BOKS MAY LOOK TO DOUBLE UP
SOUTH Africa boss Jurie Roux has claimed the entry of the Cheetahs and Southern Kings into the Guinness PRO14 could lead to the formation of TWO Springbok teams.
He maintained one could be picked for Tests in Wales and the rest of the Europe from the Kings and Cheetahs and the other for home internationals and southern hemisphere Rugby Championship matches from Super Rugby outfits Lions, Stormers, Sharks and Bulls.
The South African Rugby Union chief executive suggested picking players schooled in conditions in the northern hemisphere may be more beneficial for matches against countries from the Six Nations.
But he insisted all six franchises would be treated equally when it came to selecting the Springboks.
“From a rugby point of view, we now have the opportunity to adapt to conditions in the north quicker,” he told the Telegraph.
“The first game of the autumn is really a tough Test match because of not being used to those conditions and the environment.
“Now in terms of preparing our players for the conditions of the north, you might end up seeing two different Springbok sides being selected; one for inbounds (June Test series) and the Rugby Championship, and one for outbounds (European tours) in conditions that are completely different, and choosing players paced for that.”
Roux, at a press conference open to all media, was ecstatic about the entry of the Cheetahs and Kings into the PRO14.
“This is a momentous day for rugby, as significant as the launch of the Super 12 tournament 21 years ago,” he beamed.
“We are breaking new ground with a number of global firsts: this is the first cross-hemisphere domestic club competition; the first time we will have played summer rugby in South Africa and the first experiment in aligning a season in the south with that of the north.
“Life is about diversity, life is about options and life is about opportunities. It creates more diversity and makes sense in terms of time zones.
“Our eyes are on the bigger picture, which is new horizons and new opportunities for South African rugby and our PRO14 partners. We look forward to this adventure and building something special.”
Roux disclosed the SARU’s desire is to have eight professional franchises, two more than the current total, with four of those playing in Super Rugby and the other four in Europe, perhaps with the PRO14 being expanded to 16 with two conferences of eight.
He said there was “massive interest” in European rugby in South Africa but warned his union still had concerns over its financial stability.
“We’re not out of the trouble yet. I think it will probably take another 18 months for us to get out of the financial situation we got into because of last year,” Roux told SuperSport.
Roux disclosed the SARU would “underwrite” the Kings just like they did in Super Rugby when the franchise’s parent body (EP Rugby [Pty] Ltd) was declared bankrupt.
He claimed the Kings were “in a lot better shape” than they were despite not having a squad or sponsors and with the PRO14 kicking off in just 19 days’ time.
He said the union would constitute a new Kings board, pledging: “They will be on the pitch and they will be playing.”
Meanwhile, All Blacks skipper Kieran Read believes his team’s recent struggles against the British & Irish Lions might be crucial in helping them win the Rugby Championship.
New Zealand drew the series with Warren Gatland’s side after one win, one draw and one defeat against the tourists.
Read said: “We have to really make sure it helps us.
“We’ve got a good couple of years coming up and something pretty big after two years in the World Cup; similar types of pressures and things that we learned from a month ago.
“A lot of young men came in and played. The type of pressure it was, it certainly matched some of those big matches in World Cups, one-off games.
“To get that experience first-hand for a lot of guys will be really beneficial.
“Hopefully we show in this Championship and especially these Bledisloe Cup games what we’ve learned.
“It’s a game of small margins and other teams are chasing us and getting close. What we can’t do is rest and sit where we are, we have to continually push ourselves forward... I believe when we do that we’re certainly hard to beat.”