SARugby
PRO14 Rugby and SA Rugby will operate dual Rainbow Cup tournaments with no cross-hemisphere fixtures for the foreseeable future.
That’s in the absence of formal approvals in place to allow the South African teams to enter the UK & Ireland because of the COVID-19 risk.
SA Rugby announced on Wednesday that despite a colossal effort, the South African teams have not been granted the required permissions to travel up North and allow the PRO14 Rainbow Cup to be played as originally planned.
In its place a ‘southern’ tournament, called the Rainbow Cup SA, will feature the Cell C Sharks, DHL Stormers, Emirates Lions and Vodacom Bulls.
They will take each other on over a double round of home and away action over seven weeks.
A new fixture list will be announced shortly.
The ‘northern’ Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup will still take place on the dates previously published with the fixtures involving the South African teams removed from the schedule and opponents receiving a bye week during either of Rounds 4, 5 or 6.
SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux said it was a huge disappointment for all concerned but that the decision will have no impact on the long-term partnership between PRO14 Rugby and SA Rugby.
SA Rugby Communications
