Expansion is so exciting but don’t mess with the format
THE expansion of the Guinness PRO12 to include South African sides Cheetahs and Southern Kings is a gamble. I can’t deny that. But every so often in life you have to roll the dice and that’s why I’m hugely excited about what it could mean for both Welsh rugby and the league as a whole.
Time will tell as to how successful the move will be and of course there are still certain issues which need to be clarified. How will the fixtures be organised? Who travels where? And how will the extra revenue be divided up?
We’ll find out the answers to those questions in due course, but for now I think it’s time to look forward to what could be a hugely exciting season. They say a change is as good as a rest and bringing in two new teams from the southern hemisphere is certainly a pretty major change!
But for too long now we’ve been so negative about the PRO12 and how far the league lags behind those in France and England. This is a chance to change that, so why not get behind it?
There has been talk of the PRO12 changing for some time now and I think it’s a positive step. The Cheetahs and Kings might not be the strongest Super Rugby sides – certainly when you compare them to teams like The Hurricanes or Crusaders – but they still have quality players which will only add to the excitement of the division.
For me, one of the most important things about this move is that it makes sense logistically. There has been a lot of talk in the past about the PRO12 playing in America which for me would have been ridiculous. There’s far too much travelling involved with that for it to work.
South Africa might seem a long way away, but it’s in the same time zone which is important for players to avoid jet lag and the flight is only five or six hours. When you’re preparing for a game in a short time period, as we saw with the Lions this summer, those sorts of things are vitally important.
I honestly think adding two new teams will be a success and I’m glad something has been done. There will be downsides – as there are with anything – but when I look at all the parties involved I think they’ll be happy with the outcome. The administrators have added increased revenue streams into the game, the TV companies have a new, updated product to sell and the players get the chance to test themselves against some fresh faces. All in all, it’s the shot in the arm the division needs.
From a purely Welsh point of view, I think it’s exciting for the fans too. We all know how good our supporters are at travelling to away games and when you do that all you want is to go and watch some good rugby and get value for money. Of course trips to Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth will be expensive, but if you’re a fan of Cardiff Blues or the Scarlets, imagine a trip to watch your team play there. How good would that be?!
Another thing to consider, as is always the case these days, is money. Adding two new teams ticks that box too. If the South African teams can bring in additional revenue which is split among the 12 sides already in the league, then I don’t see how that is a bad thing.
Finance is a massive part of rugby these days and if the Welsh regions can go on to sign a couple of extra top quality players and improve their squad, then that should hopefully help them to challenge more strongly for trophies at the end of the season. If the PRO12 teams can get closer to those in the TOP14 and Aviva Premiership, again I can only see that being a positive.
That’s why, as I’ve said, I’m firmy behind the league’s expansion. It’s a chance for the Celtic nations to go to the next level, but there’s only one word of caution I would sound.
My memo to PRO12 bosses would be this: please don’t split the league into two divisions. I know that is likely to happen, but I think it would be the wrong move.
The last thing we want to do is put fans off by making the system too confusing or over complicated. We need to attract new supporters, not turn them away, and I think one league of 14 teams is the way to go. That has its own problems obviously in terms of scheduling, but I think it’s vital we go that way. If we can do that and keep all parties happy, then I can see a bright future for the PRO12. Here’s to what could be a hugely exciting 2017-18 season!
“My memo to the PRO12 boss would be: please do not split the league into two divisions”