Exciting venture: former Connacht scrum-half Marcus Walsh as signed up for the first pro rugby club in New York

The slaughtering of Southern Kings by Leinster’s second string on Friday night provided further evidence that Pro14 Rugby rushed rather unwisely into their South African experiment. If Cheetahs have been a worthwhile addition to the league, Kings have cheapened it. No arguing with the stats: played 16, lost 16 and an average of 42 points conceded per game.

While they have expanded south, Pro14 were initially inclined to head west, to engage the nascent professional rugby market in the US — Major League Rugby (MLR) is a seven-franchise operation, due to kick off in April. In particular, they wanted to speak to a 39-year-old builder from Limerick called James Kennedy. He’s the man behind the first pro rugby club in New York.

Kennedy has put