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South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa. could make southern hemisphere and Super Rugby more valuable to sponsors and broadcasters with an attractive rugby spectacle by introducing a coherent rugby inventory that complements the existing domestic and international tournaments and makes the Super 14 stronger.
SA Rugby’s Hoskins as Chairman of Sanzar, will next week on the 16th January suggest to Argentina that the way forward to expand rugby in the southern hemisphere will be to expand the Tri-Nations to Four-Nations in 2012.
As a pathway for expansion and professional rugby in Argentina, it would assist Argentina to have two franchises competing against each of the Sanzar countries with an extra Super Rugby franchise based around the Super 14, still with 14 teams, to be as follows:
1. South Africa to have six (five plus one) franchises with the fifth-placed South African franchise in the Super 14 to play the sixth franchise in a relegation and promotion Tri-Game Series (Home, Away & Neutral territory). This is played in the last month of the Super 14 each year when the Super 14 semis and finals are played, as the last placed side is well known. This becomes the South African Domestic Tri-Game Series of relegation and promotion.
2. New Zealand to have six (five plus one) franchises with the fifth- or last-placed New Zealand franchise in the Super 14 to play the sixth franchise in a relegation and promotion Tri-Game Series (Home, Away & Neutral territory). This is played in the last month of the Super 14 each year when the Super 14 semis and finals are played, as the last-placed side is well known. This becomes the New Zealand Domestic Tri-Game Series of relegation and promotion.
3. Australia to have five (four plus one) franchises with the fourth- or last-placed Australian franchise in the Super 14 to play the fifth franchise in a relegation and promotion Tri-Game Series (Home, Away & Neutral Territory). This is played in the last month of the Super 14 each year when the Super 14 semis and finals are played, as the last-placed side is well known. This becomes the Australian Domestic Tri-Game Series of relegation and promotion.
One of either the Buenos Aires or Mendoza Super Rugby Franchises
4. Argentina to have two (Buenos Aires and Tucuman or Mendoza) franchises to play in the tournament.
The Eastern Cape + 
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5. The three Sanzar franchises not competing in the Super 14 from February to May each year will play a round-robin southern hemisphere Super Rugby tournament (a “B” series) against an Argentine franchise (Buenos Aires or Mendoza) and a composite Pacific Islands (Tonga, Fiji & Samoa) side.
6. The addition of an African Leopards side which would be a composite team from Southern Africa to include elite players from Namibia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco and Uganda.
This formula expands rugby in the southern hemisphere and includes the tier 2 & 3 nations and establishes a tournament for the 3 franchises not making the Super 14 cut, plus benefits each country’s players, broadcasters and sponsors with an additional rugby inventory.
This has the net effect of:
1. Immediately slowing the migration of our players to Europe by retaining each country’s player asset base, and introducing a premium television product by linking 7 iconic Southern Hemisphere rugby playing nations in a Super Rugby tournament.
2. Assisting Argentina to get ready for the Four Nations in 2012
3. Helps SA Rugby lobby for support for their 2015 & 2019 Rugby World Cup Bids
4. Helps the IRB grow rugby in the Southern Hemisphere.
Hoskins will meet the President of the Argentina Rugby Union Porfirio on the 16th January in Buenos Aires and then the following week there is a Presidents Council meeting on the 21st January at which the SA Rugby Bid, the expanded Tri-Nations and Super 7 Rugby Series should be tabled for discussion.
Tony, seeing that this finally introduces the Spears, what is the nature of your relationship with Cheeky Watson?
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