All Blacks coach Ian Foster has strongly backed Australian involvement in any new Super Rugby competition created next year or after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Relations between New Zealand Rugby and Rugby Australia have soured since the publication of a New Zealand Rugby review which recommended only two Australian teams be invited to join an eight-team tournament which might replace the existing Super Rugby competition from as early as 2021.
All five New Zealand teams would remain, along with a new Pacific Islands team.
Rugby Australia was angered by the recommendation.
If a tournament was organised along the lines suggested, Australia would lose three of its current Super Rugby teams.
New Zealand Rugby has been largely unapologetic.
For some time NZR has felt the poor form of Australia's teams has been discouraging to fans and damaging to Super Rugby.
It argues that after the financial hit rugby has taken during the pandemic, future tournaments will have to maximise spectator appeal.
Rugby Australia has called for patience, saying Australian teams will improve given time but New Zealand Rugby is sceptical.
Foster has now stepped into the debate as a diplomat, insisting he has seen improvement in Australian teams during their domestic Super Rugby tournament this season.
He says what they do know is if they get the formula right they can get fans engaged and the players excited, then they're going to continue to get the product they saw this year.
Foster says they need variety in the competition.
He says they've got five really strong franchises and enough talent to fill that five.
[Source: Rugby Australia]
