Melbourne Super 15 side to be a foreign legion

The new Australian Super Rugby franchise will be allowed to recruit up to 10 foreign players for their entry into the expanded Rebel Sport Super 15 competition from 2011.

The Australian Rugby Union will relax their foreign player rules for Melbourne, which will give the new franchise every chance of being successful in their first year.

Recently, the ARU revised their foreign player conditions for their Super rugby teams, and allowed each team – the Brumbies, Waratahs, Reds and Force – to sign one marquee player (who had already qualified for another test nation) and one development player that could eventually be eligible for Australian selection under the International Rugby Board’s three year residency policy.

If a side did not sign a marquee player, then they could take on two development players.

The ARU has eased back the foreign player policy, but only for Melbourne, allowing for one third of their 30 man roster to be overseas players, including non Australian internationals. The concession is not only designed to help the Victorian based side be more competitive faster, but to protect the existing four Australian teams.

Eventually, this new and unique policy will be scaled back, with initial plans to roll back the concession so that by 2015 Melbourne has the same number of overseas players as the other Australian teams.

This model is loosely based on the popular guidelines and dispensations given to new sides in other major sporting tournaments, including the Australian based AFL and NRL. Giving new teams special privileges allows them to get up and running with more efficiency.

"It is important to ensure Melbourne can recruit a team that is competitive from day one," ARU chief John O'Neill said.

“The concessions we have put in place provide Melbourne with every opportunity for immediate success, while also ensuring there is ongoing sustainability moving forward.”

"There are exciting times ahead. The addition of another Australian team and a move to a conference-style format will increase significantly the number and appeal of Super rugby matches played within Australia."

"We will have 20 all-Australian local derbies each season, as opposed to the current six. We will be playing in five cities rather than four and we will have a side in Melbourne that could be showcasing world-class talent from overseas as well as home-grown stars."

More Stories: | All Blacks | ITM Cup | Super Rugby | Heartland