Rugby: Wallaby great's radical plan for Aussie Super Rugby teams - make All Blacks play for them

Wallaby great Mark Ella has proposed a radical new way to arrest Australian Super Rugby teams' dreadful slump against those from New Zealand – by forcing top All Blacks like Beauden Barrett, Rieko Ioane and Brodie Retallick to play for the likes of the Brumbies, Waratahs and Reds.

Ella, considered an Australian legend despite only playing in 25 tests, on Wednesday called on governing body Sanzaar to explore new ways of ending the Kiwis' dominance - with the competition reportedly set for another shake-up at the end of the current broadcast deal in 2020.

While he acknowledges the proposal is a radical one, Ella insists "desperate times call for desperate measures" – even arguing that it's in New Zealand's interest to have strong Australian opposition.

New Zealand's Super Rugby teams have now gone an unprecedented 38 games without defeat to the Aussies after the struggling Blues beat the Waratahs in Sydney over the weekend.

Ella says this dominance is "unhealthy" and wants Sanzaar to redistribute playing talent across teams in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina and Japan.

Forcing key All Blacks to play for teams across the ditch would be a sure-fire way to make them teams competitive.

"After the Waratahs' loss to the Blues last Saturday I can't see an Australian team beating a New Zealand team this season," Ella told AAP.

"If that happens, we would have gone two years without winning a single game against Kiwi opposition. That is totally unacceptable.

"If you can't beat them, sign them.

"Imagine what a difference it would make if the Brumbies signed Beauden Barrett or if the Waratahs recruited Brodie Retallick. You would just need one or two key Kiwi players to make the Australian teams competitive again.

"Right now it [Super Rugby] is just a competition between four strong Kiwi sides."

Wallaby great Mark Ella has some interesting ideas. Photo / Getty

He would also have New Zealand Rugby and Rugby Australia's self-imposed restrictions - only permitting the test selection of players who represent domestic teams in the respective countries – to be lifted.

"I understand why the national unions in Australia and New Zealand prefer their players to play for their own Super Rugby teams because it helps to prepare for test rugby, particularly in New Zealand where they have a centralised system.

"But it is in New Zealand's interests for Australian rugby to be strong even if that means lending us some of their Super Rugby players."

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