Super Rugby must embrace an American attitude for the future - but dont expect that to include a United States franchise anytime soon.Thats the message out of SANZAAR after officials confirmed they would retain the controversial Super Rugby draw in its entirety for 2017, with just the South African conferences swapping crossover fixtures between Australia and New Zealand as originally planned.That result is likely to be met with a mixed response across the competitions stakeholders, and the fans, after the 2016 season created confusion and had its overall integrity questioned.Much of that reaction was down to the conference-based format and the awarding of home finals to the four conference winners despite three New Zealand franchises having legitimate cause for a home quarterfinal.The response to that from the competitions administrators was simple: Its time southern hemisphere rugby supporters adopted Americas attitude to conference style sport.I think one of the mindset shifts that we need to do better, all of us, is to break away from the traditional rugby format, SANZAAR Operations Manager Brendan Morris said at an Australian media briefing on Monday.Were so used to in Australia, we play each other home and away, and thats the only way you can do competition structures. Nobody ever says to the Seahawks, oh you didnt play Dallas Cowboys this year and you won the Super Bowl, so how could that be an [integrous] competition?.Americans grow up with conference-style sport and theyre just so used to it that they dont even look any more about whos in the eastern conference in division X. I go, where are my Dallas Cowboys, who have they got next week and where do they sit in their conference?. Because I know if they win their conference it doesnt matter what else happens theyre going through to the playoffs.While Super Rugbys rusted-on supporters may long for the simple, compact days of Super 12, the reality is that Super Rugby, if it is to retain its mantle as the games premier provincial competition, must continue to develop new revenue streams as a means of combating the massive amounts of money on offer in Europe.That was achieved this year with the introduction of the Sunwolves (Japan) and Jaguares (Argentina), and the return of South Africas Southern Kings, taking the competition to 18 teams.With thousands of kilometres and 15 timezones separating the five countries -- the Sunwolves played three games in Singapore -- the logistics of travel, cost and player welfare meant Super Rugby had to delve deeper into the depths of conference-style sport.Super Rugby went conference style in 2011; it was the first real breakaway from that regular home-and-away fixture where we played everybody and it was due to, as you said, 15 timezones, SANZAAR chief Andy Marinos said.You just, you break everybody by going back to the round-robin format. If its important to the competition that we have the Argentinas and the Japans, and the South Africans and the Australians and the New Zealanders; if we want a truly global competition then round robin is disappearing pretty quickly. And thats without even looking at further expansion in five, 10, 20 years time.What weve got now is a reality that were going to break the people [who] are playing the game by making them sit on planes more than theyre on the field. So when we made a conscious decision to grow the competition, the conference style really is about the only way you can do it sustainably without breaking people.Overall, SANZAAR reported positive feedback from most of the games major stakeholders with a global audience of 50 million watching on television and a further two million going through the gates. For the broadcasters, the addition of the Sunwolves and Jaguares added a freshness to the competition even if some of their results werent up to standard.Still a bold push into the United States doesnt appear to be on horizon anytime soon, despite the games administrators facing the reality of a continued player drain to Europe -- brought about by big-money television deals.Can you tell us how to get in, because everybody thinks the pot of gold is there and in the last 20 years no-ones been able to find it, Morris said.I think conceptually everyone thinks the United States is this great emerging market that everybodys desperate to get into; I think if you look in the media Pro12 are talking to them at the moment, All Blacks are taking another game up there this year, and the Maoris. So theres certainly a lot of development going in there.While admitting the States represented an attractive option for SANZAAR, Marinos said the governing body wouldnt be rushing into the market despite its obvious financial opportunities.Theres a lot of activity but I always liken the States to Argentina, he said.SANZAAR started its engagement with Argentina in 2007-2008, and thats an established rugby market; in saying that, professionalism wasnt embraced completely ... but it had a long rugby heritage and history, and they were competitive. From 2008 till they came into Super Rugby its eight years.Yes they came in at international level first, but they have been competing internationally and been at the table, they were semifinalists in 2007 at the World Cup; but that was a long process and that was setting high-performance structures, getting their Pampas team which is now their Pumas team, playing in the Vodacom Cup in South Africa, and they did that for four years, won it in the second year, finalists in their third year. So it was a process in order for them to be ready to compete in our competition structure.So my view is that America is a big market and theres a huge amount of opportunity, but youve got to get in there and youve got to strategically invest and build sustainability over a period of time so that when they do compete at the main table, they are competitive and they can continue to add value because thats the way you are going to pull supporters and the public in America, and the stakeholders in America, along because everyone wants to see a winner or a successful or competitive team.So I think thats how I see North America; its part of an ongoing development and investment for the long term. Wholesale Salomon Shoes Australia Online . Miller finished in two minutes, 6.09 seconds, one day before the first medal race on the Alpine schedule. The 36-year-old American also turned in the top time in Thursdays opening training session. 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LOS ANGELES -- Three existing venues have been added to Los Angeles bid for the 2024 Olympics, including Long Beach as one of four main sports clusters.LA2024 announced the additional venues Thursday, emphasizing its use of existing venues to avoid costly construction and cost overruns that have plagued Olympic host cities in recent years.Long Beachs arena, convention center, waterfront and pier would comprise one of four main sports clusters scattered around the Los Angeles area as opposed to having a single Olympic Park. The city joins the other clusters of downtown Los Angeles, the South Bay near Torrance and the San Fernando Valley.The LA2024 bid committee said each cluster will be located within a secure perimeter where fans can walk between venues with food, music and celebration sites. The clusters are connected to the regions public transit system.The venue changes will be included in LA2024s second bid file that is due to the International Olympic Committee on Oct. 7. The IOC will select the 2024 host city in September 2017. Los Angeles is competing with Paris, Rome and Budapest, Hungary.Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi on Wednesday rejected her citys bid, although her motion to withdraw the bid would have to be approved by Romes city assembly.Handball would be held in Long Beachs 13,500-seat arena, which recently underwent $10 million in upgrades, along with warm-up facilities at the connected convention center. BMX and water polo would be held in temporary facilities along the citys waterfront, where open-water swimming and triathlon would be held. Sailing would be near the citys Belmont Pier.Long Beachs venues are located 24 milles south of downtown Los Angeles.dddddddddddd The athletes village would be on the UCLA campus on Los Angeles west side.Honda Center in Anaheim would host indoor volleyball, bringing the Olympics to Orange County, with the 18,000-seat venue that is home to the NHLs Anaheim Ducks located about 26 miles from Los Angeles. It would be about an hour drive from the athletes village.In LA2024s original plans, volleyball was to be played at UCLAs Pauley Pavilion. Instead, that 13,800-seat basketball arena would host wrestling and judo.Historic Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles would host mens and womens golf. The course has hosted the U.S. Open, two PGA Championships and the annual PGA tournament since it opened in 1929.Adding sites in Long Beach and Anaheim would bring the Olympics closer to the large populations in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.LA2024 said UCLAs tennis center and north athletic field have been added to the track and field stadium as part of the training center located at the athletes village in an effort to reduce additional travel for competitors.Were very pleased to add more world-class existing venues to our fiscally responsible and innovative Games Plan for 2024, LA2024 chairman Casey Wasserman said. By relying on Southern Californias wealth of top sports, housing and transportation infrastructure, LA 2024 will minimize construction risk, operational struggles and costs, and can focus on providing athletes with the perfect stage to perform their best, without distraction. ' ' '