Rainbow Cup: New competition in doubt because of Covid-19 issues, says Sharks chief
- Published
The Bulls and the Sharks are among the four South African teams scheduled to compete in the Rainbow Cup
Sharks chief Eduard Coetzee says the Pro14's new Rainbow Cup featuring South African teams is in danger of being cancelled because of Covid-19 issues.
The four South African teams are reported to have been told they will not be allowed to travel to the UK.
"We have little information at this stage, but it seems to be the case that the Rainbow Cup will be cancelled," Coetzee told the IOL news website., external
The Bulls, Sharks, Stormers and Lions franchises are scheduled to compete.
The BBC has approached the Pro14, the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) and the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) for a response to the reports.
An IRFU spokesman said the matter was an issue for the Pro14.
The South African teams were set to stay in a bubble in England for the second half of the tournament and commute to games.
The competition is meant to feature all 12 existing Pro14 clubs in addition to the four South African teams.
Two other South African sides, Cheetahs and Southern Kings, joined the then Pro12 in 2017 to form an expanded Pro14 competition, but their involvement has now ended.
With the decision having been made to shorten the Pro14 season, the Rainbow Cup was designed as a way to generate revenue for the game once more. It is scheduled to start on 24 April and continue through to the final on 19 June.
The first three rounds are due to be comprised largely of derby games, with the Irish provinces playing each other over these opening weekends while the Welsh regions also face each other.
Rounds four to six are scheduled to see the four South African franchises play their away games in Europe, subject to government approval and current coronavirus travel restrictions.
This format meant that no teams from Europe would travel to South Africa for games.