Boks look poised to provide a PRO14 boost

SOUTH Africa’s world champion aces could soon be starring in the Guinness PRO14 after New Zealand announced a wide-ranging review of its involvement in Super Rugby.

This season’s Super Rugby tournament was stopped in its tracks by the coronavirus pandemic, with New Zealand holding a domestic competition and Australia planning to follow suit.

Some of Australian rugby’s key stakeholders have been vocal in their support of a transTasman only competition in future years and want the South Africans and Argentine side Jaguares booted out of Super Rugby.

Other leading ex-players feel the tournament needs an overhaul to become more appealing to the fans.

Now the New Zealand Rugby Union has established a committee to examine the future of the tournament.

With international travel restrictions in place across the world, it is much less likely fixtures could be played against Argentine or South African sides in the short-term, perhaps with current health fears even impacting next year’s Super Rugby campaign. A move to northern hemisphere rugby, with its similar time zones, would make travelling much easier for South African teams while they could benefit financially from more sponsorship and a greater television audience in Europe.

South Africa already has two teams – Cheetahs and Southern Kings – in the PRO14.

But the cross-border tournament would get an enormous fillip if big-hitters the Stormers, who Wales and Lions star Jamie Roberts appeared for this year, Sharks, Bull and Lions were to follow a similar path.

It could set up the prospect of the Welsh regions tangling with some of the best players on the planet.

Springboks’ World Cupwinning skipper Siya Kolisi and world player of the year Pieter-Steph du Toit play for the Stormers. Other World Cup final stars, like Makazole Mapimpi and Lukhanyo Am, appear for the Sharks.

PRO14 chief executive Martin Anayi said: “We have always been very interested in South Africa.

“We like them and see them as a key part of our future.

“The tournament works well at the moment but could work better if you could add teams to it.

“So that’s one avenue to potentially explore.”