The private companies that own the licences for four Super Rugby teams from New Zealand are seeking compensation from New Zealand Rugby for an expected drop in revenues due to a league format change, according to local media.
Public-service broadcaster TVNZ reported that the Chiefs, Hurricanes, Crusaders and Highlanders expect their gate receipts to fall significantly next season due to a reduction in the number of local derbies. Super Rugby is contracting to 14 teams in 2021, with the departure of Japan's Sunwolves. The competition is moving from a regional conference format to a single league, round-robin format, meaning fewer head-to-heads between New Zealand teams.
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