Does Melbourne pick really give Super 15

Thursday 12 November 2009
Published By: Ben Welch
Super Rugby > Australia

The decision to give Melbourne the 15th spot in the Super Rugby franchise has unsurprisingly been welcomed down under.

Australian Rugby Union boss John O'Neill was quoted by Scrum.com as saying the decision is not only a "win" for the game within his country, but the competition as a whole.

"For the quality and the functionality of the tournament - it only made sense to go for Melbourne," he remarked. "It gives the competition a new dimension."

However, judging by the admittedly biased statements of South Africa Rugby Union president Oregan Hoskins to Planet Rugby, money could well be the only thing this move actually gives the tournament.

He claimed the bid by Southern Kings, Melbourne's rival for the final spot, was said to be better both from a rugby and an organisation standpoint by the expert panel overseeing the decision.

South Africa's Bulls team are currently the favourites at the bookmakers to win the upcoming Super 14 tournament, with Australia's Brumbies the second most fancied in the betting.