KEY POINTS:
Melbourne's dream of hosting Super rugby is still alive with executives on both sides of the Tasman determined to play games in the city.
The Crusaders want to play occasional games there, while new Australian rugby boss John O'Neill has put building a Super rugby franchise in Melbourne
high on the agenda.
The Crusaders were considering playing their competition game against the Brumbies in Melbourne next season, but have opted to instead play another trial game in the city.
Crusaders boss Hamish Riach said playing in Melbourne is something the franchise remains determined to do and is hopeful that by 2009 it will happen.
"We looked at playing the Brumbies in our opening game in Melbourne, but we never got to the point of seeking approval or making a formal application. The Brumbies game was the right one but we decided to play another trial game in Melbourne to see if the support we have had there in the past could be replicated," said Riach.
"Playing in Melbourne is something we don't rule out and it is something we want to do in the future."
The Crusaders have been keen to build the recognition of the franchise and effectively create a cross-border sporting brand in the same mould as the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid.
They have targeted Melbourne, with its growing population of Kiwis and thirst for high-level sporting contests, as a city in which they can grow their standing.
This year, they played a trial game in Melbourne against the Western Force and secured a crowd of almost 12,000 on a wet night that also clashed with the Australian Open tennis.
The success of that evening encouraged the Crusaders to look at playing competition games in Melbourne. At the time they argued it was unlikely they would have gained such support for a similar fixture if they had played it in their own region.
With Jade Stadium a test cricket venue as well, the Crusaders are also interested in sourcing a major stadium outside Christchurch to avoid scheduling clashes.
Further proof of the Crusaders' commitment to building a profile in Melbourne came last month when they sent their coaching staff to Victoria to help the newly formed Melbourne Rebels prepare for the inaugural Australian Rugby Championships, which kick off in August.
The Victorian Rugby Union are entirely supportive of the Crusaders' plans to play in Melbourne because they want to prove the city has the support base and infrastructure to permanently host a franchise.
"I would say the appetite for Super rugby has been enhanced truck-loads in the last 48 hours for a number of reasons," said Victorian Rugby president Gary Gray yesterday.
"Having the Bledisloe Cup in Melbourne has given everyone a focus and John O'Neill communicating his support has got a lot of people thinking about rugby.
"If rugby really is going to have a national footprint in Australia how can it ignore the second biggest, or maybe even the biggest, sporting market in the country?
"We have an underlying passion for rugby in Victoria and maybe people in the traditional rugby provinces don't realise that we will be celebrating 100 years of existence in 2009. We have produced 26 Wallabies and continue to provide Super 14 players.
"We have a big and growing Pacific Island population and our playing numbers have doubled in recent years, albeit from a low base."
There has been speculation that when the Brumbies' contract to play in Canberra expires in 2009 that they may relocate to Melbourne or split their base between the two cities.
But O'Neill believes that having two separate franchises is the best route to growing the sport nationally.
