Pro14 Rainbow Cup
Pro14 Rainbow Cup | |
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Countries | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Date | 23 April 2021 – 19 June 2021 |
Champions | ![]() |
Runners-up | ![]() |
Matches played | 40 |
Official website | |
www | |
The Pro14 Rainbow Cup (also known as the Guinness Pro14 Rainbow Cup for sponsorship reasons) was a professional rugby union end-of-season cup competition played in 2021 that consisted of two separate tournaments: the Rainbow Cup for twelve European clubs and the Rainbow Cup SA for four South African clubs. The winners of each competition then played a final match to determine the overall winner. The tournament operated as a shortened 'Spring season' to allow for the integration of the four new South African teams into the United Rugby Championship ahead of the 2021–22 season.
In winning the play-off final against the Bulls of South Africa, Benetton Treviso became the first Italian side ever to win any of the successor championships to the Celtic League.
Background[]
The 2020–21 Pro14 was reduced to twelve teams as the two South African teams - the Cheetahs and Southern Kings - were not allowed to travel internationally in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In September 2020, the Southern Kings ceased operations and the South African Rugby Union council began exploring the possibility of the four South African former Super Rugby teams - the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers - joining an expanded Pro14.[1]
PRO14 Rugby announced in December 2020 that the 2020–21 Pro14 regular season would conclude after 16 rounds, and the top team from each conference would advance to a final in March 2021. The Pro14 Rainbow Cup then commenced in April and introduced the four new South African teams.[2]
With South Africa hosting the British & Irish Lions tour in July–August 2021, the tournament also served as a warm-up event for the British, Irish and South African players hoping to be involved in the tour.[2]
Between February and March eight South African franchises played in a "preparation series" also known as the Preparation Series to get valuable game time before the Rainbow Cup.[3]
Due to several issues surrounding travel restrictions as a result of the pandemic, it was announced in April 2021 that the Rainbow Cup would adopt a dual tournament format and there would be no cross-hemisphere fixtures.[4]
Format[]
The competition format changed several times but eventually consisted of two separate tournaments running side by side. In the northern hemisphere's Rainbow Cup, the 12 Pro14 teams in Europe competed from 23 April until 12 June 2021. There were 6 match weekends over an 8-week period with each team receiving one additional bye week.
In the southern hemisphere's Rainbow Cup SA, each of the four teams played each other twice, a total of six rounds were played between 1 May and 12 June 2021. There was one fallow week in which each team received a bye week.[4][5]
A final between the best placed Northern and Southern Hemisphere teams followed both tournaments on 19 June.[6]
Law variations[]
The Rainbow Cup saw three law variations trialled: Replacement for a red carded player after 20 minutes, Captain's Challenge and Goal-line dropouts. The replacement for a red carded player after 20 minutes will allow a side who has had a player sent-off to replace them with one of their named substitutes after a period of 20 minutes. A captain's challenge, similar to appeals used successfully in cricket and tennis, will allow each team one referral per match which can be used in one of three scenarios: a decision occurring in the final five minutes of a match, an offence in the build up to a try being scored or an act of foul play. Goal-line dropouts will be used if the ball is held-up over the line, knock-ons that occur in goal or when the ball is grounded by the defending team in the in-goal area after a kick through. All these law variations have previously been trialled in both Super Rugby Aotearoa and Super Rugby AU.[7]
Teams[]
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PRO14 Rainbow Cup[]
Team | Country | Coach / Director of Rugby |
Captain | Stadium | Capacity |
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Benetton | ![]() |
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Stadio Comunale di Monigo | 6,700 |
Cardiff Blues | ![]() |
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Cardiff Arms Park | 12,125 |
Connacht | ![]() |
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Galway Sportsgrounds | 8,129 |
Dragons | ![]() |
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Rodney Parade | 8,700 |
Edinburgh | ![]() |
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Murrayfield Stadium | 67,144 |
Glasgow Warriors | ![]() |
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Scotstoun Stadium | 7,351 |
Leinster | ![]() |
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RDS Arena | 18,500 |
Munster | ![]() |
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Thomond Park | 25,600 |
Ospreys | ![]() |
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Liberty Stadium | 20,827 |
Scarlets | ![]() |
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Parc y Scarlets | 14,870 |
Ulster | ![]() |
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Ravenhill Stadium | 18,196 |
Zebre | ![]() |
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Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi | 5,000 |
PRO14 Rainbow Cup SA[]
Team | Country | Coach / Director of Rugby |
Captain | Stadium | Capacity |
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Bulls | ![]() |
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Loftus Versfeld | 51,762 |
Lions | ![]() |
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Ellis Park Stadium | 62,567 |
Sharks | ![]() |
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Kings Park Stadium | 52,000 |
Stormers | ![]() |
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Cape Town Stadium | 55,000 |
Tables[]
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Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | Try bonus | Losing bonus | Pts | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 125 | 78 | +47 | 14 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 22** | ||||
2 | ![]() |
5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 170 | 75 | +95 | 23 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 20 | ||||
3 | ![]() |
5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 121 | 117 | +4 | 17 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 19 | ||||
4 | ![]() |
5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 124 | 87 | +37 | 19 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 15 | ||||
5 | ![]() |
5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 124 | 123 | +1 | 16 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 15 | ||||
6 | ![]() |
5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 109 | 133 | –24 | 15 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 14 | ||||
7 | ![]() |
5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 110 | 115 | –5 | 13 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 13* | ||||
8 | ![]() |
5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 103 | 88 | +15 | 14 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 11** | ||||
9 | ![]() |
5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 126 | 140 | –14 | 18 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 10 | ||||
10 | ![]() |
5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 85 | 116 | –31 | 12 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 8* | ||||
11 | ![]() |
5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 117 | 156 | –39 | 14 | 22 | 2 | 1 | 7 | ||||
12 | ![]() |
5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 88 | 174 | -86 | 10 | 23 | 0 | 3 | 3 | ||||
* Cancelled fixture: Scarlets awarded four match points. ** Cancelled fixture: Benetton awarded four match points. | |||||||||||||||||
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:[8]
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Green background (row 1) is the play-off places and earn a place in the final against the 1st placed Rainbow Cup SA team.
|
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Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | Try bonus | Losing bonus | Pts | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 183 | 117 | +66 | 22 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 25 | ||||
2 | ![]() |
6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 137 | 143 | –6 | 16 | 19 | 2 | 3 | 17* | ||||
3 | ![]() |
6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 153 | 179 | –26 | 30 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 16 | ||||
4 | ![]() |
6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 127 | 161 | –34 | 16 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 8* | ||||
* Cancelled fixture: Stormers awarded four match points. | |||||||||||||||||
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:[9]
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Green background (row 1) is the play-off places and earn a place in the final against the 1st placed Rainbow Cup team from Europe.
|
PRO14 Rainbow Cup[]
All kickoff times are local.
League stage
Round 1[]
Round 2[]
Round 3[]
Round 4[]
Bye/s: ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Round 5[]
Bye/s: ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Round 6[]
Bye/s: ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
PRO14 Rainbow Cup SA[]
All kickoff times are local.
League stage
Round 1[]
Round 2[]
Round 3[]
Round 4[]
Round 5[]
Round 6[]
Final[]
The first-placed teams from each tournament, Benetton and Bulls, played in the final in Treviso.[10] Benetton won 35–8 in front of their home crowd for a historic first win of an international competition for any Italian club.[11][12]
Benetton ![]() |
35–8 | ![]() |
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Try: Ioane 5' m Els 31' m Penalty try 40' Lamaro 42' c Padovani 57' m Con: Garbisi (1/4) 43' Pen: Garbisi (2/3) 20', 47' |
Report | Try: Tambwe 26' m Con: Smith (0/1) Pen: Smith (1/1) 30' |
References[]
- ^ "Guinness PRO14 & Rainbow Cup - Questions & Answers". GuinnessPro14. 23 December 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
- ^ a b "Guinness PRO14 to Conclude in March Ahead of Rainbow Cup with South Africa's Super Teams". GuinnessPro14. 23 December 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
- ^ "Franchise Cup back to just that – a contest between franchises". www.news24.com. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
- ^ a b "Dual Tournament Approach to Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup". www.pro14.rugby. Retrieved 2021-04-21.
- ^ "Revised PRO14 Rainbow Cup SA schedule confirmed".
- ^ "Europe to host Pro14 Rainbow Cup final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2021-05-14.
- ^ "Law Trials confirmed for Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup". Pro14. 15 April 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
- ^ Competition Rule 3.1.4 "Summary of Key Rules". Pro14. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
- ^ Competition Rule 3.1.4 "Summary of Key Rules". Pro14. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
- ^ "Italy to Host Historic 'North v South' Guinness PRO14 Rainbow Cup Final in Treviso". www.pro14.rugby. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
- ^ a b "Capolavoro Treviso! 35-8 ai Bulls, la Rainbow Cup è italiana". gazzetta.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2021-06-19.
- ^ "Pro14 Rainbow Cup final: Benetton 35-8 Bulls - hosts win first major title". BBC Sport. 19 June 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
Notes[]
- ^ Ulster Rugby returned several positive COVID-19 tests and were therefore unable to field a team.
Scarlets awarded four match points. - ^ Ospreys returned several positive COVID-19 tests and were therefore unable to field a team.
Benetton awarded four match points. - ^ Lions returned several positive COVID-19 tests and were therefore unable to field a team.
Stormers awarded four match points.
External links[]
- 2020–21 Pro14
- 2020–21 in European rugby union leagues
- United Rugby Championship seasons
- 2020–21 in Irish rugby union
- 2020–21 in Italian rugby union
- 2020–21 in Scottish rugby union
- 2020–21 in Welsh rugby union
- 2020 in South African rugby union
- 2021 in South African rugby union