'PRO16' could happen as early as New Year as IRFU stress need for players to be challenged
IRFU Performance Director David Nucifora says the Union would be “very supportive” of the South African Super Rugby franchises joining an expanded Pro14, and has suggested the change could even happen in early 2021. Talks between the various Pro14 parties and four South African teams – the Bulls, Stormers, Lions and Sharks – are still ongoing as the league looks to add some extra quality to a competition which has looked increasingly stale in recent years.
The lack of high-quality opposition in the Pro14 has become a concern for the IRFU, who are fully behind the prospect of a new-look Pro16 competition, with Nucifora outlining the need for Irish players to be challenged on a more regular basis.
Three of the Irish provinces have won all of their Pro14 games this season (Leinster and Ulster are both 7/7, Munster are 6/6), while Connacht have lost two of their five games. Leinster have won four of their seven fixtures by at least 30 points, and all without a large chunk of their senior international players.
Leo Cullen’s side have comfortably topped their pool in each of the last two Pro14 seasons, winning the title on both occasions, and are unbeaten in the competition since April 2019. However they have come up short against English side Saracens in the Heineken Champions Cup for two seasons running, a trend that has been replicated at Test level with Ireland losing their last four games against England.
Ireland have also looked short on confidence since last year’s Rugby World Cup, where they suffered a surprise pool defeat to Japan before being blitzed 46-14 by the All Blacks in the quarter-finals.
And Nucifora believes the addition of the four South African franchises to the Pro14 will go a long way towards producing higher quality Irish teams and players going forward.
“As you well know, (we’ve) been speaking with Pro14 now for a period of time to try find solutions,” Nucifora said.
“The IRFU would be very supportive of South Africa entering the Pro14 competition, and potentially making it a Pro16. We think that Irish Rugby needs to be ambitious, we think that the Pro14 needs to be ambitious, and we think that having those four, strong South African teams enter our competition will help develop the game in the Pro14, it will help develop Irish Rugby, it will help develop Irish players, by stretching us, by challenging us, by challenging both our teams and challenging our players.
“I think that’s what high performing athletes want, they want to be challenged. Hopefully the right commercial outcomes can be achieved for the South Africans to become a part of the Pro14, to join and make it a Pro16.”
The possibility of the South African franchises moving to the Pro14 arose earlier this year after the New Zealand Rugby Union decided to go ahead with a domestic or trans-Tasman competition in light of the coronavirus pandemic, a move which led to the South African Rugby Union opting out of Super Rugby.
“Well talks are ongoing and they are at quite an advanced stage,” Nucifora explained.
'If players choose not to play their rugby in Ireland, it’s unlikely that we would select them'https://t.co/HnZdKarYv0
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 30, 2020
“There is obviously some time constraints about making those types of decisions, because to organise a significant change in competition structure involves a lot of things to happen. So there is a lot going on behind the scenes at the moment to try and see the possibility of that happening in the New Year.”
Nucifora, who also provided an update on the ongoing uncertainty surrounding player contracts during his annual briefing, said it is important Pro14 organisers are able to get the South African teams on board while the opportunity exits.
Head coach Andy Farrell's first-year tenure was assessed as “an average return” by the IRFU.https://t.co/gFkz4UlS7I
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 30, 2020
“Well I think long-term you’ve always got to look at where you want to be, and I think that it’s (the Pro14) served its purpose to this point in time, but we’ve always got to be looking at ways around improving and getting better and challenging ourselves more.
“So if this opportunity is here now to do that, it may not always be here. So we have to take that opportunity while it exists because whether we are ready now or not, it’s here, and I believe it’s the best thing for Irish Rugby going forward. So you know, I think decisions just need to be made and hopefully agreement can be reached.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Ben Smith and Ireland live rent free in Safa’s heads. Their comments only triggers because its true. If the Boks had dismantled a 14 man AB’s, then there would be more respect. But they didnt, in fact quite the opposite, the 14 man NZ were clearly better. And the Bok have always been ordinary between RWC’s, thats why their supporters are now ‘only RWC’s matter’. They know thats BS. Its BS to both AB’s and Bok’s due to their history. But now its all the Safas have. Now we’ll hear excuses when they lose “oh we didnt have all our players available, the ABs/France/Eng/Irel were at full strength”, forgetting for a minute that its because of their own dumb policy. Oh well, makes a change from blaming ‘cheating refs’.
23 Go to commentsNo Nick, they did not, in fact, justify any ‘probables’ label. At no time did they seriously compete for the championship. Ireland led from start to finish and in the end, as a result of glaring referee errors, were never under serious pressure to lose their crown.
28 Go to commentsMoney for him, and his family, has been the sole motivator since he signed for Queensland aged 17. Why else sign for Melbourne. Tupou is poorly advised. If he’d stayed and developed in NZ he would have had a long Test career. If Leinster offer him a few more coins than he’s currently earning, he’s goneburger.
4 Go to commentsFinn. No one would say Ford had played well up until the last game. One standout performance in 5 is hardly in form . It should be a given that a 10 will control play . Not in Fords case be praised for suddenly doing so. Where was he against Scotland ,Italy. The pundits were saying how far away from play he was standing and one even said that the Ireland game was his last chance saloon to perform . Not exactly top form catching anyones eye. If he can play like this game after game then great. Keep him in . But after 90 odd caps we all know he just doesnt keep it going . By all means keep him there but the issue is that Borthwick will persist even when he plays poorly. Which is more often than not. Thats why i am concerned that Smith ,despite fab form , cannot get a game at his preferred spot. Can you imagine Ford at full back .
5 Go to commentsI do not really get why put Ollivon at 6 when he’s a 7, while Cros was the best Frenchman of the tournament, playing at…6. His only game replacing Aldritt at 8 doesn’t change much in terms of his impact. Lamaro was also outstanding in that brilliant Italian side, probably better than Reffell. So putting 2 Welsh players from the wooden spoon holders, and none of the 4th nation (Scotland) is also strange. Is it about showing that in this harsh transition Wales is, there were some standouts…?
6 Go to commentsThe events at this year’s six nations should undermine many of the arguments made against promotion and relegation between the six nations and the REC. If Italy had been allowed to yo-yo between divisions it conceivably could have really hurt their development, but if Italy, Wales, and Scotland are all at risk of relegation, with none of them being relegated more often than once every 3 or 4 years, you’d have to back all of them to muddle on through it, especially when you factor in the likelihood they’ll still be guaranteed world league matches against tier 1 opponents. Another way of looking at italys resurgence would be to say that the development model of adding an extra team to the six nations has worked, and now must be done again. Georgia could join to make it a 7 team round robin, and if and when Georgia demonstrate an ability to consistently win games, Portugal can also be added to make it an 8 team 2 conference competition. Frankly at this point I think it falls to world rugby to demand that the 6N act in the interests of the game. If the 6N won’t commit to expansion then the 6N teams should be handicapped in world cup draws (i.e. world cup seedings would not be based on their ranking points, but on their ranking points minus a 5 point penalty).
5 Go to commentsSteve Borthwick deserves credit for releasing the shackles on his England side and letting them play in a manner that somewhat resembles the top sides in the Gallagher Premiership. Will they revert to type in New Zealand in July.?
28 Go to commentsJames Lowe wouldn't get in any other 6N team. He's a great example of Farrell’s brilliance, and the Irish system. He is slow. His footwork is poor. But he fits perfectly in that Irish system, and has a superb impact. But put him in another team, and he'll look bang average.
6 Go to commentsCrusaders reached their heights through recruitment of North Island players, often leaving those NI teams bereft of key players. Example: Scott Barrett and Sam Whitelock robbed the Canes of their lineout and AB locks. For years the Canes have struggled at lock. This rabid recruitment was iniated by rule changes by a Crusader dominated NZR Head Office. Now this aggressive recruitment has back-fired, going after young inside back Hamilton Boys stars. They now have 4 Chiefs region 10s and not one with the requisite experience at Super level. Problems of their own making!
2 Go to commentsOver rated for a long time…exposed at scrum time too.
4 Go to comments“Firing me” should have been Gatland’s answer.
2 Go to commentsFinn Russell logic: “World” = 4 countries. Ireland may be at or near the top. FR’s bigger concern should be he and his fellow Scots (incl. the Bloemfontein ones) sliding back down to below top 10
42 Go to commentsMind games have begun. Ireland learned their lesson after saying they could beat England with 13 players or whatever. Still, if they win at Loftus, that would be impressive - final frontier etc.
58 Go to comments$950k for a Prop that isn’t fit enough to play 10 mins of rugby? Surely there is someone better to replace Big Mike with
4 Go to commentsFour Kiwis in that backline. A solid statement on the lack of invention, risk-taking and joy in the NH game; game of attrition and head- banging tedium. Longterm medical problems aplenty in the future!
6 Go to commentsGood article, I learnt quite a lot. A big sliding door moment was in the mid 00s when they rejected Steve Anderson's long term transformation and he wrote Ireland's strategy instead.
2 Go to commentsHi Dr Nick! I'm worried that I've started to enjoy watching England and have actually wanted them to win their last two games. What would you prescribe? On a more serious note, I've noticed that the standard of play in March is often better than early February. Do you think this is because of the weather or because the players have been together for longer?
28 Go to commentsMy question in all this brett is who is going to wear the consequences of these actions? Surely just getting the sack isn’t sufficient? A teenager working the till at woolies would probably get taken to court if they took $20 out of the till. You mean to tell me that someone can spend $2.6 million and get away with it? Where was it spent? What companies/people were the beneficiaries etc? How is it just being talked about as an ‘oopsie’ and we all just move on and not a matter of the court for gross negligence, fraud, take your pick…
22 Go to commentslove Manu too but England have relied on him coming back from injury for far too long and not sorted the position with someone else long term . It will be a blessing he has gone . Huge shame he was so injury prone . God speed Manu .
3 Go to commentsI agree with Ben Smith about Brett Cameron. The No. 6 position has to be a monster and a genuine lineout option, like Ollivon, Lawes (now Chessum), Du Toit, etc. The only player who fits that bill right now is Scott Barrett. A fit and fizzing Tuipolotu together with one of the young towers, Sam Darry or Josh Lord, would give Razor the freedom to play Barret at 6.
16 Go to comments