THE Guinness Pro 12 organisers have confirmed that they are in advanced and positive talks with South African sides about joining the Celtic League competition.

In a short statement, Celtic Rugby confirmed that a final decision will be made as soon as is ‘practical’

The Cheetahs and the Southern Kings are expected to joining the Pro12 to make it a Pro14, with two divisions or conferences with seven teams in each, is the expected format, with a potential trip to South Africa happening only once a season for each of the existing Pro12 sides.

“Celtic Rugby can confirm that advanced & positive discussions are taking place with the South African Rugby Union regarding the introduction of 2 teams into an expanded Guinness PRO12 Championship. Given the proximity of the 2017/18 season start, a final decision on this potential expansion will be confirmed as soon as practical” </s> Europe's Pro12 has confirmed it will add two South African teams dropped from Super Rugby and expand to a 14-team, two-continent competition from this season.

Celtic Rugby, which runs the Pro12, said the Cheetahs and Southern Kings will join straight away for the 2017-18 season starting later this year. The Pro12 is currently made up of Irish, Welsh, Scottish and Italian clubs.

The prospect of northern hemisphere clubs taking on rivals from the southern hemisphere has long been wished for by rugby fans on both sides of the equator, but conflicting seasons in the north and south have previously prevented that.

With the addition of the Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs and Port Elizabeth-based Kings, Pro12 will be rebranded as the Pro14 and change to a two-conference system, instead of a straight league table, before the knockout stages.

Seven teams from the new Pro14 will qualify for the Champions Cup, Europe's top rugby competition, but Celtic Rugby said "at present" the two South African teams won't be eligible for that competition even if they finish in the qualification places. That will, for the moment, avoid the possibility of a South African team becoming the "European" champion.

Pro14 CEO Martin Anayi said the arrival of the Cheetahs and Kings "marks a bold and exciting new chapter for the Pro14 as a global rugby championship."

Celtic Rugby said the inclusion of the Cheetahs and Kings was part of a "long-term" agreement between it and the South African rugby union.

The South African union was forced to cut two teams from the southern hemisphere's leading club competition after Super Rugby decided to downscale from 18 to 15 teams.

The Cheetahs and Kings were dropped as the two smallest of the six South African teams in Super Rugby.

Joining the European competition brings complications for the Cheetahs and Kings, and for South African rugby. </s> (AP Photo/Joseph Nair, File). FILE - In this March 4, 2017 file photo South Africa's Christopher Anthony Cloete of the Southern Kings holds on to the ball during their Super Rugby match against Japan's Sunwolves, in Singapore. Europe’s Pro12 has confir...

Europe's Pro12 has confirmed it will add two South African teams dropped from Super Rugby and expand to a 14-team, two-continent competition from this season.

Celtic Rugby, which runs the Pro12, said the Cheetahs and Southern Kings will join straight away for the 2017-18 season starting later this year. The Pro12 is currently made up of Irish, Welsh, Scottish and Italian clubs.

The prospect of northern hemisphere clubs taking on rivals from the southern hemisphere has long been wished for by rugby fans on both sides of the equator, but conflicting seasons in the north and south have previously prevented that.

With the addition of the Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs and Port Elizabeth-based Kings, Pro12 will be rebranded as the Pro14 and change to a two-conference system, instead of a straight league table, before the knockout stages.

Seven teams from the new Pro14 will qualify for the Champions Cup, Europe's top rugby competition, but Celtic Rugby said "at present" the two South African teams won't be eligible for that competition even if they finish in the qualification places. That will, for the moment, avoid the possibility of a South African team becoming the "European" champion.

Pro14 CEO Martin Anayi said the arrival of the Cheetahs and Kings "marks a bold and exciting new chapter for the Pro14 as a global rugby championship."

Celtic Rugby said the inclusion of the Cheetahs and Kings was part of a "long-term" agreement between it and the South African rugby union.

The South African union was forced to cut two teams from the southern hemisphere's leading club competition after Super Rugby decided to downscale from 18 to 15 teams.

The Cheetahs and Kings were dropped as the two smallest of the six South African teams in Super Rugby.

Joining the European competition brings complications for the Cheetahs and Kings, and for South African rugby.

South Africa's main club competition, the Currie Cup, runs July-October, overlapping with the Pro14's traditional September to May season. It's unclear how the Cheetahs and Kings will compete in both during the overlap.

Also, the southern hemisphere's international Rugby Championship is in August, September and October, and the South Africa team tours Europe at the end of every year, also possibly clashing with the Pro14 schedule for international players with the Cheetahs and Kings.

Celtic Rugby says it will release its 2017-18 schedule next week.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> Europe's Pro12 has confirmed it will add two South African teams dropped from Super Rugby and expand to a 14-team, two-continent competition from this season.

Celtic Rugby, which runs the Pro12, said the Cheetahs and Southern Kings will join straight away for the 2017-18 season starting later this year. The Pro12 is currently made up of Irish, Welsh, Scottish and Italian clubs.

The prospect of northern hemisphere clubs taking on rivals from the southern hemisphere has long been wished for by rugby fans on both sides of the equator, but conflicting seasons in the north and south have previously prevented that.

With the addition of the Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs and Port Elizabeth-based Kings, Pro12 will be rebranded as the Pro14 and change to a two-conference system, instead of a straight league table, before the knockout stages.

Seven teams from the new Pro14 will qualify for the Champions Cup, Europe's top rugby competition, but Celtic Rugby said "at present" the two South African teams won't be eligible for that competition even if they finish in the qualification places. That will, for the moment, avoid the possibility of a South African team becoming the "European" champion.

Pro14 CEO Martin Anayi said the arrival of the Cheetahs and Kings "marks a bold and exciting new chapter for the Pro14 as a global rugby championship."

Celtic Rugby said the inclusion of the Cheetahs and Kings was part of a "long-term" agreement between it and the South African rugby union.

The South African union was forced to cut two teams from the southern hemisphere's leading club competition after Super Rugby decided to downscale from 18 to 15 teams.

The Cheetahs and Kings were dropped as the two smallest of the six South African teams in Super Rugby.

South Africa's main club competition, the Currie Cup, runs July-October, overlapping with the Pro14's traditional September to May season. It's unclear how the Cheetahs and Kings will compete in both during the overlap.

Also, the southern hemisphere's international Rugby Championship is in August, September and October, and the South Africa team tours Europe at the end of every year, also possibly clashing with the Pro14 schedule for international players with the Cheetahs and Kings. </s> DUBLIN — The two South African teams that were dropped from Super Rugby could join Europe’s Pro12 competition for its new season starting in September.

Celtic Rugby, the body that runs the Pro12, says it is in “advanced and positive discussions” with South Africa’s rugby union over the introduction of the Cheetahs and Southern Kings to the European competition.

Those teams were both cut from Super Rugby, which is trimming down from 18 to 15 teams. One Australian team, yet to be decided, will also lose its Super Rugby status.

The Pro12 is made up of Irish, Welsh, Scottish and Italian clubs.

With its new season starting in two months, Celtic Rugby says “a final decision on this potential expansion will be confirmed as soon as practical.” </s> The addition of two South African franchises to the Pro12 competition is closer than ever according to a statement on Wednesday from the league's governing body.

The South African Rugby Union announced earlier this month that the Cheetahs and Southern Kings would be axed from Super Rugby, in accordance with the format changes to the competition announced by SANZAAR which will see Super Rugby reduced from 18 to 15 teams.

Talks have progressed swiftly in order for both teams to be included in the new 'Pro14' for the start of the new season in September.

Currently made up of four Irish and four Welsh provinces, along with two sides from Scotland and two from Italy, the competition is expected to be split into two conferences of seven teams with the addition of the two South African franchises the competition. </s> South African teams Cheetahs and Southern Kings will join an expanded Pro14 in time for the 2017-18 season, competition organisers confirmed on Tuesday.

The move increases the number of teams in the league, which grew out of the Celtic League and was previously known as the Pro12, from 12 to 14.

The championship will be split into two seven-team conferences, each containing two Welsh teams, two Irish teams and one club from each of Scotland, Italy and South Africa.

"The arrival of the Toyota Cheetahs and the Southern Kings marks a bold and exciting new chapter for the Guinness PRO14 as a global rugby championship," said Pro14 chief executive Martin Anayi.

"South Africa is a rugby powerhouse of over 55 million people. These teams already operate to the high standards demanded by Super Rugby and they will add to the quality of our tournament.

"The appeal of professional club rugby has never been greater and we aim to be at the forefront of the game's growth around the world."

The Cheetahs, from Bloemfontein, and the Port Elizabeth-based Kings will play their home games in South Africa.

They will only play on Saturdays and there will be five travel-free days before matches.

The Cheetahs and Kings will not be able to qualify for European competition.

The pair lost their places in the southern-hemisphere Super Rugby, which is being cut from 18 teams to 15, at the end of the current season, which ends on Saturday with the final between South Africa's Lions and New Zealanders Crusaders.

"This development is as exciting as the launch of Super Rugby itself back in 1996," said South Africa Rugby CEO Jurie Roux in a statement on the Pro14 website.

"It will not be without its challenges in aligning with a competition in a different part of the calendar and in very different playing conditions.

"But it is also a fantastic opportunity for South African rugby to widen our rugby horizons."

Conference A will feature the Ospreys, Cardiff Blues, Munster, Connacht, Glasgow, Zebre and Cheetahs.

Reigning champions Scarlets will line up alongside Dragons, Leinster, Ulster, Edinburgh, Treviso and the Southern Kings in Conference B.

Each team will play every other team in their own group home and away, in addition to one-off matches against all the teams in the other group.

Two additional rounds will guarantee the Welsh and Irish teams retain six derbies each, while the Scottish, Italian and South African teams will play each other three times.

Six teams will qualify for the end of season knock-out phase culminating in the Pro14 final.

The top three non-South African teams in each conference and the team with the next best points tally across both conferences will qualify for the Champions Cup.

The first round of the season is due to be played on the weekend of September 1-3. The fixtures have not yet been announced. </s> CAPE TOWN: Celtic Rugby have confirmed that "advanced and positive discussions" are taking place with South African Rugby for the introduction of two new sides into the Pro 12 competition for the 2017/18 season.

Although not named in a statement from Celtic Rugby on Wednesday, reports in Ireland suggest that those two teams will be the Southern Kings and Cheetahs, who have been axed from the Southern Hemisphere club championship, Super Rugby, from 2018 as that competition is downsized from 18 teams to 15.

The Pro 12 is looking to head in the other direction, expanding to new frontiers in order to open up new revenue streams as it falls well behind the English Premiership and France’s Top 14 in terms of income.

“Advanced and positive discussions are taking place with the South African Rugby Union regarding the introduction of two teams into an expanded Pro 12 Championship. Given the proximity of the 2017/18 season start, a final decision on this potential expansion will be confirmed as soon as practical,” Celtic Rugby said.

Celtic Rugby is the association of Irish, Welsh, Scottish and Italian Rugby Unions, whose club sides make up the Pro 12.

Adding the Cheetahs and Kings will bring new broadcast markets, with local media reporting the deal is likely to generate an extra six million pounds per annum, on top of current revenues of 12 million pounds per year. Negotiations are also underway with clubs in North America and other parts of Europe.

Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) chief executive Philip Brown admitted last week that the competition needed expansion, even if that meant logistical challenges in bringing in teams from outside of Europe.

"The risk of doing nothing with the Pro 12 in the long term is the greater risk," he told the Irish Independent newspaper.

South African media reported on Tuesday that two more of the country’s Super Rugby franchises had expressed an interest in moving to the European competition when their contracts with the Southern Hemisphere edition expire in 2020.

The long and difficult travel across time zones to New Zealand, Australia, Japan and Argentina is taxing on the players and not ideal for television schedules, which has left the teams looking north instead. </s> The Pro12 will be expanded to include South African side Southern Kings and Cheetahs from September, organisers have confirmed.

The expanded tournament will be called the Pro14 and see the teams split into two conferences of seven made up of two Welsh, two Irish and one team each from Scotland, Italy and South Africa.

The conferences have been decided based on last season's results.

Cheetahs and Kings will play their home games in South Africa.

They will play only Saturdays, and there will be five travel-free days before matches.

The first round of matches is due to be played on the weekend of 1-3 September, with the first fixtures to be announced on 7 August.

It is understood the addition of the two new teams will bring in an extra £6m a year in revenue.

"The arrival of the Toyota Cheetahs and the Southern Kings marks a bold and exciting new chapter for the Guinness PRO14 as a global rugby Championship," said Pro14 chief executive Martin Anayi.

"South Africa is a rugby powerhouse of over 55 million people. These teams already operate to the high standards demanded by Super Rugby and they will add to the quality of our tournament.

"This is a natural evolution for the Championship... and we aim to be at the forefront of the game's growth around the world."
• Who are Cheetahs and Southern Kings?

The South African teams lost their places in the southern hemisphere Super Rugby, which is cutting from 18 teams to 15, at the end of last season.

The Pro12 grew out of the Celtic League, which was formed in 2001 but has seen many changes to participants and format during its existence.

Last season's tournament was won by Scarlets, who beat Munster in the play-off final in Dublin.

Jurie Roux, CEO of SA Rugby, says the decision for South African team to play in a northern hemisphere tournament was groundbreaking.

"This development is as exciting as the launch of Super Rugby itself back in 1996," he said.

"It will not be without its challenges in aligning with a competition in a different part of the calendar and in very different playing conditions; but it is also a fantastic opportunity for South African rugby to widen our rugby horizons.

"We believe the Toyota Cheetahs' and Kings' participation will be good for the competition and good for the teams."
In rugby union, Celtic Rugby Limited, organiser of the competition formerly known as Pro12, officially announces the addition of two former South African Super Rugby teams, the Cheetahs and Southern Kings, to the now-renamed Pro14 effective with the upcoming 2017–18 season.