O'Neill - examing proposals. (Getty Images)

By Alex Lowe, PA Sport, Sydney

Proposals for a new Nine Nations Championship have been tabled as international rugby bosses consider the best way to capitalise on the success of the World Cup.

Australian Rugby Union [ARU] boss John O'Neill revealed plans for a biennial tournament between the Six Nations and Tri-Nations giants are under consideration with 2006 earmarked for its introduction.

The idea was presented by SANZAR, the governing body for rugby in South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, who are looking to move away from the current November tour format of one-off Tests against European sides.

O'Neill on Monday announced the plans are for the tournament to be played in Europe every other year, with the nine teams split into three pools.

"We put some ideas on the table, because the three SANZAR nations want to make their end-of-year tours to the northern hemisphere more meaningful," he said.

"We are actually looking at a different form of competition, rather than one-off Tests."

Any new tournament would require the official stamp of approval from the International Rugby Board, and there are immediate concerns about the introduction of such a tournament.

Would a new championship, excluding the minnows and Argentina, not devalue the World Cup, particularly as no country outside the top nine made the quarter-finals this year?

And what of the minnows? How would a new tournament assist them in developing?

O'Neill stressed that both points were under consideration.

"The fine details still have to be worked out, but we are stressing if it comes off, it will not threaten the World Cup," he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"These ideas should not be taken with the view that the minor nations are suddenly being excluded.

"I have had discussions with officials from Tonga, Samoa, Argentina, USA and Canada about improving the position of the minor nations.

"We cannot forget these countries because they remain the heart and soul of the game. SANZAR remains committed to helping them."

At a press conference in Sydney, called to review the World Cup, O'Neill also suggested a combined Pacific Island team be admitted to an expanded Super 12 from 2006.

SANZAR's contract with News Limited runs through until 2005 but renegotiation plans are heavily underway and it is thought the next contract is unlikely to be as lucrative for rugby.

New Zealand officials are therefore interested in a new way of boosting their revenue.

"We are looking at it because it could be a way of trying to enhance our broadcasting product and commercial revenue," chief executive Chris Moller told Radio Sport.

"We are going to have to find more content if we are to maintain our current broadcasting revenue."

Money is not something the ARU needs to be overly concerned about anymore given they are set to pocket around £20million from the World Cup.

"It was also a once in a lifetime or generation experience for us to put rugby on a firm financial position in Australia," said O'Neill.

"Seven years ago, we struggled to pay the electricity bill."

O'Neill conceded that not everything at the World Cup went smoothly and vowed the ARU would provide detailed reports to the IRB to ensure the same mistakes are not repeated in France in 2007.

"There are a few things that need to be fixed before the next Rugby World Cup - based on our experience," he said.

"These primarily relate to ticketing and corporate hospitality. The 50/50 split of tickets between the host union and the IRB needs to be examined as does the time frame in which handbacks come on to the local market.

"Likewise, the price of tickets needs to be examined, particularly in relation to the quarter-finals.

"There are a few other issues and we will work through these with the IRB in the coming months."