Cheeting death
12 May 2011
RYAN VREDE, writing in SA Rugby magazine, says the Cheetahs’ Super Rugby future rests on Saru’s capacity to find a workable solution to a very complex problem.
The Kings are alive. Long live the Kings. That matter is settled. Ignore reports you’ve heard to the contrary. The Eastern Cape will have a Super Rugby franchise from 2013.
The issue now is which South African franchise they’ll displace if the tournament isn’t expanded. Everything points to the Cheetahs surrendering their licence and Saru has done little to ease their fears.
Those fears will deepen when the Cheetahs come to the full realisation that the Kings have the financial muscle, commercial appeal and political support to underpin their claim for entry into the southern hemisphere showpiece. Theirs is no idle threat.
The Lions were always expected to be the franchise in the most danger of having the music stopped on their Super Rugby party. Their record throughout their tenure is diabolical. If performances over the period of participation were the sole criteria for continued involvement, there would be an upsurge in the purchase of career classifieds at Lions HQ.
Those concerns marked the 2010 BG (Before Gumede) era. Now there is a newfound belief about the future of the franchise. The billionaire’s investment has stayed the vultures that were patiently waiting the passing of the mortally wounded cat, acting as, they believe, the tonic that will restore health.
A wealthy and potentially successful Lions franchise is undoubtedly more appealing to the moneymen at Saru than a poor Cheetahs one with little prospect of making a significant improvement. It seems a simplistic argument to make, but the truism stands: Money is power. This leaves the Cheetahs in a dire situation.
No assessment of the Cheetahs can ignore results. At the time of writing, their record since they divorced from the ill-fated and dysfunctional marriage with the Lions (known as the Cats) in 2006 tells a tale of dreadful mediocrity: 18 wins in 72 matches with two draws. Even more damning is their diabolical record against Australasian opposition: 10 wins in 48 matches with two draws.
An acceptable standard for a Super Rugby franchise cannot be competitiveness against their countrymen, and this mostly at home. A 26% overall win record that plummets to 20% against the boys from Down Under is shocking.
A victory over the Waratahs in Sydney in March (their first ever in Australia) had the naive hailing the rise of the Cheetahs. Subsequent results (at the time of writing, they had gone on to lose heavily against the Reds, as well as be edged by the Blues) proved the victory was an aberration.
It must be noted that they have endured rotten luck, with injuries to key players in the past two years, most notably their captain Juan Smith, who has sat in more doctors’ waiting rooms than on buses to games. The irrepressible Heinrich Brüssow is another who they’ve missed a great deal. Neither would look out of place in a World XV and their absence more than any other (the Cheetahs have had up to 12 regulars unavailable through injury) has undoubtedly contributed to their woeful record.
The dearth of quality in reserve is a major concern for the Cheetahs. But to establish that depth you need money to contract better squad players, and money is a scarce commodity in the region.
Private ownership seems a viable solution to their struggles. CEO Harold Verster reveals that they have had ‘many offers’ in this regard. Yet he remains wary of the concept.
‘We could easily sell off to a massive investor. But when you sell your shares you sell your future,’ Verster says. ‘We’re not prepared to do that, although I’m not totally opposed to it if we could figure out a way to make it mutually beneficial.
‘The Lions won’t benefit indefinitely from Robert Gumede’s investment. Part of that money will be used to settle debts, part of it will be directed at players’ salaries and recruitment and some used for the day-to-day running of the business.
‘In the final analysis R80 million doesn’t stretch as far as some may think. Success generates more revenue, but 50% of whatever the Lions make in future will go into Gumede’s pocket. That’s not a situation that appeals to us.’
Verster’s intentions are noble, but the future he speaks of looks bleak without a significant cash injection. The Cheetahs don’t possess the commercial appeal of the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers and therefore don’t attract the multi-million rand sponsorships those franchises do. They also pale in comparison in their ticket and merchandise sales.
It is therefore obvious that the loss of their franchise licence would be catastrophic for the region, given that approximately 50% of their turnover stems directly from their participation in Super Rugby.
Herein lies the broader implication of losing their licence that must be carefully examined by the decision-makers.
The Free State has produced some of the country’s finest players in recent years. Seven members of the Springboks’ 2007 World Cup-winning squad hail from Bloemfontein or the surrounding areas and many of them are among the best in their positions in world rugby. Prodigiously gifted youngsters roll out of their schools – particularly Grey College – each year, and are either drafted into the Cheetahs’ system or snapped up by other franchises.
Verster is unequivocal when asked to predict the potential effects of cutting the umbilical cord to Super Rugby.
‘Rugby in this region would die a fast death,’ he says. ‘We wouldn’t be able to hold on to promising juniors, who’d all want to play Super Rugby and therefore go to school or university in a region with a franchise. We’d be bankrupt in no time because the union wouldn’t be able to generate enough money to sustain itself. That would be a travesty of the highest order.
‘We believe we’ve got more players like Bismarck du Plessis, Ruan Pienaar, Frans Steyn, Heinrich Brüssow and Juan Smith here. People will argue that those first three guys and others like them developed into world-class players at other franchises. But how would you explain Smith and Brüssow then?
‘We’d like to believe that our structures – at school and junior provincial levels – are among the best in the world. Without money that will no longer be the case and I then foresee significantly fewer players of that calibre coming through.’
SA Rugby magazine understands that the matter of the Cheetahs’ future was supposed to be discussed after Saru’s annual general meeting in late March. That never happened, with Saru explaining to the Cheetahs that the matter demanded a special forum. The date was yet to be set at the time of writing.
Our attempts to get comment from the governing body on anything relating to the Cheetahs’ future were flatly denied on the basis that no decisions had been made yet. Sanzar gave us the same response.
‘The situation is frustrating for us,’ Verster says. ‘We want to resolve the matter as fast as we can. Saru has said it will work something out. I don’t know what it has in mind. Also, and I’m not naming names, in the past we were led to believe that the tournament would be further expanded to accommodate us. That hasn’t been spoken about since, so you understand my pessimism. It looks increasingly likely that we will make way for the Kings or Lions.
‘But I won’t accept that we must sit by passively and watch our franchise licence being stripped away. The decision-making process must be fair. If you look at the past five years, the Lions have been the worst- performing franchise. But they’ve got a big investor now and all talk of them being the ones relegated seems to have disappeared.
‘But their improved financial situation is irrelevant. It doesn’t guarantee success. There is no difference to their performance, even after they invested heavily in their squad.
‘Forget about Gumede’s millions, this is a rugby issue and the potential to improve your squad mustn’t be taken into consideration when deciding who gets a franchise licence in 2013 and who doesn’t, if indeed that is what it comes down to.’
Verster is also vehemently opposed to the idea of another merger with the Lions as a possible solution.
‘It’s simply not an option for us, for a number of reasons. The franchises have totally different cultures – from the way we train to the way we prepare for matches to our after-match routines.
‘It didn’t work for six years when the Griffons, Griquas and Free State combined to form the Cheetahs. Only now are we starting to get it right and even then it’s not an ideal situation. We’re not willing to sacrifice years of tradition just because it provides a simple answer to a complex situation.
‘Logistically the merger was and will be a nightmare. Our players had to travel hundreds of kilometres to Johannesburg, live out of a hotel for weeks on end away from their loved ones and still be expected to play at a high level. People will argue that it’s the professional era and they just have to deal with it. But that’s a narrow-minded approach. You can’t undervalue the impact that being close to family and friends and the familiarity of home has on a player’s performance.
‘The more practical solution would be for the Bulls and Lions to merge. They’re 50km apart. Doesn’t that make more sense? But it won’t happen because the Bulls have a strong identity and the Lions believe Gumede’s investment will bankroll success in the very near future.’
It would be ludicrous to decide the awarding of a Super Rugby franchise licence on the result of a promotion-relegation match between the lowest-placed South African franchises. History suggests this would likely be the Cheetahs and Lions, although Verster half-jokingly suggested it could involve the Bulls given how many senior players are expected to leave at the end of the 2011 season. A poor 80 minutes (even in a home-away format) could cost either side millions. But more than that, Verster rightly argues that it could cost the region its rugby future.
It is undeniably the biggest and most complex decision Saru has had to make in years. As a means of avoiding that call, it will push for an expansion of the tournament and an additional South African franchise when the 2013 contract is negotiated.
Saru will hope its Australasian partners are accommodating, but the manner in which it has been marginalised in the past doesn’t inspire confidence in this regard.
Verster: ‘The region is on the brink of death. But we’re choosing to believe that we’ll live on. I hope our faith is not unfounded.’
– This article first appeared in the May issue of SA Rugby magazine. The June issue will be on sale from Wednesday, 18 May.
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50 Comments
12 May 2011, 06:28 am
fighting verster dragon
12 May 2011, 07:11 am
damnation….this is a complex issue.
Cheetahs just gave Gumede Lions 50 points….
Hope this can be resolved amicably…..
the Cheetahs player factory is something to behold……
farkit……this is hectic
12 May 2011, 07:34 am
Why is the Cheetahs super rugby future in doubt? Shouldnt it be the Lions?
12 May 2011, 07:37 am
The Kings are a farce. Only Keo and his pilot-fish who are good personal mates with that dismally-failed Northants coach, Solly, are pumping life into this rugby corpse.
The Free State has never been anything other than a top contender in SA provincial rugby and is a frequent holder of the Currie Cup. The entire Eastern Cape catchment area has been a rugby doldrum for 50 years. Haven’t ever been remotely close since the days of Basil Kenyon’s Border team in the Fifties.
Looks at the scoreboard!
12 May 2011, 07:40 am
Oity the Kings and that Pampas team could not be added somehow ….then do some jigging with the format….
Big kaka coming here
12 May 2011, 08:09 am
Obvious Keo propaganda!! Even the Lions supporters bought into this okey pokey at the beginning of the season!! Facts are that the Cheetahs have done better against NZ and Aus opposition than against SA franchises this year, and some of those results were on tour!
Beat the waratahs in Sydney, Lost by 7 vs the Blues in Auckland, lost by 3 vs Highlanders in Invercagil, lost by 3 vs Hurricanes in Bloem. There will always be a % of calls that cost you games. Against the Bulls it was a yellow against Steenkamp, which was marginal, the Bulls were trailling at the time. Point is the Cheetahs have earned respect from the NZ rugby public and commentators for their play, despite being injury ravaged!
Me thinks that SARU will find it hard to motivate this if, the Cheetahs finish 10/11th on the log, which is quite possible.
Kings are an absolute joke, the region can’t even dominate the VC. The Lions despite Gumede’s millions started with fire, but have earned ridicule. Cheetahs are still going to cause more upsets! Crusaders, Rebels, Bulls, Sharks, bye, and Stormers, are all games the Cheetahs can score points. I was quite surprised to see the ages of the Cheetah players. Everyone keeps harping on about a “youthful” Lions team. The Cheetahs have quite a few players that are actaully still young.Thus they have serious potential to retain their players with the Toyota deal, and that spells danger for the other teams
Coenie 22
WP Nel 24
Brussow 24
Johnson 24
Sias 23
Smit 23
Robert 23
Go Cheetahs!! Beat the Crusaders, and further heap ashes on Keo’s minions!!
12 May 2011, 08:13 am
@Cheetah 4 Eva(Cheetah 4 Eva)-6: well i assure you the entire Cape Town will be praying you boys beat the Saders on Sat!!
12 May 2011, 08:16 am
Why should kings be given a place and just slotted in. Secondly why should Lions not be knocked off first. There is no reason in hell why the Cheetahs should go before the Lions they have played very well compared to the Lions and also held their own this season and were very unfortunate to loose 3 of their games, in additionth they have made their name in our CC.
12 May 2011, 08:36 am
@Cheetah 4 Eva(Cheetah 4 Eva)-6: Well done on your teams victory over the Brumbies and Lions, brilliant play by the whole team. There is no fn way that Cheetahs should be dropped from Super Rugby.
12 May 2011, 08:48 am
@foreverrugga(foreverrugga)-9: Thanks Rugga, yes, it’s annoying actually. I think it’s Stormers and Sharks conspiracy lol. They have been the beneficeries of the Cheetahs player factory in the last few years, and they fear the upsurge of the Cheetahs in Super rugby!!
To the Sharks: The Dup brothers, Ruan Pienaar, Meyer Bosman, Piet Lindeque
To the stormers: Rassie, Duane Vermeulen, CJ van der Linde,
12 May 2011, 08:56 am
Surly Toyota seeked some assurance that the Cheetahs would not be dropped before sponcering the team.
In any case, we all know Vrede don’t like the Cheetahs and wold love nothing else than to see his bedmates (Kings) into the comp.
I don’t think SARU will drop any of the major teams (Cheetahs included) for the Kings. There will be still many storms ahead.
12 May 2011, 09:11 am
@TheTackler(TheTackler)-4: With you there.
12 May 2011, 09:17 am
Wellcome back Cats??
Dare I say it?
Only solution that will fit?
People say it didn;t work then, but I put it to you that it’s not exactly a roaring success as seperate teams. So were the Cats any worse than the current 2 guys? Certainly better than the Lions of late, Cheetahs not that much better.
Free State are already sharing their teamsheet with Griquas players. Some of the better Cheetahs players are Griquas.
Not the same, but you get the point.
12 May 2011, 09:36 am
Id rather watch the Cheetahs than the Lions any day
12 May 2011, 09:38 am
@Cheetah 4 Eva(Cheetah 4 Eva)-10: ha ha…could be.
I hope Cheetahs can get full sponsorship from Toyota and others and retain most of their players. I’ve watched all their games this season and have been very impressed, had it not been for some tough ref calls, Cheetahs could have won at least 2 more games. Even with injuries (Smith, Strauss, Heinrich etc etc) they have manned up.
12 May 2011, 09:46 am
@Cheetah 4 Eva(Cheetah 4 Eva)-10: s.hit, you found us out, you can have Bosman back!
12 May 2011, 09:46 am
@Cheetah 4 Eva(Cheetah 4 Eva)-6: If they can hold onto those players they will be devestating in future.
12 May 2011, 09:50 am
@foreverrugga(foreverrugga)-15: I hope Cheetahs can get full sponsorship from Toyota and others and retain most of their players.
They dont have full sponsorship from Toyota?
12 May 2011, 10:36 am
@Sasuke(Sasuke)-18: They being sponsored but I understood it was not full sponsorship like for instance gumede’s sponsorship of the lions.
12 May 2011, 11:33 am
@At least Os will still wear green (but no gold)(stormersboy)-13: agreed, the obvious solution is the return of the Cats for super rugby… worth another shot if you ask me.
12 May 2011, 11:39 am
@Cheetah 4 Eva(Cheetah 4 Eva)-6: it is not okey pokey stuff it is real okey dokey stuff – Vrede has contacts and his contacts say that performance counts for jack – fact is at the political and commercial table the states are beggars and beggars cannot be choosers – it would be sad seeing the states playing in the VC cup yes but at least their best players will still make it at other unions
12 May 2011, 11:42 am
In two seasons the Pampas get to the final of the Vodacom Cup (with a good chance to win it). If the Pampas were given the chance to play CC, my guess is the will get promoted to the premier divsion within a couple of seasons – I can’t see the likes of Pumas/Leapords keeping them out.
Kings … ?
12 May 2011, 11:59 am
Kings? Dog poo under your shoe.
12 May 2011, 12:01 pm
@foreverrugga(foreverrugga)-19: Oh i see. thanks for that. They deserve full sponsorship imo.
12 May 2011, 12:07 pm
1. why not award the licences to the five best performoing teams in the currie cup, that will ensure everybody an equal opportunity, and our five best teams enter the competition. Also make the CC helluva interesting.
2. Lions will take the spot, if faced against the cheetahs, not only because of the Gumede money, but because of the political association that Gumede brings. A rugby team partly owned by a black person, with the promise of promoting black players and taking the game to Soweto. Now that you can sell in parliament
12 May 2011, 12:40 pm
Kick the lions into touch.
12 May 2011, 12:43 pm
@14261774(14261774)-25: Your first point is interesting Matie. But what if Cheetahs and Griquas finish in the top 5?
12 May 2011, 13:03 pm
The Cheetahs must be commended for what they achieve with what they have. Thing is, Super Rugby is all about the commercial aspect while Currie Cup is a true provincial competition.
Hence I think the “Cats” need to be considered again.
12 May 2011, 13:12 pm
@At least Os will still wear green (but no gold)(stormersboy)-28:
it’s the only situation that doesn’t spell complete misery for one of the parties.
anyway they did pretty well as the cats.
12 May 2011, 13:25 pm
@gunther(gunther)-29: No worse than they are doing now IMO.
And yes, when you put it that way, it becomes almost a logical solution?
12 May 2011, 13:34 pm
@At least Os will still wear green (but no gold)(stormersboy)-30:
lemonentry Mr Watson.
12 May 2011, 13:38 pm
@gunther(gunther)-31: I hope it doesn’t leave too sour a taste in the mouths of all concerned…..
12 May 2011, 13:39 pm
@At least Os will still wear green (but no gold)(stormersboy)-32:
when life gives lemons…
piss lemonade.
12 May 2011, 13:54 pm
@gunther(gunther)-33: I was gonna suggest make a Mojito, but ja ok.
Had to have a few of them after the game last Saturday.
The irony is that I had my mom over for Mothers Day lunch on Sunday and she actually brought me a big bag of lemons from the lemon tree in her garden.
12 May 2011, 14:02 pm
@At least Os will still wear green (but no gold)(stormersboy)-34:
limes for mojitos farm boy.
I’m off the booze for a day or so.
Chop and dop last night.
I still smell like captain morgan and bad decisions.
12 May 2011, 14:13 pm
@gunther(gunther)-35: I know limes, but it works ok with lemons too.
My fellow drinkers from up north wouldn’t know a lemon from a lime if it squeezed us in the eye….
12 May 2011, 14:15 pm
@gunther(gunther)-35: There is very little that can compare to the regret the next morning after a Captain Morgan binge the night before..
Been there. Done that. Feel your pain,
12 May 2011, 14:21 pm
This article is nonsense.
How can they possible take away the cheeters license when they are 11 points ahead of the Lions on the Super 15 log?
Better hope for expansion and that the Kings will just be added, that will be best for SA rugby. Maybe then we can hold on to some more of our players also, if there are and extra team’s worth of starting spots available.
12 May 2011, 15:25 pm
@Roar Loud(RL)-21: Ha Ha RL, you were much quiter when the Lions performances were discussed. I recall you were the one telling us how Mitch, and gummy Bear were going to get the Lions to the top of the log!!
Maybe the Cheetahs will be replaced by the Kings, but they will at least have kept their credibility and respect
It would be a case of Chillipop all over again, you are in the team, but you know, that everybody else knows you don’t belong!!
Bottomline is that the Lions will just deteriorate faster, as no self respecting player would want to sign for a quota political franchise ha ha !!
Go Cheetahs!!
12 May 2011, 17:53 pm
The Lions VC team beat the Kings and the Kings couldn’t reach the VC semis, but they must play SupeRugby ahead of the Lions or Cheetahs?! Who at SARU is going to vote Gumede’s team out and kick MTN on the knickers? There was a time when an EC elite ruled the ANC, but that has also changed. The ANC’s centre of gravity has moved north. Joburg is where the power will be and the Lions as part of its tranformation is embracing that power. A Lions move to FNB Stadium will happen and this embracing of Soweto will be in line with the wills of those in power. Lions rugby is now embracing the realities of SA. Watch how the Lions get stronger with more and more black players and support.
12 May 2011, 18:13 pm
Anyway, SupeRugby should consist of 9 teams max (top three from each country, Aus to be forced to play local comp now that they have five viable teams). This will be fair, and ensure better rugby. The players at teams that do not qualify can be bidded on like in IPL by the teams that did qualify to play for them for the duration of the comp. The teams that did not qualify then get the money for their players used by the other teams. Good players will then play even though they are at teams that fid not qualify for that season.
12 May 2011, 19:41 pm
the last thing this competition needs now is expansion.
but if push comes to shove the cheetahs must eff off. they’re garbage and most of their supporters are garbage.
we don’t need them. they won the cc 3 times in a row and they still couldnt capitalize on it financially. all they did was paint a few dogs orange.
12 May 2011, 23:43 pm
The Free State union is like a good car manufacturer. The workers drive ordinary cars, but because of them, producing such a high quality product, we can all drive in reliable luxury models.
Close the factory and we eventually will have be settle for less.
What is story again saying cut your nose to ………………
13 May 2011, 00:40 am
@Cheetah 4 Eva(Cheetah 4 Eva)-6: its politics mate and the ANC will not let one of their own loose out.
The Cheetahs will be replaced even thought the Lions are ****. The Kings first team lost to the Lions VC team
Its like watching aparthied over again, people given advantage over ability.
@wpjoulekkading(wpjoulekkading)-38: you obviuosly naive.
How to **** things up, get the ANC involved. Ask all those poor people protesting about service delivery.
13 May 2011, 16:51 pm
@KevinRack(KevinRack)-44: You are obviously bitter and cynical.
If teams are relegated it will be through a play-off system. I think it more likely that a 5th team will be added.
13 May 2011, 16:52 pm
@wpjoulekkading(wpjoulekkading)-45: i meant 6th of course
14 May 2011, 07:36 am
It is clear to me that someone like Ryan Vrede has absolutely no clue when it comes to certain teams and competitions. A typical ignorant rugby “expert” who watches the Sharks, Stormers and Bulls games each weekend while ignoring the Cheetahs games. It is impossible for a team like the Kings to replace either one of the Lions or the Cheetahs (especially the Cheetahs). Look at the facts:
The Cheetahs come through with young talent, a small budget and limited facilities and beat a lot of big teams every year in the Super XV. They reached between 2000 and 2010 they reached 5 currie cup finals winning 3 of them. They played in the semi-finals every year for the last 10 years. The Cheetahs overall ranking in SA rugby is history is 3rd.
The Kings on the other hand struggled to get promoted into the Currie Cup. With political problems and surely limited resources it is clear that they are not nearly ready to play Super Rugby. In all honesty they would be worse off than the Lions. There is a huge difference between Vodacom Cup (in which they also failed to produce any results of note) and Super Rugby.
Please stop being ignorant toward the Cheetahs. You always give them the worst comments, without any substance.
The Aussie and New Zealand teams can continue building and improving every year, because they don’t have idiot “experts” talking their teams down. Maybe the Hurricanes, Force, Brumbies and Rebels should be relegated as well, seeing they’re all lying beneath the Cheetahs on the log.
14 May 2011, 08:17 am
I agree… At the moment the Lions are pathetic but still a few weeks ago we saw the Lions’ vodacom cup team (or the lions B team) beat the Vrede’s little Eastern Province charity case 11-10. If they lose to the worst team’s B team how can you even start to make a case for them??? The only reason why the will never propose a promotion relegation match is because the are scared. They are too weak and lazy to work for wat they want and just want everything given to them. Cheetahs and even the Lions worked for their place and should keep it!
17 May 2011, 19:04 pm
Step 1. The sixth franchise in SA should be given to Griquas. This will finally complete the seperation from a forced combination that should never haven been when three of the top 6 teams in SA were thrown together in an unholy marriage. The Eastern Province have never done anything for their inclusion. The Griquas, presenting the biggest province in the country, has.
Step 2. Get rid of pathetic Ryan Vrede. Perhaps he can find a job clearning toilets in PE.
4 Jun 2011, 01:16 am
How about this for a solution – keep all the current SA teams and add the Kings, and get rid of one of the pointless Aus teams (Force, Rebels). SA provides by far the highest TV revenue in Super Rugby, and Union is dying a painful death in Aus, being a distant third in oval ball codes to Rugby League and Aussie Rules, without even mentioning association football. Adding the Rebels was a ridiculous idea in a city which already has about a hundred AFL teams, two soccer teams and one of the best supported sides in the NRL.
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