I guess you see how the mooted new OFC professional club league goes first. To kick off next year??? If it's well run, financially viable, commercial sponsors jump on board etc etc - then that's a first step to going up the next level to an A League club. Agree the Francophile countries together, are likely the best contender to put a team together.
Fiji Drua are now firmly a part of Super Rugby, and a PNG team looks likely to be the next NRL expansion club. That's after 10 years of having a PNG team in the semi professional QLD Cup (one level below the NRL).
So yeah with time a Pacific based A League club could happen. Crowds will likely never be an issue. Paying an $18M licence entrance fee, getting strong commercial sponsors on board, high level broadcast & training facilities etc etc these will all be big hurdles. Especially the entrance fee!
Though New Caledonia receives $1.5bn in financial support annually from France (big reason why they voted narrowly against independence last time out). So $18M ain't much among that, if Marcon or whoever is happy to sign off.
Fiji Drua are now firmly a part of Super Rugby, and a PNG team looks likely to be the next NRL expansion club. That's after 10 years of having a PNG team in the semi professional QLD Cup (one level below the NRL).
So yeah with time a Pacific based A League club could happen. Crowds will likely never be an issue. Paying an $18M licence entrance fee, getting strong commercial sponsors on board, high level broadcast & training facilities etc etc these will all be big hurdles. Especially the entrance fee!
Though New Caledonia receives $1.5bn in financial support annually from France (big reason why they voted narrowly against independence last time out). So $18M ain't much among that, if Marcon or whoever is happy to sign off.