Rugby throws us a curve ball with shake-up
Rugby has always been a game where the rules are open to interpretation – a mind- boggler of a task to decipher the technical aspects of the scrum and the maul.
Which brings us to the attention in the detail of the revamped Guinness Pro12 – talk about a test for the grey matter.
Digesting the small print in a radical overhaul is quite something but here are the big changes. Two South African franchises, Che et a h s from Bloemfontein and the Kings from Port Elizabeth, wil l take part next season after leaving Super Rugby. And they could be followed by two clubs from North America in the 2018-19 season – it’s all about t r y ing to broaden commercial horizons, finding new markets.
It’s about taking some drastic steps to try to widen the appeal of the Pro12, struggling to get a decent share of TV’s sporting money pot.
The suits believe the danger of stagnation is very real and recruiting big clubs from abroad can be the game changer.
The competition has always been the poor relation to England’s Aviva Premiership and the French Top 14. Give or take a few bob, the Pro12 genera t e s £ 12mi l l ion from TV which is small change compared to club rugby’s big two competitions.
Expansion is a must if it’s to prosper and not be left behind and the borders are now being opened up.
It’s going to be exciting to have Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh heading overseas on domestic duty. It’s a sign of the times and will be mirrored by other sports.
Football’s Atlantic League hasn’t yet made it off the drawing board but that crossborder t y pe of competition will be coming to TV soon.
Boxing is offering something different as Floyd Mayweather prepares to set box office records with his scrap with MMA’s Conor McGregor.
Rugby has taken the lead with a tinkering to the Pro12 but it comes with a risk.
To tamper with a successful format is a gamble which will soon show whether it’ll pay off and thepracticalities of playing games on the other side of the planet will be looked at across the sporting board.