A new Super Rugby competition will have to involve Australian sides to lighten the load on New Zealand's five teams, according to Blues assistant coach Dan Halangahu.
With Super Rugby in its current format seemingly on its last legs, the talk of a new competition has set tongues wagging in recent weeks.
While all five New Zealand Super Rugby sides will definitely feature, the make-up of the rest of the competition looms as a real sticking point.
The most circulated new format would see between eight and ten teams, with the five Kiwi sides to be joined by some of the Australian contingent, and a Pasifika team. However, that format would mean saying goodbye to SANZAAR partners South Africa and Argentina .
Speaking at Blues training today though, former Waratahs back Halangahu gave perspective on what would be needed between New Zealand and Australia, with the two rugby unions unable to agree on the number of teams to play.
Halangahu though, is clearly backing a "less is more" approach, with Australian representation.
"I think we've all loved Super Rugby over the years," he said.
"But then to see the crowds, people turning up and loving what we've got here in New Zealand at the moment, that's the key.
"We want the rugby public to love the game, love and support what we're doing. We're just really supportive of anything that gets the crowds turning up as they have.
"But at the same time, we probably just can't keep banging heads with each other every week.
"This competition is just brutal; we need to include some other teams.
"Just how we do that, I'll leave that to the smart blokes."
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