PRO14 ORGANISERS ARE planning to begin the new season with just 12 teams, it has been announced today.
The tournament restarted for the first time since March over the weekend with six all-Irish, Scottish, Welsh and Italian fixtures played behind closed doors due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Earlier today, the Southern Kings revealed their withdrawal from the competition due to financial problems.
Now it has been confirmed that the other South African side — the Cheetahs — will not return in 2020 either.
“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,” today’s statement reads.
“Due to on-going travel restrictions enforced by the South African government against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is not foreseen that any cross-border Guinness 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 already underway to concentrate the opening 2020/21 fixtures among the 12 European-based clubs.”
In 2017, the Southern Kings and the Cheetahs joined their northern hemisphere counterparts as the Pro12 was expanded to the Pro14.
The current season is due to end with the Grand Final on 12 September, with the 2020/21 campaign provisionally scheduled to kick off the weekend of 3 October.
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Going by that top photo, looks like it was a pity there was nobody there to see it….
@Jumperoo: that stand was closed tonight and east stand had a big crowd in it. The people you can see under the clock are kids that played at half time.
@Eamon Maguire: Will ya stop, there was nobody there
That’s a shocking crowd (not blaming anyone) would it be better to have a game like that in an AIL ground and fill it with 3-4000 and the club does well. Surely there is no way this made money for the ground
@Scott Crossfield: does this not really expose our whole “stadia will be full” stance for RWC 2023? The media have played up the thinking that what sets Ireland apart from SA is that for also ran games – like, say, those involving Tonga v Namibia on a Tuesday night – provincial grounds like Thomond would be full. It would have helped our cause if 20.000 showed up for this game.
@Martin Quinn: of course it is different but in a week in which the CEO of the IRFU writes a detailed letter which partially focused on how our bid is different because we’ll sell out stadia for even the minnow games, a less than glamorous fixture in Limerick, one of rugby’s heartlands, attracts less than 10,000 people. Whether you agree or not isn’t really the point. I’ve absolutely no doubt there are people in WR who will be made aware of that. “Traditional rugby communities” is how Browne and the media have spun this. It doesn’t get more traditional than the Barbarians, against a recognised rugby nation. It looks bad.
@grandslamkbo: no it doesn’t, glory days are long gone for the baa-baa’s. they are a corporate group ,who gives a shit about them. It’s a mad panic even to fill a squad with them sometimes , it’s nice to be asked to play with them but I doubt there’s a player out there that aspires to be a baa-baa some day.
@grandslamkbo: the powers that be in their wisdom decided that a local AIL game between Young Munster and Garryowen would kick-off at the same time on the other side of the city.
That coupled with the very bad weather didn’t help. But agreed it is very poor optics in light of our arguments on stadia since S.A announced as preferred choice for 2023.
@Hardly Normal: i don’t care about the Barbarians either but that’s not the point. This was still a Friday night fixture in Limerick involving a world cup team and another with a long history. Arguing about the BaaBaas role is irrelevant. The stadium was about 20% full. It looks terrible.
@grandslamkbo: I think your argument is irrelevant, the barbarians are responsible for their own marketing. We just supplied a stadium. Weather played a massive aspect too! Someone else mentioned there was a local ail match at the same time! If it was important to have a full stadium they could have hyped it up, televised it and handed out free tickets if needs be.
@grandslamkbo: it takes brains to fix anAIL limerick derby the same night in the same city, also most junior rugby teams in the province have training on Friday nights
@Hardly Normal: that doesn’t make sense. The fact that it wasn’t televised means you’d expect more people to be at it. Do you think the attendance would have been bigger if it was live on tv?
Pretending the AIL fixture had any effect is nonsense. There were 250 at it tops. I know. I was there
@Martin Quinn: What are you on about? You want me to produce a photo to prove I was there? Fu<£ing clown. It's almost like you believe the attendance at the munster game was low because they were all watching AIL. Wake up.
Good man Donnacha. Proper order.
The unending tributes to Anthony Foley (deceased for well over a year now) are getting too much. He was a fine player, not a great coach.
@Paul K Murphy: Nope, because he’s dead over a year and it’s old. RIP but come on, please stop.
@John Reid:
K**b head
Was this on TV
@Charlie Brown: no but Pundit Arena had an online stream
@Charlie Brown: No thank God
Is it not 5 Irish debutants, or has Muldoon played for the Baa-baas before?