New Super Rugby Pacific Chief Jack Mesley has said that he has an ‘open mind’ to new teams joining the competition including from Japan, South Africa and Argentina.
Sydney-based Mesley, who is only three months into the role, spoke to The Post’s Paul Cully about his plans for the competition.
Japan was previously represented in Super Rugby by the now defunct Sunwolves who joined the competition in 2016 and disbanded in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic and financial struggles.
The short-lived team was managed by Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU) and was replete with high-profile personnel on and off the field including Luke Thompson, Kotaro Matsushima and Semisi Masirewa while Jamie Joseph coached the team in 2018 and Tony Brown took charge for the 2019 campaign.
Japan’s Sunwolves, who was sponsored by HITO-Communications, played the majority of their home games at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium to a receptive crowd in Tokyo but also hosted games at Mong Kok Stadium in Hong Kong and Singapore Sports Hub which ultimately proved to be a miscalculation.
Mesley is currently consumed by next week’s draw for the new-look competition following the axing of financially stricken Melbourne Rebels who Rugby Australia refused to bail out.
When asked if teams from Japan, South Africa or Argentina could return to Super Rugby fold, Mesley told The Post that he has an open mind to such suggestions.
“We'll look through those three lenses,” he said.
"There's lots of moving pieces in the global landscape at the moment.
“We've got some massive milestone events on our horizon with the Rugby World Cup and Olympics.
“Those things mean that there may be opportunities, but we'll review them and my job is to make sure that we're reviewing those through the lens of, ‘What's the best thing for Super Rugby?’
Mesley added: “We don't operate in a vacuum. Super Rugby is part of the rugby pyramid in all the geographies we exist in.”
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