'Is the PRO14 benefiting South African rugby or is it costing us money and players?'

Secondly if we are calling SRP and URC a domestic comp I feel like we're colouring well outside the lines. But if we are drawing parallels to SRP and URC “domestic” comps and you're question of dominance I'd point out that SA have had 3 teams in each quarter final since they joined and either won or been a runner up to the tournament every year. Hardly flunking it. As far as fanbase, you can use viewership, subscriptions or bums on seats and CC is still ahead on the fanbase vs SRP, the benefit of a rugby nation with double the population of AU.

Other than financials the benefits of URC are also as you mentioned more games but also more teams and players getting exposure to professional rugby (it's actually 5 teams if you include the repechage of the SA teams). With the schedules and competition setup all URC teams are required to have enough players to field 2-3 teams across the season. Previously under the SR you had 5 teams being forced into 4 squads with minimal change between squads week in week out.

See the thing about the SR or URC being better for competitiveness falls over pretty quick when you understand its a too way street. Arguing that SA is better or worse off because they left the SRP implies that AU and NZ aren't impacted and that they some how stay sharp without outside competition. All teams are worse off in the regard that they are no longer exposed to the different playing styles But When you consider RWC I would argue that being in the URC is a benefit to SA because they are far more likely to face a European team in the pool stages than AU or NZ.

Yes, sabbaticals are an answer. You can even view French players being rested from club and country alternatively as ‘sabbaticals’. Like this idea of Jordie taking a rest during the 6N (were some weeks there was still footy right?) was a sabbatical from his sabbatical lol

But yes, idea’s like introduced in the article widen and enhance the mean for a lot of nations. It really is the most hotly contested and shared sport on the world, and sabbaticals are just one strange way to try and make it work, make the sport succesful.

Lions win the tour 3-0 or we don’t let Farrell come back to the NH

Really? Matches aren’t played on paper, but I’m amazed you think the WBs have the edge. The backrow depth of the Lions is extraordinary. I’ve no idea how Farrell is going to sort out 6 of them (or 7) for the tour.

I’m also surprised you think the ‘outside backs’ of the 8th ranked WBs are better than what the Lions will be able to conjure up.

I did find a stat backing up the view expressed but have to say I was surprised. So rugby is popular in the south but if you draw an almost straight line through LaRochelle, Clermont and Lyon then the only tenured Pro14 teams north of that are in Paris (Vannes are a very recent addition).

Then take into account that UEFA champions league prize money is around €2.5bn and Ligue 1 €400m, with the French league winner paid €60m!

And ofc, there is the anomaly of Marseille, as the second largest city in in france (which couldn’t be further south!), not even having a top tier rugby team - interestingly the same also applies in England with Birmingham. By comparison that would be similar to no Crusaders, no Ospreys, no Edinburgh, no Munster, no Stormers. Italy and Aus are also exceptions on this one but for very different reasons ofc.