Pride and excitement for South African trailblazers

Cheetahs boss Harold Verster has described South African participation in an expanded Guinness PRO14 tournament as “a whole new ball game” for rugby in the country.

South African franchises Toyota Cheetahs and the Southern Kings will see the former PRO12 increased by two teams in time for the 2017-18 season.

The Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs and Southern Kings, who play in Port Elizabeth, had already withdrawn from next year’s Super Rugby tournament.

“There will be a steep learning curve for our coaches and players, but we are in it to win it,” Cheetahs chief executive Verster told www.sarugby.net.

“This is a whole new ball game for

Conference A: Glasgow, Ospreys, Cardiff, Munster, Connacht, Zebre and Cheetahs.

Conference B: Edinburgh, Scarlets, Dragons, Leinster, Ulster, Treviso and Southern Kings. rugby in South Africa, and we are proud to be trailblazers.

“There is a lot of excitement around the union about the opportunity, and we are already looking forward to kick-off.

“The Free State is one of the great nurseries of rugby in South Africa, and this is an exciting prospect for our young players to test themselves against top players from the northern hemisphere.”

Eastern Province Rugby Union president Andre Rademan added: “The Kings have been through tough times on and off the field over recent years, but we now have the chance to reclaim our status as one of the powerhouses of South African rugby.

“This team represents the heartlands of black rugby in South Africa – a tradition stretching back to the very establishment of the game in this country – and we will bring a unique passion and flavour to the tournament.”

The Cheetahs and the Southern Kings will play only on Saturdays, and there will be five travel-free days before matches, while the South African franchises will not be able to qualify for Europe through their league placing.

The top three non South African sides from each conference will qualify for the European Champions Cup, and the team with the highest points total outside of those six teams across both conferences will claim the final Champions Cup place.