Want to create more interest in the Super rugby season? I've got an easy solution. Get rid of South Africa. With the Melbourne Rebels bringing the number of Australian teams to five next year, it sets up a perfect, 10-team trans-Tasman league.  

Now before you dismiss me as some crackpot who doesn't understand the setup of world rugby, I need to explain that I'm a big fan of union. My Dad played it at university, and I grew up knowing a bit about the sport, unlike most Americans. I also helped launch Fox Sports' international TV network in Los Angeles, so I'm pretty familiar with the way the game works in both the Southern and Northern hemispheres.

My fear is not necessarily for worldwide rugby, but for the domestic game here in Australia. The AFL and NRL are becoming all-encompassing behemoths that are pushing union further down the food chain. Armed with self-confidence and huge free-to-air TV deals, Aussie rules and rugby league are expanding into new territories and signing up more and more youngsters for their grassroots programs.

At the elite level, the Super 14 is light years behind the AFL and NRL, particularly when it comes to television, marketing and media mentions. And that's where the South African issue raises its ugly head. Now there's no doubt the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers have provided great competition and given the league a whiff of international credibility. I believe the downside, however, is more problematic than you might think.

First and foremost is the time difference, with South African games played late at night or in the early morning in Australia and New Zealand. This weekend for example, the two Super 14 semi-finals will be played in South Africa. Game one starts at 1 am AEST.  Game two, involving the New South Wales Waratahs, starts at 3 am. I'm sure the hardcores will wake up to watch the 'Tahs, but I can't see too many curious sports fans - and certainly no kids - getting up at that ungodly hour. I realise it's unusual for South African teams to host both semis, but that's what can happen when you have a geographical setup like this.

Secondly, Australia and New Zealand are great rivals in nearly every sport, with rugby having the added benefit of the phenomenal passion and tradition that the Kiwis bring (Haka, anyone?). Why dilute the rivalry by bringing a third country into it?

Finally, as the competition expands, you're seeing more and more average - even poor - teams. The Lions, based in Johannesburg, didn't win a game this year. The Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs weren't much better. Do you think you'll ever draw huge crowds in Sydney or Brisbane to watch the fourth or fifth best South African teams?

Therefore, I am proposing a new-and-improved Super Ten.  Here are the basics:

Australian League: ACT Brumbies, Melbourne Rebels, New South Wales Waratahs, Queensland Reds, Western Force.

New Zealand League: Auckland Blues, Canterbury Crusaders, Otago Highlanders, Waikato Chiefs, Wellington Hurricanes.

*Each team in Australia plays the other twice, home and away. Guaranteed to boost crowds. Same in New Zealand.

*Australian teams play New Zealand teams once, home one year, away the next.  

*That's a total of 13 games, one less than the new Super 15 will have. But you're trading five South African games for four games in your own country.  

*Finals could be either the top two Aussie and Kiwi teams playing each other in the semi-finals, so you have a guaranteed Australia v New Zealand final.  Or you could cross over and have the #1 Aussie team play the #2 Kiwi team and vice-versa.

*Then, perhaps you could bring South Africa into it and have the winner of the Super Ten play the South African champion.

Now I realise there are problems with this plan. I know the spirit of world rugby is to be inclusive. I also know that South Africa is an integral part of SANZAR and the Tri Nations, and they'd probably arc up if the Super 15 was changed. But I'm trying to look at what would benefit the domestic game. I'm thinking about re-kindling an interest in a great sport that has suffered as the AFL and NRL grow in popularity. It's time to make Super rugby more interesting, more manageable and easier to follow. I say start by bringing it back home.