Now NZR are about to tackle Super Rugby via a review christened Araptipu, which promises to bring "regeneration and invigoration'' to the ailing competition. Let's be absolutely frank about this, Sanzaar – the body made up of South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina and which administers Super Rugby and The Rugby Championship – was starting to split at the seams long before Covid-19. Super Rugby started, of course, in the 1980s as the South Pacific Championship (SPC) featuring Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, New South Wales, Queensland and Fiji. Getty-Images Blues first-five Stephen Perofeta fends off Crusaders loose forward Tom Christie in a Super Rugby derby in February. New Zealand fans increasingly want to see local derbies and the pre pandemic restructure to Super Rugby, for instance, was going to see our sides meet just once a season from 2021 on.

Source: Stuff April 29, 2020 19:52 UTC