‘PRO14 WORTH THE WAIT? I THINK SO’ – SAYS OUR RUGBY CORRESPONDENT SIMON THOMASmore

SO, now the Guinness PRO14 has finally been unveiled, the question is has it been worth the wait?

I will nail my colours to the mast straight away and say yes and I will attempt to explain why in the course of this piece.

Now supporters will point to the fact that the wait still goes on, as the fixtures are yet to be released.

It will be another week before they are announced and that’s clearly far from ideal given it leaves fans precious little time to arrange trips, with the new season less than a month away.

I do sympathise with those loyal followers who feel they been overlooked in all this.

But I do feel, on this occasion, that the delay is worth it, in terms of what is being delivered.

Here’s why. MONEY, MONEY, MONEY One of the biggest criticisms of the PRO12 over the years has been its failure to deliver sufficient income.

It has been very much the poor relation of the Top 14 and the Aviva Premiership in terms of revenue generation.

The TV deal with Canal+ in France brings in around £75m a year, while BT’s coverage of the English top flight delivers around £42m per annum.

Contrast that with the existing Pro12 package, where the total TV revenue from the various agreements with Sky, BBC, S4C and TG4 amounts to around £11.6m.

The discrepancy is there for all to see and it has made it increasingly hard for the Celtic clubs to compete with the English and French big spenders.

Things had become particularly parlous in Wales where our pro teams receive less than their rivals in terms of Union payments.

To exacerbate the situation, the BT sponsorship deal with the regions expired at the end of last season, while loans from the Union have been due for repayment.

It left our teams facing a revenue shortfall and tough challenges in terms of balancing the books and maintaining budgets.

While the situation in Wales has been particularly pressing, there has been a need for greater income across the PRO12 community if teams were not to be left behind by the Anglo-French fat cats.

The bottom line was that something had to be done. We couldn’t continue as we were.

So, the task facing tournament chief executive Martin Anayi was to somehow bring in additional revenue.

And, to his great credit, that’s what he has done – and in double quick time.

By bringing the Toyota Cheetahs and Southern Kings on board for this season following their Super Rugby exit, he has delivered more than £6m in extra cash from South African television.

With the tournament organisers covering the additional travelling costs, it means each of the existing 12 clubs will receive a £500,000 windfall.

It cannot be overstated just what a lifeline that has been.

Without it, Cardiff Blues would probably have had to offload a couple

players along with Franco van der Merwe, amid their financial issues.

And it’s a fair bet it’s helped the Scarlets pay their slice of the deal which is bringing Leigh Halfpenny back to Wales, something they said they couldn’t afford just a few short weeks ago. So this new money has been season-changing and a real lifesaver.

It’s important to remember also that it’s just the beginning.

The tournament’s TV deal is now into its final year and up for renegotiation.

Crucially, they now have a newly enhanced product to sell and a wider market to sell it to.

There is real optimism that a significantly enhanced package can be secured from 2018 with rival broadcasters challenging to secure the rights.

This could also just be the start of the expansion, with continuing talk of teams from the USA, Canada, Germany and Georgia coming on board in the future.

With America being one of sponsors Guinness’ biggest markets, you can see the appeal to them of going west, while again there would be fresh TV revenue streams to tap into.

So things are definitely looking up on the financial front.

The PRO12 organisers have long been criticised for not bringing in enough money. Now they have responded to that by delivering hard cash, it would seem churlish not to applaud them. CREDIBILITY Amid all the talk of expansion over the last couple of years, one consistent concern has surrounded the credibility of any new teams in rugby terms.

This was particurly the case when it came to the idea of North American sides coming on board.

Delivering new revenue is one thing, but new teams have to be able to hold their own on the pitch as well, if the standing of the league is not to be diminished.

Happily, there is reason to believe the South African recruits will be able to do that.

If you are going to bring in sides from any competition in the world, then you can’t look much higher than Super Rugby.

Now, admittedly, the Southern Kings and Toyota Cheetahs are being let go from that tournament as its cut from 18 to 15 sides and they have not been title challengers.

But nor are they easybeat also-rans. The Port Elizabeth-based Kings won six of their 15 matches this year, while the Cheetahs of Bloemfontein claimed four victories and actually finished second in their section. One wonders how many PRO12 teams would have won six games in Super Rugby, with the Sharks, the Waratahs, the Bulls and the Rebels among the scalps claimed by the Kings.

The Cheetahs also get the better of their countrymen from the Bulls and the Stormers, while having a team from the rugby heartland of the Free State as new opposition for our regions has a real ring to it. Some players may have moved on to other sides amid the uncertainty this summer, but the hope is both teams will be competitive, especially on home soil.

Clearly there are logistical issues to be addressed, especially for those sides