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WITH the Guinness PRO14 having been unveiled, rugby correspondent SIMON THOMAS spoke to WRU chief executive Martyn Phillips to get his thoughts on the introduction of two South African sides into the competition and hear how the deal was done. Q: Can you give us an idea of what has gone on behind the scenes and how much Welsh rugby has been involved in the creation of the PRO14? A: The initial decisions were made in PRO12 board meetings and then there was a lot going on when I was out in New Zealand on the Lions tour. I was involved in a number of conference calls out there.

I met my counterpart at the South African Rugby Union, Jurie Roux, a few times and he has been excellent. He has had a lot of things to deal with. They were making changes in Super Rugby and there were various agendas to balance, but he’s a very smart operator.

People have been working pretty hard behind the scenes to get this in place for the coming season, but also to make sure that it’s sustainable for three to four years. It’s not just for one season, but for a number of years. It wouldn’t help to have a oneoff season. It was improtant to get a long-term solution rather than an opportunist one.

That is where the work has gone in and that is what takes time. Martin Anayi (PRO14 CEO) has led that and Mark Davies has done a good job, represesting our regions.

Ireland, Scotland and Wales are shareholders of the PRO12, so when it came to some of the major decisions, we were more involved in those. Q: Some fans have been frustrated by the delays in announcing what was happening and the fact the fixtures still aren’t out. What would you say to them? A: I understand people wanted to know what was going on and we were as keen to get a solution as anybody else. But it’s been a pretty complex process. We have been in a commercial negotiation and the situation can change on a daily basis when that’s the case.

In some people’s eyes it has gone on a long time, but actually we’ve probably done six months work in three months. There was a lot of heavy lifting to get to this place.

We had to make sure that various issues were addressed in terms of player welfare, travel, match scheduling and obviously the financial arrangement. That is why the delay was inevitable really. There has been a lot of stuff to get done in a short space of time. Q: Is there an argument that it might have been better waiting until the 2018-19 season rather than trying to rush it through for this year? A: I think it had to be done this season or it would have been much more difficult. If these South African teams hadn’t carried on, then they would have been in a holding pattern for a year, which is a long time. Q: What do you think having the Southern Kings and the Toyota Cheetahs on board will bring to the competition? A: The really exciting thing for me is there are 56 million people in South Africa and it’s a mature, established rugby nation. That compares with about 15 million in the Celtic countries.

South Africa is a market that’s on a par with England and France and rugby is the national game. From a long-term, strategic perspective, there are obvious positives to getting involved out there.

It’s definitely financially worthwhile to do this, in terms of the additional revenue that’s being generated, and that’s one of the things we were looking at.

But it’s not just about money. When you are going with South Africa, you are dipping into a really great rugby market. It drives revenue, but it also drives quality on the pitch. You are playing against a proper rugby nation.

As a supporter, I am really excited now about which Welsh team will be the first to play one of the South African sides. I will go to that game.

You can see the excitement among the regions, having spent time with them this week, and there’s a new buzz about the competition. It’s exciting for players and supporters alike. Q: Some people have expressed reservations about the two conference system. Was any