Spears fate decided today
18 Apr 2006
SA Rugby’s board of directors meet later today to determine the future of the Southern Spears. The meeting follows a damning report by an investigating committee.
Saru CEO Johan Prinsloo stated that the ‘viability’ of the franchise would be the major issue discussed.
“The aim of the meeting is to discuss the viability of the franchise. The findings of the investigation undertaken recently will be discussed,” Prinsloo told Beeld.
“I can’t anticipate the meeting by saying a final decision will be taken about the franchise.
“We have to decide if the franchise could assert itself in the Super 14 series in terms of the players capabilities, its financial affairs and structures.”
43 Comments
18 Apr 2006, 06:51 am
May the Force be with them.
18 Apr 2006, 07:01 am
Chris, what is the basis of this damning report? It is common knowledge (as admitted by Johan Prinsloo) that a lot of infactualities was given to the press. The first question is why did SARU do this? But even more important for you: Why do you decide to continue with this kind of remark and not at the very least give some more objective remark from the spears that is readily available.
Is your purpose to give news and views about rugby or to try to go on some moral crusades with SARU? Morality and SARU in one sentence – thought is was impossible.
Herewith the previous press release as well from the spears that is based on facts not opinion.
—-
Southern Spears Response to the Inflammatory & Erroneous SA Rugby Release by Mveleli Ncula – Deputy CEO and Vusi Kama – Media Manager SA Rugby
Port Elizabeth: 16H30: In an unauthorized and factually incorrect media release, the Deputy CEO of SA Rugby, Mveleli Ncula, issued a highly inflammatory media statement in Port Elizabeth at 14H00 today, which was authored by their media manager Vusi Kama, from SA Rugby’s headquarters in Newlands.
This was in response to an anonymous letter sent to a Port Elizabeth newspaper last week, accusing SA Rugby of delaying the March payment of the Spears players and administrative staff salaries, by two weeks.
Neither the President, Chairman or CEO of SA Rugby were aware of the statement, or visit to Port Elizabeth by the Deputy CEO, Mveleli Ncula, in what is widely seen as a crude endeavour to disparage and sabotage the Spears, in a systematic underhanded campaign, in advance of the SA Rugby Board meeting on the 18th April 2006.
In response to the rash accusations levelled by Ncula, the CEO of the Spears, Tony McKeever responded as follows:
1)“At no time has SA Rugby made any direct payment or advance to the Spears, but rather, have themselves made disbursements for and on behalf of the Spears, as obligated by themselves in their 8th June Presidents Council resolution in which they statedâ€, “The South Eastern (SE) Cape Franchise, (now known as the Southern Spears) shall be financially supported by SA RUGBY / SARU in respect of their development during 2006. In light thereof SA RUGBY / SARU must procure sponsorships for the SE Cape Franchise for the 2006 season.
2)Up until the past week, in which the Spears have received 3 delegations from SA Rugby, no one from SA Rugby, over the past 8 months, has either visited the Southern Spears in Port Elizabeth, or seen the Spears play in over 8 games.
3)On the 6th April 2005, the Southern Spears presented SA Rugby, at the Bid presentations with a budget of R12m per annum, as well as a guaranteed sponsorship of R50m. (R10m per annum for 5 years).
4)SA Rugby stated at the time that the Southern Spears did not have a team ready to play in the 2006 Super 14 Series and elected to award the franchise to the Cheetahs, effectively forcing the Southern Spears to forfeit their R50 million sponsorship, which, in return for this, SA Rugby declared and obligated themselves to “financially support and procure sponsorships†for the Spears in 2006.
5)SA Rugby has at no time raised a single sponsor for the Spears in the past 10 months, contrary to their public undertaking on the 8th June 2005, which was again ratified by their SA Rugby Board on the 2nd December 2005.
6)SA Rugby’s CEO Johan Prinsloo and their GM Legal Affairs, Christo Ferreira, were both furnished on Wednesday the 5th April 2006, with copies of the sponsorship agreements secured by the Spears, as well as detailed financial projections through to December 2006.
7)The Ncula/Kama statement is a gross misrepresentation of the facts and total distortion of the truth, as presented by the Spears to SA Rugby and is tantamount to a brazen and clumsy sabotage attempt, to discredit the Southern Spears in advance of the 18th April 2006 SA Rugby Board meeting.
8)The disbursements made by SA Rugby, for and on behalf of the Southern Spears, dates back to the period May 2005, (for the past 12 months) and is for a total amount in the order of R5m.
9)On request, the Southern Spears presented SA Rugby, with financials and projections through to December 2006.
10)It is appropriate to mention that the Spears total budget is less than 50% of three of the South African Super 14 teams annual players salary of R18m per annum.
11)It is both reckless and outrageous for Ncula and Kama, who are acting with a sinister agenda in mind, to suggest that SA Rugby has no knowledge of how funds have been spent, when in fact it has only been SA Rugby who has made these disbursements for and on behalf of the Southern Spears.
12)The Southern Spears have complied fully with all of SA Rugby’s requests, even securing their own sponsorships, in agreements that have frequently been put in jeopardy by the reckless and misleading statements coming out of SA Rugby’s media department.
13)The media conference called by Ncula, earlier this afternoon, without inviting the Spears or their sponsors, is a clear display of an effort, by certain disruptive parties within SA Rugby, to ambush and sabotage the Spears guaranteed participation in the 2007 and 2008 Super 14 Series.
14)All the Southern Spears have asked of SA Rugby is to stand by the Presidents Council 8th June resolution, articulated as follows:
“The parties present at the SA Rugby President’s Council meeting held on 8 June 2005 at the Intercontinental Sandton Sun agreed the following in respect of the franchise system in South Africa for the Super 14 Competition.
1. That a formal legal agreement shall be drafted immediately confirming what was agreed regarding the Super 14 franchise system in South Africa.
2. The South Eastern (SE) Cape Franchise shall be financially supported by SA RUGBY / SARU in respect of their development during 2006. In light thereof SA RUGBY / SARU must procure sponsorships for the SE Cape Franchise for the 2006 season.
3. The SE Cape franchise shall be entrenched in the Super 14 Competition for the 2007 & 2008 rugby seasons.
4. The South African team finishing at the bottom of the log in 2006, will automatically be replaced by the SE Cape for the 2007 season.
5. At the end of the 2007 Super 14 season, the South African franchise team, which is last on the Super 14 log, excluding the SE Cape, shall play in a promotion relegation match against the franchise team who did not play in the 2007 Super 14 competition.
6. That the decision which was taken at the meeting on 15 April 2005 in respect of the South African franchise system, are hereby amended in order to reflect the above agreement.
7. That the Falcons Rugby Union will form part of the Blue Bulls franchise.
8. SA RUGBY shall within 21 days as from 8 June 2005, compile a “White Paper†in respect of the total SA RUGBY’S competition structureâ€.
18 Apr 2006, 07:37 am
Ig why arent my comments being posted?
18 Apr 2006, 07:40 am
Because Bliksem – certain words in your post are held for moderation – we have squared it away with the folks we need to – and so it goes on !
18 Apr 2006, 07:42 am
Ig I dont understand please explain.Is it possible to do such a investigative piece?Another thing.Yesterday I went into your site with my PDA.It opened the site but the story headings didnt appear.Any reason?Any advice?
18 Apr 2006, 07:47 am
Its pretty logical – the comments have been used to market sites – which is disallowed. I will check re the PDA issue – but i suspect its the browser software not being standrad compliant
18 Apr 2006, 07:48 am
Ig I sat down at a Mugg and bean.I browsed the web and checked my mail.My PDA is a O2 Xda IIs.
18 Apr 2006, 07:56 am
The only thing they should be looking at is why the Cats are playing such piss poor rugby and that the opposition has more support at Cats home games. That sounds like it’s really good for the game!
18 Apr 2006, 08:49 am
Go Spears !!!! i support you.
18 Apr 2006, 08:49 am
Bliksem – we are being spared is why!
Ig, surely the Spears can’t be taken too seriously as it was never a particularly well investigated or thought out idea to foist this monstrosity on the rest of RSA.
If we’re talking about a rugby renovation of EP & it’s cohorts leading to a boostrapping of the finances and other areas, then fine. Currently it looks like the traditional political pie sharing without consideration of the fan base, consolidation of excessive professional numbers or addressing our obvious skills shortage in players and coaches.
I can understand the frustration of those that believe that their place at the table should be guaranteed in some way or another, but surely not at a professional level. There is nothing to suggest that any of the officialdom in the EP area are a step up from those of the Stormers and Cats so why spread the disease?
18 Apr 2006, 08:57 am
This “damning report” you refer to Chris … care to add any substance … or rather, care to respond to Obronie?
18 Apr 2006, 09:09 am
Get rid of IT today please!!
What a waste of time and money!
18 Apr 2006, 09:43 am
Why are so many people confusing the Spears Franchise with the existing EP, Border and Eagles provincial setups?
A new, professionally run organisation is exactly what this area needs. So far, I’ve yet to come across anyone on this site who can show evidence of incompetence against the Spears management. In fact, I doubt whether the majority even know who they are and their backgrounds.
As for the team, the Western Force didn’t exactly unearth unknown talent hidden away in Perths club rugby either. They bought players from other franchises to form the core.
The whole point is that the Eastern Cape is a vast area with the single largest support base of black rugby players and followers.
If we are genuine in our plans to spread rugby’s support base to the black community then the decision is a no brainer.
Basing the decision on the current performance of the EC provinces is self defeating. SARU, should be bending over backwards to ensure that the Spears gets access to top flight players who will provide the backbone for the team
SARU, in fact should be more worried about ensuring that the EC gets a successful franchise than bickering over the fact that it hasn’t.
As for worrying about the financial viability of existing Franchises, how viable are the Cats. They certainly don’t get money from their gate takings.
18 Apr 2006, 09:48 am
Based on what I saw of the Cats on Saturday (and this season, actually) the Spears certainly deserve a crack.
18 Apr 2006, 09:48 am
Ig,
Who is using my comments to market what and how much are my royalties?
18 Apr 2006, 09:57 am
Whoops! Here I am and back again! Unmoderated and unfettered!
And all I have to say is that the Spares are rubbish.
Their only possible purpose in life is to make the Cats look … well, not exactly GOOD but how shall we call it??? … a quarter of a way towards being slightly respectable?
18 Apr 2006, 10:31 am
The setup is easy and simple if your team doesnt perform you get relocated. Sarfu should go all the way to support and develope rugby in the Eastern Cape where there is a large base of black rugby players.
Like im saying im backing the Spears cos its the right thing to do.
18 Apr 2006, 10:44 am
Should the Spears be given the go-ahead to play in the Super 14 in 2007 and 2008, surely the decision should rather what would determine whether they remain in the competition after 2008. In other words, some sort of relegation/promotion procedure. They do have a better coach than the Cats, so they might not be any worse.
18 Apr 2006, 10:52 am
IMHO the Spears needs to be given an Opportunity.
Go Spears !!!
18 Apr 2006, 11:37 am
Superbok, the Spears also support promotion/relegation from 2008 onwards. We must also remember that the Spears of 2007 would be a different animal than the Spears of 2006.
18 Apr 2006, 11:41 am
The SPARES could hardly beat a bunch of AMATEURS in NAMIBIA, losing both second halves of both matches they play!
Cull the lot and cull the CATS as well!! Give that extra franchise to Argentina or Samoa or Fidji!!
18 Apr 2006, 11:45 am
100% Backing the Spears inclusion. Will give lots of talented players and a good coach an opportunity to show case their talents.
18 Apr 2006, 11:48 am
SARU needs to take to control of the S14. The competition belongs to them. They finance it, they are supposed to have control over the coaches and they select the franchises. Yet, when any decisive decisions need to be made they’re nowhere to be seen
The whole business of allowing the unions to decide who they want to team up with is ridiculous.
We have been awarded 5 franchises and that’s what we should have planned for.
Instead of asking for tenders they should have stipulated 5 regions and then asked for tenders to run the regional franchise.
Considering that the S14 is where we draw our Boks from SARU should not have left this up to the unions to fight it out amongst themselves.
18 Apr 2006, 12:25 pm
David,
Surely you are not asking SARU to approach this professionally are you?
18 Apr 2006, 12:26 pm
B4,
do you actually think before you post?
18 Apr 2006, 12:37 pm
PA
I know it’s a forlorn hope but that’s basically what this site has become, a repository of wishful thinking.
18 Apr 2006, 12:51 pm
We can only hope I suppose David.
18 Apr 2006, 14:07 pm
i feel like saying something ..something that will motivate sarfu to realise that Spears would be in best intrest for South Africa.
We need to move forward and for that we need a new rugby team and also since Eastern Cape has the most black rugby players per region it be logic that spears continue. why deprive a province full of talent and up coming talent? Why would sarfu wanna move backwards when we wanna move forward into the future to become the no1 rugby nation.
There shouldnt be “transformation” and “quota” players….there would have been more than enough players of colour that earned there game but sadly enough my friends there has to be cos sarfu isnt promoting rugby via so called grass root levels. yes it seems sarfu is its only enemy and blocking the development of rugby in this wonderfull country.
Go Spears!!!
18 Apr 2006, 15:35 pm
I personally think the Spears should be allowed the opportunity to access as a new franchise. However, I doubt whether they can make it succesfully at the moment and therefore they should be set certain targets by SA Rugby – performance in the CC as well as financial targets. Once they’ve made those targets, the Bulls and Cats should merge, because it makes a lot of sense that way.
A promotion/relegation system is very problematic when it comes to professional rugby where a franchise’s future could suddenly be in jeopardy. It’s not as if a franchise can be put on ice for one season, only to emerge successfully the next season again.
18 Apr 2006, 15:51 pm
Cull teh LOT! The story bout the talent in the EC is just an excuse to create another gravy train! From what I have seen from the SPEARS I still need to see the local talent from the EC in the team!
And they should be culled from the cc as well, otherwise the Stormers should be allowed into the cc as well as WP and Boland, as well the Bulls and their feeder Unions and the same for the others!
The cc was bnever meant to be for franchises!
But its all about the gravy train…try and convince me its not!
18 Apr 2006, 15:57 pm
B4,
Whether you like it or not – under normal circumstances the CC teams are made up of mainly the S14 franchise players in those regions.
18 Apr 2006, 16:52 pm
i take my question back, it is obvious you don’t think before you post.
18 Apr 2006, 16:55 pm
b4
i dont need to convince you of anything…. anyway im sure you big enough and its time that you think for yourself. We trying to build something here…. you one of those ppl that will rather sit down and complain. Break down than build up.
We dont expect them to walk into the super14 and win the cup. It takes time to develop players… but a person learns from the best by playing against the best. Im glad u mentioned the gravy train …. what u think about the other unions that dont want the spears to play?
Well as for relocation if a team doesnt perform well enough they should be relocated. doesnt make sense to keep them on the “gravy train” hhahahaha
The big picture:
Eastern Cape gonna benefit from the super14. Why should they sit back and not get super14 show. Oh yeah this province is full of talent dont believe me check this names out maybe u will know some of them: solly tyibilika ..jonghi nokwe… gcobani bobo and ndungane brothers one playing for sharks and other for bulls. Those just few of the players but i mentioned the ones im sure u must know.
18 Apr 2006, 17:08 pm
******,
like someone once said to me, it is useless to explain this to certain people.
yet again the “they just beat a namibian team of amateurs (read they almost put 100 points on in two matches) where they lost both seconf half’s (read the refs dished out cards like it was going out of fashion and when the game was already won by the spears peter de villiers used his whole bench to give players game time which is of course what you should do with warm-up mathces)”
but the fact that the cats and cheetahs could not put 50 or 30 points past an ‘amateur’ spears side only together for 2 or so months, is conveniently forgotten.
not to mention that these teams contained full time professional players some of whom are springboks and compete year in and year out in the CC, Super 12 and tests.
yet they struggle to put 30 past the ‘amateur’ spears.
shocking…
18 Apr 2006, 17:51 pm
Last I checked 51 and 36 made 87..and 31 and 16 made 47..a 40 points difference against the club players who were also all given a run by there coach who managed to get under the skin of Peter dV who really did not behave like a coach that can handle pressure – amongst other things calling the opposition coach a “pateet” and a “verleentheid vir die namibiese samelewing”
Just think what the AUS and NZ press are going to do to the poor guy!
The Spears might be building – just do it somewhere until they have proven themselves..just dont expect to climb on the gravy train without having proven any thing – eg beat the losing SA team in a series of play-offs!!
Why should they deserve a cc spot ahead of say BOLAND or GRIEKWAS??? Who are more deserving??
So go build in the Vodacom, win it and then get promoted to the second tier cc competition – win and get promoted to cc 1st tier and play the losing S14 franchise in playoffs – a 3 year building block process then into S14!
18 Apr 2006, 19:14 pm
last time i checked the namibian people and players also called him a ‘pateet’
learn to read, i said almost 100 points
so if the spears are building, what excuse do the stormers and cats have that are also, aparently, building?
the griquas and boland players, who are deemed good enough by local coaches are playing in the S14, the are the cheetahs and stormers franchises.
why not get your facts straight?
18 Apr 2006, 19:15 pm
as if the VC helps for ‘building’ anycase, it just shows your ignarance and lack of knowledge.
18 Apr 2006, 19:15 pm
**ignorance
18 Apr 2006, 19:37 pm
Ag Pissant..wake up and smell the roses..why should the SPARES be given a CURRIECUP spot [curriecup vaakseun] ahead of Griekwas and Boland?
No matter how I search the Nam news, nowhere do I find your statement on the Nam coach = so show your mettle and qoute a source where one can go look on your statement!
I am dead sure u must be Dirk Conradie in disguise or one of his gravy train cronies [by the way where is the R80000 from the SA A game..]
The SPARES – they must maar follow the proper building blocks the be reckoned with – in rugby freebies and handouts get caught out very quickly at S14 level, as we see on a weekly basis.
SA should only have 4 teams anyhow – not enough good players and the upcoming crop is even worse, as recently shown by the u19 and amongst others, the SPARES [go ind the facts on one of their high school games
18 Apr 2006, 21:23 pm
B4,
well, if you played rugby in namibia you can go on the statements from current players, or actually go back to investigate why the coach got fired in the first place…
but in any event, namibian rugby is a different subject, and dirk conradie is an “a” class idiot, and the sooner we get rid of him the better.
i suppose there is no point in debating your statement further because my relevance of the VC was in response to your post, obviously that didn’t quite hit home.
tell me, why will the spears fail?
higlight the following for me i regard as ingredients for success;
talent
coaching
finance
support
will be quite interesting but then i dont expect an answer as-well.
but i will be hoping…
18 Apr 2006, 21:25 pm
oh and on the U/19′s, go have a look who comes from where (provinces) and then come back to me.
as far as talent goes, go have a look at the craven week results of last year, and the current crop of eastern cape players currently playing in the ‘big’ league for all provinces/franchises.
19 Apr 2006, 06:22 am
The Eastern Cape may indeed have an impressively large NUMBER of actively-participating rugby players.
But it’s a real pity that they all appear to be completely and utterly hopeless!
I mean… the brain-explodingly ridiculously-named “Mighty Elephants” are about as “mighty” as a herd of very small rodents after all having inhaled a pretty decent whiff of chloroform!
The people from “Buffalo City” (East London) somehow produce a “representative” team of such cringeworthy puny weakness that they would probably get blown away by their very own Selborne College first fifteen!
It’s not QUANTITY that matters.
It’s QUALITY.
And the Eastern Cape just does not have any.
And since Danie Gerber and the late Gawie Carelse (aka Gavin Charles) hung up their boots way back when, nothing much has changed.
19 Apr 2006, 08:23 am
Pissant I reckon the reasons why Johan Venter was fired in the 1st place was:
He made sure Namibia qualified for the 99 RWC
He has not lost an international as a coach yet
HE was asvvy enough to use JW as his techn support/analyst in 98/99 to help Nam qualify
Last but most important – when it became time to lap up the freebies and spoils of RWC 99 all the glory seekers decided to get rid of JV
Sound s good enough for me as reasons!
Contact with Nam players and club officials I have a lot, and they mostly are happy that things are moving forward with JV, not all like his methods but they all mostly agree that progress will only happen with a coach who can enforce himself on the chaos there..
Now to get rid of DC..
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