Cash-strapped Lions tighten belts
18 Dec 2011
The Golden Lions Rugby Union insists it will be able to pay its players despite having ‘financial difficulties’.
GLRU deputy president Altmann Allers told the Sunday Times that the union is in ‘the process of huge restructuring’ and that ‘people have been retrenched’, but dismissed reports that player salaries would not be paid this month.
‘I wonder if the rumours will go away when the players get paid this week?’ Allers countered. ‘It is true that we are going through some financial difficulties but the players’ salaries will not be affected. I don’t know if it is a misunderstanding or if someone misinterpreted the situation, but we are going to meet our obligations in 2012 and beyond. We are in financial difficulty but that is exactly why we are cutting back.
‘There are a number of players whose contracts we didn’t renew,’ he added, careful not to go into specifics. ‘We are in negotiations to terminate [the contracts of] 13 others.’
Allers estimates the union will have 40 to 45 senior contracted players in 2012, 30 fewer than last season.
919 Comments
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18 Dec 2011, 18:35 pm
Contractual dragons
18 Dec 2011, 19:22 pm
why are they in financial dwang, they have a new sponsor, won the Currie Cup, should hv made some bucks this year. Come on Leuloops, yr rugby has been outstanding, dont let money be yr downfall.
18 Dec 2011, 20:38 pm
@Treehugger-2: They have years of financial mismanagement to sort out and get back on the straight and narrow.
18 Dec 2011, 21:36 pm
Might have something to do with some of the deadweight in the coaching setup….I mean let’s be honest, it may look good having him there but what exactly does Spencer actually contribute to the coaching….seriously.
19 Dec 2011, 00:51 am
You’re right. Their backline play has not improved one iota
19 Dec 2011, 05:32 am
Two major business flops that cost the Lions:
1. Not using the public transport system with the infrastructure that was created for the SWC in 2010, under Mitchell the Lions should attract 35,000-40,000 each game at Ellis Park if a safe and reliable transportation system was in place, that hasn’t happened.
2. The Gumadi effect: Buying into Gumadie’s fairy tales, the Lions got into un necessary financial commitments which they could not support in full, Gumadie for the record, never showed the money henc it was the Lions’ responsibility to exercise caution and conservatism, not to be carried away by that 3rd world drivel about the imminent money to be poured in.
19 Dec 2011, 05:57 am
Everyone keeps telling us it’s WP that’s in trouble… and keep chirping WP about losing players…???
Now Allers saying they’re writing off 30 players…!! So is Allersverloren…?
One of the reasons for their debt was paying DickMuir R2.5something salary even though he never worked there anymore.
All jokes aside… this is bad news and I really hope the Lions manage to sort it all out… Have always said SA rugby needs a strong Lions union… player and business wise… So I hope wisdom and common sense prevails and people do what is necessary and right…
19 Dec 2011, 07:36 am
(whispers) katman?… katman?.. where are you?…
19 Dec 2011, 07:45 am
(whispers)…
Roar my Lions …. Currie Cup Champions 2011..?…hello..hello… are you there?..
19 Dec 2011, 08:14 am
This is a blessing in disguise for the Lions I think. They are finally being forced, in the best way possible, to shed all the dead weight from the company and they will emerge leaner and stronger for it.
19 Dec 2011, 08:25 am
Hondo, its not Gumadi its Gumede, you bimbo. Secondly they were riding on a black man’s money in the name of BEE, when white companies r high geared or cash trapped, they seem to know how to unlock money using BEE. Gumede is Billioner and not a fool, they were bailed out for poor management, they wanted his money but not his input on management and governance, thats not how Private Equity. Gumede brought them sponsorships including MTN and money yet he was treated like a fool. I have no pity for Lions.
19 Dec 2011, 08:56 am
‘We are in negotiations to terminate [the contracts of] 13 others.’
The Stormers can pick up a centre here…..Hollenbach? Jannie Boshoff? Waylon Murray? Prodigal Son Des Fountain?
19 Dec 2011, 08:56 am
@11 – Sir Watson,
Yet another example of how BBBEE has failed us. Had their been no quotas or BBBEE, we would not be in this situation.
Nobody would be blaming anybody based on the colour of where the funding came from. Yet another wonderful example of how in SA, we make our own racial problems.
19 Dec 2011, 08:58 am
@12 – Stormers will find a way to ***** it up!
Sharks will not look at any of them as they are under 30.
Bulls & Cheetahs are the only bet for these players.
19 Dec 2011, 09:03 am
Thanks we’ll take Elton, Doppies, Taute and Minnie.
19 Dec 2011, 09:08 am
Guess this means no contract for Chivanga. That was a bad signing , shame man.
19 Dec 2011, 09:09 am
@stormersboy-15: Maybe a prop too.
19 Dec 2011, 09:10 am
@sparticus-16: Stormers can take Chavanga back!
19 Dec 2011, 09:14 am
The Lions situation is no different from most unions in SA, we just know about their situation publicly.
And sorry folks, they won’t let the likes of Minnie, Dops, Strauss and the likes go – Altmann is referring to guys like Dean Hall which is still on contract at the union for ten’s of thousands of Rands.
19 Dec 2011, 09:15 am
This is great news, very old news Simon, but great.
There is no way that having 70 players under contract is good for anyone. The bullies and the brokebacks can keep their squads of 70 players, which wlill bleed them dry.
Now a lean squad of 45-50 players will be just perfect, slightly bigger than the antipode teams and certainly bigger than the Cheetahs, infact about the same size squad as the guppies.
I reckon the lions can now afford to increase the salaries of the remaining 45 by at least 10% and have some change to buy 1 or 2 mercenaries.
19 Dec 2011, 09:32 am
@PissAnt-19: Huh Dean Hall!!! lol you kidding me….how is that possible? He must of started a few business with the money he is getting from the Lions. I am sure the unions will pick up some of these players….there are some decent players that have been released.
@Roar my Lions …. Currie Cup Champions 2011-20: Stormers squad is not that big….unless you including the vodacom cup guys.
19 Dec 2011, 09:35 am
@Roar my Lions …. Currie Cup Champions 2011-20: Ja 45 or even 40 is big enough for a senior team with rest playing Vodacom Cup.
19 Dec 2011, 09:36 am
@PissAnt-19:
yes but considering the lengthened comp format as well as international duty, is a big squad not a prerequisite for any hope of success in sr?
to use the analogy of tiling, yes the tiles take up center stage and is what you mostly see but you still need the grout to fill fill the gaps between the tiles in order to make it all pretty and nice.
this is the purpose of the unsung hero of the bench… the tacklebag holder… the water boy… the guys who put in the work knowing they’ll never get gametime unless a miracle happened. the best teams have these grout fillers and i dont think the lions are doing themselves any favours with a lean squad.
19 Dec 2011, 09:38 am
But I thought this black dude had so much money.
Spending it all on Ferraris and beeg pateees?
19 Dec 2011, 09:44 am
@Roar my Lions …. Currie Cup Champions 2011-20:
are you including the sr, cc, and vodacom players in the full squad numbers you mention?
the keewis have smaller squads for sr but do they name seperate squads for their cc and vodacom cup equivalents, the itm and heartland cups?
19 Dec 2011, 09:44 am
@au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir…-23: no big squads are not the answer, squads that are versatile and multi-talented are the way to go, just like the antipode teams. Remember rugby is a business and it makes no sense having 8 wingers when four will do …. in any event even if you lose all four wingers you still can still moves centres to wing or bring in your u21 players. Get it?
19 Dec 2011, 09:45 am
@au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir…-25: yes, VC players included.
19 Dec 2011, 09:50 am
@Sasuke-21:
Nope, apparently its true.
@au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir…-23:
Super Rugby squads of 40 odd players are enough. The Lions are referring to senior contracted players here I believe. Ideally you want 3 players per position. 2 senior guys and the 3rd sourced from U/21 teams or Vodacom Cup teams in case of crisis.
Touring squads are usually between 28 and 30 players – this will not change with the new format.
Given that 80% of a union’s budget is made up of salaries of mainly players, it is essential you get this right and the Lions for once are making a concerted effort to get rid of the deadwood bleeding them dry.
19 Dec 2011, 09:50 am
@Sasuke-21:
Nope, apparently its true.
@au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir…-23:
Super Rugby squads of 40 odd players are enough. The Lions are referring to senior contracted players here I believe. Ideally you want 3 players per position. 2 senior guys and the 3rd sourced from U/21 teams or Vodacom Cup teams in case of crisis.
Touring squads are usually between 28 and 30 players – this will not change with the new format.
Given that 80% of a union’s budget is made up of salaries of mainly players, it is essential you get this right and the Lions for once are making a concerted effort to get rid of the deadwood bleeding them dry.
19 Dec 2011, 09:58 am
@Roar my Lions …. Currie Cup Champions 2011-26:
ok, fair enough but i will sit this one out and wait till untill june before making an assessment about versatality versus bulk and which is a better squad system.
dont the kiwis just name different squads for sr, itm and hc? so if you added them together it would probably be just as big or bigger than our squads?
19 Dec 2011, 10:06 am
@Roar my Lions …. Currie Cup Champions 2011-27:
@PissAnt-28:
yes i agree.
it is sensible.
getting the perfect balance of just the right number of players needed to be competitve at just the right cost in salaries is the ideal to strive for.
oh well, i hope it works for the lions and they dont end up running around desperately trying to buy in players closer to the business end of the comp.
which, might i add, could happen under any circumstance i suppose when considering the stormers hiring of schalk brits due to injury losses (i mean its not like they had a lean and ‘versatlie’ squad to begin with)
19 Dec 2011, 10:10 am
@au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir…-31:
My understanding is that no new players will be contracted until late next year.
19 Dec 2011, 10:18 am
@PissAnt-32:
yes, but there will always be the unstated proviso that ‘in the event the sshit hits the fan’ all options are put back on the table and temp mercenary purchases will be made, in the hope of meeting possible objectives.
just like the stormers… i’m sure they would too.
19 Dec 2011, 10:20 am
@au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir…-33:
Of course, if the **** hits the fan and they lose something like 3 flyhalf’s for the season through injury plans need to be made.
19 Dec 2011, 10:28 am
is henno mentz still contracted to the Lions?
19 Dec 2011, 10:29 am
@Transformation-35:
He was one that was let go if I remember correctly.
19 Dec 2011, 10:33 am
Dead wood offers no growth. Chop, chop, chop it out. Let the rest of the garden flourish.
19 Dec 2011, 10:33 am
@Transformation-35:
Players released from contract so far:
Tonderai Chavanga, JP JOubert, Chris Jonck, Walter Venter, David De Villiers, Marius Delport, Robert Kruger, Jacques Lombaard, Jonathan Mukoena and Johan Van Deventer, Henno Mentz, Wigan Pekeur, Dusty Noble and Beast Mtawarirra’s brother Ray.
Others you may know of already:
Burton Francis, George Earl and David Bulbring
19 Dec 2011, 10:35 am
@Transformation-35: @PissAnt-36: Yip, he is gone with the wind, think he was off-loaded to the Puma’s. The Griqua’s got about 6 or so Lions a few months ago.
19 Dec 2011, 10:37 am
Just for the record for some people to know that Chavhanga is playing for Newport Dragons in Wales and has been since the start of the season… same club Teichman and Montgomery played for…
19 Dec 2011, 10:39 am
@PissAnt-38:
David de Villiers
Mjekevu
Walter Venter
Johan Snyman
All cut.
19 Dec 2011, 10:40 am
basically, its a which came first situation they find themselves in.
the chicken or the egg?.. and all will revealed sometime around june.
19 Dec 2011, 11:11 am
@Sasuke-17: Ja except CJ just didn’t fit in here…
@PissAnt-19: Well there’s always hope.
Dean Hall hey? Is he still in reasonable shape? Can he play prop I wonder…….?
19 Dec 2011, 11:13 am
@>^..^< katman-37: Just what i say. That Jaco Taute fella. Ever since I spotted him (first) I’ve been disappointed with his growth. Just hasn’t lived up to his potential. I think he needs to make a move. Improve his prospects.
19 Dec 2011, 11:18 am
“Lions tighten belts.”
A lean and hungry Lion.
What more could we ask for.
19 Dec 2011, 11:21 am
“Allers estimates the union will have 40 to 45 senior contracted players in 2012, 30 fewer than last season”.
Phark……………………………….The Crusaders have 26.
19 Dec 2011, 11:25 am
@stormersboy-44: jealous much?
19 Dec 2011, 11:27 am
@cane-46: Saders are cheap! They depend on the NZRU to pay their players salaries …. here there are no hand outs, unions contract and pay for their own stars.
19 Dec 2011, 11:32 am
@Roar my Lions …. Currie Cup Champions 2011-48:
The SARU Bank the NewsCorp cheque.
They should pay the players.
27 Players per Franchise.
19 Dec 2011, 11:36 am
@cane-49: they write a little cheque, but it is only a percentage of total income needed to support 70 plus players.
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