Let’s embrace new PRO14, says Gerald
PRO14 Rugby chairman and Welsh legend Gerald Davies called on doubters to embrace the tournament’s new format at yesterday’s launch in Dublin.
It has been a summer of change for Celtic rugby with what was formerly known as the PRO12 welcoming the Cheetahs and Southern Kings to an expanded league in the coming season.
The new arrivals have resulted in an overhaul of the league’s structure and it’s a move that was initially greeted with strong disapproval from the sceptics.
And Davies put his point across to the assembled media at the Aviva Stadium.
“This is an extraordinary, historical development in the world of rugby,” he said.
“From what I’ve read and what I’ve heard so far, people have been talking about the risk factor, the risk that applies to us showing this boldness of ambition.
“We are embracing the challenge. So we can look forward to a very exciting period ahead.
“Let us look forward to a historical championship, let’s embrace this great championship in the making.”
And Davies was backed by Martin Anayi, the PRO14 chief executive, who said: “In my position you have to look at risk first actually and then you have to build a case why risk is something you should take on.
“And we absolutely looked at that and said across the board an expansion has to work from a player welfare point of view and it has to work from a conference or a format point of view.
“It has to work that the teams coming in are going to more competitive than the teams we have got, and it has to work commercially – and South Africa does that for us.”
The arrival of the South African teams will increase the revenue to the tune of a believed £500,000 per team and we won’t have to wait long to see them in Wales.
Reigning champions Scarlets welcome the Kings, who have been scrambling to get a squad together in recent weeks, to west Wales on the opening weekend of the season.
Lydiate determined to make up for lost time: Pages 46&47