It's official - one Australian and two South African Super Rugby teams will be cut from next year's competition. Super Rugby is unique in world rugby in that it is played in six countries across 15 time zones and has numerous stakeholders." Related Content Rugby: Life will get easier for chastened Chiefs Rugby: SBW's stand on sponsors not the first of its type in NZ Rugby: Force, Kings turn on spectacle, as Super Rugby axe hoversSanzaar chairman, Brent Impey, who is also New Zealand Rugby's chairman, said: "This decision has not been an easy one and we recognise the difficulty associated with reducing the number of teams in Australia and South Africa. It remains an obvious focus for the organisation and a Japanese Super Rugby franchise is key to that strategy." New Zealand Rugby Chief Executive Steve Tew welcomed the changes.

Source: New Zealand Herald April 09, 2017 08:03 UTC