RUGBY’S FUTURE REVEALED...
‘Bold and exciting’ revamp with £2m windfall for Wales’ four regions – and there could be a lot more cash to come....
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NEW GUINNESS PRO-14:
WALES’ four regions will receive a significant cash windfall as part of the creation of the newly expanded Guinness PRO14.
South African sides the Toyota Cheetahs and the Southern Kings will join the existing 12 teams for the coming season amid a radical revamp of the cross-border competition.
It’s a move which will bring in serious money, with South Africa paying more than £6m to have the two teams on board following their axing from Super Rugby.
That will see each of our regions benefit to the tune of around £500,000, with the additional travelling costs being covered by the tournament organisers.
It’s much needed extra revenue amid challenging financial times for the Welsh game.
And there’s likely to be more to come, with potential revenue from South African TV, an uplift in sponsorship and, crucially, a new TV deal to be negotiated for the league next year.
The 14 teams will be split into two conferences of seven, with the six Welsh derbies being retained amid 21 regular season fixtures, with three rounds of play-offs to follow.
PRO14 chief executive Martin Anayi views it as an historic moment for the tournament as it begins the first phase of expansion.
“The arrival of the Toyota Cheetahs and the Southern Kings marks a bold and exciting new chapter for the Guinness PRO14 as a global rugby Championship,” he said.
“As a country, South Africa is a rugby powerhouse of over 55 million people. These teams already operate to the high standards demanded by Super Rugby and they will add to the quality of our tournament.
“This move is evidence of our ambition to lead the way in growing the club game beyond our own borders, which in turn will unlock the true potential of this tournament. “The appeal of professional club rugby has never been greater and we aim to be at the forefront of the game’s growth around the world.
“Our clubs, players and coaches are already excited about the opportunity to play in South Africa in front of new crowds, new stadiums and take on these exciting new tests.
“To achieve this within three months is an astonishing achievement by everyone involved.”
The full fixture list has been drafted, with rounds 1-13 to be confirmed next week after consultation with the broadcasters and clubs.
The new PRO14... all your questions answered:
GIVEN the expansion, the change to competition format and the cross-continental nature of the new Guinness PRO14 , there is inevitably a more convoluted feel about it compared to its predecessor.
Coming up with a fair structure that protected derby encounters and took into account the travelling demands of matches in South Africa was no easy task.
In truth, taking every change and the reasoning for it on board isn’t easy.
So here are the key questions posed and answered by Guinness PRO14 chiefs themselves.
If you’re still confused after reading this, we really can’t help!
Question: Why are South African teams joining the Championship?
Answer: Since the tournament’s beginnings in 2001 as the Celtic League, the tournament has always thrived as a cross-border competition and expanding the Championship is in keeping with its DNA.
By bringing in the Toyota Cheetahs and the Southern Kings and expanding into new territories, the Championship will attract more interest from broadcasters and sponsors while ensuring that we have elite level teams making the Guinness PRO14 even more competitive on the field.
This agreement will benefit all of the teams who compete in the Guinness PRO14 and allow those clubs eligible for European competition to be better resourced to thrive at that level.
Q: Why can’t it just be a league?
A: A home and away league system with 14 teams would be impossible to fit into the allocated playing weekends in a season.
Across European rugby and soccer none of the major cross-border tournaments (Champions Cup, Champions League) use a league system, rather, they opt for pool and knock-out stage formats which bears many similarities to the new conference system. In this case, the conference system allows the tournament to expand without the need to add extra games into an already congested international calendar.
Q: How will this work and what changes will occur to the Championship format?
A: The Guinness PRO14 will adopt a two-conference model which will allows for the new clubs to be added into the Championship without needing to add extra rounds in 2017/18.
■ Each conference will contain 7 teams with an equal split of teams from each union;
■ Every team plays 21 regular season games;
■ Every team to play each other at least once;
■ All Home & Away derby fixtures will remain in place;
■ Italian, Scottish and South African teams will play an additional derby fixture to even out the schedule (e.g. Edinburgh will play Glasgow Warriors three times);
■ The Guinness PRO14 Final Series will now include Quarter-Finals allowing six clubs to reach the knock-out stages;
■ The top 3 clubs from each conference will qualify for the Champions Cup while the 4th placed team with the highest points total will claim the final Champions Cup place;
■ South African clubs will not be eligible to qualify for EPCR tournaments at present.
Q: How many matches will my team play?
A: The regular season will consist of 21 Rounds which is one game less than the previous format. These Rounds will be made up from a combination of:
■ 12 Home & Away games in your team’s conference;
■ Seven Home OR Away games against each team from the other conference;
■ An additional 2 Derby Round games to ensure all Derby fixtures are played home & away (this means Scottish, Italian, South African clubs play three Derbies);
■ Teams will alternate between 10 or 11 home games each season.