We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.</s>The Cheetahs and the Kings will join the Pro14 for the beginning of the season in September

A deal to expand the Pro12 to 14 teams from next season has been agreed, BBC Scotland understands.

The South African sides Cheetahs and Southern Kings will join the league after losing their Super Rugby status.

The six-year deal is likely to benefit the league to the tune of an extra £6m per season from the South African Rugby Union and additional television income.

All elements of the deal have been agreed and, once legally ratified, could be formally announced next week.

The new Pro14 league will kick-off in the first week of September and will comprise two conferences of seven teams. Each conference will have one Scottish side, one South African side, one Italian side and two each from Wales and Ireland.

The current preference is for two conferences of seven teams playing each other home and away. Within this format, the teams would also play one game against all the sides from the other conference, which would deliver 19 fixtures.

Additionally, each club would also play home and away derby fixtures as well, providing a total of 21 league games. However, other formats are also being discussed.

The winners of each conference will qualify automatically for the semi-finals, while the teams placed in second and third in each conference will be drawn together in play-offs for the remaining two semi-final places.

The Pro12 currently raises around £12m in television revenues, meaning the addition of the two South African sides represents a significant uplift as the Scottish, Irish and Welsh rugby unions try to bridge the financial gap to the English Premiership and French Top 14 teams.

The increase equates to around £500,000 in additional income per season for the existing Scottish, Irish, Welsh and Italian sides in the Pro12.

The Cheetahs and the Southern Kings are the weakest of South Africa's Super Rugby teams, and they were cut from next season's competition, opening the way for the move to join the Pro12.

One of the anticipated clauses for the deal is that the two franchises will commit to strengthening their squads, to ensure the competitive nature of the competition is protected.</s>CAPE TOWN: Celtic Rugby have confirmed that "advanced and positive discussions" are taking place with South African Rugby for the introduction of two new sides into the Pro 12 competition for the 2017/18 season.

Although not named in a statement from Celtic Rugby on Wednesday, reports in Ireland suggest that those two teams will be the Southern Kings and Cheetahs, who have been axed from the Southern Hemisphere club championship, Super Rugby, from 2018 as that competition is downsized from 18 teams to 15.

The Pro 12 is looking to head in the other direction, expanding to new frontiers in order to open up new revenue streams as it falls well behind the English Premiership and France’s Top 14 in terms of income.

“Advanced and positive discussions are taking place with the South African Rugby Union regarding the introduction of two teams into an expanded Pro 12 Championship. Given the proximity of the 2017/18 season start, a final decision on this potential expansion will be confirmed as soon as practical,” Celtic Rugby said.

Celtic Rugby is the association of Irish, Welsh, Scottish and Italian Rugby Unions, whose club sides make up the Pro 12.

Adding the Cheetahs and Kings will bring new broadcast markets, with local media reporting the deal is likely to generate an extra six million pounds per annum, on top of current revenues of 12 million pounds per year. Negotiations are also underway with clubs in North America and other parts of Europe.

Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) chief executive Philip Brown admitted last week that the competition needed expansion, even if that meant logistical challenges in bringing in teams from outside of Europe.

"The risk of doing nothing with the Pro 12 in the long term is the greater risk," he told the Irish Independent newspaper.

South African media reported on Tuesday that two more of the country’s Super Rugby franchises had expressed an interest in moving to the European competition when their contracts with the Southern Hemisphere edition expire in 2020.

The long and difficult travel across time zones to New Zealand, Australia, Japan and Argentina is taxing on the players and not ideal for television schedules, which has left the teams looking north instead.</s>A deal to expand the Pro12 to 14 teams from next season has been agreed, BBC Scotland understands.

The South African sides Cheetahs and Southern Kings will join the league after losing their Super Rugby status.

The six-year deal is likely to benefit the league to the tune of an extra £6m per season from the South African Rugby Union and additional television income.

All elements of the deal have been agreed and, once legally ratified, could be formally announced next week.

The new Pro14 league will kick-off in the first week of September and will comprise two conferences of seven teams. Each conference will have one Scottish side, one South African side, one Italian side and two each from Wales and Ireland.

The winners of each conference will qualify automatically for the semi-finals, while the teams placed in second and third in each conference will be drawn together in play-offs for the remaining two semi-final places.

The Pro12 currently raises around £12m in television revenues, meaning the addition of the two South African sides represents a significant uplift as the Scottish, Irish and Welsh rugby unions try to bridge the financial gap to the English Premiership and French Top 14 teams.

The increase equates to around £500,000 in additional income per season for the existing Scottish, Irish, Welsh and Italian sides in the Pro12.

The Cheetahs and the Southern Kings are the weakest of South Africa's Super Rugby teams, and they were cut from next season's competition, opening the way for the move to join the Pro12.

One of the anticipated clauses for the deal is that the two franchises will commit to strengthening their squads, to ensure the competitive nature of the competition is protected.</s>The addition of two South African franchises to the Pro12 competition is closer than ever according to a statement on Wednesday from the league's governing body.

The South African Rugby Union announced earlier this month that the Cheetahs and Southern Kings would be axed from Super Rugby, in accordance with the format changes to the competition announced by SANZAAR which will see Super Rugby reduced from 18 to 15 teams.

Talks have progressed swiftly in order for both teams to be included in the new 'Pro14' for the start of the new season in September.

Currently made up of four Irish and four Welsh provinces, along with two sides from Scotland and two from Italy, the competition is expected to be split into two conferences of seven teams with the addition of the two South African franchises the competition.</s>DUBLIN — The two South African teams that were dropped from Super Rugby could join Europe’s Pro12 competition for its new season starting in September.

Celtic Rugby, the body that runs the Pro12, says it is in “advanced and positive discussions” with South Africa’s rugby union over the introduction of the Cheetahs and Southern Kings to the European competition.

Those teams were both cut from Super Rugby, which is trimming down from 18 to 15 teams. One Australian team, yet to be decided, will also lose its Super Rugby status.

The Pro12 is made up of Irish, Welsh, Scottish and Italian clubs.

With its new season starting in two months, Celtic Rugby says “a final decision on this potential expansion will be confirmed as soon as practical.”</s>THE Guinness Pro 12 organisers have confirmed that they are in advanced and positive talks with South African sides about joining the Celtic League competition.

In a short statement, Celtic Rugby confirmed that a final decision will be made as soon as is ‘practical’

The Cheetahs and the Southern Kings are expected to joining the Pro12 to make it a Pro14, with two divisions or conferences with seven teams in each, is the expected format, with a potential trip to South Africa happening only once a season for each of the existing Pro12 sides.

“Celtic Rugby can confirm that advanced & positive discussions are taking place with the South African Rugby Union regarding the introduction of 2 teams into an expanded Guinness PRO12 Championship. Given the proximity of the 2017/18 season start, a final decision on this potential expansion will be confirmed as soon as practical”</s>Welsh regions are poised to pocket up to £500,000 each with the inclusion of the two South African sides to an expanded Guinness Pro12 next season.

The Cheetahs and Southern Kings, who have been cut loose by Super Rugby, are due to join the league next season, taking it to 14 teams.

Official confirmation is expected in the next few days with a new league set to involve two conferences of seven teams: One South African, one Scottish, one Italian, two Welsh and two Irish.

The new structure had sparked fears that fans would see a reduced number of domestic Welsh derbies over the course of a season, with teams in the same conference playing each other home and away.

However, tournament organisers are believed to have adjusted the fixtures to ensure that no derby matches - that draw in bigger crowds - are lost with games in Ireland and Wales being good earners for the regions and provinces.

And BBC Scotland report the six-year deal is likely to benefit the league to the tune of an extra £6m per season from the South African Rugby Union and additional income from TV companies in the country.

'It just all seems so iffy' What the South African media are saying about the Guinness PRO12 expansion

The Pro12 currently raises a reported £12m in television revenues, so a 50% increase from South Africa participation seeing the Ospreys, Blues, Dragons and Scarlets receive an extra £500,000 per season represents a significant uplift in income.

The BBC also report one of the anticipated clauses for the deal is that the two franchises will commit to strengthening their squads, to ensure the competitive nature of the competition is protected.</s>CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - The addition of South African sides the Cheetahs and Southern Kings to the European Pro 12 competition is expected to be rubber-stamped in the next week when the worst kept secret in rugby is finally revealed.

Reports in South African and British media say a deal has been struck for the two teams to take part and there is a chance of a wider expansion into North America in the coming years as officials seek to tap into more countries to boost revenue.

The Cheetahs and Kings have been dumped by the Southern Hemisphere’s Super Rugby club competition for 2018 as that is scaled back from 18 to 15 sides, but the Pro 12 is looking to go in the opposite direction and open up new markets.

Currently the competition features teams from Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Italy, but generates significantly less revenue that England’s Premier League and France’s Top 14.

Adding the Cheetahs and Kings will bring income from South African Rugby and new broadcast markets, with local media reporting the deal is likely to generate an extra six million pounds ($7.83 million) per annum, while negotiations are also underway with clubs in North America and other parts of Europe.

With revenues currently sitting at 12 million pounds per year, that is a significant boost for a competition which has been held in various guises since the first edition in 2001.

"There's all sorts of potential issues with going to North America, potential issues if South Africa emerged as a realistic option, but I think what you have to do is weigh up those potential issues with the risk of doing nothing," Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) chief executive Philip Brown told the Irish Independent last week.

"The risk of doing nothing with the Pro 12 in the long term is the greater risk."

SA Rugby chief executive Jurie Roux is in Dublin this week to conclude the deal that will see the Cheetahs and Kings join for the 2017/18 season, with local media reporting that the competition will be split into two seven-team pools.

South African media reported on Tuesday that two more of the country’s Super Rugby franchises had expressed an interest in moving to the European competition when their contracts with the Southern Hemisphere version expire in 2020.

The long and difficult travel east and west across time zones to New Zealand, Australia, Japan and Argentina is taxing on the players and not good for television schedules, which has left the teams now looking north instead.</s>The expected addition of two South African sides to the PRO12 family is the latest chapter in an eventful history of the cross-border tournament.

From the early days of Celtic competition, the demise of the Borders and Celtic Warriors, to the arrival of the Italians, the league, in whatever form, can rarely be accused of standing still.

It has long been seen as the poor relation to its English and French counterparts, with critics pointing to poor attendances and the absence of star players for large chunks of the campaign.

Yet it continues to churn out internationals — eight players from PRO12 sides started the final British and Irish Lions Test against New Zealand earlier this month — while over the last three seasons, the Scarlets, Connacht and Glasgow have claimed the title thanks to a scintillating, free-running brand of attacking rugby.

As supporters await the official announcement that the Cheetahs and Southern Kings will be seen at venues from Parma to Galway in 2017-18, Rob Lloyd reflects on the evolution of the tournament.

2001 - The Scots are joined by the Irish and guess what, two pools!

Welsh clubs had already sampled cross-border competition as part of the Welsh-Scottish League, which had seen Scotland’s two professional sides Glasgow and Edinburgh lock horns with the top nine Welsh clubs.

It was a competition that lasted just three years and was dominated by the Welsh teams with Cardiff (2000), Swansea (2001) and Llanelli (2002) lifting the silverware.

The Welsh Rugby Union had hoped to negotiate a path across the Severn to take part in a lucrative Anglo-Welsh league with the English Premiership clubs, but with both parties failing to come to an agreement over the number of Welsh sides that should take part, talks crumbled.

As a result, the three Celtic unions formulated a cross-border tournament of its own in 2001 with the 15-team Celtic League running alongside the Welsh-Scottish League in its first year.

The four Irish provinces — Leinster, Munster, Ulster and Connacht — joined the two Scots and nine Welsh clubs — Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Ebbw Vale, Llanelli, Neath, Newport, Pontypridd and Swansea — with the tournament split into two pools.

Llanelli, Newport and Neath qualified for the knockout stages, but Leinster claimed the inaugural trophy after seeing off Inter-pro rivals Munster in a thrilling final watched by 30,000 fans at Dublin’s Lansdowne Road.

Unsurprisingly, the Welsh-Scottish League was scrapped the following year and the reborn Scottish Borders were added as a third Scottish representative in the Celtic competition.

2003 - The Welsh rugby landscape is transformed as clubs become regions

In 2003-04, after the ground-breaking shift from clubs to regional entities, the Welsh flag was flown by Cardiff Blues, Neath-Swansea Ospreys, Celtic Warriors, Llanelli Scarlets and Newport Gwent Dragons with the league becoming a one division 12-team competition with each side playing each other home and away.

The revamped league wasn’t exactly launched in a blaze of glory with all the top stars away on World Cup duty in Australia.

The title went to West Wales for the first time with the Scarlets edging out Ulster in a winner-takes-all final round-robin game at Stradey Park.

After just one season, the Warriors, who had been an uneasy amalgamation of Bridgend and Pontypridd, were liquidated and the players, many of them seasoned internationals, were unceremoniously offered up to rival regions.

The league was down to 11 teams.

A season didn’t seem to go by without uncertainty, threats of withdrawal and political manoeuvring with the formation of an Anglo-Welsh Cup in 2006-07 hardly endearing the Scots and Irish as Welsh motives were questioned.

But there was a reason to raise a glass as drinks giants Magners arrived as the league’s first major sponsor.

The Ospreys added a second title, beating the Borders in their final ever match at Galashiels and the Scots' demise meant the competition was now down to 10 teams for 2007.

Leinster and Munster celebrated further triumphs, but the end of season lacked jeopardy and league bosses decided to introduce play-offs for the 2009-10 campaign, with the Ospreys stunning the RDS with victory over Leinster in the first Grand Final.

2010 - Benvenuto! Italian flavour is added to the competition

The original Celtic competition was christened a continental affair as Benetton Treviso and the newly-named Aironi were welcomed to the league.

Lauding the move, then WRU chief executive Roger Lewis said: “For the last two years it has been our ambition to deliver an enhanced tournament which will expand and continue to develop as a showcase for some of the very best of northern hemisphere rugby.

“It will prove a great incentive for all four Welsh regions to test themselves against teams from a nation which is emerging as a real strength in the European game.”

The Italians, though, have been perennial strugglers with Aironi replaced by Zebre, who themselves have had their financial troubles of late.

The league has seen RaboDirect and current sponsor Guinness as backers, with merit-based qualification for the top tier of European competition one of the key changes to the format.

2017 - the south heads north as South African duo prepare to come on board

At the official launch of the 2016-17 season in Dublin, league chairman Gerald Davies stressed the need for the competition to expand its horizons even further amid speculation about the Pro12 embracing the North American market.

But as the season progressed stories emerged that two South African sides, the Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs and the Port Elizabeth-based Southern Kings were in negotiations to join the cross-border family.

Earlier this month, it was confirmed that both sides wouldn’t be entered into a slimmed-down Super Rugby competition for 2018 as both “explored other international opportunities”.

A board meeting of Celtic Rugby took place on Tuesday to ‘sign off’ the plans for a new 14-team competition with an official announcement expected next week.

A brief PRO12 statement confirmed: “Celtic Rugby can confirm that advanced and positive discussions are taking place with the South African Rugby Union regarding the introduction of two teams into an expanded Guinness PRO12 Championship.

“Given the proximity of the 2017-18 season start, a final decision on this potential expansion will be confirmed as soon as practical.”

While the exact format of the tournament hasn’t been confirmed, it is expected to be modelled on two seven-team conferences followed by an expanded play-off system to decide the new champions.

As league bosses continue to search for increased investment and funding opportunities in an attempt to close the gulf with their English and French counterparts, the prospect still looms large of a side from across the pond being invited in.

A franchise based in Washington has been mooted as a potential addition to the tournament, as early as 2018-19 — something Scarlets chairman Nigel Short suggested to supporters this week.
In the wake of reports by various media outlets, including the BBC, that the Pro12 competition would expand beyond its Celtic–Italian base to include two South African teams, league organiser Celtic Rugby Limited confirms that "advanced & positive discussions" are ongoing with the South African Rugby Union to add the Cheetahs and Southern Kings to the competition from the coming season.