PRO14 set for August 22 restart
The trophy pictured during the Guinness PRO14 Final match between Glasgow Warriors and Leinster Rugby at Celtic Park in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom on May 25, 2019 (Photo by Andrew Surma/ Sipa USA).
The PRO14 have announced their plans to restart the league campaign on Saturday, August 22 in what will be an abbreviated version of the competition.
It has been cut from 21 to 15 rounds with derby matches taking place over successive weekends before the play-off games.
As a result, the final has been set for September 12 while the start of the 2020/21 season has been provisionally agreed for October 3.
Matches postponed prior to the suspension of the PRO14 – Zebre v Ospreys and Benetton v Ulster – have been deemed 0-0 draws.
Tournament director David Jordan said: “Safety has been, and will continue to be, the highest priority as we look to activate our plans to restart the 2019/20 season. We are very fortunate to be in a position where everyone involved is confident that we can conclude the season on the field of play.
“The work and diligence of our leading medical personnel at our unions, our clubs, World Rugby and key stakeholders to get us to this point has been immense. Operating across five territories often brings different complexities to the Guinness PRO14 but our unions have worked hard to bring proposals to their governments so we may put plans into action.”
Proposed Game Rounds
Round 14: Saturday, August 22
Round 15: Saturday, August 29
Semi-Finals: Saturday, September 5
Final: Saturday, September 12