The Australian Rugby Union believes the all-important broadcasters will support the 15th Super rugby side being based in Australia, rather than South Africa.

The final piece in the new Super 15 jigsaw remains up in the air despite agreement among SANZAR partners Australia, New Zealand and South Africa that the expansion side will play in a five-team Australian conference.

That hasn't stopped South Africa saying they will bid to play in that conference through their Southern Kings side.

The ARU is equally insistent the team should be based in Australia, with the Gold Coast, Melbourne and western Sydney emerging as early contenders.

"We want the 15th team in Australia," ARU deputy CEO Matt Carroll told reporters on Wednesday.

"We think we'll have a very compelling case and we think the broadcasters will be supportive of it as well."

Super 14's Australian broadcaster Fox Sports said that was true enough for them, but broadcasters in the other SANZAR countries might have different ideas.

"If you asked any broadcaster in any country they'd prefer it to be in their own country," director of Fox Sports channels, Soames Treffry, told AAP.

But Treffry added rugby fans were happy to support the game as much as a local team.

"In the end what you want is a healthy team and a healthy organisation," he said.

"So, wherever it's from ... if the front office is well organised and functioning well, the team generally functions well on the paddock and that's only good for the sport."

Carroll said the 15th side will be decided by the SANZAR board before the end of the year following a tender process.

New Zealand have said they will keep an open mind about where the new team comes from.

"We have agreed, because we think it is the right thing to do, to have the team based in Australia so their conference expands by one team," NZRU boss Steve Tew told NZPA on Wednesday.

"Although it will be based in Australia it does not necessarily have to be an Australian team."

Australia's ability to provide the talent for a competitive side has been questioned by the country's Super 14 coaches, and Brumbies chief executive Andrew Fagan said on Wednesday a new Australian side would receive concessions to be competitive.

"They'll expand the foreign player eligibility rules to ensure the drain on Australian talent or from the existing four teams is quite minimal," he said.

"I'd say that initially there would be concessions for the fifth team."

While the ARU is adamant the team will play out of an Australian city, they are less keen to bankroll it.

Carroll said the lessons learned from he and John O'Neill's time at the A-League, and from the setting up of the Western Force, meant the risk would lie firmly at the feet of private enterprise.

"If there's going to be risk, you'd prefer to be using private equity," he said.

"We don't believe the Australian Rugby Union or its member unions should be risking its dollars in this venture.

"We'll be supportive and the broadcast revenues and things of that nature will be used to help fund the team."

Meanwhile, the NRL said they saw no new threats from rugby in the move, while an AFL spokesman said: "They're welcome to do what they want."

And SANZAR received the backing of the Rugby Union Players Association for the expansion move.

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