Spreading their wings

The wait for the Cheetahs and Kings is over as South Africa’s two Super Rugby discards will officially participate in the expanded European Pro14 competition starting later this year.

But what exactly does this mean?

We take a look at the format of the new-look competition and what fans can expect. How many teams are playing?

Fourteen teams – as the new name suggests – will be involved. Four from Ireland, four from Wales, two from Scotland, two from Italy and two from South Africa.

To accommodate the Cheetahs and Kings without increasing the number of regular season matches, the teams have been split into two conferences. In which groups are our local sides playing?

The Cheetahs will play in Conference A with Munster (Ireland), Connacht (Ireland), Glasgow (Scotland), Ospreys (Wales), Cardiff (Wales) and Zebre (Italy).

The Kings will play in Conference B with Llanelli (Wales), Gwent (Wales), Ulster (Ireland), Leinster (Ireland), Edinburgh (Scotland) and Benetton Treviso (Italy).

These conferences are based on rankings from the previous season to keep them competitive and will change annually. How many matches will each team play?

Each team plays 21 regular season matches.

For example, the Cheetahs will play 12 matches (six home, six away) against the teams in their conference (A). They will also play seven matches home OR away (depending on the final fixture list) against each team in the other conference (B).

To ensure all derby matches are played home and away, they’ll also play two extra rounds – meaning they play the Kings three times. Are there play-offs?

Yes, there’s a proper play-off structure in place, starting with a quarterfinal round. However, the South African teams aren’t (yet) allowed to qualify for the European Champions Cup (like a Uefa Champions League for rugby).