Advertisement
Springboks captain Siya Kolisi currently plays for the Stormers. Photosport/Joe Allison/INPHO

Big-name South African franchises set to join expanded Pro16 in April

The Bulls, Stormers, Sharks, and Lions will bring some world-class players with them.

THE FOUR NEW South African franchises are set to join an expanded Pro16 in April 2021 in what organisers hope will be a huge boost for the competition. 

The Bulls, Lions, Stormers, and Sharks are moving from Super Rugby to become part of the Pro16 from the end of this season onwards.

While the Pro14 has included South Africa’s Cheetahs and Kings in recent seasons, they have not been involved since the Covid-19 pandemic struck and will now be replaced by the four higher-profile franchises.

The42 understands that the Bulls, Lions, Stormers, and Sharks will officially join the Pro16 in April for the conclusion of the 2020/21 campaign.

With the likes of Springboks captain Siya Kolisi and fellow World Cup winners Pieter-Steph du Toit, Lukhanyo Am, and Steven Kitshoff on the books of the South African franchises, the new additions will bring some serious firepower with them. 

The IRFU has strongly supported the move to integrate South African’s leading sides as they believe it will make the Pro16 far more competitive. 

“We think that by having those four strong South African teams entering our competitions, it will help develop the game in the Pro14, it will help develop Irish rugby, it will help develop Irish players by stretching us and by challenging our teams and also our players,” said IRFU performance director David Nucifora last month.

“I think that’s what high-performing athletes want, they want to be challenged.”

So far this season, the four Irish provinces have won 26 of their 28 games in the Pro14.

The South African sides have played in a domestic Super Rugby Unlocked competition in 2020, while the Currie Cup is currently in action, with play-offs to be played next month.

However, the new era for South African rugby in the Pro16 is now set to kick off in April, with an official announcement expected soon.

Close
12 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Willy Motley
    Favourite Willy Motley
    Report
    Mar 20th 2019, 4:51 PM

    You made a show of yourself. From the bus incident to this very day. Used to be a massive Mcgregor fan but lost all respect for him at this stage. Wish he’d actually step away from the sport. They should just call him money Mcgregor

    295
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Bungee Aky
    Favourite Bungee Aky
    Report
    Mar 20th 2019, 4:55 PM

    @Willy Motley: all mouth. I never listened to the stuff that went on outside the cage, but watched keenly what happened inside, and there used to be a difference, now he is just a joke inside and outside. He won’t resurrect his career now with all that has happened unless he drops down the weight again.

    89
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tom Kenny
    Favourite Tom Kenny
    Report
    Mar 20th 2019, 6:00 PM

    @Bungee Aky: A fighter that has never successfully defended either title that he won in UFC.. Absolutely joke that he has the name he has..

    52
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Bungee Aky
    Favourite Bungee Aky
    Report
    Mar 20th 2019, 6:51 PM

    @Tom Kenny: he did well while he was on the way up, but he cut his own time at the top short and the fall was quicker than the rise. No humility, no class, no longevity. He will be remembered as the best, greatest, brightest flash in the pan that ever happened.

    32
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kieran Fogarty
    Favourite Kieran Fogarty
    Report
    Mar 20th 2019, 5:27 PM

    He was more interested in promoting his whiskey..how couldnt you give someone like Khabib no respect, the man never lost a round in 20 odd fights

    102
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Desmond Cassidy
    Favourite Desmond Cassidy
    Report
    Mar 20th 2019, 5:05 PM

    Who cares ??

    36
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Bungee Aky
    Favourite Bungee Aky
    Report
    Mar 20th 2019, 5:25 PM

    @Desmond Cassidy: you do apparently.

    89
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stanley Baggins
    Favourite Stanley Baggins
    Report
    Mar 20th 2019, 5:36 PM

    If Mcgregor gets another crack at Khabib and beats him then he’ll be a big hero again. But he seems to have lost the hunger. He has shown with Nate Diaz that you can never write him off but he seems to have been on a downward spiral since the Mayweather money rolled in.

    37
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Nollaig Elliot
    Favourite Nollaig Elliot
    Report
    Mar 20th 2019, 6:00 PM

    @Stanley Baggins:

    Motivation or not, he’ll never beat Khabib even if he fights him 100 times.

    54
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Adeel McDangerson
    Favourite Adeel McDangerson
    Report
    Mar 20th 2019, 6:00 PM

    @Stanley Baggins: lol not happening.

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Browne
    Favourite Paul Browne
    Report
    Mar 20th 2019, 11:05 PM

    I will give the guy credit for mouthing his way to the top, but not a nice guy in or outside the octagon/ring, he could of really been an Irish legend but his behavior has made him nothing more then a laughing stock, money won’t buy him class something he is seriously lacking,

    26
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dylan Doherty
    Favourite Dylan Doherty
    Report
    Mar 20th 2019, 7:24 PM

    The money mayweathers ruined him.

    13
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute baw baw
    Favourite baw baw
    Report
    Mar 21st 2019, 10:36 AM

    Aldo done it for 10 years and was caught naively in 13 seconds as he was beyond wound up.
    McGregor lauded his own talking game and aldo never got his rematch shot.
    McGregor says he was caught in a fight where he wasn’t up to much and ended in his second loss and should get a rematch just because.
    With his stardust waning and a bit of perspective its easier for people to see hes the Kardashian of UFC , took on a persona popular with the majority and played it expertly through modern media.
    A distasteful genius with talent in all the wrong places.May he and the rest of the kardashian culture be plagued with no privacy and a life in the public eye for selling there souls for a few million quid.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sean
    Favourite Sean
    Report
    Mar 21st 2019, 11:58 AM

    @baw baw: @baw baw: To write McGregor off as nothing more than Khardasian culture is a bit revisionist, while in recent times he has become a mere parody of himself, it would be foolish to discard how good he was at his peak.

    His persona only became what it was through his huge performances on the biggest stage. Against both Mendes and Aldo he heaped pressure on himself by talking a big and confident game and backed it up in the octogon. Without those performances his quick wit would have been nothing more than a cheap novelty. He has proven himself against a lot of top fighters and his lose to Khabib doesn’t take anything away from that.

    I do however agree that he is not entitled to an immediate rematch and nor should he want one, he needs to tune up, get a few wins under his belt and his head back in the game before he could pose any threat to Khabib.

    The idea that he could come back after two years on the session and beat him in the first place was ludicrous and thinking he could jump straight back in with him now is even more so.

    10
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel