Islanders not after the big money

The Pacific Islanders have upped the stakes in their drive to become a permanent player within world rugby by declaring that they would be willing to forgo their share of broadcasting rights should they be accepted into an expanded Super 12 competition.

In an interview with New Zealand's Dominion Post, Islanders boss Charlie Charters said that joining SANZAR (the governing body of the Super 12 and Tri-Nations) would enable Pacific rugby to survive the professional era.

Charters, a former television and sponsorship rights broker, said that the Islanders would be happy to make their money soley through gate sales and sponsorship, leaving the revenue from SANZAR's lucrative broadcasting deal with News Corporation to be divided between the 'big three'.

SANZAR have already said any expansion of the Super 12 to a 14-team competition would come purely through extra South African and Australian teams.

Likewise, the Tri-Nations will not be expanded to include Argentina, Japan, a Pacific island team or any combined side - and Charters can understand why.

"We're not going to say to SANZAR that we want a share of the television deal," said Charters. "When you look at the balance sheets of New Zealand and Australia, that represents 40-45 percent of their income.

"SANZAR are going to have to work hard - and they've acknowledged that they will have to work hard - to get an increase on the deal they agreed in 1995.

"If the cake is only this big, and the cake is not going to get bigger, you're unlikely to get 14 slices - let alone 16 slices."

Charters believes the Islanders would be ready to compete on a regular basis from as early as 2006, but stated that he had yet to discuss his new proposal with SANZAR.