Despite assurances from SA, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina Rugby (Sanzaar) CE Andy Marinos that SA will not abandon Super Rugby, it is likely that three more local sides will join PRO14. Marinos was reacting to a story in Wales Online that suggested the Sharks could join PRO14 as early as the 2019/ 2020 season, with more South African teams joining the following season. There is some truth to the story from Wales but SA’s new PRO14 participants are likely to be the Pumas and Griquas, who were in 2017 afforded "preferred candidate" status by SA Rugby. They are effectively SA’s seventh and eighth franchises and could play in PRO14 from 2019. Sources at SA Rugby have indicated that nothing is cast in stone when the Sanzaar deal expires in 2020 and that another of the existing franchises could also head north. A new round of Sanzaar broadcast rights talks begins next April and SA has a strong bargaining chip. Threatening to withdraw more teams from Super Rugby in favour of the amb...
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