SUNDAY and Monday evening matches will dominate the 2020-21 PRO14 fixture schedule up to Christmas with tournament organisers looking to maximise exposure by avoiding clashes with this Autumn’s extended international window.
Games in this league have traditionally been played predominantly on Friday nights and Saturdays – regarded as prime rugby viewing times – but the Covid-19 pandemic has turned the established logic of fixture scheduling on its head, with the assumption that most (if not all) matches will be played behind closed doors making it imperative that broadcasting potential is fully maximised.
In total, 14 Monday night fixtures and 15 Sunday fixtures will take place between Rounds 3 and 8, from October 23 November 30 (the window during which Scotland, Ireland, Wales and Italy will all be international action). It is hoped that the Monday night matches in particular will put the PRO14 in front of a “prime-time market”.
Glasgow Warriors will open their campaign with a trip to Galway to take on Connacht at 5pm on Saturday, October 3, while Edinburgh will host Ospreys at Murrayfield later that night with a 7.40pm kick-off. The conferences will be the same as last year, which means Warriors are once again up against PRO14 super-power Leinster as well as Ulster, the Ospreys, the Dragons and Zebre, while Edinburgh will compete for a play-off seeding against Munster, Scarlets, Cardiff Blues, Connacht and Treviso.
The first Monday night match involving a Scottish team will be on November 2, when Warriors host Leinster at Scotstoun with an 8.15pm kick-off.
“Rounds 9, 10 and 11 of the Guinness PRO14 will feature the fierce derby matches across the UK, Ireland and Italy and the scheduling for those games will occur in due course,” said a statement issued by PRO14 yesterday afternoon.
As a result of current travel restrictions, the first 11 games of the upcoming season will feature European-based teams only. Plans are in place for South African teams to resume playing in 2021, but they will not be able to play a full schedule. Discussions are under way with the South African Rugby Union to not only enter a team in place of the recently liquidated Southern Kings, but also to expand the tournament to include more South African franchises from 2021.
With the pandemic conditions varying across each of our competing territories the full fixture list cannot be published at this point. “Thanks to the buy-in and support from our teams and broadcasters we believe we have delivered an innovative solution to the challenges posed to us by the international rugby calendar,” commented Dominic McKay, the chairman of PRO14 Rugby.
“Playing on Monday nights provides the Guinness PRO14 with a unique platform in the rugby market and enables us to make the most of playing through such a busy time for our sport.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here