The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) on Wednesday said Perth and Melbourne are the only two cities invited to bid for the country’s fourth ”Super 14” franchise.
ARU managing director Gary Flowers said it whittled the contenders for the franchise down to two after expressions of interest from the Australian regional centres at Gosford, the Gold Coast, Townsville and Adelaide.
”The reality is that we now have two excellent options and can ultimately only choose one,” Flowers said.
”To put other locations to the expense and rigours of a submission process would create false expectations and, frankly, we would be wasting their time.”
Melbourne and Perth were always considered frontrunners for the new Australian franchise when the idea was floated in early September.
Melbourne, while not in the ARU’s heartland, is the country’s second-largest city with a population of more than three million. Perth has large expatriate populations of rugby-supporting South Africans and Britons.
The cities will submit their bids by November 19 and the ARU is expected to announce its decision in December.
The winner will join Australia’s existing Super 12 teams — the NSW Waratahs, Queensland Reds and ACT Brumbies — in an expanded, 14-team southern-hemisphere representative competition in the 2006 season.
The bids will contain detailed information on proposed revenue streams, sponsorship, player development, ticketing, marketing and communications planning, as well as rugby operations planning, including recruitment, staffing, training facilities and player welfare programmes.
”Timing is critical,” Flowers said. ”We need a CEO and coach appointed quickly to get the right structures in place and competitive playing roster recruited.”
Sanzar — which represents the South African, New Zealand and Australian rugby unions — put forward the Super 14 concept last month as part of a proposed new broadcasting rights deal with News Corp.
Sanzar’s model also includes a third round of Tri-Nation Test matches between the Springboks, Wallabies and All Blacks.
Sanzar’s 10-year deal with News Corp expires next year and boss Rupert Murdoch warned last October that a new agreement is unlikely to match the original sum of $550-million.
An ARU spokesperson said Sanzar and New Corp are still negotiating the contract. — Sapa-AFP