Wellington, Jul 17 (IANS): New Zealand is set to end its 25-year Super Rugby relationship with South Africa. NZ Rugby Chief Executive Mark Robinson has confirmed that the body is now looking to move beyond Super Rugby and is open to private participation for ownership for a potential Asia-Pacific competition.

"We started (the) Aratipu (review) with a focus on New Zealand professional rugby entities and to make them more resilient, highly capitalised, fit for purpose businesses within the construct of Super Rugby," Robinson is quoted as saying by stuff.co.nz.

"Then part way through the process the full ramifications of COVID-19 and the limiting impacts it was going to have become more apparent and obviously more work was needed to determine future competition models.

"We think we can do that by virtue of what we are essentially doing, which is going out to the wider Australasian-Pacific environment to see what we can find out.

"At this stage we're working to 2021 but it's our preference to work beyond that, but we've got a lot of work to do with Sanzaar around that," he added.

NZ Rugby is not taking its decision to part ways with South Africa and Argentina at Super Rugby level lightly and Robinson said that both parties have been kept in the loop throughout the process.