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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19 Dec 2011, 11:37 am
@cane-45:
its a litlle more than that by the sound of it though as they will seemingly be fighting ongoing legal action on a number of other fronts. this can either work against or in favour of an organisation.
http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/2011/12/18/prudence-takes-pride-of-place-down-at-ellis-park
19 Dec 2011, 11:46 am
@cane-46:
no they dont, they have about 30 or 31 and may even contract a few more, who’s to say.
anyway, this practise of squad announcements in sa usually includes our full sr, cc and vc squad teams in the list, for the most part.
i think you guys just ‘name’ a sr squad number and dont include in that number the respective franchises provincial team squads which will probably make it about or maybe even a litlle bigger than ours.
you are tricky, keewees… but we are watching you…
19 Dec 2011, 11:49 am
i guess we can now safely say that there is no way the lions will contract frans steyn for next seasons sr.
the sharks and stormers would do well to chase him.
19 Dec 2011, 11:52 am
@Roar my Lions …. Currie Cup Champions 2011-47: Does it show?
19 Dec 2011, 12:08 pm
@stormersboy-44: Even if you did spot him first (which you didn’t), you wouldn’t have claimed so until someone who knew a fullback’s arse from his elbow said something first.
Anyway, Taute is staying. But we’re giving you Dean Hall, Dusty Noble and Henno Mentz in a Crazy Chirstmas buy-three-pay-for-two special deal. But act fast. Stocks are limited.
19 Dec 2011, 12:12 pm
@PissAnt-38: Jeez, so Chavanga’s walking around with no contract at the moment? Doesn’t he still hold the record for most tries scored by a Springbok in one game?
19 Dec 2011, 12:18 pm
@>^..^< katman-55: did too!
19 Dec 2011, 12:19 pm
@Yetirat-56: Yes.
@>^..^< katman-55: Watch Straeuli pounce
19 Dec 2011, 12:25 pm
@Michael-58: Someone needs to tell Straulie that shopping vouchers from pre-Staaldraad aren’t valid anymore, or else the big fella is going end up with a full trolley and a nasty hissy fit.
19 Dec 2011, 12:26 pm
I am surprised that Dean Hall cant make this side, surely better than the incumbents. I am surprised they are not offering Ray Mordt a contract to run the other wing
I think that even he could turn Doppies into a koeksuster…
19 Dec 2011, 12:28 pm
I see the Iberian retirement village has woken up too.
19 Dec 2011, 12:28 pm
@>^..^< katman-59: ROFLMAO. Good one
19 Dec 2011, 12:36 pm
If you consider that we have 2 competitions running at the same time (Super Rugby and Vodacom Cup) you need a minimum of 55 – 60 if you want to cover all your bases.
30 for Super Rugby and close to the same number for VC.
More than that is probably being wasteful though.
19 Dec 2011, 12:38 pm
@stormersboy-63: PS many of the VC players will be U21 players.
19 Dec 2011, 12:38 pm
Now that i think of it, Ronnie Haarof in at outside centre, Doppies to water duties and Bobs your uncle….. a vast improvement to the backline.
Now if only I could find a slot for mi amigo the Kaaitjies uberhero, Schalk Naude….
19 Dec 2011, 12:42 pm
@Bod-65: Doppies is performing. Ah Naude, that takes me back years!
19 Dec 2011, 12:53 pm
@Bod-65: Joke all you like, old man. We might only contract 40 or so players, but at least they’ll all be premier grade, Super Rugby quality candidates.
Remind us again of your flyhalf options – all 7 of them?
19 Dec 2011, 12:55 pm
@>^..^< katman-67: van Rensburg is Super quality? lol
Every one of our flyhalves who stepped in during the 2011 Super was a success.
19 Dec 2011, 13:00 pm
@>^..^< katman-67: Lots of chest beating in the off season.
A bit of pressure on your team for next year.
It’s about bloody time too. Us top tier Super Rugby teams in SA (Read Bulls/Sharks/Stormers) are sick of watching the rest (read Lions and Cheetahs) gift all the overseas touring teams 5 points when they fly in each year.
They barely had to even turn up in the past.
Lets hope all this will change next year.
19 Dec 2011, 13:01 pm
@Michael-68: Watts, van Aswegen, The Greek… who else was there? I don’t remember any of them nailing down a starting spot. It was more like the first round of auditions for the East London leg of Idols SA.
19 Dec 2011, 13:02 pm
@stormersboy-63:
thats what i would think, especially considering the lengthened sr format. also, there’ll be some overlap with cc.
but it seems ‘versatile’ and ‘lean’ squad placements are the new buzz words.
bear in mind these buzz words coincide with suspected case of financial shtf at one (and possibly more) rugby unions.
19 Dec 2011, 13:05 pm
@au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir…-71: I guess guys like Pieterson who is fairly versatile will come in very handy then.
Guys who can play lock/blindside/8th man, wing/fullback I guess.
19 Dec 2011, 13:07 pm
@>^..^< katman-67:
honestly speaking, the lions have a lot of hurdles as it is.
you should not jinx them with that kind of talk.
19 Dec 2011, 13:12 pm
@stormersboy-72:
versatile in a ‘do you wanna get paid this month or not, you chop’ kinda way…
anyway, i do wish the lions well.
it can only be good for sa rugby.
19 Dec 2011, 13:12 pm
@>^..^< katman-70: We struggled for sure. At the beginning of last season the pecking order was (roughly)
1. Grant
2. Van As
3. Cronje
4. Watts
5. Sam Lane.
6. Karl Kikilus
7. Duvenhage
8. Coleman
9. Rose (I mean WTF but name me one union who wouldn’t reach out to him after blowing their first 8 choices….)
19 Dec 2011, 13:13 pm
@stormersboy-69: Just need to correct this. It should read:
“Us top tier Super Rugby teams in SA (Read Sharks/Bulls) are sick of watching the rest (read Lions, Stormers and Cheetahs) gift all the overseas touring teams 5 points when they fly in each year. They barely had to even turn up in the past.”
However, a rejuvenated Lions will be a welcome addition to the Top Tier.
19 Dec 2011, 13:14 pm
@stormersboy-69: I guess anything above last or second last is an improvement for them
@>^..^< katman-70: ’cause they all got injured in turn. We were down to playing Duvenhage at flyhalf and flying in Rose at one stage before Grant made a recovery.
19 Dec 2011, 13:14 pm
@au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir…-74: he he he exactly fella.
WP should be freeing up a bit of spare cash now that Mossie isn’t there…..
19 Dec 2011, 13:14 pm
Will be interesting to follow the progress of the “awesome” Stormers backline next year…
While the Sharks just keep on rolling…
19 Dec 2011, 13:17 pm
@Heavens Game-76: hahaha
Prat.
Stormers are the top performing SA side in the comp the last couple of years (league phase) aren’t they?
Where did the guppies come??
Oh wait. Never mind
19 Dec 2011, 13:20 pm
Considering the difficulties of other profligate Unions I feel lucky that the Sharks always seem to have some schmackeroos in the bank… Without even trying. Maybe its just because the Sharks are historically the pre-eminent Super Rugby brand. Crusaders are up there and Bulls in recent times.
It just seems so easy for the Sharks to have a healthy bank balance. Wonder why? I reckon its just because they are a farken consistently good side with amazing support.
19 Dec 2011, 13:24 pm
The gruppies have cash ’cause they spend peanuts on oupas.
19 Dec 2011, 13:24 pm
@stormersboy-80: Are they…? However I remember this “top performing SA side” losing to a Reds B team and a Saders C Team at “fortress” Newlands just this year… A farken gift that keeps on giving to the overseas teams clearly.
The only reason the Stormers made the knockouts last year was because of a Bulls gimme in the last league game…
This year there are quite a few similar reason why the Stormers overperformed only to achieve their true potential when it truly counted.
19 Dec 2011, 13:27 pm
@Michael-77: Ja, supporting the Stormers is a bit like queuing at the local Welfare Office. You spend months waiting for the Grant, and when it finally arrives it’s just so disappointing.
19 Dec 2011, 13:28 pm
Jealousy is an ugly trait from gruppies bitter they haven’t even made the semis since ’97.
19 Dec 2011, 13:29 pm
@>^..^< katman-84: I prefer Duvenhage as a flyhalf to Grant or as a scrummy. Hopefully someone like Gary will be given an extended run with Grant not due back from Japan anytime soon.
19 Dec 2011, 13:29 pm
I reckon best name/brand recognition for Super rugby teams by Rugby supporters in parts of the world without huge exposure to Super Rugby would be for the following teams:
Sharks, Bulls, Crusaders, Reds
The rest are pretty much of a muchness…
19 Dec 2011, 13:30 pm
@>^..^< katman-84: Hehehe
19 Dec 2011, 13:32 pm
Michael – I’m sure guppies made the final in 07?
19 Dec 2011, 13:37 pm
@Michael-85: You quite obviously have no idea what you are talking about… 2007 Sharks should have won the final if it wasn’t for some convenient reffing.
2008 Sharks were in a Semi. (Thats already more than the Stormers have
done in their history)
Obviously the Sharks are historically the pre-eminent SA Team for reaching the business end of the tournament…
Sharks also lose less to overseas opponents – i.e. they aren’t a pushover like other SA teams not quite in the top tier.
19 Dec 2011, 13:42 pm
This would be a great world Club Tournament. The biggest Top Tier teams playing one another every second year to see who is who in the Rugby Zoo.
I give you the elite:
Sharks
Toulouse
Crusaders
Leicester
Bulls
Munster
Reds
Clermont
19 Dec 2011, 13:46 pm
If Lions are struggling for a few Shekels I am sure Oom Brian and Oom Rudie from the Sharks will spare a few for Jantjes, Hollenbach and Taute. Sharks have a fairly full cupboard elsewhere.
Thankyouverymuch.
Rooibonte become Santa Claus
19 Dec 2011, 13:48 pm
My but the excitement seems to be building for the 2012 S15.
I’m quite enjoying the buildup. The novelty of having modest expectations – a top 6 finish for my young team – certainly takes some of the pressure off.
19 Dec 2011, 14:00 pm
Top 6 is anything but modest, old chap, given the hand you’re dealt.
19 Dec 2011, 14:02 pm
Top 4 for the Sharks as usual. Anything less is seen as failure. Unlike other teams.
19 Dec 2011, 14:09 pm
@Tacitus-93:
Good day
19 Dec 2011, 14:09 pm
@Heavens Game-90: Idiot. It was obviously a typo: ’07
Forgot about ’08. Then again, the gruppies performances are so uninspiring in recent years that they are easily forgettable.
19 Dec 2011, 14:10 pm
@Tacitus-93: Good luck. SA rugby needs a strong, dynamic and vibrant Bulls team.
19 Dec 2011, 14:11 pm
Magtag that scrap between Skop and Cab on Solly’s thread was epic!
19 Dec 2011, 14:13 pm
@Michael-98:
Can’t speak for the team, but I’m sure Tac is “strong, dynamic and vibrant “
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