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Live sport on SN this weekend‘There is no silver bullet’: Crusaders boss weighs in on Super Rugby eligibility debate
Sport Nation • August 28th, 2026 11:25 am
Colin Mansbridge | Photo: Photosport
Crusaders CEO Colin Mansbridge believes the current Super Rugby Pacific structure prepares players well for international rugby, despite ongoing debate about opening eligibility across the Tasman.
Mansbridge's comments come as New Zealand Rugby and Rugby Australia consider ways to add more parity to the competition by allowing players to potentially cross sides of the ditch to play for other Super Rugby sides whilst remaining eligible for their international sides.
Mansbridge defended the quality of the existing competition, pointing to the All Blacks’ recent success against the world champions at home in South Africa.
“The competition itself, I mean it's just prepared a team to go and beat the world champions and be ranked number one in the world over the weekend.”
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“All this rubbish about players not being prepared to play international footy, I mean all those guys played Super Rugby other Fabian (Holland) obviously” - who spent the season recovering from a shoulder injury.
Mansbridge says there could still be value in expanding the competition, but warned changes to eligibility won’t be a wholesale solution.
“I think what's more important is to be careful about not picking up on one lever or one suggestion or one idea and saying, ‘oh, that's the answer to everything, so let's do that.'
“Everybody's looking for the silver bullet and there is no silver bullet. To make this competition sustain itself as the best in the world, there's lots and lots of little levers you've got to pull and you've gotta keep tweaking.”
Tupou Vaa’i | Photo: Ron Gaunt/Photosport
He said New Zealand Rugby and Rugby Australia had been working closely on the potential improvements.
“We've been engaged in some of that dialogue and it's been very, very constructive and very positive and an open mindset.”
Mansbridge added that most clubs would likely be open to broadening the competition.
“I think most clubs would be open to expanding a bit more as we've done. We've had overseas players play here before and that's worked well for us so we can't really say that's a good idea and then not allow it to happen across the broader comp.”
Listen to the full interview below:
