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gilbertrugby.com<br />
GUINNESS PRO14 CAMPAIGN TO CONCLUDE IN<br />
MARCH AHEAD OF NEW “RAINBOW CUP” WITH<br />
SOUTH AFRICA’S TOP FOUR ‘SUPER’ TEAMS<br />
The current Guinness PRO14 campaign will<br />
end in March allowing South Africa’s four<br />
‘Super’ teams and our existing clubs to<br />
finish the season with a 16-team “Rainbow<br />
Cup” competition ahead of the British &<br />
Irish Lions tour.<br />
• The 2020/21 Guinness PRO14 campaign will finish after 16<br />
rounds with the Conference winners facing each other in a<br />
final in late March<br />
• Qualification for EPCR tournaments in 2021/22 will be<br />
decided by rankings after Round 16<br />
• On April 17, 2021, the Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup will<br />
kick-off and introduce the Vodacom Bulls, Emirates Lions,<br />
Cell C Sharks and DHL Stormers and their World Cupwinning<br />
Springboks<br />
• The Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup will consist of a pool<br />
stage (two pools of eight teams) and a final between the<br />
two pool winners<br />
FINAL CHAPTER OF GUINNESS PRO14<br />
fixture list will aim to ensure home and away in-conference<br />
fixtures are completed and each team plays all of its<br />
cross-conference matches also. Further clarification will be<br />
available when fixtures are confirmed.<br />
The scheduled dates for the conclusion of the 2020-21<br />
Guinness PRO14 campaign are:<br />
R12: February 20<br />
R13: February 27<br />
R14: March 6<br />
R15: March 13<br />
R16: March 20<br />
Final: March 27<br />
After consulting with key PRO14 stakeholders, the Guinness<br />
PRO14 Rainbow Cup was chosen as the best pathway to<br />
finish up the current campaign and introduce South Africa’s<br />
THE<br />
four ‘Super’ teams: the Vodacom SPIRIT<br />
Bulls; Emirates Lions; Cell<br />
OF<br />
C Sharks and DHL Stormers. This decision also allows our<br />
European-based sides to earn qualification for European<br />
Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) tournaments in 2021/22 in<br />
a fair and equitable manner.<br />
Ahead of the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa,<br />
the Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup will provide a ground-<br />
Once Round 16 has been completed, the top-ranked teams<br />
from each conference will qualify for the 2021/22 Heineken<br />
Champions Cup. Requirement for play-offs is under review.<br />
UNITED RUGBY<br />
GUINNESS PRO14 “RAINBOW CUP”<br />
breaking spectacle for fans who will see international star FORGING NEW RIVALRIES<br />
players from north and south establish new rivalries in their<br />
bid for the ultimate Test selection.<br />
With South Africa preparing to host their first British & Irish<br />
Lions tour since 2009, the World Cup champions will see<br />
Right through until the last kick of the ball in the Rainbow their ‘Super’ teams – the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers<br />
Cup in June, fans will be able to watch it all unfold with our take on the very best that Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales<br />
CHAMPIONSHIP.<br />
broadcast partners Premier Sports, eir Sport, S4C, TG4,<br />
have to offer.<br />
DAZN and Super Sport.<br />
How it will Work<br />
Players aiming to make the British & Irish Lions squad will<br />
find no better trial environment to test themselves in, as<br />
they go up against the likes of Siya Kolisi, Pieter Steph du<br />
Toit (both DHL Stormers), Duane Vermeulen (Vodacom<br />
Bulls), Elton Jantjies (Emirates Lions) and former Guinness<br />
PRO14 top-try scorer Makazole Mapimipi (Cell C Sharks).<br />
The Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup will kick off on April 17<br />
with two pools of 8 teams made up of two Irish, two South<br />
African, two Welsh, one Italian and one Scottish club. Each<br />
team will play one game against each pool opponent and<br />
the sides that finish top of their pools will face off in a final<br />
on June 19.<br />
Across 57 matches, the Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup will<br />
feature the best of the Springbok talent going toe-to-toe<br />
with some of the British & Irish Lions’ biggest names – every<br />
one of them keen to lay down a marker to their respective<br />
selectors ahead of what will prove to an historic tour.<br />
Enjoy responsibly<br />
The oval trim design is a registered trademark of Gilbert Rugby.<br />
Rounds 12 to 16 will take place from February 20 and<br />
conclude on March 20. A final will then take place at the<br />
home venue of the highest-ranked team. This abbreviated<br />
DISCOVER THE SPIRIT WITHIN |<br />
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