Former Wallaby hooker Jeremy Paul has slammed the idea that Australian Rugby should break away from Super Rugby Pacific in order to form a domestic-only competition.
A report by Fox Sports in the lead-up to the Super Rugby Pacific final suggested that ‘all bets were off’ for Rugby Australia following the expiration of the current deal in 2023.
Chairman Hamish McLennan said that considerations were being made to maximise the commercial interests of the game in Australia.
Paul, who played 72 tests for the Wallabies and over 100 caps for the Brumbies, called the suggestion ‘one of the stupidest’ ideas that he has heard when talking to SENZ Radio.
“It’s probably, arguably, one of the stupidest things I’ve ever heard,” Paul said on SENZ Afternoons.
“The worst thing that we could ever do for our Australian (game) … not only from a competition point of view but also a development point of view … (would be to leave).”
Following the pandemic both countries had to run domestic only versions of Super Rugby which for was a boon for crowd numbers in Australia, particularly for the final of Super Rugby AU which drew a massive crowed in Brisbane in 2021.
Only the Brumbies managed to secure a home playoff quarter-final in the inaugural Super Rugby Pacific but missed out of the final in controversial circumstances with a one point loss to the Blues at Eden Park.
