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Cheetahs and Kings not evicted from PRO14 just yet

By Online Editors
(Photo by Johan Pretorius/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

The Cheetahs and Southern Kings may be ‘shut out’ for now, but they are certainly not on PRO14’s trash heap.

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Panic set in this week when the Europe-based competition announced its restart date, but the Cheetahs and Kings were excluded.

However, that is because neither team has been allowed to return to contact training. Non-contact training only started in South Africa this week.

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Big Jim is joined by Canadian and Clermont legend, Jamie Cudmore on this week’s episode of All Access.

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Big Jim is joined by Canadian and Clermont legend, Jamie Cudmore on this week’s episode of All Access.

The delayed return follows on increased speculation that the Cheetahs and Kings could be ‘sacrificed’ to make room for South Africa’s four big franchises in an expanded European competition.

SA Rugby chief executive officer Jurie Roux admitted this week they are “a long way down the road’ in creating alternative options for the Lions, Bulls, Sharks and Stormers in 2021 and beyond.

“I wouldn’t be doing my job not to look at Plan B or Plan C,” Roux told a virtual media briefing this week.

“I’ve been doing that for a long time and there are a few options on the table.”

He declined to elaborate on specifics of the alternatives, but said they have “different options that will probably suit us better”.

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He said they are building towards the direction they probably need to head towards over the next few years.

“We are making plans, but there’s nothing to announce right now, and we have to weigh up options in the SANZAAR environment,” Roux added.

Pressed on the future of the Cheetahs and Kings, the SA Rugby CEO said: “We are obviously looking at our structures.”

“We are making decisions on where we are going to play internationally – be that SANZAAR or an expanded European competition,” he said, when asked about the future of the various franchises.

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“Only once we have negotiated on how that competition[s] will work, only then the decisions will follow when we will decide who participates where and what format.”

He explained that those decisions are not for the SA Rugby executive committee to make, but rather the general council of the South African Rugby Union.

He said all the domestic unions will participate in the decision-making process.

“[Through the general council] the Cheetahs will have a very big say who plays internationally,” Roux said, adding: “So will the Kings, so will the other 12 unions that are part of the general council.”

Some reports suggested the decision on which teams feature in Europe could rest on whether the Lions, Sharks, Bulls and Stormers could gain access to Europe’s Champions Cup and Challenge Cup competitions.

Such a move would require the consent of the English and French clubs.

– Jan Konings/Rugby365

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Adrian 1 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

9 Go to comments
T
Trevor 4 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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B
Bull Shark 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

29 Go to comments
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