SANZAAR are looking to boost the Super Rugby competition in the future by adding another conference of US teams.
Fairfax is reporting, today, that they have obtained a strategy paper from SANZAAR, revealing Super Rugby expansion is still in the works, even after a detrimental two-year experiment of an 18-team format which was "confusing, lacked integrity and was ultimately not supported by fans, stakeholders and commercial partners".
The strategy document showed that it will stick to a 15-team, three-conference competition until 2020 but that they have five options for the future, including contraction, retention and three different plans for expansion.
The concept for a potential 20-team, four conference system made up of "new teams or teams from an existing competition" will be an interesting prospect.
The document didn't go into details of regions and countries they are looking at but with World Rugby vice chairman Gus Pichot looking after the Rugby America's growth agenda and Major League Rugby kicking off in the US this year, it is likely North America is the target.
Super Rugby has wanted to get the US interested in the competition but the 18-team disaster put expansion talks on hold.
World Rugby has been trying hard to boost the participation and market share in North and South America and Pichot managed to get USA Rugby boss Dan Payne to join him at Rugby Americas.
Privately-funded MLR has linked up with major broadcast CBS as a partner and they hoping this competition can takes place.
Another expansion option includes keeping the three-conference system, but expands it by three teams at a time, or splitting into Atlantic and Pacific conferences.
The strategy document also has ideas of creating a 'Lions' southern hemisphere team and a fan-picked All Stars-style fixture to be played before the Super Rugby final.
The Lions idea isn't new but the blockbuster fixture will be nearly impossible to schedule.
The "fans' championship" concept would be made up of two teams chosen by fans from the best players and coaches that won't be playing in the final.
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