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Premiership Cup

Exclusive: Southern Hemisphere looks set to compete in Anglo-Welsh Cup

Anglo Welsh Cup may take on two South African teams

Following on from our exclusive earlier this month that the South African Rugby Union (SARU) were in advanced talks to create two new franchises to be entered into the Anglo-Welsh Cup from the 2018/19 season, RugbyPass understands that the Griquas and Pumas are currently the two leading candidates.

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The two new franchises would be built around the two existing teams, both of whom played in the Premier Division of the Currie Cup this season.

The Griquas, who are based in Kimberley in the Northern Cape region of South Africa, finished bottom of the pile in the Premier Division this season and face a promotion/relegation playoff with the Griffons this weekend to maintain their place in South Africa’s top flight.

The Pumas finished one spot above the Griquas on the log this season, ensuring their presence in the competition in 2018. They play out of Nelspruit in Mpumalanga Province and both teams are located in areas of South Africa that have not seen Super Rugby or Guinness PRO14 representation.

The Pumas hug the border with Swaziland and Mozambique and are situated around 200 miles east of the Bulls in Pretoria, whilst the Griquas are located roughly 100 miles west of the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.

If successful, not only would this move see SARU continue its shift to the northern hemisphere competitions – and the preferable time zones and more lucrative broadcast deals that come with it – but it would also increase the rugby exposure of two provinces that boast a combined population of over 5,500,000 people.

Premier Rugby Limited does not currently have a desire to incorporate South African sides into the Premiership, as the PRO14 has done, but the introduction of two sides – likely the Griquas and Pumas – into the Anglo-Welsh Cup would be a way for them to test the waters over any potential future involvement in their flagship competition.

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SARU are set to meet in the coming weeks to finalise plans for their bid for involvement in the competition.

 

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Comments on RugbyPass

C
CB 27 minutes ago
Bulls player ratings vs Glasgow | 2025/26 Investec Champions Cup

Yeah that'll be the Glasgow player on the floor with 2 Bulls players with hands on him? Yeah he's clearly the instigator! What a bizarre take!

Bulls really were due a yellow earlier in the half, it was what, 5 or 6 new penalty advantages while under penalty advantage on their 5 metre line before McDowall scored. Then again later in the half, similar situation. But yeah, the Bulls were hard done by.



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J
J Marc 35 minutes ago
'You're better than that': Henry Pollock involved in multiple incidents with Castres

If he will be picked…

17 Go to comments
E
Eric Elwood 1 hour ago
'You're better than that': Henry Pollock involved in multiple incidents with Castres

Abusing and mocking opposition fans is actually outlawed in rugby, the same law that bans players abusing officials. So it is not “perfectly fine”.

Soccer have given players suspensions for this kind of behaviour. It is high time for rugby to apply its own laws.



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17 Go to comments
E
Ed the Duck 1 hour ago
Toulouse hunt Bears to European extinction, Glasgow slaughter Bulls

So Bullshit all round then Eric…???🤣🤣🤣

2 Go to comments
E
Ed the Duck 1 hour ago
Bulls player ratings vs Glasgow | 2025/26 Investec Champions Cup

Wasn’t there an Irish team that paddled their way across the dyke today and couldn’t be bothered too?

3 Go to comments
E
Ed the Duck 1 hour ago
'You're better than that': Henry Pollock involved in multiple incidents with Castres

He did alter prendergast’s name to Prendergassed…

17 Go to comments
E
Ed the Duck 1 hour ago
'You're better than that': Henry Pollock involved in multiple incidents with Castres

Care to name any of the “bigots” the school you refer to has a reputation for producing?

Nah, thought not…



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A
Andrew Nichols 1 hour ago
Chiefs vs Waratahs takes: The Chiefs' big question, little brother syndrome

I still see their slow ruck clearance as the biggest weakness. They get on a roll then it sedms to take an age for the 9 to dig the ball out and thus the defence has all the time to get set. The Canes dont seem to suffer this.

2 Go to comments
J
Jannie Aus 1 hour ago
'You're better than that': Henry Pollock involved in multiple incidents with Castres

Be warned Pollock. Your worth will be exposed against the Boks in July.

17 Go to comments
E
Eric Elwood 1 hour ago
Toulouse hunt Bears to European extinction, Glasgow slaughter Bulls

Glasgow “slaughtered” Bulls?

At 22-21 Hastings overhit a restart horribly with the ball landing on the Bulls goal line and a huge wind looking set to help the Ball the 8 metres to touch on the hard ping pong surface. With a freakish bounce it bounced backwards! Otherwise, that would have been a centre field scrum back and a certain pen to Bulls and a likely win.



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NHinSH 1 hour ago
'You're better than that': Henry Pollock involved in multiple incidents with Castres

It’s called a celebration, which happens across pretty much every sport, often a lot more full on than anything he or others in rugby do. Crowds give it to players all game, a little return fire is perfectly fine, see Finn Russell at Kingsholme

If all of this is your idea of bigotry I don't think you understand the meaning of the word.



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17 Go to comments
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Eric Elwood 2 hours ago
Bulls player ratings vs Glasgow | 2025/26 Investec Champions Cup

Hard luck Bulls I was supporting them today and fellow URC team Stormers also. Glasgow are doing a little Welsh impression with the onfield winding up. They knew they were in safe hands with Brousset. The penalty leading to the last try was case in point. The Scottish player on the ground grabbed the Bulls player above him with both hands on the jersey. The Glasgow player smiled and wouldn’t let it go. The Bull tried to shake him off, and a mellee ensued. The correct call should have been a reversal of the penalty as a Glasgow player was the point of origin, but Brousset penalized Bulls an extra 10 metres which allows Glasgow kick close to the Bulls line and eventually score.

Bulls will be wiser next time and Toulon won’t be fooled by those tricks.



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3 Go to comments
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Eric Elwood 2 hours ago
Feinberg-Mngomezulu criticism: 'That's certainly something Rassie Erasmus will look at'

I agree around the issue with English referee “Teams”. Also all English referees appear to referee very similarly and poorly. I wonder if they have a whatsapp group for ref chats!

The EPRC is a great torunament. I am sorry fellow URC teams Stormers nor Bulls won today but they turned up and look like they have the bug now. I thought Feinberg should have sat in the drop goal pocket to make the try easier at the end. Stormers should have made sure.



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Eric Elwood 2 hours ago
'You're better than that': Henry Pollock involved in multiple incidents with Castres

He mocked Irish (Leinster) supporters in the Champions Cup semi final after scoring his tries. As mocking opposition supporters is actually banned in most sport (including rugby) its not clear how complaining about it is putting world sport in trouble.

He is from an English public school which are notorious for rac1st, bigotted cultures. Now he is abusing foreign players and supporters. I think we can put 2 and 2 to get 4 here and conclude that Pollock has sponged the bigotry being learned at his privileged toff school.



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Eric Elwood 2 hours ago
'You're better than that': Henry Pollock involved in multiple incidents with Castres

He is clearly targeting French and Irish (aka foreign) teams. He has a 50k per annum education at a very privileged, very upper class, very white Public school which have a reputation for producing bigots. I am not sure what other equations are to be drawn from his behaviour. Again he is causing his team damage. See the final last year. Short term his behaviour may be beneficial in a combat sport as you say.

This is a team sport though. You would imagine between England and France a certain amount of basic respect would be required.



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Eric Elwood 2 hours ago
Gio Aplon fears Erasmus decision may see Boks suffer same fate as fallen football giants

Happy to keep my distance. Keep yours.

53 Go to comments
D
DS 2 hours ago
Feinberg-Mngomezulu criticism: 'That's certainly something Rassie Erasmus will look at'

Dobson is doing the right thing bringing him off the bench but maybe he should try getting him on earlier at inside centre to Matthee. But maybe he shouldn't bother to play him in this twisted EPRC kak if there's going to be rubbish pommie ref ‘teams’. At Bok level he's already shown that he's very competent at flyhalf probably thanks to the quality of the team generally where he doesn't have to try too hard.

2 Go to comments
J
Jvc Hasasay 2 hours ago
Beauden Barrett on the difference between All Blacks' 'golden era' and today

There's way more rules than back in the day. I get they’re trying to avoid concussions and unnecessary injuries but the TMO involvement or interferance needs a lot of work to avoid frustration and turning viewers off rugby. They should only speak when the ref asks for their report back and not before.

2 Go to comments
N
NHinSH 3 hours ago
'You're better than that': Henry Pollock involved in multiple incidents with Castres

What has he done to the Irish? Absolutely nothing

If a wee celebration is bigotry then sport worldwide is in trouble



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17 Go to comments
u
unknown 3 hours ago
'You're better than that': Henry Pollock involved in multiple incidents with Castres

Sounds like Pollock is living in your mind rent free. That’s the whole point of his bravado to get under the skin. It’s a tactic, and one commonly used in combat sports to draw your opponents into making mistakes. Also do you have any evidence he is a bigot as that’s a pretty serious accusation to be throwing around!

17 Go to comments
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