Cheetahs, Kings kick off battle with Europe's best in Pro14
The inclusion of the Cheetahs and Southern Kings into the tournament could also be the beginning of a path that would allow more SA teams into the northern hemisphere
The Cheetahs will go into their PRO 14 debut without a recognised flyhalf with regular fullback Clayton Blommetjies starting in the No 10 jersey against Ulster in Belfast on Friday. Coach Rory Duncan had little choice with regular flyhalves Fred Zeilinga and Niel Marais both on the long-term injury list. Ryno Eksteen‚ who has started in Currie Cup‚ will continue in that competition. Friday night’s game at the Kingspan Stadium in Belfast‚ which recently hosted the Women’s Rugby World Cup final‚ marks the beginning of a new era for South African and European Rugby. The inclusion of the Cheetahs and Southern Kings into the tournament could also be the beginning of a path that would allow more SA teams into the northern hemisphere market in the coming years. PRO 14 has ambitions to continue to expand its footprint and if the Cheetahs and Kings experiment proves successful‚ there would be an appetite for more teams from SA.
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