Sunwolves axed from Super Rugby by SANZAAR
March 22, 2019 03:32 MYT
The Sunwolves have been axed from Super Rugby in favour of a 14-team competition, SANZAAR announced on Friday following a substantial review.
Super Rugby will be reduced from 15 sides to 14 in 2021, with the Tokyo-based Sunwolves bowing out at the end of the 2020 season.
The Sunwolves – who have won one of their five games this season – only joined Super Rugby in 2016 and the news comes as a blow ahead of this year's World Cup, which will be staged in Japan.
"The decision to further consolidate the competition format to a 14-team round robin was not taken lightly. It has involved some detailed analysis and a thorough review of the current and future rugby landscape, tournament costs, commercial and broadcast considerations and player welfare in line with our Strategic Plan," SANZAAR chief executive Andy Marinos said in a statement.
NEWS: SUPER RUGBY FUTURE IS 14 TEAMS SANZAAR has announced following a substantial review of @SuperRugby over the last 18 months via strategic planning process the future of Super Rugby rests with a 14-team, round robin, competition format. Full details: https://t.co/lpTxJDOBeK pic.twitter.com/u7hj6m3Vz9
— Super Rugby (@SuperRugby) March 22, 2019
With the Sunwolves set to be culled, Super Rugby will scrap the current conference system as the competition reverts to a round-robin format, which sees every team face each other once.
The 14-team Super Rugby will comprise of five existing teams from New Zealand, four South African sides, four Australian clubs and the Buenos-Aires based Jaguares from South America.
"SANZAAR was advised by the Japan Rugby Football Union [JRFU] in early March that they would no longer be in a position to financially underwrite the Sunwolves future participation post 2020. The future of the Sunwolves will now be determined by the JRFU which has determined that Super Rugby no longer remains the best pathway for the development of players for the national team," Marinos added.