22 Apr 2009

ARU says .Africa holding back Super 14 expansion

7:26 am on 22 April 2009

The Australian Rugby Union chief executive John O'Neill says Australia is losing patience with South Africa's failure to commit to an expanded Super 14 competition and could elect to set up a new pan-Asian league,

O'Neill says all the moving so far has been by Australia and New Zealand and the point is being reached where they can't move any more.

South Africa, New Zealand and Australian Rugby plans to invite a 15th team into the competition from 2011 have stalled over competing countries' demands that it come from their own turf.

Australia, which has only four teams to New Zealand and South Africa's five each, wants the extra team, but South Africa Rugby wants its soon-to-be-launched Eastern Cape franchise to be the 15th.