Mitchell backs Cats solution
9 May 2012
John Mitchell says Saru’s handling of the Southern Kings saga has been poor and unfair and believes a Cats merger will be the best way forward.
It’s been four months and 14 days since Saru dropped the bomb that the Kings will play Super Rugby in 2013. While the decision is great news for the Eastern Cape region, the fact that the national union made this decision without a solution as to how all six franchises will be accommodated next season, and its delay in announcing one, has caused more harm than good.
Saru has asked Sanzar for permission to enter all six teams next year. But this request was declined because of Super Rugby’s broadcasting commitment to the current 15-team conference format that only expires in 2015. Saru then planned a rescue mission trip to Australasia in March and put together a delegation that it believed could convince its partners to reconsider. However, this never materialised.
This lack of progress has caused a lot of speculation within the South African rugby fraternity and media. There have been talks of a relegation process, with the Lions picked as the likely option for the drop because of their poor Super Rugby record, while there also suggestions that the Lions and Cheetahs should play as the Cats again, like they did from 1998-2005.
Saru has set a date on 17 May to meet with all local franchises to discuss the Kings debacle. However, Lions head coach John Mitchell has criticised the union for their poor handling of the matter.
‘As a national body, Saru should be more transparent about their thought process,’ Mitchell told keo.co.za from New Zealand. ‘It should have made a decision on how the Kings will be accommodated by now so that all the parties can plan ahead. It [the criticism] is not something one wants to talk about, but Saru needed to be clearer and it is being unfair on all the teams, players and management being speculated about.’
So what is the best way forward, from a Lions point of view? Mitchell believes the Cheetahs and Lions should merge to create a franchise that will boast quality depth and compete for the title.
‘South African rugby should be entering teams into Super Rugby that have a strong chance of winning the competition. As separate franchises, the Cheetahs and Lions have struggled, especially when there are injuries. If we had to combine teams, we would have a squad strong enough to deal with issues and that will be capable of winning on a regular basis.’
The initial Cats initiative broke down because of financial and logistic issues. Both teams complained about living out of hotels, being away from their families, while the two unions had to share the profits accumulated. There is also the question about appointing a management team.
Mitchell argued that these issues can be resolved.
‘The problems you mention are just hurdles in the way of the best solution. If the necessary input is given by both teams, we can build a strong community and culture, and appoint strong leaders to take this merger forward.
‘We have a similar structure in New Zealand, where players from different provinces – sometimes five different teams – have to play as one Super Rugby franchise. This is what I experienced when playing for the Chiefs, and look how they’re doing now. The Cats were also once successful, so there are no reasons why they can’t achieve similar results if the necessary work is done.
‘In terms of management, we have to offer the player the best resources to work with. So a management team that consists of coaches from both the Lions and Cheetahs will have to be drawn up. I won’t mind working with the Cheetahs coaches.’
In the past, Cheetahs CEO Harold Verster and other management have argued strongly against the possibility of merging with the Lions. But considering the threat of relegation and Saru hosting a meeting with all South African franchise next week, Verster did not rule out the possibility of an amalgamation.
‘We are joining Saru and the other franchises for a meeting on 17 May,’ Verster also told this site. ‘We will not comment on this matter until we have discussed the situation with the other parties. Once there is more clarity, we can speak about possible steps forward.’
By Gareth Duncan
116 Comments
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9 May 2012, 15:00 pm
I think its funny that the Lions are saying they are being treated unfairly. Sooooo, are you saying when the Super rugby competition was formed and the Eastern Province region was excluded (and the big 5 were given a free ride) that that was fair?? Give me a break. The Lions are a union being managed like ****.
9 May 2012, 15:01 pm
The debacle is upon us and the kings are suppose to be stepping up…. And initially the Cats idea sounds a reasonable one but what happens at the end of the 2013 Super Rugby season when the Kings get battered to high heaven as they did in the pre-season friendlies aginst our normal super sides. Do the Kings then drop out and the Cats separate back into their original identities….
I also can’t see any huge crowds and support at major traditional stadiums here in SA when the Kings play their away games…. ie at Newlands, Loftus, Durban etc…
9 May 2012, 15:06 pm
Soooo, whats going to happen if the Cheetahs beat the Stormers this weekend, will they still look at merging knowing the Cheetahs are able to beat any one in S15? I know the Stomers’ supporters will laugh it off as they always do but only a fool will wright the Cheetahs off. Gysie Pienaar reckons if Sias plays they way he knows he can, its going to be a long day for the Stormers.
9 May 2012, 15:08 pm
@greatest13gerber(greatest13gerber)-49: Downgraded Currie Cup. WP was effectively playing most of their U/21 squad in that Currie Cup.
9 May 2012, 15:11 pm
Student. What free ride? If the Lions are keeping a better side out then yes, but the Kings cant even keep up with the Griquas and Pumas.
9 May 2012, 15:13 pm
@RugbyStudent(RugbyStudent)-51: Excluded? They weren’t excluded when Super Rugby was formed, remember? They played with the Sharks. What you meant to say is that they took the money on offer from the Sharks and ran, like a useless bimbo wife who recognised a fair divorce deal.
9 May 2012, 15:14 pm
sad stet of affairs.
the D grading of the currie cup as well.
9 May 2012, 15:17 pm
SARU is going to have to cough up alot of money next year to keep all affected parties happy.
9 May 2012, 15:44 pm
@Sasuke(Sasuke)-58: Theyll have to split it 6 ways. Cats to get 2 pieces of the Super comp cake…
9 May 2012, 15:46 pm
I know I’m going to be grilled now but isn’t it more sense for the Bulls and Lions to merge? No logistical problems – two stadiums within an hour from each other – they can be called the
Bu(i)lions. Everyone should be happy with such an arrangement.
9 May 2012, 15:47 pm
I mean the Bulls should embrace getting the Currie Cup Champions to join them.
9 May 2012, 16:05 pm
If they split the purse 6 ways, all the unions will want to merge with the team which is hanging on to the bottom spot. The money will be just too enticing. This is going too be fun to watch SARU squeese out of this one.
9 May 2012, 16:06 pm
“Both teams complained about living out of hotels, being away from their families”
So – the fairest thing for the Cats would be to make Kroonstad the new Home Base – its half way between! I can see on Google Maps that its got a lekker railway marshalling yard, but has it got a Rugby Stadium?
9 May 2012, 16:11 pm
The cat just move to the FNB stadium, all stay in Soweto, now that will bring rugby to the masses.
9 May 2012, 16:14 pm
@BillTong(BillTong)-63:
Haha Kroonstad! Sounds like a City the Kings should play at!
Perhaps they should just make Bloem the home stadium and try to get the Lions players settled for the year during the Super comp… Or they should get a sponsor from SAA or Mango!
9 May 2012, 16:15 pm
FNB stadium is only 4 Hours drive from Bloemfontein. When Natal came back to the currie cup Baartman used to fly to Durban and back almost everyday from Johannesburg.
9 May 2012, 16:17 pm
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-60:
that really does make the most sense…
logistics… geography… alles…
9 May 2012, 16:17 pm
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-60:
Sounds like the easiest solution but will never happen.
Bulls are self suffiecient and would never dilute their brand. Which is exactly what would happen in that scenario.
9 May 2012, 16:18 pm
@John Galt(John Galt)-68:
‘sufficient’
9 May 2012, 16:31 pm
@umkhonto(umkhonto)-66: That was purely his choice, nobody forced him to join the guppies…
9 May 2012, 16:37 pm
brumbies boy,who siad wahl complained?
lem travelled from bergville to practice and once even had to help with the birth of his child in his car cause his wife gave birth early.
fortuanatly he had a pocketknife to cut the umbilical cord with.
9 May 2012, 16:37 pm
brumbies boy,who siad wahl complained?
lem travelled from bergville to practice and once even had to help with the birth of his child in his car cause his wife gave birth early.
fortuanatly he had a pocketknife to cut the umbilical cord with.
9 May 2012, 16:59 pm
This seems oddly appropriate here:
“I turn on the tube and what do I see
A whole lotta people cryin’ “Don’t blame me”
They point their crooked little fingers at everybody else
Spend all their time feelin’ sorry for themselves
Victim of this, victim of that
Your momma’s too thin; your daddy’s too fat
Get over it
Get over it
All this whinin’ and cryin’ and pitchin’ a fit
Get over it, get over it
You say you haven’t been the same since you had your little crash
But you might feel better if they gave you some cash
The more I think about it, Old Billy was right
Let’s kill all the lawyers, kill ‘em tonight
You don’t want to work; you want to live like a king
But the big, bad world doesn’t owe you a thing
Get over it
Get over it
If you don’t want to play, then you might as well split
Get over it, get over it
Thanks Messrs Henley and Frey.
9 May 2012, 17:03 pm
If you take pure population figures (i.e. Jo’burg vs Bloemfontein) and calculate the midpoint between Ellis Park and Bloem stadium, you’d probably find that it’s somewhere around Soweto. And that I could live with.
9 May 2012, 17:35 pm
The last Cats experiment was disasterous for both franchises. The lions, who won the first ever Superrugby competition, have never recovered from it. Kings must wait until there is place for a sixth team in our conference
9 May 2012, 17:47 pm
welcome carol sharkette,get ready for some abuse
the good peeps on here is
myself
puma
wooden spoon
mad eye
great white shark
tree hugger
heavens game
pre dawn
just for starters
all the kiwis on here are cheating filth
9 May 2012, 18:16 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-76: hey why am i excluded :angry: lol
9 May 2012, 18:20 pm
just for starters i said…
sharkslover are included
9 May 2012, 18:28 pm
thanks kind sir lol
9 May 2012, 18:34 pm
add mad eye aswell
fresh face full of gustoand believe
sharks lover feel fre to add names please.
9 May 2012, 18:45 pm
At first I was dead set against this merger but after much thought I cannot see another solution to make it all work out until the Super Series gets reviewed in 2015. The Wildcats name has been proposed that has awesome branding and marketing potential. Such a name get rid of any domestic cat implications
.
Can work if the leadership is right. Make Mallett DOR and involve both Naka and Mitch. What a team! I agree with Mitch, there is just no way these two teams will ever win the SR title with the depth each has on their own. As the Wildcats they will stand a realistic chance … exactly what we want. The injuries at the Lions is proof of this.
Such a merger will also take the pressure of the GLRU as they rebuild the union and brand. They buy more time by merging. Yes the Lions will lose players but so be it.
The major issue is financial. Give this new team 2/6 share and they will bite. The logistics can be worked out when the money is right and the teams can afford to do things properly. The last Cats mess operated on fumes.
Sponsors? Toyota and MTN will have to find common ground or one must climb out. MTN’s Lions sponsorship was tied to Gumede. Maybe they want out now that Gumede is out? TOYOTA Wildcats will work for me. Or MTN-TOYOTA Wildcats. No, MToyN Wildcats will not fly … LOL!
9 May 2012, 19:07 pm
ep is strong lol kan nie eens die pumas wen nie ,ja in die tyd van Danie Gerber ja ma wat lekke is van die kings al die spanne gaan 5 pointers kry julle keo manne met percy is grond dom lmpa
9 May 2012, 19:12 pm
There is no end to SARU’s muddles is there?
Speaking before making a plan is the sign of an organisation that doesn’t know its arse from its elbow.
SARU should have sorted out the logistics before announcing this and plummeting the Lions (who have the worst record) into the abyss. Yes, the Lions have been poor, but they showed such promise last year.
How hard must it be for Mitch to motivate players who must surely be looking elsewhere and finding it hard to “play for the jersey”? They may be pros but there is still the demand for morale.
SARU just does not know what is going on – politics first, rugby second and fans last.
SARU have completely messed up the Currie Cup – it is dead and a worthless exercise. ABSA should ask for their money back. With the Super 15 and 4N there is no longer any time to play the Currie Cup. It must go away, history or not, or else SARU have to pull out of Super 15. One has to be sacrificed. Players are playing more and more and are getting more injuries.
We the fans are being robbed by sub-standard rugby and we just cheer it on every weekend. Remember the excitement of a Super Saturday during the Super 12 – 5 games of the most intense rugby. Now? There may sometime be 5 games but there’s shopping to be done in the morning and if its an Aussie derby you can forget it – the **** is dished up from their derbies beggars belief.
The only game that stands out this year has been the Stormers/Bulls match, the rest have been unremarkable.
Have you guys seen when Super 15 finishes the league phase on this website – 14 August, with the first round of the 4N the following weekend. Are these dates correct? Is there an overlap of the 4N and S15? WTF???
SARU must either pull out of Super 15 or drop the Currie Cup, one has to go. Sorry provinces, but your time has come as professional unions. We’ll live with 5 franchises (under S15) or 6 Test Unions (under Currie Cup) and the blazers can get lost.
9 May 2012, 19:17 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-72: Nobody said he complained but it’s obvious what will happen to both Cheetahs & Lions players if they have to travel vast differences for training etc if this stupid, illogical merger takes place.
9 May 2012, 19:38 pm
@Kat(Katsesnor)-81: Wildcats, ppppffffffffffff
Meerkatte!
9 May 2012, 19:39 pm
The Cats failed because they refused to sort out the logistics and tried to stay 50/50, one game here another there – practice here, practice there = mess.
If there is another merger there can only be one home stadium and one practice field etc. Those who are in the wrong town will have to move – simple.
If they don’t do that then the whole thing will fail, again.
If the Lions have to move to Bloem then that is what it takes, and similarly for the Cheetahs. If the team is strong, Ellis Park is bigger and will generate more revenue. Once the team had menial success the terraces started filling big time. There are more fans in JHB than Bloem.
Do the maths and base it in JHB – sorry Bloem, FSS is too small.
9 May 2012, 19:45 pm
@zoo cleaner(zoo cleaner)-83:
Super 15 conference winner cup to become new currie cup,1st round to Stormers.
9 May 2012, 20:00 pm
@Kat , Go the Mtn PK Meerkatte!
9 May 2012, 20:16 pm
Harold Verster DO NOT agree to any merger. Mitchell can go suck his own balls. He knows nothing about the mess this was the last time. Stop trying to save your own ***!
9 May 2012, 20:33 pm
I think geographically the Bulls and Lions are closer – so if a new combined franchise is formed using these two teams, it could be renamed the ‘Bloins’ or just ‘Bullsh&$@ for short.
However should Mitchell and Naka ever team up – as I’ve been told in a thick Afrikaans accent – da sharks will never win da cats! Maybe that should be changed to the Kings instead…. Cannon fodder anyone? I can’t imagine how Saru plan on guaranteeing the Kings will be competitive as they claim.
9 May 2012, 20:51 pm
@Murrayz(Murrayz)-90: Playing the Kings will be like a bye,except your team will get 5 points instead of the 4.
9 May 2012, 20:56 pm
And possible injuries.
9 May 2012, 20:59 pm
@Treehugger(Treehugger)-92:
Yeah…there’s always that.
9 May 2012, 21:37 pm
@Murray, lol. Geographically it makes sense and the majority lions fans turned into bulls fans in the last 10yrs… Go the Blions!
9 May 2012, 21:57 pm
So at the end of 2013 when the ‘Kingzzzz’ have lost every game by 50 -100 points and end up with only their bye bonus points (that’s why it was introduced right?), will Saru admit defeat and force a merge with the Stormers or Sharks to form the ‘Stings’ or the ‘Coastal Sharks’. Realistically the best solution is an annual relegation. This will keep the Kings in the second tier where they belong as a feeder system. Go the Bloins!
9 May 2012, 22:06 pm
@RugbyStudent(RugbyStudent)-51: you are a twat or most likly stealing time on you dads pc, the EC sold their Super comp rights to the Sharks many moons ago.
They had their chance but mismanaged it into bankruptcy.
9 May 2012, 22:07 pm
@Slappes
Bulls=Blou Bulle (korrekte spelling) Merged with
Lions=Loins (unmentionables bits below the bulls legs)
Yields the latest franchise the ‘Bloins’!
9 May 2012, 22:10 pm
@Sasuke(Sasuke)-54: Sasuke another koos talking k@k there were 6 boks in the line up, where is the WP depth? o yes in Canada I see they got a Cannuck to help them out.
If the Stormers get knocked out in the Play offs are you going tov say it was a watered down S15?.
9 May 2012, 22:23 pm
@Kat(Katsesnor)-81: Here is ONE Lions supporter who got some common sense occupying his brain.. and not this wishful thinking emotional hogwash slapped around these pages.
take a bold step FORWARD for once in your goddamn lives and STOP hearkening after YESTERDAY..!!!
9 May 2012, 22:28 pm
@skopskiet(skopskiet)-99: Kat = Keo incognito
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