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Australian Rugby Union has today announced that its five provinces competing in the 2011 Super Rugby competition will be free from March 15 to sign and announce any players recruited from rival Australian teams.

The date has been brought forward from the original May 31 for fully-contracted Australian players and from April 1 for Australian Sevens and Academy players.

Players based overseas – either Australian-born or those captured by the Foreign Player Policy – can be contracted and announced at any time, as can players re-signed by a province.

In addition to the review of the recruitment protocol dates, which are in place for all five teams, the new Melbourne Rebels franchise has also been granted an additional concession.

ARU has provided extended deadlines for reaching the working capital requirements that form part of the Rebels’ licence agreement to compete in Super Rugby next year.

The ARU Board discussed the recruitment protocol on Friday and has accepted an ARU Management recommendation that the date for signing and announcing players be brought forward in the best interests of Australian Rugby as a whole.

“We’ve listened to all the views expressed, and there have been ongoing discussions and assessments around the recruitment deadlines for several weeks,” said ARU Managing Director and CEO John O’Neill.

“We still have concerns around players announcing midway through a season that they will be switching to another team the following season.

“Respected rugby league coach Wayne Bennett suggested on the weekend that movement of players during the competition was the most disruptive thing that happens in his code.

“However, weighing up the interests of the four existing Super Rugby provinces that wanted a level of protection around player retention, and the interests of the Rebels who want to fill their playing roster for 2011, we have come to the conclusion that the March 15 date is the best balance for all parties.

“It was never going to be an exact science and after assessing the current situation, this is the best way forward.

“The Rebels have already been in negotiation with a number of currently contracted high-profile Australian players, as they were always permitted to do, so from that perspective the players know what is out there.

“What this does is give the Rebels every opportunity to develop as competitive a team as possible for their entry to the Super Rugby ranks and to give comfort about the quality of that team to their potential backers.

“ARU wants this team to succeed, and to suggest otherwise is ridiculous. Melbourne is a part of Australian Rugby and we are about making Australian Rugby collectively strong.”

The Rebels have just announced their first signing – English international Danny Cipriani – who is contracted under a Foreign Player Policy concession that allows Melbourne to recruit up to 10 overseas players.

Under the Foreign Player Policy, the other four provinces can recruit only two.