'It's almost like shamelessly going wherever the money is': Ex-Wales captain's withering put-down of disastrous PRO14/Rainbow Cup
This week’s build-up to the launch of the new Rainbow Cup has been disastrous and it has now resulted in ex-Cardiff Blues back row Sam Warburton, the two-tour Lions captain and long-time Wales skipper, slamming the direction the PRO14 has taken by inviting in even more South African sides.
Ahead of next season’s expanded Guinness PRO16, the current dozen PRO14 clubs were set to take part in a one-off cup competition that would feature cross-hemisphere matches in late May/early June against the four ex-Super Rugby franchised being brought into the fold by the clubs in Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.
Those three rounds of cross-over matches, though, along with a finals weekend have now been cancelled after tournament organisers admitted defeat in trying to bring the Stormers, Sharks, Bulls and Lions to Europe despite the ongoing pandemic.
Due to the initial planning for the Rainbow Cup, the PRO14 opted to cut short its regular season with twelve teams minus the axed Cheetahs and Kings, and an all-Irish final was contested between Leinster and Munster in Dublin at the end of March rather than that tournament continuing through to June as will happen with the rival Gallagher Premiership and Top 14 competitions.
However, that decision to cut short the regular season has been left looking embarrassingly rash due to the Rainbow Cup farce that now won’t see the South African teams play against their European counterparts, resulting in a hurriedly revised fixtures schedule.
"Destinations in the Middle East were also explored as potential hosts for fixtures involving South African teams"https://t.co/OK2BDaQheh
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 21, 2021
Ex-Blues forward Warburton is tired with the whole scene and feels the PRO14 has taken a wrong turn in trying to add even more South African teams to its list of participants. “I’m not going to lie, the whole PRO14/Rainbow Cup has turned into a mishmash competition,” he said.
“You need to keep domestic leagues. Ideally, I would have it as just a Celtic League. The Italian teams should go into the French league. It would be much better for them and I think they would agree with me. Keep it to how it used to be [just Irish, Scottish and Welsh teams prior to 2010/11].
“Obviously the ideal situation would be to have a British and Irish League but the brutal fact is that England doesn’t need Celtic teams. But the PRO14 is changing every year and it’s almost like shamelessly going wherever the money is, not where the best quality of the product is going to be. Personally, I’d much rather watch Welsh teams play each other, Irish teams play each other. That would make better games to be honest.”
RugbyPass Offload EP 26 with Maggie Alphonsi & Mike Brown ?
Mike gives us a very honest reflection on what happened at Harlequins & his career going forward ?
Maggie tells us everything we need to know about Super Saturday in the Six Nations ??
?? – https://t.co/q0RJSbNqrJ pic.twitter.com/MRMDvfWGFI
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 21, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
3 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
2 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
3 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
3 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
3 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to comments