New Zealand tournament a boost for rugby but PRO14 remains in dark

THE rugby season has been handed a huge boost after New Zealand Rugby (NZR) announced plans to press ahead with a domestic competition as early as next month.

Plans are well underway for New Zealand’s five Super Rugby teams to play in, what has been dubbed, ‘Super Rugby Aotearoa’.

The tournament would see reigning southern hemisphere champions the Crusaders, as well as the Blues, Chiefs, Highlanders and Hurricanes play each other, home and away, behind closed doors.

The New Zealand government are preparing to ease Covid-19 restrictions, having had a firm grip on the coronavirus throughout the current pandemic.

All eyes in this part of the world will be on the Kiwis, as they look to lead the way in terms of resuming rugby.

The Irish provinces remain in the dark as to when the PRO14 may return, but Wales’ chief executive Martyn Phillips has called on tournament organisers to make a decision, either way, by next month.

If New Zealand’s domestic competition proves to be a success, it will likely prompt other unions, such as the IRFU, to follow suit as long as Government guidelines are adhered to.

Urged

The Kiwi tournament will be played over ten weeks, with two matches every weekend, and fans around the world will be able to tune in to see some of the sport’s best players face off.

Meanwhile, Wales’ chief Phillips has urged the PRO14 to provide its clubs with some clarity about what the plans are moving forward.

Tournament organisers are committed to completing the season in some manner, despite calls for unbeaten Leinster to be handed the title.

“I think in the next month that’ll come to a head,” Phillips said.

“There comes a point at which... do you just need to write off the season, and try to start the next one as well as you can?

“You keep all your options open until you can’t any more, and then there’s a point at which the season’s gone,” continued Phillips.

“If you do get back to playing, do you play (Welsh) inter-regional games first, inter-provincial games in Ireland? It looks to me as though that is the first port of call.

“We have been talking a lot about the international game – but equally the regional game is important, and players do need to play at some point . . . but the safety side is always going to trump other factors.”