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SA Rugby has confirmed plans to move the Sharks, Bulls, Stormers Y Lions from Super Rugby to join PRO14, which will be expanded.
The Cheetahs confirmed on Tuesday that their European future was over, with SA Rugby later confirming that the intention was for the country’s Super Rugby franchises to head north.
A statement from SA Rugby said that the South African Rugby Union (SARU) had acted through its 13 voting member unions (Border is currently suspended) to resolve that the measure is carried out.
The general board, which SA Rugby said was the highest authority on rugby, also rejected the option of keeping the PRO14 in its current state and leaving the southern hemisphere franchises to seek other competition.
SA Rugby said it will now commit to PRO Rugby on the way forward.
The statement also confirmed talks about a Sanzaar-endorsed product in the southern hemisphere that would see the Cheetahs as the first South African representation.
Jurie Roux, chief executive officer of SA Rugby, said the COVID-19 pandemic had been a factor in the decision, as had New Zealand’s own plans to proceed with a trans-Tasmanian, Australasian version of Super Rugby.
Roux said New Zealand’s decision had made it “impossible” to continue Super Rugby in its current form.
“Our members are excited about the prospect of a closer alignment with the PRO Rugby Championship and the pursuit of a future in the Northern Hemisphere, but we would not have made this decision had it not been for actions elsewhere,” Roux said.
The meeting also committed SA Rugby to two major South African national competitions, including the 2021 Currie Cup.
They are:
– Copa SA (provisional title): All unions (14) will be divided into two groups in the historical ranking of records and will play a single round competition to identify eight teams for a knockout phase of the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.
– Currie Cup: The four proposed franchises of the Rugby PRO Championship plus the four best non-franchise finishers of the SA Cup would compete in the Premier Division of the Currie Cup in a double round with semifinal and final. The last six teams in the SA Cup compete in the First Division of the Currie Cup in a one-round competition before the semi-final and final.
Meanwhile, SA Rugby President Mark Alexander said that “we needed to take radical measures to avoid financial collapse due to the COVID-19 crisis.”
Roux confirmed that SA Rugby and the Springboks remained committed to the Rugby Championship and forming a ‘Super Series’ where hopefully the Cheetahs will have a new home.
The Cheetahs and Kings joined the then PRO12 in 2017 when the tournament expanded to a PRO14.
Both franchises had been expelled from Super Rugby.
– Compiled by Lloyd Burnard
