AFTER three months of whispers and leaks, the Guinness PRO12 have officially confirmed they are planning to expand the competition this season, with two South African franchises to join in time for the September kick-off.
However, supporters hoping for some clarity on the fixture list, including how many home games they are buying when they fork out for their season tickets, are going to have to wait until at least next week. The terse announcement from Celtic Rugby, the company that runs the PRO12, gave no details on any topic.
The entire statement reads: “Celtic Rugby can confirm that advanced and positive discussions are taking place with the South African Rugby Union regarding the introduction of two teams into an expanded Guinness PRO12 Championship. Given the proximity of the 2017/18 season start, a final decision on this potential expansion will be confirmed as soon as practical.”
Things are actually a lot more advanced than that makes it sound. The existing PRO12 members and the South African Rugby Union have reached agreement on most of the main points, but are determined to present the complete package in one go, including the detailed fixture list for the season, when they do unveil the new-look Championship next week.
The general outline is already clear. The new PRO14 will be run in two pools of seven, each with two teams from both Ireland and Wales plus one from Scotland, Italy and South Africa – who will enter the Southern Kings from Port Elizabeth and the Toyota Cheetahs from Bloemfontein.
Each team will play the others in their pool twice – home and away – and the teams in the opposite pool once – home or away. Additionally, there will be an extra two fixtures inserted into the calendar to allow the Welsh and Irish to complete their slate of derby matches, bringing the total to 21.
From a Scottish point of view, it means Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh will face each other three times in the season.
The top sides in each pool will go straight into the end-of-season play-off semi-finals, the second and third will face each other in a wild-card match to find their opponents. There may also have to be play-offs between the two fourth-placed sides to establish which takes the seventh and final spot in the European Champions Cup.
There are a number of unanswered questions, however. The status of the European competitions is one of them – the PRO12 have yet to approach EPCR, the Champions and Challenge Cup organisers, to see if the South Africans would be allowed to take places reserved for the PRO12.
The entry for this season’s tournament is already set in stone, so they have time to work out what can happen in the future.
Allowing in the South Africans would fundamentally change the nature of the European cups, though. It could also have longer-term implications if the PRO12 expansion continues with a North American team or teams potentially being invited in next season.
The PRO12’s main motive for the current expansion – which was suggested by South Africa as a way of saving the two franchises they were going to have to cut from the Super Rugby competition – is financial.
The South Africans are bringing a lucrative television deal, said to just about double the current broadcast deal and leave each team with an extra £500,000 a season after allowing for the extra expense of having to play a match or matches in South Africa.
In the current climate, where the PRO12 is competing against the wealth of clubs in France and England, backed by billionaires and huge broadcast deals, that may make only a marginal difference, but it must help.
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