The expanded Pro14 league has not even begun yet, and already two more South African sides might be looking to join the party.
The Times are reporting that the Lions from Johannesburg and the Sharks from Durban, two sides currently competing in Super Rugby, have written to the South African Rugby Union to ascertain whether or not they would be able to compete in Europe to follow the example set by the Cheetahs and Southern Kings.
How hard they end up pushing would ultimately depend on the success of the two sides already in Pro14, but regardless of that it would be highly unlikely that the governing body of that competition would vote to expand it even further in the near future.
The English Premiership and France’s Top 14 would be even less inclined to accommodate the two South African sides, which means that their proposal has hit a major snag before it has even got off the ground. The fact that Southern Kings and Cheetahs were removed from Super Rugby ultimately helped their cause for admission – something that has not happened (and probably won’t happen) to either Lions or Sharks without the guarantee of entry into a European league.
In the meantime, Cheetahs and Southern Kings begin the great experiment this coming weekend when they take on Ulster and Scarlets respectively
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