Pro16

[higgik]

Had anyone heard anymore about the Pumas and Griquas joining the Pro14.

 

[mdaclarke]

Would be awesome. Maybe the WC win will make it happen

 

[higgik]

Would make a well balanced league. You could have home or away (15 matches) followed by local derbies, 3 matches, if you say the Scots and Italians play as local derbies.
Less matches mean higher percentage of internationals available.
Top 5 play offs like super league.

 

[profitius]

Glasgow 50-0 Kings on Friday so no thanks to more SA teams dragging the quality down. Cheetahs are decent but we don't need 2 more weak teams. Plus the South African people prefer super rugby and don't have much time for the pro14.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

There's too much dross at the bottom of the league to consider expansion for the moment in my opinion. Zebre and Kings are way below the required standard. Relocation is a dirty word is sports outside North America but I'd consider that before I would expansion.

 

[higgik]

There's too much dross at the bottom of the league to consider expansion for the moment in my opinion. Zebre and Kings are way below the required standard. Relocation is a dirty word is sports outside North America but I'd consider that before I would expansion.

Relocate which teams.
Also, if they became proper franchises where, e.g. the Zebre could pick more T2 players, without penalty, there is also the bonus of developing their players. This would be a far better option than trying to get a Georgian team in the league. Look how Uruguay did this with adding 10 players into MLR and the difference that made to their levels of play.
I know many Georgia s already play in France, but not many backs do.

 

[Amiga500]

Will the fact that Siya Kolisi is from PE help draw crowds to the kings?

Yeah, they are that dung right now that most will probably drift away - but if the SARU could capitalise on it and push across some squad players from the SA teams - then they might retain enough to build a bit of a fanbase.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Will the fact that Siya Kolisi is from PE help draw crowds to the kings?

Yeah, they are that dung right now that most will probably drift away - but if the SARU could capitalise on it and push across some squad players from the SA teams - then they might retain enough to build a bit of a fanbase.

That's a possibility. But the Kings are trying to do something that in the short term won't work, and that is to mostly use players within their region, and slowly weed out the guys from other regions, in an attempt to revive the local rugby demographic. WIth that said, their biggest schoolboy resource is Grey High in PE, and most of their players gets contracts in other regions before they even start their professional career.

 

[higgik]

Glasgow 50-0 Kings on Friday so no thanks to more SA teams dragging the quality down. Cheetahs are decent but we don't need 2 more weak teams. Plus the South African people prefer super rugby and don't have much time for the pro14.

Did you look at the 2019 Currie Cup. The Griquas finished 3rd above 2 SR teams, while the Kings are in Division 1 so their standards are not comparable. Remember that many of the Cheetahs were 2nd reamers as their firsts were also playing in Currie Cup last year. This year no clash so they will have a better team and also a better understanding of the travel issues.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Did you look at the 2019 Currie Cup. The Griquas finished 3rd above 2 SR teams, while the Kings are in Division 1 so their standards are not comparable. Remember that many of the Cheetahs were 2nd reamers as their firsts were also playing in Currie Cup last year. This year no clash so they will have a better team and also a better understanding of the travel issues.

True. Although all the SR teams didn't have any of the 50 Springbok players that took part in the training camps and RC while the CC was going on.

So only the Cheetahs, Pumas and the Griquas were playing with their full strength teams in the CC.

But with that said, I still think the Griquas and the Pumas are not quite ready to participate in a intercontinental tournament.

I think depending on the systematic changes we'll be making within SA now that we have a director of rugby with the plan to improve in all areas of the game, there is a possibility for more teams improving on the quality of the product.

 

[higgik]

True. Although all the SR teams didn't have any of the 50 Springbok players that took part in the training camps and RC while the CC was going on.

So only the Cheetahs, Pumas and the Griquas were playing with their full strength teams in the CC.

But with that said, I still think the Griquas and the Pumas are not quite ready to participate in a intercontinental tournament.

I think depending on the systematic changes we'll be making within SA now that we have a director of rugby with the plan to improve in all areas of the game, there is a possibility for more teams improving on the quality of the product.

Maybe true, but what does that says about the Kings??
I personally think that adding them would enhance the Pro14 and also make less matches overall.
Maybe linking with the Premiership and Top14 to make a proper Euro-African League of say 40 teams, (8 SA, 4 Welsh, 4 Irish, 2 Scottish, 2 Italian, 10 English and 10 French), in 8 groups of 5 (split into 2 conferences like the NFL) would be the way forward. Forget Super Rugby, Europe has greater money and hence the ability to have greater depth.

Obviously the ABs would try to stop it at every point, because it would ruin their game, but for the Boks it would only enhance their game with the extra money and better matches. They could always play the ABs at International level.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Maybe true, but what does that says about the Kings??
I personally think that adding them would enhance the Pro14 and also make less matches overall.
Maybe linking with the Premiership and Top14 to make a proper Euro-African League of say 40 teams, (8 SA, 4 Welsh, 4 Irish, 2 Scottish, 2 Italian, 10 English and 10 French), in 8 groups of 5 (split into 2 conferences like the NFL) would be the way forward. Forget Super Rugby, Europe has greater money and hence the ability to have greater depth.

Obviously the ABs would try to stop it at every point, because it would ruin their game, but for the Boks it would only enhance their game with the extra money and better matches. They could always play the ABs at International level.

It's not gonna happen now.

The Pumas and the Griquas players are semi-professional in any case, and most of their guys have a day job.

There's a very long road ahead before these 2 teams will be in the same bracket as the Cheetahs and the Kings.