Jonty Rhodes, Klaasen, Faf du Plessis buy Rotterdam franchise in European T20 Premier League South African trio Faf du Plessis, Jonty Rhodes and Heinrich Klaasen have formed a consortium to acquire the Rotterdam franchise in a new European Twenty20 league, organisers said on Thursday.
Former Proteas skipper Du Plessis will also lead the side in the inaugural season of the six-team European T20 Premier League (ETPL), which is set to run from August 26 to September 20 across six European cities.
“This is my first step into team ownership, and the timing couldn’t be better with European cricket gaining real momentum,” Du Plessis said in a statement.
“Having experienced franchise leagues across the world, I see immense potential in what the ETPL is building. I’m looking forward to contributing both on and off the field and helping shape a strong cricketing culture within our team.”
Huib van Walsem, chief executive officer of the Dutch cricket association (KNCB), hailed the development as a major boost for cricket in the Netherlands.
“At KNCB, we have long believed in the immense potential of the Dutch cricketing ecosystem, and the involvement of such experienced cricket figures will bring both competitive cricket and attract quality talent to the region,” he said.
Former Australia captain Steve Waugh, compatriot Glenn Maxwell, New Zealanders Kyle Mills and Nathan McCullum, and West Indies stalwart Chris Gayle are among the other co-owners in the T20 league.
The competition will also feature city-based franchises in Glasgow, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Dublin and Belfast.
“The league continues to gather momentum with globally respected names investing in its vision,” ETPL co-owner and Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan said.
“Ownership groups like this set the standard for what the ETPL aims to create, both on and off the field. Together, we are committed to building something truly transformative for the sport in Europe.”
The success of the Indian Premier League has inspired similar competitions around the world. The money on offer at franchise-based leagues has led some players to prioritise the format over Tests and ODIs.
Published on Apr 30, 2026
#Jonty #Rhodes #Klaasen #Faf #Plessis #buy #Rotterdam #franchise #European #T20 #Premier #League
South African trio Faf du Plessis, Jonty Rhodes and Heinrich Klaasen have formed a consortium to acquire the Rotterdam franchise in a new European Twenty20 league, organisers said on Thursday.
Former Proteas skipper Du Plessis will also lead the side in the inaugural season of the six-team European T20 Premier League (ETPL), which is set to run from August 26 to September 20 across six European cities.
“This is my first step into team ownership, and the timing couldn’t be better with European cricket gaining real momentum,” Du Plessis said in a statement.
“Having experienced franchise leagues across the world, I see immense potential in what the ETPL is building. I’m looking forward to contributing both on and off the field and helping shape a strong cricketing culture within our team.”
Huib van Walsem, chief executive officer of the Dutch cricket association (KNCB), hailed the development as a major boost for cricket in the Netherlands.
“At KNCB, we have long believed in the immense potential of the Dutch cricketing ecosystem, and the involvement of such experienced cricket figures will bring both competitive cricket and attract quality talent to the region,” he said.
Former Australia captain Steve Waugh, compatriot Glenn Maxwell, New Zealanders Kyle Mills and Nathan McCullum, and West Indies stalwart Chris Gayle are among the other co-owners in the T20 league.
The competition will also feature city-based franchises in Glasgow, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Dublin and Belfast.
“The league continues to gather momentum with globally respected names investing in its vision,” ETPL co-owner and Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan said.
“Ownership groups like this set the standard for what the ETPL aims to create, both on and off the field. Together, we are committed to building something truly transformative for the sport in Europe.”
The success of the Indian Premier League has inspired similar competitions around the world. The money on offer at franchise-based leagues has led some players to prioritise the format over Tests and ODIs.
Published on Apr 30, 2026
![Deadspin | PIF to no longer financially back LIV Golf [US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Feb 5, 2026; Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA; Bryson DeChambeau in action during the second round of play at LIV Golf Riyadh at the Riyadh Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Reuters via Imagn Images Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund confirmed Wednesday it will no longer finance LIV Golf, according to the Wall Street Journal. The league will notify its players and staff by Thursday. Reports of PIF pulling its funding have been rampant for weeks. The Telegraph reported LIV officials were summoned to an emergency meeting in New York last week, and a tournament scheduled for June in Louisiana was postponed. In a statement issued to Field Level Media, the league said it planned to move the tournament to the fall to avoid “the peak summer heat and the crowded global sports calendar.” Last Wednesday, ESPN obtained an email LIV CEO Scott O’Neil sent to staff claiming the 2026 season will continue “exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle.” He made no mention of LIV’s future beyond 2026, however. Founded in 2021, LIV Golf made its debut in June 2022 and used lavish, guaranteed contracts to lure dozens of stars like Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau away from the PGA. PIF has provided LIV with more than $5 billion, but the league has reportedly lost millions of dollars per year. Earlier this month, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, PIF’s governor and LIV’s main financial backer, shared a plan for the kingdom to cut back on international investments and focus on more domestic projects. DeChambeau, Cameron Smith and Rahm reportedly turned down the opportunity to return to the PGA Tour earlier this year. According to MSN.com, some LIV players have reached out to the DP World Tour. “At the moment, we’re in the mode of just listening because we don’t know any more than anyone else does”, DP World Tour chief executive Guy Kinnings told MSN. “But we’ll listen and we’ll make sure that we’re fully informed before we make the decisions that we need to do. But for sure, there are people who are concerned and we will be having conversations with them at the right time.” PIF and the PGA Tour signed a Framework Agreement on June 6, 2023, throwing out the lawsuit LIV filed that accused the PGA of being a monopoly. But a deal to work together never came to fruition, despite the efforts of U.S. President Donald Trump. LIV has seven more events scheduled for this year, including May 7-10 at Trump National Golf Club in Washington, D.C. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #PIF #longer #financially #LIV #Golf](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28164487.jpg "Deadspin | PIF to no longer financially back LIV Golf [US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Feb 5, 2026; Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA; Bryson DeChambeau in action during the second round of play at LIV Golf Riyadh at the Riyadh Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Reuters via Imagn Images Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund confirmed Wednesday it will no longer finance LIV Golf, according to the Wall Street Journal. The league will notify its players and staff by Thursday. Reports of PIF pulling its funding have been rampant for weeks. The Telegraph reported LIV officials were summoned to an emergency meeting in New York last week, and a tournament scheduled for June in Louisiana was postponed. In a statement issued to Field Level Media, the league said it planned to move the tournament to the fall to avoid “the peak summer heat and the crowded global sports calendar.” Last Wednesday, ESPN obtained an email LIV CEO Scott O’Neil sent to staff claiming the 2026 season will continue “exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle.” He made no mention of LIV’s future beyond 2026, however. Founded in 2021, LIV Golf made its debut in June 2022 and used lavish, guaranteed contracts to lure dozens of stars like Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau away from the PGA. PIF has provided LIV with more than $5 billion, but the league has reportedly lost millions of dollars per year. Earlier this month, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, PIF’s governor and LIV’s main financial backer, shared a plan for the kingdom to cut back on international investments and focus on more domestic projects. DeChambeau, Cameron Smith and Rahm reportedly turned down the opportunity to return to the PGA Tour earlier this year. According to MSN.com, some LIV players have reached out to the DP World Tour. “At the moment, we’re in the mode of just listening because we don’t know any more than anyone else does”, DP World Tour chief executive Guy Kinnings told MSN. “But we’ll listen and we’ll make sure that we’re fully informed before we make the decisions that we need to do. But for sure, there are people who are concerned and we will be having conversations with them at the right time.” PIF and the PGA Tour signed a Framework Agreement on June 6, 2023, throwing out the lawsuit LIV filed that accused the PGA of being a monopoly. But a deal to work together never came to fruition, despite the efforts of U.S. President Donald Trump. LIV has seven more events scheduled for this year, including May 7-10 at Trump National Golf Club in Washington, D.C. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #PIF #longer #financially #LIV #Golf")
![Deadspin | PIF to no longer financially back LIV Golf [US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Feb 5, 2026; Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA; Bryson DeChambeau in action during the second round of play at LIV Golf Riyadh at the Riyadh Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Reuters via Imagn Images Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund confirmed Wednesday it will no longer finance LIV Golf, according to the Wall Street Journal. The league will notify its players and staff by Thursday. Reports of PIF pulling its funding have been rampant for weeks. The Telegraph reported LIV officials were summoned to an emergency meeting in New York last week, and a tournament scheduled for June in Louisiana was postponed. In a statement issued to Field Level Media, the league said it planned to move the tournament to the fall to avoid “the peak summer heat and the crowded global sports calendar.” Last Wednesday, ESPN obtained an email LIV CEO Scott O’Neil sent to staff claiming the 2026 season will continue “exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle.” He made no mention of LIV’s future beyond 2026, however. Founded in 2021, LIV Golf made its debut in June 2022 and used lavish, guaranteed contracts to lure dozens of stars like Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau away from the PGA. PIF has provided LIV with more than $5 billion, but the league has reportedly lost millions of dollars per year. Earlier this month, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, PIF’s governor and LIV’s main financial backer, shared a plan for the kingdom to cut back on international investments and focus on more domestic projects. DeChambeau, Cameron Smith and Rahm reportedly turned down the opportunity to return to the PGA Tour earlier this year. According to MSN.com, some LIV players have reached out to the DP World Tour. “At the moment, we’re in the mode of just listening because we don’t know any more than anyone else does”, DP World Tour chief executive Guy Kinnings told MSN. “But we’ll listen and we’ll make sure that we’re fully informed before we make the decisions that we need to do. But for sure, there are people who are concerned and we will be having conversations with them at the right time.” PIF and the PGA Tour signed a Framework Agreement on June 6, 2023, throwing out the lawsuit LIV filed that accused the PGA of being a monopoly. But a deal to work together never came to fruition, despite the efforts of U.S. President Donald Trump. LIV has seven more events scheduled for this year, including May 7-10 at Trump National Golf Club in Washington, D.C. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #PIF #longer #financially #LIV #Golf](https://i0.wp.com/images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28164487.jpg?ssl=1 "Deadspin | PIF to no longer financially back LIV Golf [US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Feb 5, 2026; Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA; Bryson DeChambeau in action during the second round of play at LIV Golf Riyadh at the Riyadh Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Reuters via Imagn Images Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund confirmed Wednesday it will no longer finance LIV Golf, according to the Wall Street Journal. The league will notify its players and staff by Thursday. Reports of PIF pulling its funding have been rampant for weeks. The Telegraph reported LIV officials were summoned to an emergency meeting in New York last week, and a tournament scheduled for June in Louisiana was postponed. In a statement issued to Field Level Media, the league said it planned to move the tournament to the fall to avoid “the peak summer heat and the crowded global sports calendar.” Last Wednesday, ESPN obtained an email LIV CEO Scott O’Neil sent to staff claiming the 2026 season will continue “exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle.” He made no mention of LIV’s future beyond 2026, however. Founded in 2021, LIV Golf made its debut in June 2022 and used lavish, guaranteed contracts to lure dozens of stars like Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau away from the PGA. PIF has provided LIV with more than $5 billion, but the league has reportedly lost millions of dollars per year. Earlier this month, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, PIF’s governor and LIV’s main financial backer, shared a plan for the kingdom to cut back on international investments and focus on more domestic projects. DeChambeau, Cameron Smith and Rahm reportedly turned down the opportunity to return to the PGA Tour earlier this year. According to MSN.com, some LIV players have reached out to the DP World Tour. “At the moment, we’re in the mode of just listening because we don’t know any more than anyone else does”, DP World Tour chief executive Guy Kinnings told MSN. “But we’ll listen and we’ll make sure that we’re fully informed before we make the decisions that we need to do. But for sure, there are people who are concerned and we will be having conversations with them at the right time.” PIF and the PGA Tour signed a Framework Agreement on June 6, 2023, throwing out the lawsuit LIV filed that accused the PGA of being a monopoly. But a deal to work together never came to fruition, despite the efforts of U.S. President Donald Trump. LIV has seven more events scheduled for this year, including May 7-10 at Trump National Golf Club in Washington, D.C. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #PIF #longer #financially #LIV #Golf")
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