The Dominion Post yesterday reported that a competition involving nine provincial unions and five Australian unions had been mooted, but the proposal has received a cold shoulder from the New Zealand Rugby Union.
The competition would replace the Super 14, with teams from North Harbour, Auckland, Waikato, Hawkes Bay, Taranaki, Wellington, Canterbury, Otago and Southland competing, along with five Australian unions.
The transtasman trophy would have two rounds, and would include a Heineken Cup-style tournament played at the same time - with matches every four weeks being contested by 24 teams in four pools of six - by the top teams, and including sides from South Africa, Japan, United States, the Pacific Islands, and perhaps Hong Kong.
The season would run from March to October.
But NZPA reported yesterday that any new competition which did not include South Africa, would not be supported by the New Zealand Rugby Union.
Otago Rugby Football Union chief executive Richard Reid said he had received an email about the competition but said it was just like other proposals which were floating around at the moment.
"The Otago union's point of view is that we will always go along and listen to see what is being discussed," he said.
"There is a school of thought out there that the franchise model is not the best to promote New Zealand rugby, and it could be better done through the provinces, which have the brand, the history and the colours.
"But changes to the competition structure have been signalled by the New Zealand Rugby Union with the reviews it is doing now."
Much more detail was needed about the competition, especially about finances, he said.
Reid said he had received just one email on the proposed competition, with no financial details, but was to attend a meeting of the nine unions in Auckland on Friday when further discussions would take place.
Reid said the Otago union had not been to any meetings about the proposed competition.
The NZRU was reviewing the structure of the Air New Zealand Cup, the structure of the Super 14 franchises, and the Super 14 competition itself, so Reid said the proposed competition was just another one in the mix.
The NZRU had indicated after 13 years the Super 14 might need a change, and that was what the review was about, he said.
Doubt remained whether the new competition could survive without South African participation.
It is understood about 60% of Sanzar's income comes from South Africa, so cutting it out of the picture would lead to a large reduction in income.
It is hoped additional income from countries such as the US and Japan will pick up the difference.
NZRU general manager of professional rugby Neil Sorensen said the exclusion of South Africa from the mooted competition was "absolutely not" the NZRU's preferred position at the moment.
Sorensen said Sanzar needed to remain "very, very strong", particularly in today's rugby environment, which was very trying.
The NZRU had been invited to attend the meeting in Auckland.
The final draft decision on the future of the Air NZ Cup, from which teams are to be dropped, should be released today.
Unions have until September 5 to give their feedback and the NZRU would make a final decision on September 25.
