PRO14 set to start new season without Boks

SOUTH African sides Cheetahs and Southern Kings will not play in the PRO14 for the rest of 2020 and will miss the start of next season scheduled for the first weekend of October.

The 2019-20 season regular season will conclude at the end of August before semi-finals and a final in September.

A Pro14 statement read: “Pro14 Rugby is aware of the Southern Kings voluntary decision to withdraw from any domestic competitions in South Africa for the rest of the 2020 calendar year.

“Due to on-going travel restrictions enforced by the South African government, it is not foreseen that any cross-border PRO14 games involving South Africa teams will take place until 2021.

“Pro14 Rugby remains in discussion with SA Rugby on when South African participation in the league can resume in the new year.

“Work is underway to concentrate the opening 2020/21 fixtures among the 12 European-based clubs.”

Tournament organisers are now working on different scenarios which includes seeing the South African sides join the season in 2021 or finishing the tournament with the 12 sides they start with.

One plan is to play 11 rounds from October until Christmas with each team playing each other once.

If South African teams still can’t travel in 2021, they will simply reverse those fixtures in the new year.

If the Cheetahs and Kings are able to play in 2021, fixtures will be played against the South African sides as usual.