United Rugby Championship chief Martin Anayi has played down concerns that the Emerging Ireland tour of South Africa later this month will dampen the competitiveness of the Irish sides in the URC.
The IRFU have confirmed a three-game tour of South Africa for the end of September and October, where they will face Currie Cup sides the Cheetahs, Griquas and Pumas across a 10-day spell.
With the Emerging Ireland trip set to clash with Rounds 3 and 4 of the new BKT United Rugby Championship season, it will see all four provinces working off a smaller squad early in the season.
The IRFU have said the 35-player squad will largely be populated by those who have stood out at U20 level in recent years, and the URC boss says their concerns have been allayed by Irish Rugby, with Ireland's frontline internationals set to be available during that period.
"What's been explained to me is that it's not the international players or first-rankers, it's the next crop," Anayi said, at this launch of the new season in London.
"The fear was because in those [URC] matches the first rankers are going to be playing that perhaps this group that's going on tour wouldn't get enough game time and that was a concern to the IRFU.
"I understand that because part of what URC was about was trying to make games of a higher quality. We always talked about having a cup competition which would be perfect for that rationale of bringing players through and giving them game time.
"We weren't able to bring that to fruition in this year. If we had put the cup competition on, they wouldn't have had a need to go and do this tour. Because we didn't, they're going and doing this tour.
"Does that impact the URC? Hopefully not because the first-ranked players are playing in the URC games. That's what the URC is all about."
Anayi (above) was also asked about the URC's new partnership with Qatar Airways, after they recently agreed a three-year sponsorship with the state-owned airline of Qatar.
The upcoming FIFA World Cup has already shone a light on several human rights issues in the country, such as the treatment of migrant workers and the LGBTQ community.
"Our view around these issues, obviously we ask the right questions I hope, and try to be as positive as possible.
"At the same time, what they can take from a partnership with a rugby competition is that we stand for great values and stand for championing those values. They are about legacy post FIFA World Cup in December. What do they do after that and can rugby and its values be part of that conversation going forward. Rugby has never been that in Qatar and the Middle East.
"I think rugby is a really positive voice in that conversation. I lived in the Middle East for my whole childhood, my dad is an Arab, he's from Iraq. I understand the cultures are different. My mum's Irish, so I understand they're very different.
"I think rugby and Western values around rugby especially are more pertinent than ever in the Middle East. And they are open to having those conversations around progress and sport is a big part of that conversation of how they progress, how they're seen to be progressive, and I hope we can be part of that."
The new deal with Qatar has also raised the likelihood of future games being in the Middle East, and while Anayi wouldn't rule out the possibility of playing league games abroad, he says "baby steps" would be required.
"I think it's a process actually, and I know that sounds super corny. Our championship games and Champions Cup games are so important to our clubs and the fans of those clubs. To take any of those games away from a home crowd is really difficult.
"We've had this conversation around do you take games to the US, which is slightly less challenging logistically or from a conceptual points of view as there have already been games in the US.
"It's going to be really hard to take a championship game there but can you take baby steps? Can we have winter training camps like football have in Qatar? Can you take pre-season matches to the air-conditioned stadiums and take full advantage of the legacy they want to achieve there?"
