Wishful thinking or will Pro14 strike gold with Rainbow Cup?

THE timing was unfortunate to say the least. Not long after the Pro14 had announced the formation of their new Rainbow Cup, with the introduction of four South African sides, the UK Government were placing travel restrictions on the southernhemisphere country because of the new super strain of coronavirus. In truth, announcing a new competition involving teams from four separate countries in the middle of a global pandemic was perhaps a little optimistic. In theory, it sounds an enticing idea. It ticks a number of boxes, with Vodacom Bulls, Emirates Lions, Cell C Sharks and DHL Stormers boasting a number of global stars like World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi and his international back row team-mate Pieter Steph du Toit. And, with the British & Irish Lions due to tour South Africa this summer, there should be no little interest in the involvement of their clubs. Of course, it is difficult to predict what will happen in the current climate tomorrow, never mind by the time the tournament is supposed to kick off in April. If all goes to plan, then 16 teams will compete in the cup, with the stage then set for South African sides to join the league set-up next season. Both Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill and Danny Wilson of Glasgow Warriors welcomed the new tournament. Cockerill said: ‘This is really exciting news for the future of the competition, our club, the coaches and players, and I’m sure the supporters will be really excited by it, too. Soon we’ll be testing ourselves against the best sides in South Africa and their World Cupwinning Springboks, which is a great challenge for any player. It’s the kind of opportunity any professional would welcome and seek out.’ Wilson added: ‘We’re looking forward to the prospect of going up against South Africa’s rugby franchises in 2021. Their style of play and proud rugby traditions will add a new and exciting dimension to the Guinness Pro14 Rainbow Cup. ‘In the meantime, we’re looking forward to getting back on to the field in the New Year for our 1872 Cup derby games and the remaining league rounds from January to March.’ The current league campaign will now end in March to allow the South African teams and the existing clubs time to finish the season with the Rainbow Cup. There will be no end-ofseason play-offs, with the teams who top Conference A and B going straight into the final scheduled for late March. It’s already almost impossible for Edinburgh or Glasgow to qualify for the showpiece event as they are both second bottom of their respective Conference tables.