I don't think a scenario exists (short of a collection of benevolent billionaires), which sees Australia pro rugby financially viable AND paying players anything comparable to what they receive now. This includes a 3, 4 or 5 Aust team involvement in a TT version of Super Rugby.
The Foxtel $57 million per season offer is long gone and that would have at best allowed the status quo of payments to 4 teams based on a longer Super Rugby season. Recent comments suggest that Fox would be willing to pay $10-15 million per season on an incentive basis. That involves a 75% reduction in wages, possibly less of a reduction if other costs are trimmed, bust still not enough.
As far as I can see, and I'm happy to be corrected, PE will not only need equity and control of the teams but also equity and control of the competition itself. Something like the structure of Premiership Rugby in England - which would mean that RA and NZRU have no role. This is the only structure which can deliver as far as I can see.
Premiership Rugby is owned 73% by our stakeholder clubs and 27% by CVC Capital Partners .
The decisions made by our Boards are in the best interests of the professional game and the sport of rugby in England.
Premiership Rugby established a new Board of Directors to oversee its strategic and financial growth and development in 2019. The Board, which is chaired by Andrew Higginson, is part of the revised governance structure for the organisation following the investment by CVC Capital Partners to help grow the sport and the appointment of Darren Childs as CEO earlier this year.
The Premiership Rugby Board is composed, in addition to the Chairman, of two executive directors (CEO Darren Childs and CFO Jan Gooze-Zijl) and seven non-executive directors: three representatives of CVC Capital Partners, three representatives of Premiership clubs and Ian Ritchie chair two separate Premiership Rugby committees: an investor committee and a sporting committee focused on sports governance matters.
https://www.premiershiprugby.com/about-premiership-rugby/about-us/who-we-work-with/our-clubs/