The New Zealand Rugby Union have decided against submitting Taranaki's bid to become the 15th Super rugby franchise.
The Taranaki and Hawke's Bay unions were the only two in New Zealand to submit an expression of interest to join the revamped Super rugby competition which will be split into three conferences from 2011.
But following Hawke's Bay's decision to withdraw their application earlier this month citing not enough time to put together a strong professional business plan, Taranaki have been told by the NZRU that their bid will not be forwarded to SANZAR - the governing body of the Tri-Nations and Super rugby competitions involving South Africa, New Zealand and Australia - for consideration.
'The proposal put forward by Taranaki was thorough, detailed and professional and has created a foundation for any future proposals from the region,' NZRU chief executive Steve Tew said.
'That said, we have consistently questioned whether New Zealand has the capacity, either in playing depth or financial resources, to sustain a sixth Super rugby franchise and that influenced our decision.'
The new franchise will be based in the Australian conference which was also taken into consideration when making the final decision.
Taranaki's submission had the backing of Venture Taranaki, the region's development agency, and the New Plymouth District Council.
Former Taranaki man Stephen Jennings, one of New Zealand's richest men who runs Moscow-based global investment bank Renaissance Capitals, was also linked to the bid.
Taranaki chief executive Mark Robinson said the group was grateful for the opportunity to present a bid and for the hearing it received from the NZRU.
'The feedback we received was constructive and positive. We were also delighted with the way the Taranaki region came together to put forward this bid and that this work was recognised on its merits.
'There are a number of positives for us in this process in that we can learn from this experience and also build on this as a platform for future opportunities.'
SANZAR will now consider the proposals referred to it by the Australian Rugby Union (Melbourne) and the South Africa Rugby Union (Eastern Cape) with a decision expected in October.
