Welsh Regional Rugby was recovering from some news which sent seismic waves through the Celtic nations this week. The Southern Kings, who have struggled since their inception into the competition announced that they do not intend to compete in the 2020-2021 season. Due to the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic on international travel, this situation has also stopped the Cheetahs from being able to participate next season as well. Which reduces the league back to 12 teams and could cause significant financial difficulties for the Welsh Regions, as they lose revenue from the missed games against South African opposition. Andre Raderman Southern Kings chairman identified the ‘ hard financial realities’ as the trigger to the teams withdrawal which has been exacerbated by the pandemic.
At the time of the expansion which saw South African sides enter the League in 2017, the media suggested that the addition of South African Television money was vital for the beleaguered Pro 12, and also acted as a lifeline for the Southern Kings and Cheetahs who had been scrapped from Super Rugby to make way for the Sunwolves and the Jaguares.

This leaves the Welsh region minus two opponents for next season and without the attention of South African fans, if there ever was any. How can this situation be prevented from dealing havoc with the Welsh game, here are three of my suggestions to how the WRU can make amends of a torrid situation. Some are dependent on there being crowds allowed back at games and in the spirit of positivity I am hoping that this is sooner rather than later.
1- Midweek matches- The Gallagher Premiership has recently crammed midweek games into the schedule to enable the 2019-20 season to finish in a timely manner and for the next season to start in October. The first round of midweek matches was headlined by the barnstorming game of the top two sides Exeter and Bristol. The game was a treat for Rugby starved fans and did not disappoint, in terms of entertainment and competitiveness. But this is not a long term plan for the Premiership, they plan to return to keeping all of the action in the usual Friday- Sunday slot next season. Now I’m a passionate fan of Welsh Rugby but it would be delusional if I was to say the Pro 12 can compete with the standard on offer in the premiership, bar maybe one or two Christmas Derby’s which are definitely an outlier in this equation. So it’s easy to see why the Pro 14 lagged behind in viewership and more importantly Television money compared to the Gallagher Premiership.
So why not move games purely to a midweek slot? Monday and Wednesdays away from the days where lots of fans who still play the game are training or playing, where there is no other Rugby to compete for attention. Even the behemoth of the NFL knows to stay away from its main competitor in College Football and avoids Saturday games for the majority of its season. The Pro 12 needs to recognise the niche in the market of long term midweek Rugby on television. I would be more tempted to subscribe to the Premier Sports package if I didn’t have the Gallagher premiership and Football coverage competing for my attention. Fans who play may be more tempted to attend Pro 12 games which allow them to still turn out for their local XV on a Saturday and would also add to the allure of a weekend international or European game.

2- Reintroduce the A team. This is entirely dependent on fans being allowed to attend games again. As discussed in previous articles there is an appetite for the A team to return from fans and would be a perfect opportunity to expose players to a higher standard of competition as the bridge between Under 20’s and the Wales team continues to grow. The main stumbling block has been the lack of space in a crowded diary for players, with the weeks vacated by teams facing the South African contingent this allows a perfect opportunity for a fixture against either Ireland A or Scotland A. This would also allow games to be played at stadiums where the capacity can be filled e.g Colwyn Bay, Parc Y Scarlets, Liberty stadium, Arms Park or Rodney Parade and could see some money gained from gate receipts/ television coverage.
3- East V West
The Rugby world marveled at the line ups picked when New Zealand Rugby announced a North v South game following the completion of Super Rugby Aotearoa, Welsh Rugby could field some fantastic sides in an East V West match which could turn into a tasty trial game ahead of the Autumn internationals. Imagine players like Jamie Roberts getting another opportunity to prove their worth to Wayne Pivac in a trial match. The last game of this stature was the Probables v Possibles fixture at the Liberty stadium in 2014 ahead of the New Zealand tour, which attracted a good crowd and was covered by BBC Sport, a similar level of coverage and crowd in attendance would boost the coffers considerably.

In the modern climate of competition for Television revenue and recouping finances lost during the pandemic the Pro 12 needs to adapt to ensure its future. The idea of a united British League, in my opinion is a million miles away as I see no reason why the English clubs would merge with the Welsh regions, Welsh Rugby missed that boat in the 1990’s and won’t get the chance again.