O'Neill: Super 12 still the best in the world
February 21, 2002

Australian Rugby Managing Director John O'Neill has heralded the Super 12 comeptition as the best competition in the world ahead of the season's big kick off this weekend.

"It's hard to argue with success," he told the ARU's official website. "Successful businesses don't pull their best selling products off the shelf."

O'Neill was responding to suggestions that Super 12 should make way for some form of domestic competition once the News Limited contract concludes in 2005.

"Vodafone Super 12 Rugby, along with the Tri Nations series is the greatest thing to happen to the game in 140 years. Australian rugby fans have developed an insatiable appetite for Super 12 over the past six years.

"The public loves it, our broadcasters love it, the players enjoy it and at the end of the day it pays their wages. I don't think anyone wants to take a pay cut."

"People want the Vodafone Super 12 because it is the greatest international provincial rugby competition in the world. It continues to break crowd records, pay tv records, and our sponsors love it."

O'Neill also pointed out that broadcast revenues from the SANZAR deal have delivered professional players a financial security that would be impossible in an exclusively domestic competition.

"There's no point in being a small fish in a small bowl. In international broadcasting terms, Australia is a small market. The advantage Rugby has over its domestic rivals is this international aspect which gives Super 12 a unique domestic status as well as promoting sales into countless markets worldwide."

"This year the Vodafone Super 12 will be sold into an additional 22 new markets, on top of traditional markets such as the United Kingdom, Western Europe, Africa, Japan/Asia, the US, Latin America - in total, more than 100 countries."

O'Neill added that the ARU remains committed to strong domestic competitions, such as Premier Rugby in Brisbane and Sydney, as well as the Australian Rugby Shield.

"There's been a bit of 'ringing of hands' in some quarters since the demise of the Super 14 concept. The important thing is to remember what an amazing competition the Vodafone Super 12 is.

"This weekend we'll be reminded of what it is all about and why people want so much of it. Good luck to the Waratahs in Rotorua, while the reigning Premiers, the Brumbies begin their defence against the Reds at Canberra Stadium in front of a packed house. All the best to both sides."

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