby Football Union in early March that they would no longer be in a position to financially underwrite the Sunwolves’ future participation post 2020,’’ Marinos said.
‘‘The future of the Sunwolves will now be determined by the JRFU which has determined that Super Rugby no longer remains the best pathway for the development of players for the national team.’’
The 14team round robin format will mean the removal of the threeconference system and will result in each team playing every other team home or away each season.
This means 13 matches for each team, with two byes, in the regular season. The number of home and away matches will vary from six to seven based on a twoyear alternate match schedule.
This will then lead into a new topsix finals series. The top two ranked teams on the competition ladder will receive a bye in week one before hosting semifinal matches against the winners from a knockout round between teams ranked three to six.