Rugby: ARU backs Melbourne for Super 15

The Australian Rugby Union has endorsed Melbourne as the country's sole contending venue for the 15th Super rugby licence and called on the three bidders from the southern capital to join forces.

Melbourne was chosen by the ARU ahead of bids from western Sydney, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast while NSW Country withdrew last week.

ARU chief executive, John O'Neill said Melbourne gave Australia the best chance of securing the 15th franchise in the face of offshore competition.

Gold Coast have accused the ARU of ignoring the game's grass-roots in favour of pay-TV ratings by backing Melbourne.

The Coast and Western Sydney were both left disappointed by the ARU's endorsement of Melbourne to be the sole bidder for the fifth team in the Australian conference from 2011.

Even Melbourne bid teams were surprised that neither the Coast nor Western Sydney were included in the next stage of a process which will be finalised in October.

Gold Coast bid chief Terry Jackman said members of his team were given the impression by the ARU last week they would be included in the next stage.

Jackman, a former ARU director, felt the initial bidding exercise had been a "charade" as Melbourne had been the preferred candidate due to its sizeable market.

While he was glad the Coast would not have to needlessly spend more money on a detailed business plan, Melbourne's advantage in boosting Foxtel subscriptions did grate on Coast officials.

Foxtel is owned by News Corporation, who must sign off on a new broadcast rights deal with SANZAR for when the competition is expanded.

"Are we doing these things to develop the game or to develop the Foxtel audience?," Jackman asked.

"To me it seems obvious the decision is more about keeping Foxtel happy than developing the game.

"They will not develop the game in Melbourne as far as getting kids playing the game in their thousands, as we are in our area, because of the strength of Aussie Rules."

Jackman said rugby on the tourist strip and northern NSW was now vulnerable due to NRL, A-League and AFL teams being established on the Coast.

"It's not going to be easy to keep the local juniors in rugby," he said.

Jackman called for the ARU to help make the region into their own sole union.

"Gold Coast is under the QRU which is a basket case and Northern Rivers is too far away from NSWRU," he said.

"What they should do is make a separate union formed on the Gold Coast and Northern Rivers aligned with the ARU.

"Canberra grew when it became a separate union. I have a concern that we will get lost in the wash."

ARU boss John O'Neill gave encouragement to both Gold Coast and Western Sydney for further Super rugby expansion but felt Melbourne delivered an irresistible case to SANZAR and News Corporation.

He said the ARU was desperate to grow the game at the grass-roots level. But he admitted: "If you are not putting up a good TV audience you are not growing the game."

- AAP