SA board to announce domestic restructure

The South African board are set to confirm the restructure of their domestic game on Sunday, with the 11 provincial sides to merge into six franchises for next season. The move was originally proposed back in August last year.

At this stage, it is thought that the franchises will be a combination of Western Province and Boland, Eastern Province and Border, KwaZulu-Natal, Northerns and Easterns, Gauteng and North West, and finally Free State and Griqualand West. However, the board is reportedly expecting Griqualand West and Free State to organise a seventh bid before Sunday's announcement.

In a further development, 16 teams, made up of the 11 current provinces and five new sides, will play a secondary, amateur competition to act as feeder teams. The move is an initiative of Ray Mali, the board's president. He justified the changes by saying the domestic game needed to provide, "a stronger option, which can attract more crowds, sponsors and revenue, and which also does not drain funds."