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With the Six Nations and international tests proving troublesome for the cross-border league, Martyn Thomas weighs up the few remaining options for the Pro12.
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Pro12 managing director Martin Anayi would have been delighted to see the bumper crowd in attendance as Leinster sealed a tight derby win over Munster on Saturday.
Anayi is still settling into his new role with the cross-border league, yet he has already shared some rather radical ideas on how to take the competition forward.
And, while Dave Kilcoyne’s late rush of blood to the head cost the visitors a share of the spoils, the sight of 43,108 fans inside the Aviva Stadium would have given the MD hope that there is indeed a market for the Pro12.
Only 24 hours before Leinster’s nail-biting 16-13 win in Dublin, Anayi had used an interview with Wales Online to outline his plans to shake up the competition.
In short, Anayi believes that playing league fixtures during the Six Nations and the November Tests harms the league because its best players are not available to their domestic teams.
Interest, as well as talent, is focused on Test rugby during these periods and the Pro12 struggles to attract crowds as a result.
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Although there were only two full weekends in direct competition with this year’s Six Nations, both suffered as a result.
Leinster and the Scarlets each saw their home attendances fall by around 40 per cent, while Munster chose to host Ospreys at their second, smaller home in Cork on Valentine’s Day.
And while Ulster hosted Glasgow in front of 16,477 fans that same weekend, only 22,132 spectators watched all six matches combined a fortnight later.
That’s 1,041 less than were at Welford Road to watch Leicester beat London Irish on February 28, and at a time when English and French club sides are getting richer and more powerful, Anayi is right to look for ways to ensure that the Pro12 does not get left behind.
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However, the problems with the current structure go far deeper than the standard of players on show during a six-week window.
As Anayi himself noted prior to taking up his role with the Pro12 last October, the competition has traditionally been held in fairly low regard by those in Ireland, who have provided eight of the 14 winners and a further nine runners-up.
Wales has not proved the hotbed of interest that may have been envisaged 16 years ago, either. Ospreys have won four titles – level with Leinster as the competition’s most – but there is a general malaise in the principality that has become entrenched.
Unlike in Ireland, the four Welsh regions were imposed on the rugby community and as such most cut across traditional divides. The result has left thousands of fans feeling disenfranchised and without proper representation.
When put in such a context, the idea of suspending the league during the international windows seems like applying a plaster to a gaping flesh wound.
Especially when the central contracts awarded by Ireland, Scotland and Wales dictate how many games their international players can play domestically.
Moreover, these safeguards are put into their contracts for a reason – player welfare.
Were the Pro12 fixtures moved out of international windows, the clubs would still have to fulfil European commitments, while the Welsh regions will be back in LV= Cup action come next season.
Were the 2016-17 Pro12 season to start on September 3, with the final on the last week of May, 2017, for example, then there would 39 weekends available for competition.
Take out seven for end-of-year and Six Nations Test matches and things begin to look extremely tight. Add in summer tours and it becomes unworkable.
So, what can be done?
Anayi hinted at expanding the size of the competition to split it into two conferences, which would be an appealing proposition if there were two or more sides ready to enter the fray.
None of the existing unions could afford to expand to include another team, so those joining would have to be self-sufficient.
London Scottish, who this year announced a performance partnership with Scottish Rugby, and London Welsh are both keen to explore the possibility of joining the league.
However, neither have spent considerable time in the English top flight – Welsh being relegated with a solitary point in 2015 – and could not therefore be expected to arrive immediately with the set up or fan base that should be required.
Another option would be to get rid of one or both of the Italian sides, and possibly one Welsh region, to turn it into a 10-team competition that could be split into two conferences.
That would provide a streamlined structure that could be worked around both European and international commitments, ensuring the best players were on the pitch when it mattered.
Jettisoning both Italian teams would be a retrograde step, however, when the game in Europe should be looking to expand rather than contract.
It is positive, therefore, that Anayi is looking to take steps to ensure the future of the league before it is too late. The worst thing the Pro12 could do right now, is nothing.
