European Club Rugby

Derm McCrum

so who pays for it? Where do the players come from? How does the sides still existing fix any of the problems that the reduction of Super Rugby was supposed to fix? So the SARU still has to pay the extra 60-odd players, and those players are still diluting the talent pool in SA. And they still have to travel. And the league is played over summer.

And then they are supposed to compete in a league where everyone else is getting paid Euro, but they are getting paid in South African dirt money?

I assume they now get a cut of the Pro12 broadcasting revenue.

This can't end well for someone.

Don't have all the answers but here's my take.

SARU and SuperSport are coming up with initial money. The players come from the existing Cheetahs and Kings squads.

The reduction of Super Rugby was partly driven by the comp's broadcasters - they wanted teams cut to have a better format.

SARU may be playing a tactical game with this move. I've said previously that SARU was best positioned to have a foot in both camps - now it looks like that's what they're doing. It remains to be seen whether any of the other SA teams follow suit - perhaps to link up with English/French clubs if not PRO12.

They still have to travel, but not as much in a 7 team conference and in the same time zone.

The new global season structure where the NH season ends a month later will see PRO12/14 start at end September then break for 3 weeks of November tests and then potentially 7 weeks of European Cup pool games and quarterfinals, then 5-6 weeks of 6 Nations before resuming at end of March and finishing in June. It's not clear yet if the SA teams will participate in the European Cup the following season 2018/19 when potentially the two US teams may be added to the two conferences.

Top 3 from each conference will go into playoffs with no country qualification guarantee. Make up of conferences unknown.

More detail may get revealed this weekend at the rumoured launch. It would appear Celtic Rugby Limited (IRFU, WRU, SRU) which owns PRO12 will be closed/renamed and a new company in which SARU will also be a shareholder is being set up.

Separate meeting held with FIR this week in which they've been given a year to shape up or ship out.

A lot of change. Hopefully it will have the desired positive effect.

MiketheSnow

Many thanks Pot Hale.

If this moves the game closer to a common season then it can only be a good thing.

And if it is a success, it will be very interesting to see the English, French, Kiwi, Argie and Aussie reaction to it

Derm McCrum

@MiketheSnow said in NH club rugby:

Many thanks Pot Hale.

If this moves the game closer to a common season then it can only be a good thing.

And if it is a success, it will be very interesting to see the English, French, Kiwi, Argie and Aussie reaction to it

The English/French reaction will be the most interesting/important one. PRL would appear to be spitting tacks at this development because they didn't think Anayi could pull it off. BT Sport, having got Premiership rights and just recently won the European Cup rights from Sky, are probably less than impressed at the club chairmen who managed to piss the PRO12 off. They do not want Sky to suddenly step into the limelight with the potential markets opening up for PRO12/14. The Irish-American angle in US markets may also help but I think that's more of a long shot with the proposed two teams based in possibly Houston and Philadelphia.

It wouldn't surprise me if there was some PRL-inspired move at some point to try draw in some of the other SA teams away from Super Rugby.

mimic

@cgrant said in NH club rugby:

I remember seing him play alongside Nathan Hughes in the ITM Cup with Auckland. In terms of physicality, both were impressive. It's a shame they left.

Yep. At the time, Auckland were blessed with blindsides.
Luatua, Kaino, Akira, and Seu.

Now they're all leaving.

I was really surprised with Edwards leaving. I thought he was going to take over once Kaino retired.

profitius

@Pot-Hale
There's also the club owners Vs union battle going on which is interesting and might prevent any premiership merger with the South Africans.

Nepia

@mimic said in NH club rugby:

@cgrant said in NH club rugby:

I remember seing him play alongside Nathan Hughes in the ITM Cup with Auckland. In terms of physicality, both were impressive. It's a shame they left.

Yep. At the time, Auckland were blessed with blindsides.
Luatua, Kaino, Akira, and Seu.

Now they're all leaving.

I was really surprised with Edwards leaving. I thought he was going to take over once Kaino retired.

All? Is Akira moving to the Chiefs?

Stargazer

New Zebre side controlled by Italian Rugby Federation to compete in Pro12

There will still be two Italian sides in the Pro12 for the 2017-18 season despite the Italian Rugby Federation [FIR] taking control of Zebre.

Zebre released a tweet confirming the takeover and future participation in the Pro12 and European Challenge Cup.

An FIR spokesperson told BBC Wales that Italy will continue to have two teams in the Pro12, honouring an agreement with the Celtic Rugby Board.

The new side will be called Zebre Rugby Club and will still be based in Parma.

This replaces the previous incarnation Zebre Rugby Srl and will be under new management, playing along with Treviso as the two Italian representatives in the league.

Doubts emerged about Zebre's future after players were reportedly not paid for two months and there are still concerns about whether they will play beyond the 2017-18 season.

A fresh company called Zebre Rugby Club Company has been created and a new chief executive and directors have been appointed.

Meetings will take place this week to determine the rebranding of the new side from the old organisation, with matters such as contracts and insurance to be discussed with players and staff.

The uncertainty comes with an official announcement this week expected by Celtic Rugby, the organisation responsible for the Pro12, on the expansion of the league with two South African sides.

The Southern Kings and Cheetahs are set to join sides from Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Italy for the 2017-18 season to expand the league to 14 sides, with a two conference system being suggested.

There have been plans mooted to expand the league even further, with a North American franchise being explored.

Derm McCrum

@Stargazer said in NH club rugby:

New Zebre side controlled by Italian Rugby Federation to compete in Pro12

There will still be two Italian sides in the Pro12 for the 2017-18 season despite the Italian Rugby Federation [FIR] taking control of Zebre.

Zebre released a tweet confirming the takeover and future participation in the Pro12 and European Challenge Cup.

An FIR spokesperson told BBC Wales that Italy will continue to have two teams in the Pro12, honouring an agreement with the Celtic Rugby Board.

The new side will be called Zebre Rugby Club and will still be based in Parma.

This replaces the previous incarnation Zebre Rugby Srl and will be under new management, playing along with Treviso as the two Italian representatives in the league.

Doubts emerged about Zebre's future after players were reportedly not paid for two months and there are still concerns about whether they will play beyond the 2017-18 season.

A fresh company called Zebre Rugby Club Company has been created and a new chief executive and directors have been appointed.

Meetings will take place this week to determine the rebranding of the new side from the old organisation, with matters such as contracts and insurance to be discussed with players and staff.

The uncertainty comes with an official announcement this week expected by Celtic Rugby, the organisation responsible for the Pro12, on the expansion of the league with two South African sides.

The Southern Kings and Cheetahs are set to join sides from Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Italy for the 2017-18 season to expand the league to 14 sides, with a two conference system being suggested.

There have been plans mooted to expand the league even further, with a North American franchise being explored.

They sure are running it tight to season start. I have my season ticket already and still don't know what I'm sitting down to in 6 weeks time.

Stargazer

@Pot-Hale Sounds like a logistical nightmare, for Pro12/4 itself, but especially for clubs and venues.

Rapido

I actually think the Pro 12/14 sounds quite workable. From a timing point of view. With it being effectively in hiatus during the height of the SH summer/NH winter.

I was very dubious. Thinking of examples like the Blues just playing in mid-summer Tokyo.

So the 2 SAF franchises will effectively go:

closing half of P14 season in SH Autumn
then mid-winter. Presumably the SAF season is structured so they can play either/or club rugby, or Vodacom Cup, or maybe even Currie Cup.
opening half of P14 season in Spring
hiatus in summer (have their off season

But that traveling will be the issue. Especially if it ever goes trans-Atlantic.

Rapido

I don't know how sustainable a Pro14 will be. But in the short term I'm glad that these 2 SAF teams with high numbers of players 'of colour', and that actually are improving- will stay pro for at least a few more years.

As an outside I'm wanting the forced 'transformation' stage to end as quickly as possible. So that they can be great again. I also don't want their non-transformation players giving up in greater numbers that a reduction to 4 pro teams would trigger.

Long term. I'd want Super Rugby if it is to stay a whole of SH enterprise to be something like 2 conferences (South-Atlantic & Oceania), with just the playoffs involving cross games between these 2 halves of the Southern Hemisphere.

My hunch is that involving Japan and other North Pacific nations is not tenable with keeping South Atlantic.

Don't know which way we are going.

I also don't see USA involvement with Pro 14 being tenable, especially if it involves SAF.

I don't see USA involvement in either of these 2 tournaments being tenable until they are at a stage where they have effectively a North American conference, eg enough pro teams in North America that they are self sufficient in their own league and it isn't until play off time that the big travelling starts.

Derm McCrum

@Rapido said in NH club rugby:

I actually think the Pro 12/14 sounds quite workable. From a timing point of view. With it being effectively in hiatus during the height of the SH summer/NH winter.

I was very dubious. Thinking of examples like the Blues just playing in mid-summer Tokyo.

So the 2 SAF franchises will effectively go:

closing half of P14 season in SH Autumn

then mid-winter. Presumably the SAF season is structured so they can play either/or club rugby, or Vodacom Cup, or maybe even Currie Cup.

opening half of P14 season in Spring

hiatus in summer (have their off season

But that traveling will be the issue. Especially if it ever goes trans-Atlantic.

Can you translate that into month names?

ARHS

@Rapido

Quiz question for viewers:

What do over 200 Kiwis, over 200 South Africans, over 100 Aussies and over 250 Pacific Islanders have in common?

Answer: They all have Pro contracts with Northern Hemisphere rugby clubs as their season is about to start. Those are the numbers before King and Cheetahs join Pro14 and Force or Rebels get wiped, and those missing 2018 Super rugby contracts look for short-term contracts. I did a quick review of rosters and found 215 from NZ, 207 from SA, 102 from Australia, 90 from Fiji, 88 Tonga and 66 Samoa. It is staggering indeed. No wonder the deteriorating quality in depth in super rugby. I can only see it getting worse with 3 less teams now.

Bristol has 29 foreign imports, London Irish 28, Newcastle 27, Narbonne 24, Worcester 22, Oyonnax 22, and Timisoara and Clermont 20 each by my quick counts. That includes players from European neighbours - not just from down under.

I am interested to know what people think about the scale of this. Surely an Islanders franchise must be set up to protect Islands rugby.

Catogrande

@ARHS Frightening stats. Not good for PI rugby and not good for NH rugby either.

Stargazer

Statement: Expansion to Guinness PRO14 Championship

Celtic Rugby and the South African Rugby Union have today confirmed that the Toyota Cheetahs and the Southern Kings will join an expanded Guinness PRO14 tournament in time for the upcoming 2017/18 season.

A long-term strategic agreement has been signed by both parties which will allow the participation of two South African franchises in the renamed Guinness PRO14 Championship.

The agreement means that the Championship will take place across the northern and southern hemispheres and marks the first phase of expansion as the Guinness PRO14 becomes a truly global tournament.

This move will contribute to the drive for ever higher standards that we demand across the tournament and provide greater resources to our clubs who will compete in the most testing environment the Championship has ever created.

We can also reassure supporters across the Championship that all current home and away Derby games have been protected – these fixtures are sacrosanct to the tournament and those tribal rivalries are just one element of what makes the Guinness PRO14 so special.

With a new format, new teams and new audiences the Guinness PRO14 – which leads World Rugby statistics for Positive Play – will hit even greater heights in 2017/18.

NEW FORMAT

The addition of the Toyota Cheetahs and the Southern Kings will require the Championship to introduce a new Conference format as a league format is not suited to a 14-team cross-border tournament.

The Guinness PRO14 will adopt a two-conference model which will allows for the new clubs to be added into the Championship without need to add extra rounds in 2017/18.

**Conference A**
Munster (IRFU)
Ospreys (WRU)
Glasgow Warriors (SRU)
Cardiff Blues (WRU)
Connacht (IRFU)
Zebre Rugby Club (FIR)
Toyota Cheetahs (SA Rugby)

**Conference B**
Scarlets (WRU)
Leinster (IRFU)
Ulster (IRFU)
Edinburgh (SRU)
Benetton Rugby (FIR)
Dragons (WRU)
Southern Kings (SA Rugby)

* 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 (teams 1-3 from each Conference)
* The top 3 clubs from each conference will qualify for the Champions Cup while the team with the highest points total outside of those six teams across both conferences will claim the final Champions Cup place

**South African clubs will not be eligible to qualify for EPCR tournaments at present**

The Conferences need to fulfil two criteria. First, there must be an equal number of teams from each union in both conferences. Secondly, there must be a competitive balance based upon the previous season’s final placings that feed into union rankings.

To create an equal number of teams per union each conference will contain:

* 2 Irish teams; 2 Welsh; 1 Italian; 1 Scottish, 1 South African

Additionally, for the entrance of the South African teams their Super Rugby final placings were used for ranking.

Please note: To maintain competitive balance the Conferences will be reset each season based upon rankings from the previous campaign.

FIXTURES

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
* 7 Home OR Away games against each team from the other conference
* An additional 2 Rounds to ensure all derby fixtures are played home & away (this means Scottish, Italian, South African clubs play three derbies)

The fixture list has been drafted for all 21 rounds, Rounds 1-13 will be confirmed next week (commencing August 7) after the Championship’s broadcast partners have made their selections for live television broadcasts and the clubs have been consulted.

Stargazer

video about new pro14 format:

http://www.facebook.com/PRO12Rugby/videos/1784078901620243/

PN

This post is deleted!

pukunui

God i hate conference based competitions. It's like some commitee has got together and said "how can we make this as complicated as possible?"

Catogrande

@pukunui said in NH club rugby:

God i hate conference based competitions. It's like some commitee has got together and said "how can we make this as complicated as possible?"

Almost always it is about trying to squeeze more of something in and almost inevitably it results in a diluting of the product.

antipodean

As long as the conferences are evenly matched, there's no real issue with them. If you want an expanded competition within the same timeframes, you have no other option.

The Silver Fern

European Club Rugby