Super Rugby
SARU renew expansion bid
ESPNscrum Staff
February 23, 2012
SARU CEO Jurie Roux tackles questions during a press conference, Wellington, New Zealand, July 28, 2011
SARU chief executive Jurie Roux wants an extra South Africa franchise in Super Rugby © Getty Images
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South Africa will make a renewed bid to persuade SANZAR to expand the Super Rugby competition to 16 teams.

SANZAR have already dismissed the idea of increasing the competition to include a sixth South African franchise. But representatives of the South African Rugby Union (SARU) and their Super Rugby franchises will travel to Australia and New Zealand next month in to push the case for expansion.

The delegation was formulated following a meeting between the SARU and franchises in Johannesburg on Thursday. The Southern Kings have been granted a Super Rugby license for 2013, suggesting that one of the five other franchises will have to step down unless SANZAR can be persuaded to allow a sixth South African franchise into the competition.

"We had a very good conversation on the future where we discussed the options on achieving a solution that is in the interest of South African and southern hemisphere rugby," SARU chief executive officer Jurie Roux.

"We would like to workshop our position with our SANZAR colleagues and have included representatives of our franchises to underline the seriousness of our appeal."

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