Super 14 Expansion Looks To Japan

Current economic constraints following in the wake of global credit crunch has triggered possible shift in adding a team to the Super 14 competition.

Discussions regarding adding a fifth Australian side had been in the works, however, with the recent blow to the global economy, some feel that a team from Japan might strengthen sponsorship opportunities.

Feeling the weight of the past few weeks’ financial crisis, Australian Rugby Union chief executive John O’Neill said: “There is not a business in Australia that is not taking a deep breath at the moment and we are going through a full assessment of our outlook. This is a paradigm shift and one has to be extremely thoughtful and cautious over the next 18 to 24 months.”

Despite these claims, however, the Australian Football League maintained that developments will continue, albeit on a more conservative and cautionary scale. “We will continue with our expansion plans but all sports will have to plan and act more conservatively with the changed economy,” AFL Chief Executive Andrew Demetriou said.

With that mindset, the AFL has gone on with plans for development, which includes meeting with Gold Coast franchise this morning to discuss final approval for inclusion in the 2011 competition, and an expensive expansion into western Sydney, slated for 2012. However, these plans could shift in lieu of the recent credit crunch.

The issue stems from the effect that five Australian teams in a possible Super 15 tournament could bring trouble in the current marketplace. Some have suggested that including a Japanese team instead could ease the possible affects caused by the current economic state.

Regardless of whether the additional side will come from Australia or Japan, officials had already stated their intent to expand to 15 teams in 2010.