PRO14 chief Martin Anayi envisages global game

PRO14 chief executive Martin Anayi believes the competition’s two new South African franchises should be embraced by the Champions Cup, but not until they prove themselves on the pitch in their new surroundings.

The expansion of what began life as the Celtic League to include the Cheetahs and the Southern Kings has added interest to the new campaign. Anayi believes the experiment will be a success, whether or not the pair are embraced by the European competition.

“It can work but if the South African sides compete well and are in the top six and go on and go and win our championship, they should be playing in the Champions Cup,” he reasoned at the tournament launch at the Aviva Stadium.