Board gets down to nitty-gritty as debate on Pro12 starts

GOVERNING body Celtic Rugby are meeting in Dublin today to discuss the future of their Pro12 competition which is expected to include South African teams the Southern Kings and Cheetahs later this year.

The board members are set to meet SA Rugby chief executive Jurie Roux and sign off the inclusion of South African sides in their competition which kicks off in September.

The South African franchises, who played their final Super Rugby game against one another on Friday, are expected to join 12 teams from Wales, Italy, Ireland and Scotland from September.

The revamp could see the league divided into two conferences of seven teams.

If agreed, that would see teams play their conference rivals home and away, but they are expected to also play against teams in the other conference at least once.

It is understood clubs are eager to safeguard as many derby games in the season as possible. The Kings and Cheetahs decided they wanted “to explore other international opportunities” after their exit from Super Rugby which will be reduced from 18 to 15 teams next season.

Australia is also set to lose a team as Super Rugby strives to reinvent itself.

Despite being set to play in a European league, the Kings and Cheetahs are keen to remain based in SA rather than the UK.

There has been speculation they could play some of their home matches in the United Kingdom, with Saracens’ 15 000-seater Allianz Arena mooted as a potential venue.

This latest development in the Pro12 could also open the door to North American part as the competition explores expansion options to generate more revenue and tap into new markets.

There have also been concerns over the future participation of Italy’s two clubs, with Pro12 managing director Martin Anayi meeting with Italian rugby bosses this week.