Sanzar stands firm on Super Rugby format
14 Feb 2012
Sanzar CEO Greg Peters dealt South Africa’s hope of gaining an additional Super Rugby franchise a hammer blow by insisting the format will not change until 2015.
In January the South African Rugby Union (Saru) committed to the Kings’ Super Rugby inclusion in 2013 but conceded that they did not know how they would be accommodated. They then rejected a relegation match as an option of trimming a franchise and also said a merger between two franchises was not an option.
Weekend reports indicated that the South African franchises had resolved to boycott the tournament in 2013 if they were not awarded another franchise. Saru quickly moved to dismiss those reports as false but did issue an ultimatum to their Sanzar partners saying: ‘… the franchises have made it plain that the only option to them is the expansion of Super Rugby. They also pledged their support for the Kings’ inclusion in 2013 as well as for Saru’s efforts to persuade Sanzar to include a sixth South African franchise.’
A letter from the five franchises to Saru president Oregan Hoskins stated:
* That such inclusion will benefit South African rugby in general;
* That none of the existing franchises shall be prejudiced by such inclusion in any way whatsoever;
* That none of the existing franchises shall be eliminated from the tournament in 2013 or at any stage thereafter as a result of the inclusion of the Kings;
* That Saru, as custodian of the South African leg of the tournament, will ensure that the Kings are included without prejudice to any of the existing franchises.
However, Peters insisted that no such concession can be made in light of the current tournament model being sold to broadcast and commercial partners until 2015 and the conference system being unable to function with an uneven number of teams.
‘The reality is that expansion of Super Rugby is not possible at this stage,’ Peters told keo.co.za. ‘Before their inclusion, the Kings’ aspirations were discussed in detail. How they are accommodated is a domestic issue for South Africa. And while we are always open to dialogue on this issue, it is incumbent upon them to make the necessary adjustments to facilitate the Kings’ inclusion.’
Peters added that they had explored a wide range of format options prior to settling on the current model and that there simply was no viable alternative to it at present. He added that New Zealand and Australia, the latter recording a 41% increase in television viewership in 2011, were opposed to any change in the format.
‘The Reds won the competition last year and I know other Australian franchises feel confident they can replicate that success, so it is understandable that there would be resistance to this idea from them. New Zealand are pleased with the model. They are realistic about the number of franchises they can field before the quality of those franchises is compromised,’ he said.
‘Also, we’re in year two of Super Rugby. The tournament in this guise is still in its infancy. It is nonsensical on a number of levels to alter its form.’
A final decision on the matter is expected on 31 March once all discussions have concluded.
By Ryan Vrede
Read Mark Keohane’s view on this issue here
Follow Ryan on Twitter
Follow SA Rugby magazine on Twitter
370 Comments
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14 Feb 2012, 10:38 am
@Staal-50: Let the Kings play cc this year , but no they can’t they have just been included in T20 as Impis
14 Feb 2012, 10:44 am
@Transformation-30: “lame diversionary tactics ”
@Transformation-30: the point is you are punting for inclusion NOW for the kings bunch of incompetents at the expense of other incompetents?
hypocritical much?
@RugbyStudent-28: the cheetahs and naka drotske?
no bud, they won a bunch of cc’s.
you know, those things that ep hasnt sniffed in about 50 years and the stormers either for that matter
what now?
@stormersboy-32: haha ja they are being given things they dont deserve.
@the artist formerly known as gunther-35: haha, make it michellin then i can look bloated like a saru pig.
14 Feb 2012, 10:47 am
@rangerman-52:
Magtag when did you get so moeilik
14 Feb 2012, 10:47 am
Instead of being included into the super rugby tournement they should first be included in the CC. That would be the rugby decision but what it seem to have happened is the inclusion to super rugby was more of a money decision. Thinking that even if they in the competition and come stone last lose every game. the return for just being in the compo will be great, ppl will come far and wide in the eastern cape to watch this might team who last major performance was in the first division of SA rugby.
14 Feb 2012, 10:48 am
@rangerman-52: Name the Kings team that will do better than any of the current teams
14 Feb 2012, 10:49 am
Keohane you misery
Choose another topic already
14 Feb 2012, 10:50 am
@Dawn-53:
ag this is my stress outlet.
as you know, i am actually a far more pleasant oke than i come across here
14 Feb 2012, 10:52 am
@Dawn-56: Kokane?
14 Feb 2012, 10:52 am
@rangerman-57:
Indeed
I hope all you people sorted the ladies out today
Otherwise you all be in a world of trouble later.
14 Feb 2012, 10:53 am
@capebull-58:
Ja.
The stuff that Kirchner takes.
14 Feb 2012, 10:55 am
I for one think there are already far too many teams in the Super Rugby tournament. There are too many games and too many weak sides playing. I for one want the tournament to revert back to a Super 12. How the three countries award franchise spots in the tournament will be their own problem, either by relegation matches or a simple worst performing team replacement system.
Does anyone remember how long the tournament dragged on last year? Too many games. Too many empty stadiums as a result.
14 Feb 2012, 10:56 am
@Dawn-59:
That we did, Dawn.
14 Feb 2012, 11:00 am
@Dawn-59: haha, done deal.
who is this man you woke up next to btw?
is it serious?
14 Feb 2012, 11:01 am
@rangerman-63:
Moi?
Where? Who?
14 Feb 2012, 11:01 am
@iamthebear-61: i for two!
14 Feb 2012, 11:03 am
you said on yesterdays thread that you had a hangover and had to sneak out to not disturb the oke sleeping in your bed?
14 Feb 2012, 11:04 am
@rangerman-52: no, that is for SARU to decide, they’ve had since the British & Irish Lions tour in 2009 to discuss, decide and recommend HOW this will go down.
you can afford to be smug and facetious your home union is currently “eating” alone uninterrupted at the trough
14 Feb 2012, 11:04 am
@rangerman-66:
That was an imposter!
Ek is nie so nie!
Nic stealer.
14 Feb 2012, 11:11 am
I will put R100 on the fact that the Kings will not see SupeRugby in 2013.
So rest easy folks, your teams are safe.
14 Feb 2012, 11:14 am
@Tacitus-47:
you must remember tac that the unions control only saru (the amateur arm) and not sa rugby (pty) ltd (the commercial/professional arm), per se, which in turn controls the super comp. so, while they may be able to easily force changes to the saru board or its operations they will/are not as easily able to force changes to sa rugby (pty) ltd in terms of its members or operations.
not quite so simple after all.
14 Feb 2012, 11:15 am
@Transformation-67: and whose fault is that transie?
your own people sold you down the river pal, no one forced ep to take the money.
@Dawn-68: oooh, ok, didnt have much time to read yesterday.
nic stealing swine.
14 Feb 2012, 11:16 am
@Dawn-68:
shame really.
we were rooting for you to come right.
14 Feb 2012, 11:16 am
@PissAnt-69:
Pissant
How about settling on the next best thing – guaranteed participation in the Currie Cup premier division for the next 3 years.
Getting Premier Division Currie Cup rugby in PE will generate a lot of income, plus sponsors will climb onboard due to the TV exposure the team will be getting.
That can be the springboard for eventual Super Rugby participation.
14 Feb 2012, 11:17 am
@Dawn-59: where is Skop? since he’s already rubbished Christmas I want to hear his take on Valentine’s Day
14 Feb 2012, 11:20 am
@Tacitus-73:
Absolutely, in fact there was even a better proposal on the cards than that – and that was the Kings participating in an international competition until 2015 similar to a SupeRugby competition between them and the USA (top Eastern and Western Conference).
If you are really brave include an Argie team in there too!
What pisses me off Tac is this Kings issue has been an issue since 2005, we are in 2012 already for goodness sake and still no solution has been found. SA Rugby has wasted 7 years on this issue and in the end RUGBY suffers.
Don’t forget, Hoskins was there in 2005 already, he has been part of this debacle since the start.
14 Feb 2012, 11:21 am
@rangerman-71: it’s the snivelling sneaky guppys! it’s their fault. in a corrupt relationship there’s a corruptor and a corruptee
there were serious kickbacks to the then EP management from the KZNRU for them to take the cash, this is well known buddy!
14 Feb 2012, 11:21 am
And what does Hoskins do now?
Uhm, okay here you go 14 unions – we cannot sort this **** out, you sort it out….
14 Feb 2012, 11:21 am
@Tacitus-73: Have you had any top flight domestic rugby in your neck of the woods since Danie Gerber?
14 Feb 2012, 11:23 am
@PissAnt-75:
Personally, I love Hoskins. He is the perfect man for maintaining the status quo, while still making all the right noises.
But coming back to the Kings, I think we should give them Currie Cup rugby. But that might require an 8 team Currie Cup again, as it will prevent any of the other smaller unions from ever participating in the Premier Division.
14 Feb 2012, 11:25 am
Ag man, let them play promotion/relegation. If the Kings are so **** then they won’t qualify right? I’m saying it will be more interesting if they do qualify.
14 Feb 2012, 11:28 am
@RugbyStudent-80:
Well that’s the problem. They will never qualify on their own. And then we’ll get Keo bombarding us with King’s lamentations until we all go mad.
So just get them into the Currie Cup to stop all the moaning.
14 Feb 2012, 11:29 am
go Madibaz!
the Shimlaz got to cape town and moer the Ikeys and our boytjies go to Bloem and smack the Shimlaz
Madibaz shock Shimlas in Varsity Cup
Sapa | 14 February, 2012 08:271 Comments
There were three away wins in the second round of the Varsity Cup, with two dramatic victories coming in the final seconds of regulation time in Potchefstroom and Bloemfontein on Monday night.
In easily the biggest upset in the five-year history of this rugby tournament, the Madibaz beat the Shimlas thanks to a last-second André Goosen try in Bloemfontein, as the visitors scored two tries in the final three minutes to pull off an unlikely victory.
The Shimlas, who led 18-5 at half-time, would have been very confident heading into this encounter against a team they had never lost against before and after their first-round triumph over The University of Cape Town (UCT) last week.
But the Madibaz showed great spirit and resolve throughout and when replacement Bradley Kretzman slotted the winning conversion from the right-hand touchline — the new points-scoring system no doubt playing into NMMU’s hands here! —the Men from Port Elizabeth pulled off easily the greatest Houdini act in the history of this tournament.
14 Feb 2012, 11:30 am
@Tacitus-79:
Maintaining the status quo is exactly why I think he is a poor leader for the organisation.
SA Rugby has screwed itself 10 times over in the last 7 years because no-one is capable of making decisions.
14 Feb 2012, 11:31 am
@Transformation-82:
Amazing. Those guys are usually utterly useless.
14 Feb 2012, 11:32 am
@PissAnt-83:
What if you’re in favour of the status quo? Then Hoskins is just what the doctor ordered.
Not everyone’s a revolutionary, PA.
14 Feb 2012, 11:34 am
@Transformation-76: well known eh?
sounds like the loch ness monster.
anyway i am pleased as punch we got rid of your bunch of anklebiters years ago. thanks for stefan though.
@Tacitus-79: i agree. an 8 team cc . big five with griquas, the kings and boland.
let that group play til 2015 and then expand the s15 comp or promo/relegation time on a year by year basis.
14 Feb 2012, 11:35 am
“They are realistic about the number of franchises they can field before the quality of those franchises is compromised”
HAHA! That was a nice little jab at the Lions,the Cheetahs and the Kings.
So what is SARU going to do? Break a promise to the Kings or break their promise to the franchises?
What a Fup. No-one wants to budge an inch. Somethings gotta give. What will it be?
I say tell the Kings to keep their pants on for another year or two, they sure as helll still need a year or to to get better structures to nurture and develop their apparent colossal pool of young talent.
14 Feb 2012, 11:35 am
Chabal heading to Super Rugby
.
14th February 2012 08:27
Sébastien Chabal: In need of a new club
Former France forward Sébastien Chabal has declared his intention to ply his trade in Australia after parting ways with Racing Metro.
Chabal is a free agent after he leaving Racing earlier in the month following a fall out with president Jacky Lorenzetti and a reported bust up with manager Pierre Berbizier.
It had been believed that the former Sale man would look to stay in France, with a move to a Paris-based club his preference. However, it now appears he may be heading in a completely different direction.
“I’m going to play in Australia soon,” he told French TV channel RMC, refusing to add any further details.
The signing of Chabal would appear to be the kind of move that new Brumbies boss Jake White would engineer but having already brought in three new loose forwards, he appears well stocked in that department, especially as captaincy contender Ben Mowen is a number eight.
The Rebels are another possible destination, with the Melbourne outfit offered a special dispensation that allows them to carry more foreigners than the other Australian franchises.
The Force, Reds and Waratahs all already have a Wallaby packing down at the back of the scrum. However, Chabal’s versatility and a star power would make him a valuable addition to any squad.
14 Feb 2012, 11:38 am
@PissAnt-83: Correct. Any successful organisation has this in common.
Decisive leadership
14 Feb 2012, 11:38 am
@Transformation-82: yup, andre goosen and bradley kretzmann.
two shining examples of the hotbes of black talent in the ec.
gotta go, have a good day trans!
14 Feb 2012, 11:39 am
@Tacitus-73: I like this idea id they are going to get special treatment, why not start with the currie cup….
14 Feb 2012, 11:41 am
@rangerman-86: Stefan Terreblanche?
He was ours. But didn’t get picked in the 30 man squad and was put in the “pool” for the rest of the country to make offers on.
And the rest is history.
He’s not the only guy that we’ve done that to.
Cabous
Noble
the list is long.
14 Feb 2012, 11:42 am
@Tacitus-84: you need to move from the EC Tac, what a self proclaimed elite afrikaner like you doing in this “corrupt” place? you should be hobnobbing with the other well-to-do people in Kaapstad or Joberg.
14 Feb 2012, 11:46 am
@Transformation-93:
Someone has to fly the flag!
14 Feb 2012, 11:46 am
@Transformation-93:
forced removals?
I didn’t realise that was your style.
14 Feb 2012, 11:46 am
If the SA teams did boycot the tournament it would be pretty cool. SARU always says ja and amen to SANZAR, why? They always have the last say! Screw those Nauzzi pricks.
14 Feb 2012, 11:48 am
Man, at this stage the Kings haven’t even qualified for the proper Currie Cup yet, let alone Super Rugby. Why should they even be gifted a spot in the former at the expense of, probably, the Pumas, Griquas or Boland? I say Cheeky should put his dirty money where his big mouth is. Qualify properly in this year’s CC premier division for inclusion in 2013. Then end up one of the top 5 CC unions and be admitted to the S15 in 2014. Wouldn’t that be fair? And considering their staggering 200 000 player base, they should hardly break a sweat.
14 Feb 2012, 11:49 am
@Tacitus-85:
The status quo has allowed for Australia to screw us into a Super Rugby conference system which has zero benefit to the game in SA – in fact, in a competition where SA contributes 70% of the television viewers the Newscorp Broadcast Profits or funds are shared evenly between all three partners.
The status quo has all but destroyed the oldest domestic competition in the world, one I know you love – the Currie Cup.
The status quo has allowed board members to select a Springbok team to appease politicians. I can point you towards the comments on this site when Luke Watson was forced onto Jake White by Hoskins.
The status quo has downgraded the Springbok emblem from the left breast to the right breast and now to the sleave of the shirt. A move given comments on every social media blog drew the ire of the average rugby supporter.
The stauts quo has allowed for political interference to take precedence of performance in selecting the national coach in 2008. This is from you personally.
Should I go on?
14 Feb 2012, 11:55 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther-95: you’re taking that line because you secretly don’t want Tac in Cape Town to embraboer you
you like him, but only from ver.
14 Feb 2012, 11:56 am
Reguit Rugby
Hi ouens. Episode 5 is nou beskibaar. Daar is wel ‘n verandering aangebring. Die episode is in 3 dele geskiet. Hier is hulle en geniet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJkK1LsdLV0 (Deel1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKJPN-CVdpg (Deel2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuO0xpZEoVI (Deel3)
Hi guys. Episode 5 is now available. We have made a few changes. This episode was shot in 3 parts. Here they are and enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJkK1LsdLV0 (Part1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKJPN-CVdpg (Part2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuO0xpZEoVI (Part3)
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