Guinness Pro14 Rainbow Cup 2021: New competition to start with derby games
- Published
Pretoria side the Bulls won this year's Super Rugby Unlocked tournament
The Guinness Pro14 Rainbow Cup competition will kick off on 24 April with three rounds of mostly derbies.
The new tournament combines South Africa's former Super Rugby sides - Bulls, Stormers, Sharks and Lions - with the existing Pro14 teams.
There are all-South African, Irish and Welsh games in the first three rounds.
Scottish sides Edinburgh and Glasgow play Italian opposition first up, but then play each other home and away in the following two rounds.
Likewise Benetton and Zebre will play each other home and away in Italy after facing the Scots in round one.
A total of six rounds - with eight games per round - will take place with all teams ranked in a single league table.
Rounds four to six will see the four South African franchises play their away games in Europe, subject to government approval and current coronavirus travel restrictions.
This format means that no teams from Europe will travel to South Africa for Rainbow Cup games.
The top two teams will then play each other in the final on 19 June.
Pro14 Rugby tournament director David Jordan said: "Everyone is glad that we can now put some certainty into the rugby calendar in what has been an unpredictable period.
"Planning for a cross-hemisphere competition where the situation has been so fluid has provided many challenges, but we believe we have found a solution that is practical and safe to deliver a unique competition that supporters can get excited about."
Fixtures:
R1 - Weekend of 24 April
Ulster v Connacht
Leinster v Munster
Benetton v Glasgow Warriors
Edinburgh v Zebre Rugby Club
Ospreys v Cardiff Blues
Dragons v Scarlets
Vodacom Bulls v Emirates Lions
DHL Stormers v Cell C Sharks
R2 - Weekend of 1 May (EPCR Semi-Final Weekend)
DHL Stormers v Vodacom Bulls
Cell C Sharks v Emirates Lions
R2 - Weekend of 8 May
Connacht v Leinster
Munster v Ulster
Zebre v Benetton
Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh
Cardiff Blues v Dragons
Scarlets v Ospreys
R3 - Weekend of 8 May
Vodacom Bulls v Cell C Sharks
Emirates Lions v DHL Stormers
R3 - Weekend of 15 May
Munster v Connacht
Leinster v Ulster
Benetton v Zebre
Edinburgh v Glasgow Warriors
Scarlets v Cardiff Blues
Dragons v Ospreys
Round 4: Weekend of 29 May
Round 5: Weekend of 5 June
Round 6: Weekend of 12 June
Final: Weekend of 19 June