Guinness Pro12 Season 2020-2021

Burkie1203 · 14-09-2020 1:17pm #1

Seems new season fixtures are due out

Back to the Pro12.

https://twitter.com/LeinsterRoyalty/status/1305477872749096961?s=19

arsebiscuits1 · 14-09-2020 1:21pm

First time since moving to the RDS that Leinster have had their first game of the season at home

thomond2006 · 14-09-2020 1:25pm

Dragons and Benetton for Leinster before a potential Heineken Cup final.

Allow me to put on my tinfoil hat.

sydthebeat · 14-09-2020 1:30pm

thomond2006 wrote: »

Dragons and Benetton for Leinster before a potential Heineken Cup final.

Allow me to put in my tinfoil hat.

not the worst teams in the league

Buer · 14-09-2020 2:19pm

thomond2006 wrote: »

Dragons and Benetton for Leinster before a potential Heineken Cup final.

Allow me to put on my tinfoil hat.

Leinster could be playing Munster and Ulster in those opening games. The guys featuring are going to be second string for the most part regardless.

Burkie1203 · 14-09-2020 2:27pm

Buer wrote: »

Leinster could be playing Munster and Ulster in those opening games. The guys featuring are going to be second string for the most part regardless.

https://twitter.com/patmccarry/status/1305484039978201089?s=19

Paul Smeenus · 14-09-2020 2:40pm

Guinness PRO14 early fixtures (provisional draft)

Weekend of October 3

Connacht v Glasgow Warriors

Zebre v Cardiff Blues

Scarlets v Munster

Leinster v Dragons

Ulster v Benetton

Edinburgh v Ospreys

Weekend of October 10

Cardiff Blues v Connacht

Benetton v Leinster

Munster v Edinburgh

Dragons v Zebre

Glasgow Warriors v Scarlets

Ospreys v Ulster

Leinstertomas · 14-09-2020 2:47pm

That would be 4th season out 5 that Connacht start at home to Glasgow

awec · 14-09-2020 2:48pm

So who do we think will win the 20/21 Pro14?

Podge_irl · 14-09-2020 3:07pm

Kinda of annoying that Leinster could lose a game before completing an unbeaten season.

First world problems and all...

bilston · 14-09-2020 3:15pm

awec wrote: »

So who do we think will win the 20/21 Pro14?

Is it just a 12 team league?

It should be exciting to see if anyone gets within 15 points of Leinster...

awec · 14-09-2020 3:19pm

bilston wrote: »

Is it just a 12 team league?

It should be exciting to see if anyone gets within 15 points of Leinster...

Oh the Pro12, my bad, it's hard to keep track. I for one cannot wait to see what happens in the latest chapter in the story that is the ProWhatever.

Expect the unexpected.

StackSteevens · 14-09-2020 3:22pm

bilston wrote: »

Is it just a 12 team league?

It should be exciting to see if anyone gets within 15 points of Leinster...

In a single match or on the final league table?

Rigor Mortis · 14-09-2020 3:29pm

awec wrote: »

Oh the Pro12, my bad, it's hard to keep track. I for one cannot wait to see what happens in the latest chapter in the story that is the ProWhatever.

Expect the unexpected.

Ulster, ProWhatever Runners Up 19/20

Has a great ring to it

Zzippy · 14-09-2020 3:56pm

thomond2006 wrote: »

Dragons and Benetton for Leinster before a potential Heineken Cup final.

Allow me to put on my tinfoil hat.

Read the tweet again and relax. Those are next season's fixtures

awec · 14-09-2020 3:57pm

Zzippy wrote: »

Read the tweet again and relax. Those are next season's fixtures

It's next month. Leinster play 2 games of next season's Pro12 before they play this season's HEC final.

Cookiemunster · 14-09-2020 4:08pm

awec wrote: »

It's next month. Leinster play 2 games of next season's Pro12 before they play this season's HEC final.

They kind of have to win two other matches before the get to play in the final.....

molloyjh · 14-09-2020 4:10pm

Cookiemunster wrote: »

They kind of have to win two other matches before the get to play in the final.....

Whatever about Saracens, but the SF would be against either Clermont or Racing. Hardly a cake walk. Then prob Toulouse or Exeter in the final should we get that far. Tough run.

theboss80 · 14-09-2020 4:23pm

Wonder when they will trial small crowds in Ireland. That is decided purely in terms of government restrictions I take it?

bilston · 14-09-2020 4:33pm

awec wrote: »

Oh the Pro12, my bad, it's hard to keep track. I for one cannot wait to see what happens in the latest chapter in the story that is the ProWhatever.

Expect the unexpected.

I meant is it just one league...or are there two conferences?

I'm not that much of a pendant awec!

bilston · 14-09-2020 4:36pm

theboss80 wrote: »

Wonder when they will trial small crowds in Ireland. That is decided purely in terms of government restrictions I take it?

While in my non scientific, non expert experience I'd argue having grounds 10% full could be done safely with social distance comfortably adhered to, and spectators given arrival timeslots...the reality is that things are moving in the wrong direction at the moment...we are more likely to see tighter restrictions than relaxed restrictions in the coming weeks and months.

Squidgy Black · 14-09-2020 4:46pm

theboss80 wrote: »

Wonder when they will trial small crowds in Ireland. That is decided purely in terms of government restrictions I take it?

Not sure if the extra logistics of getting everything in place for having 200 fans attend a game is worth it for the IRFU and the stadiums.

Would be nice to see them do something similar to what Formula 1 did though with small numbers of front line workers allowed in as a gesture.

Burkie1203 · 14-09-2020 4:48pm

Squidgy Black wrote: »

Not sure if the extra logistics of getting everything in place for having 200 fans attend a game is worth it for the IRFU and the stadiums.

Would be nice to see them do something similar to what Formula 1 did though with small numbers of front line workers allowed in as a gesture.

5000 at Aviva is fine. It's the getting to and from that's an issue. There is practically zero car parking on a grand scale nearby that I can think of that makes it viable.

Richie_Rich89 · 14-09-2020 7:59pm

What are the chances of Leinster and Munster being in the same conference? If there are conferences, that is.

Probably more likely to be Leinster and Connacht together.

salmocab · 14-09-2020 8:07pm

Burkie1203 wrote: »

5000 at Aviva is fine. It's the getting to and from that's an issue. There is practically zero car parking on a grand scale nearby that I can think of that makes it viable.

There will be lots of issues with small crowds being spread out in the ground too, lots of staff to cover the largely empty stadium as lots of sections will be open. With people spread out lots of the amenities will have to be open and therefore attended by staff and cleaned. Then socially distant access and egress will take extra staffing over what that size crowd would normally take. It may not make much business sense to let small crowds in if they need to open up and staff too much of the ground.

Tomtom364 · 14-09-2020 8:19pm

I really hope they allow the Irish teams to move back to their home stadiums.
I appreciate the need to use the Aviva for the restart as a short term measure, but I think it makes a difference for teams to be able to play in their actual home stadiums rather then the Aviva, even if it only is a minor mental advantage or the logistical one

Zzippy · 14-09-2020 9:47pm

awec wrote: »

It's next month. Leinster play 2 games of next season's Pro12 before they play this season's HEC final.

Whoosh. The tweet said Pro 12 21/22, it was a mistake. I know it's next month

Kevski · 14-09-2020 11:18pm

Do we know if there will still be two conferences or if it will revert back to the previous PRO12 format?

thomond2006 · 14-09-2020 11:19pm

Kevski wrote: »

Do we know if there will still be two conferences or if it will revert back to the previous PRO12 format?

I assume it will be a straight 22 games with the old league format. Two conferences of six feels rather bare.

Cookiemunster · 15-09-2020 12:34am

thomond2006 wrote: »

I assume it will be a straight 22 games with the old league format. Two conferences of six feels rather bare.

Not necessarily. They might want to reduce the number of games for this season. The conferences would bring it down to 18 games. I would prefer the old format though.

bilston · 15-09-2020 1:54pm

200 fans allowed back into sporting events in Ireland.

I can't see how that is economically viable at all for the provinces, but I suppose if they can prove they can do that safely then maybe the numbers will start to rise a bit in a months time or so.

Cookiemunster · 15-09-2020 2:07pm

bilston wrote: »

200 fans allowed back into sporting events in Ireland.

I can't see how that is economically viable at all for the provinces, but I suppose if they can prove they can do that safely then maybe the numbers will start to rise a bit in a months time or so.

There looks to provision for larger crowds to be allowed into purpose build venues for large national and international sports events. https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/18e18-level-2/#sports

Matches and events
For large purpose built event facilities (such as stadia, auditoriums, conferencing/event centres), specific guidance will be developed with the relevant sectors to take account of size and different conditions for events such as large national and international sporting events.

yerrahbah · 17-09-2020 10:29am

A little over 2 weeks to the start of the season and no official confirmation of fixtures or conferences?

Cookiemunster · 17-09-2020 10:58am

yerrahbah wrote: »

A little over 2 weeks to the start of the season and no official confirmation of fixtures or conferences?

I suppose that with no fans in attendance that they're not too rushed. The teams and broadcasters will have that info though.

I did see a tweet around last weekend say that they should be published by the end of this week though, so fingers crossed.

thomond2006 · 22-09-2020 10:09pm

https://twitter.com/simonrug/status/1308505359980605441

Burkie1203 · 22-09-2020 10:56pm

So the Pro14 with 12 teams will be called the Pro14 because the SA sides might tag along in January to become the 16 team Pro14

awec · 22-09-2020 11:40pm

Burkie1203 wrote: »

So the Pro14 with 12 teams will be called the Pro14 because the SA sides might tag along in January to become the 16 team Pro14

January?

They are going to add extra teams to the league in the middle of the season?

I've missed a joke here, haven't I?

bilston · 23-09-2020 12:24am

Burkie1203 wrote: »

So the Pro14 with 12 teams will be called the Pro14 because the SA sides might tag along in January to become the 16 team Pro14

Are you joking or being serious?

Burkie1203 · 23-09-2020 6:50am

awec wrote: »

January?

They are going to add extra teams to the league in the middle of the season?

I've missed a joke here, haven't I?

Simon Thomas seems to think something is happening etc with regard to the South Africans in 2021.

He never seems to get this type of stuff wrong.

Lads it's 2020. This would be the most normal thing to happen at this stage

https://twitter.com/simonrug/status/1308468755983409153?s=19

sydthebeat · 23-09-2020 7:37am

Yes there are strong rumours that the other four South African teams will join in January.
If it means one season of complete fcukedupness to get them in, I'm for it

Digifriendly · 23-09-2020 7:41am

I cannot any new season fixtures on Pro 14 website or Premier Sports website.

Cookiemunster · 23-09-2020 8:57am

Digifriendly wrote: »

I cannot any new season fixtures on Pro 14 website or Premier Sports website.

That's because they haven't be released publicly yet.

salmocab · 23-09-2020 9:49am

sydthebeat wrote: »

Yes there are strong rumours that the other four South African teams will join in January.
If it means one season of complete fcukedupness to get them in, I'm for it

Yeah I think there’s too much up in air to expect a normal season anyway, they might add them in letting them play a mini conference with one or two going into playoffs or some such thing.

yerrahbah · 23-09-2020 10:01am

I think the SA sides joining halfway through a season is going to be the least of our worries.

yerrahbah · 23-09-2020 11:07am

Statement from Pro14

https://twitter.com/PRO14Official/status/1308707688268869632

On August 25, PRO14 Rugby acknowledged that under current international travel restrictions it is not possible for South African teams to fulfil Guinness PRO14 fixtures until 2021.

PRO14 Rugby welcomes the news that the South African Rugby Union (SA Rugby) has been able to arrange a domestic schedule for its professional teams and that this is the first step in the return of their teams to on-field action.

SA Rugby’s long-standing commitments are to field two teams in the Guinness PRO14 and in light of the withdrawal of the Southern Kings, discussions are on-going about fulfilling this agreement from 2021 using a replacement team from its current professional franchises.

Additionally, both PRO14 Rugby and SA Rugby are in early discussions about potentially expanding the tournament and deepening our partnership to include more South African franchises from 2021.

So all going well, the Cheetahs and 1 other SA side will join sometime in this season

And talks of more SA sides joining in the 21/22 season

Cookiemunster · 23-09-2020 11:30am

yerrahbah wrote: »

So all going well, the Cheetahs and 1 other SA side will join sometime in this season

And talks of more SA sides joining in the 21/22 season

I'm not sure that 2021 means later this season. It reads to me like they'll run a 5 team competition like NZ and Aus between their franchises this season and join a Pro16 next season. Probably with the team finishing last in their internal comp being left out.

yerrahbah · 23-09-2020 11:42am

Cookiemunster wrote: »

I'm not sure that 2021 means later this season. It reads to me like they'll run a 5 team competition like NZ and Aus between their franchises this season and join a Pro16 next season. Probably with the team finishing last in their internal comp being left out.

I dunno, If they meant next season surely they would say the 21/22 season rather than 2021.

https://twitter.com/simonrug/status/1308716314823925765

Anyway the fixtures are out at 2 so that should clear up some confusion

(Narrator: It didn't)

PMC83 · 23-09-2020 12:05pm

Sounds like we are very much moving out of the trail period for SA teams in the PROx and going all in. Surely they will be in the European cup sometime soon? As part of the PROx it would only be fare?

sydthebeat · 23-09-2020 12:20pm

bokke SR sides joining pro-xx would only make sense if they got a place into europe.

god knows theyd make a better fist of it than the welsh sides ever did.

icdg · 23-09-2020 2:01pm

So are you ready for some rugby? On Monday nights?

https://www.pro14.rugby/latest/news/prime-time-monday-night-rugby-comes-to-the-guinness-pro14

Cookiemunster · 23-09-2020 2:15pm

Fixtures only available up to Round 11 in January.

Guinness Pro12 Season 2020-2021

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