NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Rugby / Super Rugby

Fiji's bid for Super Rugby

Gregor Paul
By Gregor Paul
Rugby analyst·NZ Herald·
19 Jul, 2017 11:07 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Fiji acquitted themselves well against the Wallabies during the recent June test series. Photo / Photosport.

Fiji acquitted themselves well against the Wallabies during the recent June test series. Photo / Photosport.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Having got so much wrong with its expansion strategy in recent years, Super Rugby is on track to score a massive victory with plans advancing to set up a team in the Pacific Islands.

The Herald understands that Sanzaar officials have targeted the Islands as the most viable expansion territory as part of their strategic plan to adapt the competition in 2020.

The desire to set up a new team - most likely in Fiji - is genuine and as such it is believed Fijian Rugby officials have been asked to put together a comprehensive and compelling case to be included.

Given how hard it is to bring new teams into Super Rugby, the plan is to give Fiji the better part of two years to ready themselves for entry in 2020.

With Fiji having shown consistent form internationally since 2012 there are few concerns about playing resource and ability.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

They acquitted themselves superbly at the 2015 World Cup in the toughest pool and recently defeated Scotland while running Australia close.

Fiji are also the Olympic sevens champions and if they are granted a licence to set up a Super Rugby side, it is likely they will be able to pull back some of their best players who are currently in Europe or Japan.

There is also an expectation that the new team, should it go ahead, will likely be open to players from Samoa, Tonga and other parts of the Pacific.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

But while the box may be largely ticked on the high-performance side, the bigger issue for Sanzaar is gaining confidence in finance and governance.

Fiji has in the last two years hosted games between the Chiefs and Crusaders that were well organised, well attended and well funded by sponsors.

But there is a huge difference between hosting one-off games between two New Zealand teams and operating a permanent team.

Super Rugby's managing body is looking for reassurances that a team in the Islands will be financially viable and sustainable. They simply can't have another expansion venture blow up in their face.

Discover more

Rugby

Cheika: Why Cooper was axed

19 Jul 07:24 AM
Sport|rugby

Listen: 'I'm James Bond': Toulon president's bizarre Fekitoa dismissal

19 Jul 07:07 PM
All Blacks

Hansen: SBW available for Bledisloe Cup

19 Jul 11:05 PM

The current broadcast deal for Super Rugby expires at the end of 2019 and in early 2016, Sanzaar commissioned a major review to determine how the competition should be shaped and structured after that.

There was an unspoken implication that major expansion was the likely outcome when that work began.

There had long been loose ideas within Sanzaar that Super Rugby would be taken to the West Coast of the US, possibly the East Coast, too, potentially Canada, China and other parts of Asia.

But the appetite for such an ambitious expansion has been dulled due to the difficulties the competition has suffered in recent years after introducing teams from Argentina and Japan and increasing Australia's allocation to five and South Africa's to six.

The grand plan has failed and next year Super Rugby will be reduced to at least 16 teams - South Africa have already axed the Kings and Cheetahs - but probably 15 with Australia set to also cut one of their teams.

"The Pacific Islands have been discussed at length," Sanzaar chief executive Andy Marinos told the Herald last year.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We just cannot ignore that from a high-performance perspective they tick every box and, yes very much so, they are part of the thinking going forward. We have got to get the Pacific Islands included into the structure. How or what it will look like, I can't say right now. But we know there is quality there - they are almost set up and ready to go and get in there and play.

"Where do you geographically locate them and how do you fund it? They are certainly one of the geographies, teams and group of players, who will be considered because they can add value to the competition.

"Yes, it has to be underpinned by strong commercial factors so it makes sense, but at the same time you can't ignore or fail to appreciate they have enough quality in their high-performance structure in order to be competitive."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Super Rugby

New Zealand

'Two bits of gold': How ballet and sumo transformed the All Blacks

Premium
Business

Whānau Ora funds probe: Pasifika Futures’ family ties questioned

Super Rugby

Moana Pasifika’s owners 'strongly reject' misuse of public funding claims amid probe


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Super Rugby

'Two bits of gold': How ballet and sumo transformed the All Blacks
New Zealand

'Two bits of gold': How ballet and sumo transformed the All Blacks

The All Blacks learned to reduce 'turf toe' from the Royal New Zealand Ballet.

12 Jul 05:00 PM
Premium
Premium
Whānau Ora funds probe: Pasifika Futures’ family ties questioned
Business

Whānau Ora funds probe: Pasifika Futures’ family ties questioned

03 Jul 05:00 PM
Moana Pasifika’s owners 'strongly reject' misuse of public funding claims amid probe
Super Rugby

Moana Pasifika’s owners 'strongly reject' misuse of public funding claims amid probe

28 Jun 04:55 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP