World Cup winners will bring box office appeal

OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK

- JEREMY GUSCOTT

IF the substantial South African franchise sides who used to be part of Super Rugby join the PRO14 at some stage in 2021 – with the prospect of turning it into a 16-team competition – it has to put the league in a good position.

In fact, other than the PRO14 joining together with the Premiership and Top 14, I can’t see how much more it could be enhanced.

It will create enormous interest, and given that the major backing for the move to the PRO14 appears to have come from the South African broadcaster SuperSport, it will come with a big financial bonus.

It will also give what has predominantly been a Celtic league a real boost in terms of exposure, because South Africa are world champions, and a number of their superstar players still represent their top four franchise sides, the Stormers, Sharks, Bulls and Lions.

The Stormers, for example, have eight of the 2019 World Cup-winning squad, including Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, World Rugby Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit, hooker Bongi Mbonambi, props Frans Malherbe and Steven Kitshoff, and backs Herschel Jantjies, Warrick Gelant, and Damian Willemse.

Elsewhere the Bulls have brought Springbok No.8 Duane Vermeulen back from Japan, while the Sharks have World Cup starters in centre Lukhanyo Am and wings Makazole Mapimpi and Sbu Nkosi.

Until now the inclusion of two smaller South African sides, the Free State Cheetahs and Southern Kings, has not had too much impact on the PRO14, mainly because they do not have that sort of playing strength or box office appeal.