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'PRO16' could happen as early as New Year as IRFU stress need for players to be challenged

By Ciarán Kennedy
Michael Silvester celebrates his try during Leinster's recent 35-point defeat of Cardiff. (Photo By Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

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.

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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.

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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.

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“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.

“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.”

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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.

“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.”

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Jon 5 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 8 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

30 Go to comments
A
Adrian 9 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

30 Go to comments
T
Trevor 12 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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