United Rugby Championship

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TigerMac3
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United Rugby Championship

Post by TigerMac3 »

Maybe I've been living under a rock, but I didn't realise that, from 2022/23 South African teams will be able to enter the Champions Cup if they have finished in the qualification places in the URC...
kpj tiger
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Re: United Rugby Championship

Post by kpj tiger »

TigerMac3 wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 9:34 am Maybe I've been living under a rock, but I didn't realise that, from 2022/23 South African teams will be able to enter the Champions Cup if they have finished in the qualification places in the URC...
I don't think you've been living under a rock as this announcement has only just been made as far as I'm aware, frankly what the Pro14 (now United Rugby Championship) does is up to them but having SA teams in the Heineken Cup doesn't sit well with me
ourla
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Re: United Rugby Championship

Post by ourla »

That is an interesting move and a complex league to run.

I guess they can drop the European from the names of the Champions and Challenge Cup's.
TigerMac3
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Re: United Rugby Championship

Post by TigerMac3 »

kpj tiger wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 9:59 am
TigerMac3 wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 9:34 am Maybe I've been living under a rock, but I didn't realise that, from 2022/23 South African teams will be able to enter the Champions Cup if they have finished in the qualification places in the URC...
I don't think you've been living under a rock as this announcement has only just been made as far as I'm aware, frankly what the Pro14 (now United Rugby Championship) does is up to them but having SA teams in the Heineken Cup doesn't sit well with me
I think my point was more that you usually hear whispers in the press or via social media etc that this is the direction the URC would likely to be heading in, however I hadn't seen any chat that SA teams would be invited into the Heineken Cup? I'm the same however, not overly keen on the idea. Noticeable that its now called the 'Heineken Champions Cup' - no 'European' reference.
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Re: United Rugby Championship

Post by JP14 »

The reformatted Pro14 as the URC sounds like a good idea, but South African teams playing in the Champions Cup though? If it helps solve the player exodus by having South African teams playing in it then it is a pill I’m willing to swallow.
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Scott1
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Re: United Rugby Championship

Post by Scott1 »

How many SA teams in the PRO14 now? Is it still being expanded and if so when? Thanks ahead
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Re: United Rugby Championship

Post by Jacko27 »

As I understand it the four 'big" South African franchises will replace the current two. The players are going to be spending a lot of time in aeroplanes!
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Re: United Rugby Championship

Post by Scott1 »

Jacko27 wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 10:43 am As I understand it the four 'big" South African franchises will replace the current two. The players are going to be spending a lot of time in aeroplanes!
Thanks! Me,I'm looking forward to their big guns in the RCC. They should qualify comfortably with their quality and if they treat the league like GP teams do.
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Jacko27
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Re: United Rugby Championship

Post by Jacko27 »

Tbh I hadn't fully grasped that Super Rugby had shrunk down to just being an Anzac competition. As far as I can understand it the new plans are intended to be permanent and not just interim Covid measures.
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Re: United Rugby Championship

Post by JP14 »

Jacko27 wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 10:52 am Tbh I hadn't fully grasped that Super Rugby had shrunk down to just being an Anzac competition. As far as I can understand it the new plans are intended to be permanent and not just interim Covid measures.
True, no longer the Argentinian, Japanese and South Africans sides. But in Super Rugby 2022, there will be a Moana Pasifika and a Fijian side (the Drua maybe who competed in the Australian NRC?). So not just Trans-Tasman.
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JP14
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Re: United Rugby Championship

Post by JP14 »

Jacko27 wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 10:43 am As I understand it the four 'big" South African franchises will replace the current two. The players are going to be spending a lot of time in aeroplanes!
That is true, but importantly instead of Super Rugby where they would have been travelling to different time zones with the URC they will more or less be staying in the same time zone or only an hour’s difference so no jet lag.
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LE18
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Re: United Rugby Championship

Post by LE18 »

I thought I read sometime ago, possibly on here, that due to the Time Zone differences in the SH it was better for SA teams to play in our zone as there is only 1 hour difference, less Jet Lag.

Sorry you beat me to it.
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Re: United Rugby Championship

Post by Hot_Charlie »

LE18 wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 12:34 pm I thought I read sometime ago, possibly on here, that due to the Time Zone differences in the SH it was better for SA teams to play in our zone as there is only 1 hour difference, less Jet Lag.

Sorry you beat me to it.
And, alongside the timezone advantages, I doubt they’d have done it unless commercially it made far more sense too. More money in the Champions’ Cup alone than there ever was in Super Rugby due to the bigger TV markets perhaps?
Scott1
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Re: United Rugby Championship

Post by Scott1 »

Wonder who will get the TV deal? Hope its BT or SkySports and not Premier Sports!
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Caerlyr Osprey
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Re: United Rugby Championship

Post by Caerlyr Osprey »

Scott1 wrote: Tue Jun 15, 2021 2:04 pm Wonder who will get the TV deal? Hope its BT or SkySports and not Premier Sports!
It's staying on Premier Sports unfortunately, but apparently there will be live games on BBC Wales and S4C. Not sure if there will games on BBC Scotland or NI.
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