The long-held dream of Pacific Island inclusion in Super Rugby is close after New Zealand Rugby agreed to the “game changer” of sharing broadcast revenue with the Moana Pasifika and Fiji franchises.
NZ Rugby has been working alongside Moana Pasifika and Fiji for months to have them included in 2022, and despite a history of false dawns and disappointment it appears that final sign-off could happen in the next few months.
“I've never been more confident,” Aayden Clarke, the CEO of players’ body Pacific Rugby Players (PRP), told Stuff on Tuesday, “simply because of the appetite of New Zealand Rugby and them being genuine about wanting to make this happen, sharing resources, and their approach.
“And both organisations are nearly there. I'm fairly confident we’ll get this across the line. It's such a huge thing.
“It’ll be a huge moment, not only for Pacific Islands rugby, but also for the opportunity for players to be able to play professional rugby.”
Work is ongoing around the “detail”, Clarke said, but his sense of confidence stems from NZ Rugby’s ground-breaking decision to share broadcast revenue, and its recognition that a new 12-team Super Rugby competition minus South Africa and Argentina needs the colour and passion the Pacific Islands teams could provide.
“It's a game changer from the other times Pacific Island teams have tried [to get a Super Rugby licence,” Clarke said.
“That detail is yet to be determined and it’s being worked through right at this very point about what that could look like.
“But the good news is that, yes, they will get a cut.
“Unlike other times, NZ Rugby need this to happen. The competition needs change. It needs diversity.
“Both of these teams are going to bring a hell of a lot to the table when it comes to public interest and fan base. So, there has been a different outlook from NZ Rugby.”
The Fiji Rugby Union announced in February that it was seeking private capital of up to $10 million and will offer majority ownership of a team in Super Rugby in 2022.
Clarke said that Moana Pasifika was in the market for a figure “there or thereabouts” so that NZ Rugby is satisfied both entities have solid foundations.
“I think they are looking really good, really comfortable on a number of fronts, especially around the high performance setups,” Clarke said.
“It's really just securing and understanding what the financial investment looks like.
“It's not so much about cash up front for NZ Rugby, it's more abut the underwriting and the financial backing.
“The costs are going to be different for both of those teams, so it’s really about NZ Rugby being able to understand and feel comfortable that for the long-term they’ve got the financial setup in behind them.”
PRP has been a key player behind the push for a PI team in Super Rugby, and it has links to the respective national unions in the Pacific Islands as well as a good relationship with the influential New Zealand Rugby Players Association.
Those connections mean it has a good feel for the player market in this region and overseas, and Clarke said that the financial and social damage caused by Covid-19 in Europe meant more Pasifika players were open to the idea of coming back to the southern hemisphere.
“It's a chicken and egg thing,” Clarke said. “These teams need to get into the recruitment space pretty quickly.
“I know that a few conversations have already been had but if you're serious about it you need the licence.
“And I've said to both organisations {NZ Rugby and the new franchises] they've got the perfect storm for recruitment at the moment.
“Two years ago it was going to cost them a lot of money to entice players out of Europe and Japan but at the moment we’ve got shrinking salary caps up north and players who have been stuck in lockdown.
“So, families are wanting to move. The opportunity is possibly a little bit cheaper than it used to be.”
Clarke said he was optimistic that the licences would be granted in the next few months, and the Pacific Islands rugby dream can finally become a reality. “It was hoped that it would be all wound up in March, but I’m expecting that mid-April will be more realistic,” he said.