The South African Super rugby union outfit, Cheetahs based in Bloemfontein have denied a BBC report last week that they have been officially invited to join the Pro12 next year although they have not denied discussions with the league.

With SANZAAR cutting Super Rugby from 18 teams to 15 in 2018, the Cheetahs and the Kings have emerged as the favourites to lose their status.

According to a report published on the BBC website last week, the Cheetahs have already been invited to take part in the Pro12.

There have been suggestions that this should be the route that the Cheetahs and Kings may take, but until now there has been no indication that it might happen. The Pro12 is seeking ways to increase its revenue and marketability and has investigated setting up a franchise in the US.

No official statement has yet been made about the South African sides being cut from the Super competition.

London Irish owner Mick Crossan has told The Rugby Paper that he’s looking for new backers to step forward after admitting he can no longer afford to sustain heavy losses as the club prepare for a new season in the Premiership.

The article by Neale Harvey explained that Crossan’s company, Powerday has covered annual deficits of £2m-£3m, but he knows that without extra finance they will struggle to compete.

Irish lost more than £2m in season 2015-16, their last in the Premiership, and with average crowds in the Championship falling to just 4,000, Crossan will stump up nearly double that amount this year after maintaining a Premiership-standard squad.

Irish’s turnover of just £8.7m was the second lowest in the Premiership in 2015-16, while only Sale and Newcastle had smaller wage bills. A £2m cash boost from top-flight central funding will help but Exiles require far more than that to prosper.

Crossan told TRP: “The challenge first and foremost is to stay in the Premiership and build on what we’ve created in the Championship. In that respect, taking a step back has not been the worst thing because we’ve rebuilt.

“But financially relegation has been tough and if we want to build London Irish back to the club it can be, we need to get more people to invest.

“I need people to help with the bills. My bank balance was a lot better before I took over London Irish three years ago and my wife will testify to that, but I took on a challenge and I’ve always done that. Sometimes your heart rules your head and London Irish is a passion I’ll never waver from, but we now need more help funding-wise.”

“It wasn’t long ago that we were in a Premiership final, made a Heineken Cup semi-final and were attracting crowds of 12,000-14,000 on a regular basis, but now we need new backers to step forward and help us achieve our dreams.”

Former Scarlets, Wales and Gloucester coach, Nigel Davies has been confirmed as new chief executive of Welsh Premiership champions Merthyr RFC.

Davies will be focusing on the commercial side of the club with Dale McIntosh moving to head coach and Lee Jarvis becoming backs coach.

He will be taking on a new role after two years coaching Ebbw Vale. Methyr claimed the Premiership title by beating Aberavon 22-18 in last weekend’s play-off final at the Talbot Athletic Ground.

Revealing the news of Davies’ recruitment, Merthyr’s multi-millionaire backer Sir Stanley Thomas told Wales Online he was delighted to have got his man.

“Coming off the back of a successful first season in the Premiership, we see this new position as central to driving forward with our ambitious plans both on and off the field,” he said.

“We have a clear vision about the positive role we can play in the community to engage and inspire young people.

“We haven’t always in the past brought in sufficient funds to continue to support the club. Nigel has been brought in to do that. We have got to try and maximise the facilities we have at The Wern.

“He will also be responsible for developing a clear pathway with local clubs, colleges and Cardiff Blues, as well as building a good relationship with the WRU.

“Nigel is a bright, intelligent man with wonderful experience and we are very pleased to have him on board.

“It’s more good news on the back of our title win. We are the champions in our first season and that’s something you would never have thought we co do.”

The RPA, representing professional rugby union players in England, has rejected proposals by Premiership Rugby to extend the domestic playing season in 2020 and beyond as a response to the adjustments to a new global schedule due to be implemented.

World Rugby agreed to move the summer international games window from June to July after completion of the next World Cup cycle. Premiership Rugby’s proposal was to extend competitive fixtures into June with the same season start date but with focus on player welfare.

The RPA were initially cautious of supporting these proposals in March, but – following the RPA players’ board meeting earlier this month – they have unanimously rejected the proposals in their current form.

An RPA statement read:

“The RPA has always sought to work collaboratively with Premiership Rugby to address player welfare concerns. It therefore caused significant concern and disappointment to our members to learn of Premiership Rugby’s plans to extend the domestic season via a press release in late March. This proposal had not previously been discussed with the RPA.

“Despite this disappointment, Premiership Rugby were invited to present their proposals in more detail to the RPA players’ board on Wednesday 10th May. However, after due consideration, the board unanimously rejected these proposals in their current form.

“The Premiership season is already longer than comparable contact sports, including Super League, NFL and AFL. Extending an already arduous season from nine months to ten has serious implications for players, given the potential increase to the game, training and psychological loads they face. The physical and mental strain placed on participants of professional contact sport cannot be underestimated.

“We believe the reduction of the domestic off-season from three to two months will have a seriously detrimental effect on player welfare unless substantial guaranteed safeguards are introduced. The RPA fought hard for the inclusion of a mandatory 5-week off-season break in the standard Premiership contract, but players also require an extensive pre-season period to sufficiently prepare themselves for the physical demands of the season. A significant off-season period is essential to provide physical and, crucially, mental respite for our members.

“Perhaps most worryingly is the incredible strain these proposals would place on International players. If the Premiership season retains its current start date, the addition of a July tour schedule will lead to an 11-month season for these players. This cannot be avoided unless these players start their domestic season later, which brings into question the need for the season extension.

“All players fully recognise the fundamental role Premiership clubs and Premiership Rugby have played in investing in and creating a thriving domestic league in England since the onset of professional game over 20 years ago. Whilst we also acknowledge that the reduction of overlaps between international and domestic rugby is desirable, we do not believe the current proposals are viable.”

The World Rugby Council has approved reforms to eligibility rules extending the 3-year residency qualification for a player to qualify to play for his or her country of residence to five years. The ruling was passed unanimously and will take effect from 31st December 2020.

The reformed Regulation 8 ensures that a player has a genuine, close, credible and established link with the nation of representation, and the key amendments are:

• The 36-month residency requirement is increased to 60 months with effect from 31 December, 2020

• The addition of a residency criteria which permits players who have 10 years of cumulative residency to be eligible (effective May 10, 2017)

• Unions may no longer nominate their U20s team as their next senior national representative team (effective 1 January, 2018)

• Sevens players will only be captured for the purposes of Regulation 8 where the player has represented either of (i) the senior national representative sevens team of a union where the player has reached the age of 20 on or before the date of participation; or (ii) the national representative sevens team of a union in the Olympic Games or Rugby World Cup Sevens, having reached the age of majority on or before the date of participation in such tournament (effective 1 July, 2017)

The landmark decision follows agreement on a long-term optimised global international calendar beyond 2019 and represents another major reform for World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont and vice-chairman Agustín Pichot in the first year of their four-year mandate.

Beaumont said: “This reform of Regulation 8 governing eligibility is an important and necessary step to protecting the integrity and credibility of international rugby. This extension to the residency period within a forward-thinking reform package will ensure a close, credible and established link between a union and players, which is good for rugby and good for fans.

“I would like to thank my union colleagues for their support and in particular the leadership role that Agustín Pichot played in this very important process that has delivered an outcome that is good for the global game.”

The WR Council met in Kyoto, Japan before the draw for the 2019 RWC.