Bookies back Cats merger
18 May 2012
You can bet on the Cheetahs and Lions playing as the Cats next year.
Voltbet.com is offering odds of 1-1 on this happening, with 5-2 odds of the five existing SA franchises playing again next year (ie, no Kings), 5-1 odds of all six SA teams getting in, and 6-1 odds on the Kings coming in for the bottom-placed Lions. Less likely, according to the bookies, is that the Kings merge with another team (10-1) and a team other than the Lions makes way for the Kings (50-1).
A recent article on keo.co.za said a return to the Cats would be the best way for Saru to accommodate the Kings next year as both Johannesburg and Bloemfontein would continue to have Super Rugby (four home league matches each).
Saru met with the five existing SA franchises on Thursday, but were again unable to come up with a solution. They will meet again on Monday, with a final decision being made at a general council meeting on 13 July.
Saru CEO Jurie Roux said that ‘everyone agreed that we must secure a solution that does not damage the existing franchises’, which suggests no team will be relegated.
Saru would not confirm that the Kings were still guaranteed their place in the 2013 Super Rugby tournament, which had been given to them after all 14 unions voted in favour of their inclusion at a special general meeting on 27 January.
94 Comments
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18 May 2012, 14:12 pm
@zoo cleaner(zoo cleaner)-49: Never been there, but as far as I understand, Coca-Cola park and surrounds is a sh*thole. Nobody wants to go there anymore. The “other” supporters will probably stay at home and watch TV. So much for “bums on seats”. Correct me if I’m wrong here please.
18 May 2012, 14:13 pm
If there is a merger then the Cheetahs should be the main franchise holder with the Lions joining then on a temporary basis.
The Cheetahs have not given SARU any reason to mess with them, they have consistently finished above the Lions, they have better coaching staff and are able to get more out of less, both financially and in terms of team performance.
Add to this the Lions very public inability to manage it’s equity partners as well as their financial and legal woes then it just doesn’t look good.
18 May 2012, 14:16 pm
we shouldnt have 6 teams in the Super Rugby contest. We shouldnt even have 5.
4 max, 12 in total. Super 12 was a much better product.
18 May 2012, 14:17 pm
Not fair on the Cheetahs that are doing quite well this year.
Also the travel factor for players must be a nightmare. Once again it will be living in a suitcase for those players if they merge.
18 May 2012, 14:18 pm
@TooMuchRugby(TooMuchRugby)-51:
Yip, its not in a pretty place but there are park n rides where the busses take you to the stadium. It does lack a post-match atmosphere because of it, which FFS has in abundance.
But if there are good games going on people will go. Test matches are still well supported despite the Park’s location.
If the team is good enough, the people will pitch up.
Personally I’d prefer it if the Park was dumped for FNB and the area around FNB developed for post-match festivities.
18 May 2012, 14:18 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-52: Bloemfontein is not commercially viable. Simple as that. It’s a sponsor’s nightmare. It’s where SuperRugby teams go to die.
If they merge, the new headquarters must be in Soweto.
18 May 2012, 14:32 pm
The simple fact is there should be no merge. The Cheetahs are good enough on their own.
18 May 2012, 14:34 pm
yes in Soweto because black people just loves their rugby! wtf! its rugby – not kaizer chiefs vs pirates
18 May 2012, 14:40 pm
@grant10(grant100)-58: Well done. You managed to cram six mistakes into barely a line of text.
18 May 2012, 14:41 pm
maybe they should merge the Bulls and the Kings. The Buls have 8 Eastern Cape players in their team right now, they’re practicaly merged already
18 May 2012, 14:42 pm
@grant10(grant100)-58: dont be a bigot. come watch a rugby game here in the eastern cape and then tell me about what black people love.
18 May 2012, 14:48 pm
roobarb …. a harlequins and progress game? where a young kid was killed – rugby violence! no thanks
18 May 2012, 14:51 pm
@roobarb2(roobarb2)-61: he unfortunately is from the eastern cape…michael killian moered him during a game and he never recovered, now he trolls this site stealing other people’s nics because he is to dom to come up with his own.
18 May 2012, 14:53 pm
Hmm, Bookies,
Aren’t these the same people who destroyed Hansie.
I say kill the bookies. Kill the Lions. Let everyone else kill the Queens.
18 May 2012, 14:54 pm
@grant10(grant100)-62: doos, the motherwell rugby team that just recently lost 5 players who drowned at bluewater bay beach is what roobarb is on about, 1 incident is not indicative of the whole eastern cape
doos!
18 May 2012, 14:54 pm
transformation aren’t you suppose to be at a Cosatu meeting throwing stones or something? nou kom praat jy k@k hier. ….
18 May 2012, 14:55 pm
@grant10(grant100)-58: You can’t move the Wildcats to Soweto. The Bulls have way more support there than the Lions
18 May 2012, 14:57 pm
transformation where did he mention players who died? f*cknut?
18 May 2012, 14:59 pm
@grant10(grant100)-66: no, my name is not patrick craven
18 May 2012, 15:03 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-65:
BTW. Did Chilly and Werner delivered your paper yet after your comments about our blue eyed boy
18 May 2012, 15:04 pm
@grant10(grant100)-62: you strike me as the type of person who could look at a beautiful rose garden and only see the thorns.
18 May 2012, 15:08 pm
It would be awesome if the queens had a accident somehow during next season. like a plane accident or something haha wipe those quota ******** out and then we forget bout them problem over
18 May 2012, 15:10 pm
@grant10(grant100)-68: where did he mention harlequins vs progress? come watch a match and you jumped to the one that was marred with violence and a child was a victim, coincidence?
doos!
18 May 2012, 15:11 pm
@Atlas(Atlas)-70: nee
18 May 2012, 15:12 pm
@Blitzbok(Blitzbok)-72: Alucard you’re a shithead!
msunu wakho
18 May 2012, 15:14 pm
I refuse to go to Ellis Park unless it’s a Bok vs NZL game. If the Lions sold Ellis Park and moved to Soccer City people would go (I know I would).
The Lions aren’t tapping into the huuuuge Sharks and WP market in Gauteng. Look at Loftus, if the Sharks or WP play 40% of the fan’s aren’t in blue. The Lions refusual to move from Hillbrow keeps those fans out, even when their own team is playing.
There are a couple guys with their fingers in the Ellis Park pie who are stopping what really is a no brainer.
18 May 2012, 15:16 pm
@Blitzbok(Blitzbok)-72:
Wow, somebody has Daddy issues. Poor little man (sorry, I mean boy).
18 May 2012, 15:16 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-74:
We don’t always see eye to eye, but if you’re in Pretoria I’ll have some losie tickets for you.
18 May 2012, 15:18 pm
transformation, its not a once off incident … it happens every weekend
18 May 2012, 15:22 pm
@roobarb2(roobarb2)-60: I suspected as much. Please remind me again who they are
I can think of Dewald Potgieter, other Potgieter, Ndungane, Vermaak maybe?
18 May 2012, 15:23 pm
@grant10(grant100)-79: It also happens in the Western Cape. Should the Stormers be no more as a consequence? And surely then you realise that violence cannot happen if no one supports rugby, thus negating your own original argument.
18 May 2012, 15:24 pm
@CenturionShark (aka LondonShark)(londonshark)-76:
The Lions had a chance to move Ellis Park to the north in the early 90′s
They opted not to, now they are in the crapper
I won 4 tickets to Ellis Park a few weeks ago, and just won’t go
Not because the Lions are k@k, but I don’t want to go to that s.hithole
18 May 2012, 15:25 pm
@Atlas(Atlas)-78: well your team is out of town so it’s a pity as i’m off to jozi this evening…would love to go to loftus.
18 May 2012, 15:27 pm
@TooMuchRugby(TooMuchRugby)-80: zane, ndungane, basson, dewald, jaque, jj engelbrecht
18 May 2012, 15:27 pm
@Atlas(Atlas)-82:
Yeah, it’s sad really. The last game I went to was the Bok-Aus game (where we smashed them 53-8).
Once you in the ground it’s cool, but stuff it’s a ***** getting there!!!
18 May 2012, 15:36 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-84: I think Vermaak is from somewhere in the Karoo maybe
18 May 2012, 15:37 pm
And so is Elton Jantjies (Yes I know – not Bulls)
18 May 2012, 15:40 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-83:
Open invitation
@CenturionShark (aka LondonShark)(londonshark)-85: Never been there. Don’t wont to. Loftus is in a secure place.
I always feel save
18 May 2012, 16:12 pm
@TooMuchRugby(TooMuchRugby)-80: JJ Engelbrecht, Rayno Gerber, Kirchner, Ndungane, altwee Potgieters CJ Stander, Stegman
18 May 2012, 16:43 pm
Michael Killan of the Lions is also from the Eastern Cape.
18 May 2012, 16:53 pm
SARU will shaft the Kings the same way they shafted the Spears and basically handed the Lions years of unbridled mediocrity….watch!
South Africa: Rugby Plot Fails to Douse Spear’s Super 14 Hopes
Business Day (Johannesburg)
September 23, 2006
Posted to the web September 24, 2006
Craig Ray
Johannesburg
SA RUGBY’S attempt to buy out of its commitment to include the Southern Spears in the 2007 Super 14 season has stalled. Saru had hoped to acquire large stakes of the commercial arms of unions that own the troublesome franchise.
It was anticipated that SA Rugby would announce the purchase of 25,1% of shares in Eastern Province and the South Western Districts Eagles. The national body was also expected to make public the acquisition of a further 24,9% stake in each union through the purchase of shares from South African Investment Limited (SAIL), which would have given them a 50% stake in each union.
This would have given Saru enough power to exercise a controlling interest over the Spears.
But on Friday night it became clear that EP and the Eagles had declined the offer. SAIL representatives were not available for comment.
Saru had earlier received written confirmation that the Border Rugby Union, the third partner in the Spears franchise, would sell its shares to them.
But shareholders of EP and the Eagles have refused to budge until at least Tuesday.
That is when Saru’s application for leave to appeal the August 4 decision of Judge Dennis Davis — who ruled that the Spears have the right to play in the 2007 Super 14 — will be heard.
The judge also ruled that the Spears were due compensation for missing out on the 2006 Currie Cup. If is successful in their application, the matter could spend months in court.
The Spears are claiming R7.5m in damages in a counter-suit for losses incurred after being eliminated from this year’s Currie Cup.
18 May 2012, 17:39 pm
@RL(RL)-11:
Or 80% of little lulu’s salary. He is worthless as it is as a rugby player and human being
18 May 2012, 18:54 pm
@72 Blitz
That’s naïve of you to think the Kings players
will be majority black. The reality will be very different
And by the way how are the lions & cheetahs faring with all those “non-quota” players
18 May 2012, 19:03 pm
@TMR 51
Being @ Ellis is a bit jarring (for me at least). There’s never enough people there for that atmosphere or spark in the air that should accompany a SR match
Unfortunately its right next to one of the seediest neighbourhoods in SA. No pre-game or post-game buzz can flourish next to a filthy slum
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