3 SA teams in Heiny next season

[Heathen]

I do not like this one bit. It is supposed to be a EUROPEAN competition.

https://www.news24.com/sport/rugby/unitedrugbychampionship/sa-rugby-set-for-big-awakening-next-season-as-more-european-competition-looms-20220502

[Neils]

I do not like this one bit. It is supposed to be a EUROPEAN competition.

https://www.news24.com/sport/rugby/unitedrugbychampionship/sa-rugby-set-for-big-awakening-next-season-as-more-european-competition-looms-20220502

Agree fully with your comment. Totally ridiculous. Too big a season now with added cross world travel and high altitude games.

[DGP Wasp]

So where are those 3 places coming from?  Assuming it remains a 24 team tournament, does that then mean only 7 from each of the European leagues to accommodate?  Or are EPRC currently devising an even more convoluted format for next year's competition with 27 teams?

[jamestaylor002]

This was something that was inevitable as soon as the SA teams were included in the URC. Selfishly (as a fan), it's an opportunity to add SA to the list of potential away destinations but it'll be rubbish for the clubs and, most importantly, players.

I'm not sure how it's dealt with in the URC but does this mean some of the Heiny games becoming somewhat devalued? Would some of the English and/or French teams be keen to send full strength squads to SA knowing a potential big league game is coming up?

[hopwood]

Unbelievable.
All this talk about player welfare and putting the players health first…is obviously nothing but loose talk.

Once again, rather than being a bit more creative with increasing exposure, they’ve gone for the fast and easy route of bringing in another nation…that doesn’t sit in Europe.

Imagine the extra stress and logistics this is going to cause each club.

Maybe we will be better off in the Challenge Cup next season?
Or maybe 8th place doesn’t qualify anyway?

[MarleyWasp]

Mixed feelings about this. For the most part I think it's ridiculous that a rugby nation the size of South Africa cannot sustain a full time league of 10-14 teams, even if they have sides from Namibia or Zimbabwe included.

However I'm consoling myself with this: a week in Cape Town in the summer is much more appealing than an away European match on a rainy evening in Newport...

[Hymenoptera]

Unbelievable.
All this talk about player welfare and putting the players health first…is obviously nothing but loose talk.

Once again, rather than being a bit more creative with increasing exposure, they’ve gone for the fast and easy route of bringing in another nation…that doesn’t sit in Europe.

Imagine the extra stress and logistics this is going to cause each club.

Maybe we will be better off in the Challenge Cup next season?
Or maybe 8th place doesn’t qualify anyway?

You've completely lost me...
There is the 'European' debate..but that's a moot point as to whether that just nation or competition. The traditionalist in me would prefer it to remain European nations, that said, the viewer in me would prefer to see a healthy competitive game, than yet another spanking of an Italian team, if it came down to it.
But what's your point about player welfare? Unless you have additional knowledge, the format and # of games hasn't been publicised, so what's your 'loose talk' beef?
I'm not sure there is much additional stress or logistics to consider for a professional rugby team either..

[Rossm]

Unbelievable.
All this talk about player welfare and putting the players health first…is obviously nothing but loose talk.

Once again, rather than being a bit more creative with increasing exposure, they’ve gone for the fast and easy route of bringing in another nation…that doesn’t sit in Europe.

Imagine the extra stress and logistics this is going to cause each club.

Maybe we will be better off in the Challenge Cup next season?
Or maybe 8th place doesn’t qualify anyway?

You've completely lost me...
There is the 'European' debate..but that's a moot point as to whether that just nation or competition. The traditionalist in me would prefer it to remain European nations, that said, the viewer in me would prefer to see a healthy competitive game, than yet another spanking of an Italian team, if it came down to it.
But what's your point about player welfare? Unless you have additional knowledge, the format and # of games hasn't been publicised, so what's your 'loose talk' beef?
I'm not sure there is much additional stress or logistics to consider for a professional rugby team either..

Maybe not, but there will be a considerable extra expense - unless of course you miss a South African side in the draw.

[hookender]

So where are those 3 places coming from?  Assuming it remains a 24 team tournament, does that then mean only 7 from each of the European leagues to accommodate?  Or are EPRC currently devising an even more convoluted format for next year's competition with 27 teams?

There is no mention of the lions ,so does the article mean that the teams mentioned (who are in the top 8 of the URC) will take the place of 3 other European teams?  So potentially all Welsh sides and Connaught will miss out on champions place next season with the two Scottish sides just getting in. Those 8 to 16 in challenge cup?
 

[Chunky24]

Last I saw was top 8 from each league with all countries involved in the URC, except Italy, guaranteed 1 spot.

So probably 8 French, 8 English, 3 SA, 3 Irish, 1 scot, 1 Wales unless much changes.

[hopwood]

Unbelievable.
All this talk about player welfare and putting the players health first…is obviously nothing but loose talk.

Once again, rather than being a bit more creative with increasing exposure, they’ve gone for the fast and easy route of bringing in another nation…that doesn’t sit in Europe.

Imagine the extra stress and logistics this is going to cause each club.

Maybe we will be better off in the Challenge Cup next season?
Or maybe 8th place doesn’t qualify anyway?

You've completely lost me...
There is the 'European' debate..but that's a moot point as to whether that just nation or competition. The traditionalist in me would prefer it to remain European nations, that said, the viewer in me would prefer to see a healthy competitive game, than yet another spanking of an Italian team, if it came down to it.
But what's your point about player welfare? Unless you have additional knowledge, the format and # of games hasn't been publicised, so what's your 'loose talk' beef?
I'm not sure there is much additional stress or logistics to consider for a professional rugby team either..

What about playing at altitude if you're not used to playing at altitude?
What about the extra fly-time, travel, time away from families.
The logistics for the backroom staff.
It all adds up. It certainly doesn't reduce the workload of already flogged (elite) players.

[Neils]

Unbelievable.
All this talk about player welfare and putting the players health first…is obviously nothing but loose talk.

Once again, rather than being a bit more creative with increasing exposure, they’ve gone for the fast and easy route of bringing in another nation…that doesn’t sit in Europe.

Imagine the extra stress and logistics this is going to cause each club.

Maybe we will be better off in the Challenge Cup next season?
Or maybe 8th place doesn’t qualify anyway?

You've completely lost me...
There is the 'European' debate..but that's a moot point as to whether that just nation or competition. The traditionalist in me would prefer it to remain European nations, that said, the viewer in me would prefer to see a healthy competitive game, than yet another spanking of an Italian team, if it came down to it.
But what's your point about player welfare? Unless you have additional knowledge, the format and # of games hasn't been publicised, so what's your 'loose talk' beef?
I'm not sure there is much additional stress or logistics to consider for a professional rugby team either..

What about playing at altitude if you're not used to playing at altitude?
What about the extra fly-time, travel, time away from families.
The logistics for the backroom staff.
It all adds up. It certainly doesn't reduce the workload of already flogged (elite) players.

Plus remember the URC teams usually try to get out a week before (or as close as possible) to acclimatise as they are going from Winter to a quite hot summer.

[Shugs]

Can Sale be counted as one of the SA teams.

[Bloke in North Dorset]

Can Sale be counted as one of the SA teams.

😂🤣😂

[welsh wasp]

Shugs: I can’t decide if that’s unkind to Sale or not.