PRO14 - 2019/20 New Conferences

First topic message reminder :

PRO14 issued the new conference structures today with an explanation of how they did it. It was based on the performance of each team in the regular stage of the season - not including the finals. And then teams ranked by their union accordingly. Teams 1&4 from Ireland play Teams 2&3 from Wales, and vice versa.
The new conferences will run for the next two seasons.


Conf A
Dragons
Glasgow
Leinster
Ospreys
Cheetahs
Ulster
Zebre


Conf B
Benetton
Cardiff
Connacht
Edinburgh
Kings
Munster
Scarlets

Rivalries don't just appear because of a fixture.

They need a spark to trigger a bit of edge.
Some like Munster - Leinster or Tigers - Saints are obvious due to geography.
Others have other reasons like Tigers - Bath or Munster - Glasgow

There has not been any trigger for Leinster - Kings and hence it is not a rivalry

geoff999rugby wrote:Rivalries don't just appear because of a fixture.

They need a spark to trigger a bit of edge.
Some like Munster - Leinster or Tigers - Saints are obvious due to geography.
Others have other reasons like Tigers - Bath or Munster - Glasgow

There has not been any trigger for Leinster - Kings and hence it is not a rivalry

Maybe the two Sextons can get in a big fight and it will help build it. Also since Leinster and Kings were in the same conference for two years they have a much better rivalry than before that. Prior to two years ago neither team could sell any tickets for games with each other so selling over 1k tickets is much improved.

I guess for some people every team in your league must be a rival or the league isn't a real league

Surely fans make a rivalry, no fans = no rivalry.

TightHEAD wrote:Surely fans make a rivalry, no fans = no rivalry.

Not necessarily, there are some fierce local club GAA rivalries here, where less than 1000 people show up.

I'm not surprised for GAA!

TightHEAD wrote:I'm not surprised for GAA!

Average attendance in the 2017 football All Ireland Championships: 19,049.

LeinsterFan4life wrote:

TightHEAD wrote:Surely fans make a rivalry, no fans = no rivalry.

Not necessarily, there are some fierce local club GAA rivalries here, where less than 1000 people show up.

That would be the infamous village v village, and even more violent when both villages are in the same Parish!

A handful of murders per year at these matches, but as long as the organisers and stewards keep the numbers down below 20 nationwide I think things are still okay. Sure, it's a man's game, and most of the murdered lads are just probably doing a bit of play-acting as well.