Pro 14 Cheetahs

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Probably doesn't merit a new thread but not sure where to stick it. After the fine performances of the Cheetah's this pro 14 I am not impressed with how their squad is being pillaged.

Scarlets have poached Cassiem and Bloemtijies, Ospreys have now got Botha, Glasgow are apparently after Van Jarsveld. This is all before we have even reached the play offs.

I wouldn't be surprised if I missed a couple and there are more to come. These are not just squad players but their best players.

I am not really sure what can be done but I just know I am a little annoyed about it. We've had four new teams added to the Celtic league over the last few seasons and the moment one of them is actually competitive they get poached by the traditional clubs. It just doesn't sit well with me.

I can only hope that the Cheetahs and Kings are boosted by Super rugby & Currie cup recruits now that their future is known and they have time to prepare.

FTR I know the teams signing these players are doing nothing wrong - they're out of contract or agreements to buy out contracts are being made. But it is going to make the pro 14 a less competitive place next season and that should concern both the governing body and the fans.

[Big D]

I inow what you are trying to say but if there's an issue here it's the Cheetahs/SARFU. We were told these two sides would become competitive.

If they are not going to be manned appropriately or competitive they can GTF.

[af73]

Cheetahs have been surprisingly (or perhaps that was our ignorance) competitive and all power to them for being so.

It provided a season of gainful employment for a number of players where the prospect was of none after the Super Rugby reorganisation.

Beyond that, it was also a testing of the economic and commercial waters for a potential future migration north of South African rugby.

I think the future threat is not Pro 14 clubs signing a few players players but English and French ones taking lock stock and barrel in yet another, new and improved super-douper spiv cup with Lions, Stormers et al plus invited guests Leinster, Munster and Scarlets.

[Numbers]

Probably doesn't merit a new thread but not sure where to stick it. After the fine performances of the Cheetah's this pro 14 I am not impressed with how their squad is being pillaged.

Scarlets have poached Cassiem and Bloemtijies, Ospreys have now got Botha, Glasgow are apparently after Van Jarsveld. This is all before we have even reached the play offs.

I wouldn't be surprised if I missed a couple and there are more to come. These are not just squad players but their best players.

I am not really sure what can be done but I just know I am a little annoyed about it. We've had four new teams added to the Celtic league over the last few seasons and the moment one of them is actually competitive they get poached by the traditional clubs. It just doesn't sit well with me.

I can only hope that the Cheetahs and Kings are boosted by Super rugby & Currie cup recruits now that their future is known and they have time to prepare.

FTR I know the teams signing these players are doing nothing wrong - they're out of contract or agreements to buy out contracts are being made. But it is going to make the pro 14 a less competitive place next season and that should concern both the governing body and the fans.

Well the Scarlets are losing John Barclay, Beirne, Scott Williams and Aled Davies, this is just the swings and roundabouts of professional sport. If the contracts are being bought out then I would imagine the Cheetahs are more than happy with the situation, I have no doubt they have plenty of depth to their setup with South Africa having the second largest player base in World Rugby.

If the Scarlets have signed Blooming cheese then I will be very pleased, he looks to have the game suited to the Scarlets style.

[hugh_woatmeigh]

Probably doesn't merit a new thread but not sure where to stick it. After the fine performances of the Cheetah's this pro 14 I am not impressed with how their squad is being pillaged.

Scarlets have poached Cassiem and Bloemtijies, Ospreys have now got Botha, Glasgow are apparently after Van Jarsveld. This is all before we have even reached the play offs.

I wouldn't be surprised if I missed a couple and there are more to come. These are not just squad players but their best players.

I am not really sure what can be done but I just know I am a little annoyed about it. We've had four new teams added to the Celtic league over the last few seasons and the moment one of them is actually competitive they get poached by the traditional clubs. It just doesn't sit well with me.

I can only hope that the Cheetahs and Kings are boosted by Super rugby & Currie cup recruits now that their future is known and they have time to prepare.

FTR I know the teams signing these players are doing nothing wrong - they're out of contract or agreements to buy out contracts are being made. But it is going to make the pro 14 a less competitive place next season and that should concern both the governing body and the fans.

Well the Scarlets are losing John Barclay, Beirne, Scott Williams and Aled Davies, this is just the swings and roundabouts of professional sport. If the contracts are being bought out then I would imagine the Cheetahs are more than happy with the situation, I have no doubt they have plenty of depth to their setup with South Africa having the second largest player base in World Rugby.

If the Scarlets have signed Blooming cheese then I will be very pleased, he looks to have the game suited to the Scarlets style.

I'm not for a minute suggesting the Scarlets are doing anything wrong. It's inevitable as you say but it still annoys me. We finally have a competitive newcomer in the pro 14 where Italy and the Kings failed... and the rest of us are taking their best players.

Having said that, Treviso are improving but it's been a long time coming.

[Numbers]

Probably doesn't merit a new thread but not sure where to stick it. After the fine performances of the Cheetah's this pro 14 I am not impressed with how their squad is being pillaged.

Scarlets have poached Cassiem and Bloemtijies, Ospreys have now got Botha, Glasgow are apparently after Van Jarsveld. This is all before we have even reached the play offs.

I wouldn't be surprised if I missed a couple and there are more to come. These are not just squad players but their best players.

I am not really sure what can be done but I just know I am a little annoyed about it. We've had four new teams added to the Celtic league over the last few seasons and the moment one of them is actually competitive they get poached by the traditional clubs. It just doesn't sit well with me.

I can only hope that the Cheetahs and Kings are boosted by Super rugby & Currie cup recruits now that their future is known and they have time to prepare.

FTR I know the teams signing these players are doing nothing wrong - they're out of contract or agreements to buy out contracts are being made. But it is going to make the pro 14 a less competitive place next season and that should concern both the governing body and the fans.

Well the Scarlets are losing John Barclay, Beirne, Scott Williams and Aled Davies, this is just the swings and roundabouts of professional sport. If the contracts are being bought out then I would imagine the Cheetahs are more than happy with the situation, I have no doubt they have plenty of depth to their setup with South Africa having the second largest player base in World Rugby.

If the Scarlets have signed Blooming cheese then I will be very pleased, he looks to have the game suited to the Scarlets style.

I'm not for a minute suggesting the Scarlets are doing anything wrong. It's inevitable as you say but it still annoys me. We finally have a competitive newcomer in the pro 14 where Italy and the Kings failed... and the rest of us are taking their best players.

Having said that, Treviso are improving but it's been a long time coming.

Sorry I didn't mean to come across as tho I was defending them (as you say there is nothing to defend), I was just using them as an example, I can see your point but I don't think there's any way around it in the supply and demand nature of modern sport unfortunately. I am absolutely confident the Cheetahs will remain competitive next season when they will have had a proper pre-season.

[General Zod]

I thought the Cheetahs would be competitive and maybe make play-offs. It’s rugby heartlands there for the Afrikaaners, and while they have lost some players, they have signed more good youngsters who will have the benefit of a full pre-season this time round. I’d expect them to be competitive again next season - indeed lots of players are now looking at Cheetahs (and to a lesser extent, Kings) as a way of getting in front of a European audience and a wallet full of a stronger currency!

I know that last year the Sharks were looking at European competition as an option, and it’s no surprise to see them mentioned again. If they perhaps come over and bring maybe Stormers (who were also interested, but not as much as they had other problems to sort) with them, we could end up bringing the lot and having a SA conference!

[hugh_woatmeigh]

I thought the Cheetahs would be competitive and maybe make play-offs. It’s rugby heartlands there for the Afrikaaners, and while they have lost some players, they have signed more good youngsters who will have the benefit of a full pre-season this time round. I’d expect them to be competitive again next season - indeed lots of players are now looking at Cheetahs (and to a lesser extent, Kings) as a way of getting in front of a European audience and a wallet full of a stronger currency!

I know that last year the Sharks were looking at European competition as an option, and it’s no surprise to see them mentioned again. If they perhaps come over and bring maybe Stormers (who were also interested, but not as much as they had other problems to sort) with them, we could end up bringing the lot and having a SA conference!

Actually playing SA teams may well help us beat SA on the international stage too... I don't want the saffers to take over the competition though. If there is substantial expansion of the pro 14 then we need to be in the mix with another pro team. Even if it means being the new 'Kings' for a while.

[General Zod]

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rug ... ssion=true

Let’s hope so!

[OptimisticJock]

Another couple of teams on top of that (preferably one jock team at least) and there's a chance for 2 leagues eventually.

[Lizard]

SANZAAR is calling this “unsubstantiated” and “wrong” because all partners have “fully committed” to future participation.

So it’s true then.

[General Zod]

SANZAAR is calling this “unsubstantiated” and “wrong” because all partners have “fully committed” to future participation.

So it’s true then.

Basically, yes. The sharks were closest to joining when the cheetahs and the kings did, and the Stormers were thinking about it but WP rugby had bigger problems at the time, so decided to leave it and see what happened.

Now they’ve seen the Cheetahs do it, and do it fairly well despite their ridiculously long season that overlapped with the Currie
Cup, they fancy a piece of the Euro pie.

I think it would be more likely to work that super rugby as a commercial concept if you had a SA log where they all played each other twice, and then came up here for half of their remaining fixtures.

Newlands is also one of my favourite days out in sport, so bring it on!