Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

ARU push for longer mid-season Super break

Updated at 1:26 pm on 28 July 2012

Australia is pushing for a longer mid-season break during next year's Super Rugby tournament.

The Wallabies coach Robbie Deans is insisting anything less than a proper preparation for the British and Irish Lions series would be negligent and a recipe for disaster.

The Australian Rugby Union boss John O'Neill revealed yesterday there was a possibility the 2013 Super Rugby competition could initially resume without Australian teams following the break.

This year's first-ever Super break allowed for three weekends of Test rugby in June that followed the first 15 rounds.

With Australia squeezing in a Test against Scotland on a Tuesday night before the first weekend of the break, some players backed up a few days after a Super game and had just one or two runs with their Wallabies teammates before the match in Newcastle.

O'Neill says negotiations have already started with South African and New Zealand officials over next year's Super break and he is confident of achieving a satisfactory outcome within the next two weeks.

He says they need a five-week window and it means South Africa and New Zealand could resume Super Rugby without them and play their local derbies.

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