PRO14 address CVC era British and Irish League speculation
Guinness PRO14 boss Martin Anayi has played down the possibility of a British and Irish League being set-up during the CVC Capital Partners era, instead suggesting that expansion in South Africa is a more likely route for the five-nation tournament.
It was last Friday when it was confirmed that investment group CVC would take a 28 per cent stake in PRO14 in a deal worth £120million. This followed CVC’s £200m deal for a 27 per cent piece of the Gallagher Premiership in December 2018. There has since been speculation that a foundation has now been laid for the future amalgamation of the two leagues.
PRO14 chief Anayi doesn’t believe this will happen, although he doesn’t 100 per cent rule it out. Speaking in a Q&A with walesonline.co.uk about last week’s announcement which is worth about £30m to the four unions (Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales), PRO14 CEO Anayi said: “For us, it’s about growing the PRO14, developing it and making it a thriving competition in its own right.
“We play the English already in Europe. Our job is to run 33 weekends per year of league and European rugby. All of that revenue goes into a central company now and we can distribute that out to our unions and teams. Having a South African element to that is really important financially and competitively.
“I think that’s how CVC have looked at this. They are an investor now in Premiership rugby and the PRO14 and through that have an interest in how EPCR grows. So I think it would be a difficult thing overnight just to switch that off. If you have a British and Irish League, what do you do with Europe? That’s the reality.
“CVC have invested for a reason and I wouldn’t say that’s to close off potential avenues of the game becoming more vibrant in different countries. I can’t see them rolling back from that, but you never know.
“The British and Irish League is something that has been talked about for years. The execution of it is where it becomes difficult. The English are quite happy with their league, we have got a European Cup, we are very happy with that. There are only a certain amount of weekends in a year.
“A British and Irish League has just never been the thing that has made the most sense practically or from a revenue point of view. That’s not to say that it won’t at some point in the future. But the direction of travel is in a different direction at this stage. We quite like where we are going at the moment.”
Having allowed the Italians entry back in 2010, PRO12 then became PRO14 in 2017 when it invited two South African teams into the fold, an expansion that could be repeated. “We have always been very interested in South Africa. We like them and see them as a key part of our future,” continued Anayi.
“The tournament works well at the moment but could work better if you could add teams to it. So that’s one avenue potentially. There’s also the potential of a World Club Cup every four years and there’s a global season discussion going on at the moment.”
Regarding the conclusion of the suspended 2019/20 season, the CEO admitted there was no scope to fit in the backlog of all eights rounds of regular season matches, but he believed there was still a chance hold some matches and determine a champion.
“What’s most likely is we will have some form of truncated end to the league season, with some derby games and some playoff games, as many as we can get in depending on how long we’ve got available to us.”
Comments on RugbyPass
The rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
76 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
9 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
9 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
9 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
9 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
9 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
2 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to comments