Wellington - The New Zealand and Australian rugby unions said on Friday they were devising an alternative Asia-Pacific competition due to a deadlock with South Africa over the future of the Super 14 championship.
The deadlock comes ahead of a June 30 deadline for the three SANZAR unions to present a proposal to broadcasters for an expanded competition to start in 2011.
On Wednesday South African Rugby's acting managing director Andy Marinos said in a statement the southern hemisphere's premier provincial competition was facing the "gravest challenge" in its 14-year history.
Marinos said the SANZAR team formed to devise the new structure had been suspended at the request of Australia.
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But Australia and New Zealand said in a statement Friday their preferred option was for an expanded competition involving all three countries.
"We remain committed to an expanded Super rugby competition from 2011 in partnership with South Africa despite the current impasse in negotiations," New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Steve Tew told journalists.
"It is fair to say those negotiations have been going a long time and the clock is ticking, but that remains our objective."
But given the deadlock and the looming deadline, Australian and New Zealand rugby executives met in Sydney this week to discuss an alternative competition, which could include teams from Japan.
Tew said he believed the chances of the three unions reaching agreement were still good, adding the dispute would not affect the future for the Tri-Nations Tests between them.
In March the SANZAR unions agreed the expanded competition would have 15 teams and would involve three local conferences, with one full round of matches and local matches within each separate conference.
To fit the extra games in an already crowded season, New Zealand and Australia want matches to continue through the June period when Test matches against northern hemisphere matches are played.
They also want the start of the Super competition to be put back until March but South Africa is pressing for a February start and no matches during the June Test period.
South Africa has suggested its teams could play each other in February and then take a break in June while the Australian and New Zealand teams continued playing.
The New Zealand and Australian unions believe this format would not appeal to fans and broadcasters and would put their Super teams at a disadvantage.
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