Australian Rugby Union (ARU) boss John O'Neill is confident the promise of a potential golden era for the Wallabies will persuade star players to resist lucrative overseas offers after this year's World Cup.

Speaking at Tuesday's Australian Super Rugby launch in Sydney, O'Neill believed 2011 had all the hallmarks of a special year, with an expanded Super competition, and an improving Wallabies side he feels is capable of winning the World Cup in New Zealand.

Speculation has seen star centre Matt Giteau and halfback Luke Burgess linked with moves overseas after the World Cup.

However, O'Neill is confident Australia would "hang on to the vast majority of players."

"We may lose a couple and in a sense, some of that is inevitable," O'Neill told reporters.

"Some players at the end of a World Cup are at a point in their career age-wise, and having been there and done that, there is no more for them to do domestically and they go with our blessing and good luck.

"(Wallabies coach) Robbie Deans and (ARU high performance manager) David Nucifora have done a fantastic job in identifying the players we need to keep.

"Thus far, we've travelled pretty well. We've kept (hooker) Stephen Moore, (utility back) Adam Ashley-Cooper and (prop) Ben Alexander. They were three that had offers to go overseas.

"But we will be diligent, we will be fair, we certainly won't be foolish with money.

"But I have a sense, particularly from the younger generation of players that haven't been there and done it and have a lot of thunder and have an expectation, that we are about to enter a golden era and they want to be part of it."

O'Neill said Japan and France posed the major threats when it came to other countries wooing key Wallabies away from Australia.

While Australia has invariably struggled to provide more than one Super finalist, O'Neill believed there was sufficient depth among the five domestic teams to supply as many as half of the six finalists this year.

"A really good outcome would be three of the five (Australian teams) in the semis," O'Neill said.

He confirmed the ARU was looking at the possibility of playing a couple of internationals in the northern hemisphere in November and December.

The ARU boss said not being allowed to play inbound and outbound Tests prior to a World Cup would leave a $16 million revenue shortfall.

"One of the mitigating strategies is to play two games in the north at the end of November, early December, one against the Barbarians and a northern hemisphere (nation) likely to be one of the four home unions for a reasonable sum of money," O'Neill said.

O'Neill echoed the sentiments of his NRL counterpart David Gallop in calling for the major codes to take a united stand against match fixing.

He said a lot of the bigger sports had discussed the issue last December at a Confederation of Major Professional Sports (COMPS) meeting.

"We are united on the major issues. Match fixing, corrupt behaviour is one where a fairly unified approach would make sense," O'Neill said.

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP