What to expect from the Rainbow Cup, rugby's latest brand new competition?
A brand new rugby union competition kicks off on Friday when the Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup gets underway. Intended to pit the PRO14’s Irish, Welsh, Scottish and Italian sides against the best South Africa has to offer, the competition will culminate in a final on June 19.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at what to expect from the Rainbow Cup.
WHAT IS THE RAINBOW CUP?
The Rainbow Cup is an end-of-season tournament that will feature the 12 PRO14 sides alongside four South African former Super Rugby franchises – the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers.
AREN’T THERE ALREADY SOUTH AFRICAN TEAMS IN THE PRO14?
There were. The Cheetahs and the Southern Kings joined the competition in 2017, but the coronavirus pandemic and associated travel restrictions forced them to withdraw from the 2020/21 campaign before the Kings ceased operations altogether in September. The Cheetahs will not be involved in the Rainbow Cup. It is rumoured the competition could pave the way for the four new additions to join an expanded PRO14 on a more permanent basis following their departure from Super Rugby.
WHY THE NEW COMPETITION?
The PRO14 season – eventually won by Leinster – was curtailed to accommodate the Rainbow Cup, with organisers saying the intention was to support SA Rugby as the franchises faced the prospect of no international club fixtures in the build-up to the scheduled British and Irish Lions tour, while the absence of any South African involvement in the regular campaign will have been another motivating factor. The tournament will also allow Lions hopefuls among the PRO14 sides to test themselves against players who could line up for the Springboks in July and August.
Familiar decade-old heartache for Munster, repetitive joy for Leinster. No wonder Leo Cullen sounded off about red-eyed pundits who had read the room completely wrong#LEIvMUN #PRO14https://t.co/j59Q3avugI
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 27, 2021
WHAT IS THE FORMAT?
The teams will each play six rounds of fixtures and be ranked in a single league table, representing a departure from the conference system used in the PRO14. The top two teams at the end of the six rounds will contest a final on June 19. The format is shorter than the one that had initially been planned, avoiding the need for European sides to travel to South Africa.
ANY OTHER CHANGES?
Three law variations have been announced ahead of the big kick-off. Red-carded players can be replaced after 20 minutes, while the defending team will now take a goal-line drop-out from anywhere on the goal line in situations where the ball is held up over the line, knocked on in goal or grounded by a defending player after a kick through. The final rule change sees the introduction of a captain’s challenge, which can be used for try-scoring and foul-play incidents or to contest any refereeing decision in the last five minutes of a match.
HAVE THE TRAVEL ISSUES FACING SOUTH AFRICAN SIDES BEEN RESOLVED?
Not quite. Only fixtures for the opening three rounds have been confirmed and the schedule is dominated by derby matches. The Irish, Welsh and South African teams will not leave their own country in the first three rounds of the competition, while Edinburgh’s home clash with Zebre and Glasgow’s trip to Benetton in round one represents the only cross-border fixtures confirmed so far.
Rounds four to six are set to see the South African franchises play away matches in Europe and, according to a statement from organisers, “those fixtures will be confirmed once all appropriate travel approvals have been confirmed by the relevant authorities and governments”. Prior to confirmation of the opening fixtures, reports had suggested the competition was in danger of being shelved due to logistical obstacles.
WHAT DOES IT START?
The competition gets underway with a clash between the Stormers and the Sharks on Friday evening before Ulster welcome Connacht and Edinburgh host Zebre later that night. Benetton and Glasgow kick off Saturday’s action, which will also see the Bulls take on the Lions, Cardiff Blues travel to Swansea to face the Ospreys and Leinster host Munster in a repeat of the PRO14 final. A clash between the Dragons and the Scarlets in Newport on Sunday rounds off the opening weekend.
SUPER LEAGUE ?
Josh Raisey??? looks are at the teams that might make a theoretical rugby version of football's proposed Super League #superleague https://t.co/f3NxlLuTnl
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 19, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Great to see NZ 7s teams finally coming into form and playing at the level that is expected of them.
2 Go to commentsChief Cheapshot on the market again.
1 Go to commentsCrusaders went all in to buy Hotham and Kemara staight from Hamilton Boys. Then they picked up Reihana and Hohepa; all have been dropped for superstar Havili, who is a very good fullback, that’s it. Ennor and Goodhue were schoolboy stars too but went backwards at the Crusaders. Maybe they have finally decided to give another poach Levi Aumua the ball?
10 Go to commentsJoe S has some talent to pick from. The Reds loosies look the best in Super? Aus might just give Razor a headache this year. Int. experience v Cantab greenhorn:) Should be fun.
10 Go to commentsEnd to end play, “THE FANS” this game was entertainment of the best. The conditions added to the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsSorry to say, but sadly the sadas were just ordinary and havilli at 10 as an abs selection just won’t cut it. He’s better suited in the centre’s and is a victim of past charge down kicks, he’s too slow under pressure. There’s better talent further north and I don’t mean dmac however I believe razor will sort him out. A feature of his presents on the park is the fact that the guys will follow him.
10 Go to commentsMarler was brilliant throughout both in the scrum and open play. His slap made virtually no contact with Ramos who milked it for a penalty when he could have been a decent sportsman and laughed it off, it was non-violent and shouldn't have been penalised. Smith failed repeatedly to kick when necessary and put up a couple of bombs into the TLS 22 that just handed back possession at key moments to the other side.
3 Go to commentsCros was outstanding and rightly awarded France TVs player of the match award. Mallia was brilliant as usual (the y is below the 6 on a UK keyboard and he deserves better than that). Level also seems to have been scored harshly as he walked the ball into touch under pressure from a Lynagh kick from well outside his own half which should never have led to a 50-22. Agree with BullShark that Dupont, while class at times, seemed to go missing for patches in the second half with props, hookers and wings frequently filling in at 9 as he couldn't get off the deck and up to the next ruck on time. A 7 by his standards at best, his kicking was also too long, too often. Kinghorn's overall contribution was worth well more than a five.
3 Go to commentsThe Harlequins team must be in minus figures. Did the reporter actually watch the game?
3 Go to commentsHow on earth did Walker escape a red card? Not dangerous? Dupont has his face in a mask earlier this season. Shocking decision. What is the point of TMOs? We had the Fassi ‘non-penalty try’ yesterday and now this.
2 Go to commentsCould have been a different result but yet again French tv able to affect the result by not showing the very clear high shot on harlequin centre if this would have been on a French player would have been on screen at least five times
3 Go to commentsAmazing. The losing team’s ratings are higher than the winning team’s. Mallia definitely didn’t deserve a y. What game were you watching? Should have got a w or an x. ADP hardly featured in that second half. At one point I wondered when he’d been subbed. Seems to me as if he gets an automatic 9 just for getting onto the team sheet.
3 Go to commentsI’m sorry. That second half was far from enthralling. It was painful to watch.
2 Go to commentsVery generous! If you’d missed the game, reading this you’d conclude that it was the Quins front row that cost them the game. Marler getting a blanket 6 for his demented contribution to the game. Puzzling.
3 Go to commentsCan’t see Toulouse beating Leinster at this rate.
7 Go to commentsADP was having a very average game until winning that penalty for Toulouse, sticking his big head in the way. “The head of God”?
7 Go to commentsHarlequins doing their best to do as little damage as possible with all the possession. Looks like they skipped catch and pass drills this week.
7 Go to commentsSeeing pictures of Jacques high-fiving it with Irish players breaks my heart. Too soon. I need more time.
1 Go to commentsquins is all over the place. The minute they get the ball they panic. Quins can still win tho just need to win all rucks otherwise just don't bother.
7 Go to commentsGreat wins for the male & female kiwi sides. Ireland not far away..
2 Go to comments