Rugby bosses struggling to squeeze Currie Cup into a jam-packed schedule

Although Super Rugby has been trimmed down for next season‚ rugby bosses are struggling to squeeze the Currie Cup into a jam-packed schedule.

The Cheetahs and the Southern Kings' commitments in Europe in the Pro14 have further cluttered the landscape leaving very little room for a meaningful domestic competition.

This season the Currie Cup overlapped with Super Rugby over the last three weeks of the latter competition‚ while the Cheetahs are currently finding out how difficult it is to go into combat on two fronts.

At their last meeting provincial bosses struggled to find consensus about the structure of a competition that has for too long been a political hot potato in South African rugby.

“It's the old debate‚” reminded a rugby boss who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“Do we go six/eight‚ or eight/six in the number of teams contesting the Premier Division and the First Division? Do we play a single or double round in the Currie Cup?

“Obviously Griquas and the Pumas want to be part of the top tier.

"It will be difficult for them to be part of a condensed competition because you can only accommodate six teams who will play a double round of matches.

“A way of determining whether a team should be in the top tier is to look at how commercially viable they are‚ like we did in Super Rugby.

“Another option would be to have eight franchises but then you won't be able to play a double round of matches. Maybe two pools but then you can't play everyone else.”

Whatever the rugby bosses decide will be a stop gap measure.

The game is set for a shakeup after the 2019 World Cup.

“Super Rugby's current contract ends in 2020.

"There can't be any major shifts before that.

"We need to decide on a structure that determines who plays in what competition.

“If the Cheetahs‚ for instance‚ get fed up with Pro14‚ how do they get back into Super Rugby? Do we have promotion/relegation?”

First though‚ rugby bosses have to clear the most immediate hurdle which is to agree on a structure for the Currie Cup.

“The Currie Cup is in the toilet‚ if I can put it that way.”

The source said consensus has been reached around the age group competitions with the Under19 tournament to be played over a double and the Under 21s over a single round.

- TimesLIVE