And O'Neill said plans to match the Tri Nations winners against the European Six Nations champions were also in the pipeline.

"We will probably pursue the possibility of the winners of the Super 12 playing the winners of the European Cup and maybe the winner of the Six Nations will play the winner of the Tri Nations," he said.

"It was a nice idea that was never going to happen," he said.

The plan for the Super 12 champions to play the European Cup winners would see the top provincial side from the southern hemisphere take on Europe's leading club side.

The Super 12 season starts on 23 February and consists of three Australian state sides, five provincial sides from New Zealand and four from South Africa.

Europe's premier club competition, which was won by Northampton last season, has reached the semi-final stage.

Union pre-eminence

O'Neill also predicted that rugby union would soon replace league as the number one football code in Australia.

He extended his contract with the ARU last October until the end of 2004 after guiding Australian rugby into the professional era and to its most successful period, on and off the field, in its 100-year history.