Bloomberg reports that, in a meeting in Brisbane to consider two applications – from Melbourne in Australia, and South Africa’s Eastern Cape – SANZAR was not able to reach the required unanimous decision. The Australian Rugby Union supported Melbourne and SA Rugby supported the South African bid by the Southern Kings team.
“As a result no vote was taken by the executive committee,” SANZAR said in an e-mailed statement. “SANZAR will move quickly to set up an independent arbitration process which will result in a binding decision.”
SANZAR decided in May to add a team to the competition – the southern hemisphere’s elite provincial rugby competition – and to change to a conference format in 2011. The new team will join the Australian Conference.
