RAINBOW CUP SET FOR GREEN LIGHT
THE Rainbow Cup will get under way as planned next week, even though it’s unclear whether it will involve any cross-continent matches.
The new tournament is due to see the four South African Super Rugby sides battling it out with the 12 Guinness PRO teams from Wales, Ireland, Scotland and Italy.
There were set to be three rounds of derbies followed by three weekends where the South African teams would play games in Europe.
But securing permission for those sides – the Stormers, Sharks, Bulls and Lions – to travel to these shores is proving problematic.
The plan was for them to be based in bubbles where they would go through a 10-day quarantine period before playing their games.
Various locations were looked at, including Bristol, Jersey and Dublin.
But at present, South Africa is on the travel red list for the UK and Ireland, with direct flights from the country having been suspended.
As such, the Stormers, Sharks, Bulls and Lions have put their visa applications on hold.
In order to travel over to the UK, they would have to be given special dispensation as elite sports teams.
It’s understood that conversations with the respective governments are ongoing, with amended proposals being worked on.
The key issue is securing an entry point, either into the UK or Ireland.
Once allowed in, they would in theory be able to move between countries after observing a quarantine period.
It’s expected the picture should become clearer over the next few days, with a decision reached by Friday. Either way, the new competition will get under way as planned next week.
The first round of matches will take place on the weekend of April 23-25, with precise dates and kickoff times to be confirmed in the coming days.
That will see the Ospreys hosting Cardiff Blues and the Dragons entertaining the Scarlets.
In South Africa, the Bulls will take on the Lions in Pretoria, with the Stormers at home to the Sharks in Cape Town.
There will then be two further rounds of derbies to follow in May.
The plan was for there to be three rounds of cross-continent matches on the weekends of May 29, June 5 and June 12, with a final on the weekend of June 19.
Whether those can go ahead as planned hinges on the South African sides being allowed entry into the UK or Ireland.
Organisers are pulling out all the stops behind the scenes to try to resolve the situation as there is a lot of money at stake.
There is a TV contract to fulfil, with Premier Sports having the UK rights, while a full-blown Rainbow Cup would unlock a significant chunk of the £6 million participation fee South African Rugby pays to be part of the PRO14.
That’s money which is desperately needed by the PRO teams, including Wales’s regions, who have been hit so hard financially by Covid.