Saru to blame for Super stuff up
21 May 2012
MARK KEOHANE, in his weekly Business Day column, says Saru should be held to account for the Kings fiasco.
Where is the accountability in the South African Rugby Union for the fiasco that is the 2013 Super Rugby situation? Where is the leadership?
There never has been accountability and there never will be, whether the subject matter is transformation, the retention of coaching intellectual capital or Super Rugby participation.
Saru CEO Jurie Roux told the media that no stone would be left unturned as the national organisation, along with the regional franchises, sought a solution in which no franchise would be prejudiced.
The statement was as embarrassing as the situation the clever blokes within South African rugby have fashioned. If no stone had been left unturned then the situation would not be as it is — with none of the five existing regions in agreement on the apparent agreement that one team would be relegated to accommodate the Southern Kings next year.
The Kings were guaranteed Super Rugby because of promises made to the government, which in turn would financially stand guarantee in the 2011, 2015 and 2019 Rugby World Cup hosting tenders. The clever guys were bullish about telling the Kings they were in because they were convinced it wouldn’t be an issue to get a tournament expansion that accommodates six South African regions.
When the 14 provincial presidents so unanimously endorsed the Kings’ inclusion they did it believing five would become six and not that six would have to fit into five.
It sums up SA’s rugby administration.
Now the fight has been turned into the Kings versus the Lions because the latter are the worst performing of the South African sides — and have been for the past five years. Provincial bias has come to the fore, especially on social media networks. Racism and pure hatred have reared their head, and the Kings and Lions are the target when those who govern and administer the game in SA should be first in the queue.
In an ideal world this situation would never have been allowed to unfold. In an ideal world professionalism would come with accountability.
Those who put South African rugby in such an embarrassing situation should resign, but that will never happen. They will simply be at the next meeting making more unanimous decisions, like the one that reduced the Currie Cup to six teams before another decision a few months later changed it back to eight teams.
And so they stumble on, from one embarrassing moment to another; the very same guys who convinced themselves that SA’s 2011 World Cup campaign was a success.
It should disgust every supporter of South African rugby, but it won’t because the hapless supporter is powerless to influence change. If only Saru was listed and stakeholders actually could make a difference. If only.
Click here to read Keo’s latest SA Rugby magazine column
The chaos in the administration, fortunately, has not been translated to the general competition performance and SA will be guaranteed at least two teams (and possibly even three) in the top-six play-offs in July.
The more immediate focus is the pending three-Test series against England and the selection of Bok coach Heyneke Meyer’s first squad. The world-class players (read Bismarck du Plessis) know there is a Test series around the corner and the rise in standards has been substantial.
The selection area that looks most vulnerable is among the loose forwards — and that is the one area where no one would have figured that there would be any doubt. A month ago Meyer’s headache was who to leave out. Now it is where to find the right balance of experience, youth, power, strength and height.
Schalk Burger, Juan Smith, Duane Vermeulen and Jacques Potgieter are injured. Danie Rossouw is unavailable. Willem Alberts can’t make the Sharks Super Rugby squad and there is more mediocrity than magic among the loose-forward options.
Young Sharks loosie Marcel Coetzee is the exception and he will play many Tests, but his initial role will be from the bench. Heinrich Brüssow should start as the fetcher although his penalty transgressions this season match his turnovers, and Pierre Spies and Ryan Kankowski provide options at No 7 and No 8.
I’d still not discount the claims of France-based pair Joe van Niekerk and Jacques Cronje because of the experience they bring in the enforced absence of Burger and Smith. If the aim is to pick the best team to beat England then look all over the world to fill this team.
SA has so many world-class players here, in Europe and in Japan that if there were no prejudice about where a player was based, there would also be plenty more victories.
I’m confident who ever Meyer picks will be good enough to beat England. We have the players and in Meyer we certainly have a coach with the necessary rugby acumen.
If only it was as easy to say that about the game’s administration. If only.
229 Comments
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21 May 2012, 15:12 pm
“Saru to blame for Super stuff up”
Markus Keo Maximus.
So speaks the ratings/populist/hits motivated/gutter Journo, who calls himself Keo.
Last week it was The Lions fault.
Next week it will be Cheeky’s fault.
But hey ……………………………………..this week he got it right..
Let’s face it,
sooner or later he had to.
21 May 2012, 15:13 pm
@greatest13gerber(greatest13gerber)-148: all the kids that have been picked for all black training group have PERFORMED – retallick, barrett, smith, cane, savea etc – all have stepped up, they’re not there because boofhead hansen earmarked them from high school!
when savea had a kak season last year after being name Junior IRB Player of the Year he never smelled all blacks set up. f(uck sadie – for now – pick robert ebersohn, he is young too and playing WAAAYYY better!
21 May 2012, 15:13 pm
@greatest13gerber(greatest13gerber)-149:
Cmon you are now flaterring Keo’s degree of influence.
Do you really reckon he has many pull at SARU level? He may have pull with on eof the Union Prez (guess who). That’s 1 vote. A vote that would vote for EPs benefit with or without Keo.
Do you think he managed to get all the Union Prez’s agree unanimously to the Kings inclusion?
Did he botch the Super negotiations?
Question his objectivity (I do) but he does not influence SARU in any significant way. You really need to produce evidence that he can influence SARU.
21 May 2012, 15:22 pm
@Biscuit(Biscuit)-144:
“He does not have a huge interest in Watson’s success btw.”
Watson was the 1st player that he signed for his agency. You bet he has some interest in Watson’s success.
But you’re right…..SARU is to blame overall.
21 May 2012, 15:23 pm
@cane(cane)-151: Like a stopped clock, eh?
21 May 2012, 15:28 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-152:
True. This thing about having to play for a specific province, depending on who the coach is, is kak.
Why should Sadie be a special project of the NATIONAL coach.
@Biscuit(Biscuit)-153:
Didn’t he get Straueli fired by SARU?
21 May 2012, 15:30 pm
OK, WAT VAN DIE VOLGENDE OPLOSSING VIR DIE LEEUS. VIR DIE VOLGENDE TWEE JAAR GAAN SPEEL HULLE IN DIE “HEINEKEN CUP” TOT WANEER DAAR WEER N NUWE SUPER RUGBY DEAL GEMAAK WORD OM MEER SPANNE IN TE SLUIT. HULLE KAN N BIETJIE GELD MAAK, DAAR IN N KLOMP VAN ONS SPELERS WAT KLAAR VIR ANDER KLUBS DAAR SPEEL. EK DINK NET HOME GAMES KAN N PROBLEEM WEES HE HE. DIS MAAR NET N VOORSTEL
21 May 2012, 15:30 pm
sal ophou skee sorry
21 May 2012, 15:33 pm
Agree 100% on Saru being blamed. They should have informed everyone that a promo/relegation match be played home and away. This is the right way to do it. As for loosies, you forgetting about Josh who can also play there. Coetzee also a good one. If it was up to me, Strauss it would be for sure. He’s similar to Schalk and will smash the Poms.
21 May 2012, 15:35 pm
@nama1(nama1)-156: remember when white introduced MEYER BOSMAN as the new “great white hype” at 10? he even said he’d been monitoring the Turnstile since he was 16
21 May 2012, 15:40 pm
@Biscuit(Biscuit)-153:
all I am saying is that keo has lobbyed for certain causes such as Kings
21 May 2012, 15:40 pm
I think Gerber needs his Bulls buddies to help him out here because he is losing Sadie debate hands down.We crucified Pdv but now it’s ok for Meyer to select players that are not even the fourth best in their positions.
21 May 2012, 15:42 pm
@greegs(greegs)-159:
Strauss will first have to learn to look around when he has the ball before he can play for the Boks. It seems as if the only thing he knows is to run into the nearest opposing player no matter how many players are on his outside. It may make him look like a “hard man” but he scoffed up some tries not passing the ball when there were overlaps in some games.
21 May 2012, 15:46 pm
@stormerforlife1(stormerforlife1)-162:
Sadie will wear Bok colors…and am picking Meyer this year will select..
Sadie
Olivier
Steyn
Hougaard
Spies
Stander
Kruger
vd Merwe
Chillyboy
Arno Botha
21 May 2012, 15:47 pm
Sadie is like an automatic door…..when a player approaches him he just gives way.At the moment the Bulls can get away with playing Sadie and that other kamikaze tackler M.Steyn in the same team as their pack normally dominates most teams.
21 May 2012, 15:48 pm
@nama1(nama1)-163:
nonetheless – Strauss is the form hooker in the whole S15 by most experts.
To shine in a weak side shows he deserves to be wearing test jumper.
21 May 2012, 16:00 pm
@greatest13gerber(greatest13gerber)-166:
I was refering to Josh Strauss in answer to Greegs p.159.
That answer actually accounts for the Cheetah hooker as well.
He is playing great rugby but Bissie outplayed him over the weekend imo. Always difficult of cause to compare players when one team outplayed the other so much like the Sharks did against the Cheetahs.
21 May 2012, 16:00 pm
SARU, the South African Rugby Union, that is the guys in charge of running and regulatiing South African Rugby are to be blamed for the Kings saga? I am so thankful, greatful beyond too mnay words that Keo wrote this insightful piece!
HEre I was blaming the FBI, CIA, the American populace, the Chinese cabal and evensuspected that there was some sort of co-operation between the French and Osama bin Ladne’s ghost!
SARU, who would have known…
21 May 2012, 16:03 pm
@nama1(nama1)-167:
21 May 2012, 16:22 pm
@Blou Zebu(Jandre)-168:
Bwahahahaha……
21 May 2012, 16:33 pm
Sadie showed a lot of promise last year.
He has had a poor season in 2012.
He clearly has some talent. Whether in the long run he proves to be too small to make a consistent impact in a position ruled internationally by the likes of Jacques Fourie, Conrad Smith, Stirling Mortlock etc. remains to be seen.
21 May 2012, 16:50 pm
Highbury Safika Media (HSM) is a publishing house boasting a portfolio of over 30 magazine titles and numerous online publications. Amongst these are SA Rugby Magazine and Keo.co.za – the website of Mark Keohane and other SA Rugby writers such as Ryan Vrede and Jon Cardinelli.
Keohane has been a public figure since his days as Springbok Communications Manager under the ill-fated reigns of both Harry Viljoen and Rudolph Streauli, until he resigned in protest over SARFU’s handling of the Geo Cronjé racism debacle involving Quinton Davids. Keohane went on to publish a book about the episode and the state of the Springboks in general, and was widely criticized by Springbok players (most notably Corné Krige) as deliberately attempting to sow division within their ranks and to undermine SA Rugby in general.
In recent times Keohane has been busying himself in the extensive business interests of HSM, as well as media relations of other entities, such as Jake White’s Winning Ways – a business partnership which ended in a heated law suit, kept hushed away out of the public sphere. Even more recently, however, HSM -and Mark Keohane in particular – were awarded the contract to manage the media, marketing and public relations of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC). The awarding of this contract was never put up for tender, as is standard government procedure, but was rather awarded directly to HSM (although Keohane states that normal application took place, the fact remains it should have gone to tender).
And this is where the Keo connection begins to reveal itself.
During his time at SA Rugby, Mark Keohane worked alongside the likes of Rian Oberholzer (President of SARFU), Songezo Nayo (Managing Director), Gary Grant (Marketing Director) and the current president of SASCOC – Gideon Sam (Springbok Team Manager).
All four names mentioned above are currently directors of sports marketing company Accelerate Sports, with Gideon Sam being appointed as Chairman. Gideon Sam also serves on the Lotto Distribution Board, but excused himself when dealing with the funding grant to SA Cycling, a grant from which Accelerate Sport received commission to the tune of R 26 million – a blatant conflict of interest.
Accelerate Sport, through their subsidiary Access Facilities and Leisure Management (AFLM), were also awarded the contract as operations manager of the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. It is reported that this contract brings in a whopping R 600 000 a month to the coffers of Accelerate. It is the duty of AFLM to source events to be staged at the stadium to generate revenue and keep the stadium sustainable.
21 May 2012, 17:07 pm
@Divz(Divz)-172: Keohane is a real prick and that is the main reason why he has been fueling the fire of hate, provincialism and racism around this whole Kings debacle. He has the absolute gall to blame SARU now that blood has been spilt. Wee little man must learn that if you play with fire you will get burnt.
Highbury Safika Media (HSM) condones Keo spinning ways.
21 May 2012, 17:11 pm
@Divz(Divz)-172:
“Accelerate Sport, through their subsidiary Access Facilities and Leisure Management (AFLM), were also awarded the contract as operations manager of the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. It is reported that this contract brings in a whopping R 600 000 a month to the coffers of Accelerate. It is the duty of AFLM to source events to be staged at the stadium to generate revenue and keep the stadium sustainable.”
…and of course it is the same stadium that will host all the Super rugby matches of the Kings next year if they play.
This piece now sounding like a person trying to protect his interest, doesn’t it? Could it be that the Kings guaranteed participation next year is not so guarateed after all?
Let the circus continue.
21 May 2012, 17:18 pm
I saw many fantasy Bok teams today. This is the real deal: (I think Meyer will be thinking along similar lines.)
15-Hennie Daniller
14-Geo Aplon
13-Zane Kirchner
12-Jean de Villiers
11-Bjorn Basson
10-Morne Steyn
9-Francois Hougaard
8-Pierre Spies (c)
7-Justin Downey
6-Keagan Daniel
5-Andries Bekker
4-Eben Etzebeth
3-Jannie du Plessis
2-Chiliboy Ralepelle
1-Dean Greyling
16-Bismarck du Plessis
17-Tendai Mtawarira
18-Anton Bressler
19-Marcell Coetzee
20-Ruan Pienaar
21-Frans Steyn
22-Joe Pietersen
21 May 2012, 17:22 pm
@Finfan(Finfan)-175: Are you drunk?
21 May 2012, 17:24 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-176: Not always. Why?
21 May 2012, 17:27 pm
@Finfan(Finfan)-175: Youre a moron plain and simple.
21 May 2012, 17:28 pm
@Finfan(Finfan)-177:
It’s a shocking team mate.
21 May 2012, 17:29 pm
@Finfan(Finfan)-177: That’s a poor team, even for a drunk man.
21 May 2012, 17:33 pm
These are the players that have perfromed in Super rugby this season thus far.
1 Beast
1 Greyling
1 Kitshoff
2 Bismarck
2 Strauss
3 Coenie Oosthuisen (place here cos we have no decent 3´s)
3 WP Nel
4 Etzebeth
4 De Kock Steenkamp
5 Becker
5 Juandre Kruger
6 Cj Stander
6 Kolisi
7 Marcell Coetzee
(7 J Potgieter) – injured
8 Spies (sad but true – only other 8 to perform is Daniel and not sure if he can make it in a test situation)
8 Ashley Johnson
9 Houghaard
10 M Steyn
(10 Goosen)
10 Lambie (will be chosen for ability to cover 10/ 13/ 15)
11 Habana
11 Mvovo (not choosing Basson for his lack of defense)
12 F Steyn (not playing Super rugby but our best 12)
12 Jena de Villiers
13 Juan de Jongh
13 Robert ebersohn
14 Aplon
15 Joe Pietersen
21 May 2012, 17:34 pm
oh and I guess it Pienaar or Fourie du Preez for a possible 9 spot cos the rest of the scummies have been dismal
21 May 2012, 17:34 pm
@>^..^< katman(katman)-180: I normally select Bismarck and Habana when I’m sober.
21 May 2012, 17:35 pm
@Slumtown(Slumtown)-182: You can only select 22 players, moron.
21 May 2012, 17:36 pm
@Finfan(Finfan)-175:
Griquas will bliksem that team.
21 May 2012, 17:39 pm
@nama1(nama1)-185: I know, but not the Poms.
21 May 2012, 17:49 pm
@Finfan(Finfan)-184: 30 for the total squad pipsqueak
21 May 2012, 17:49 pm
Lol.Great stuff Finfan!
21 May 2012, 18:15 pm
@nama1(nama1)-163:
I’ll trade 15 Chiliboi for a one Strauss
Adriaan or Richardt that is
You would have done the same if your money was on line
21 May 2012, 18:40 pm
@Slumtown(Slumtown)-181:
Quite interesting?
So, Daniel isn’t a Test level material but Johnson is?
21 May 2012, 18:51 pm
@Slumtown(Slumtown)-181: Spies should really not be mentioned when talking about our national team. The sooner he is drop from all senior teams the better for all involved. I see that he is included in the majority of teams posted above, I will even prefer Daniel as a stop gap while Alberts is finding form and Vermeulen and Schalk recovering from injuries. He is simply overated and on form the worse loose forward I have seen paying S15 this year. All the young up and coming players have already surpassed him
21 May 2012, 18:52 pm
Should be “worst” instead of worse
21 May 2012, 18:56 pm
@stormerforlife1(stormerforlife1)-165: You can put Spies in the same class. He is as effective as a revolving door when it comes to tackling.
21 May 2012, 19:32 pm
@Finfan(Finfan)-175:
Hi Fin.
Who is Justin Downey? And has Crusty ever played centre?
21 May 2012, 20:07 pm
Why do u guys always get your panties in a knot? We can debate until the cows come home- yet at the end of the day HM’s team can never make us all happy. Let’s wait and see what he pulls out of his sleeve.
21 May 2012, 21:19 pm
@Jeraldjay(Jeraldjay)-194: Hi Gerald. My name is Justin Downey and I am the no 7 flanker for the Cheetahs. I’m probably the best 7 in international rugby but it is not generally recognised as such. As you can gather from my nic, I’m actually a Sharks fan but Strauli informed me that the Sharks don’t need any loosies at this stage. Yes, they have a few but they lack quality. Anyway, their loss, not mine.
21 May 2012, 22:42 pm
1.Beast
2.Bismark
3.Oosthuizen
4.Etsebeth
5.Bekker
6.Brussouw
7.Potgieter
8.Johnson
9.Hougaard
10.Steyn
11.A.Coetzee
12.Steyn
13.De Villiers (c)
14.Aplon
15.Lambie
21 May 2012, 22:49 pm
@SpiesIsWorthless(SpiesIsWorthless)-197: Fark me… You fcked in the head putting Coenie the Pundah at TH when there is a perfectly good tighthead in WP Nel just the other side of Strauss in a Vrystaat jersey… No to mention JdP who farke up Doodpoes silly just this last Sat.
As for bigbum Johnson over Keegan… Definitely fcked in the head…
No to mention AC at 11… WTF!!!
And then Donkey as Captain. WHAT, you trying to lose against the POMS on purpose??????
21 May 2012, 23:04 pm
Hi KEO.
It seems you have been reading my posts.
[Check and date all my previous posts regarding this topic]
This was not your message earlier when you and your spannetjie delighted in winding up the Kings vs Lions tussle that is ripping our rugby apart.
When did you stumble onto your new found angle thatn SA should and must have 6 based on overwhelming numbers that make pro sport possible, and that SARFU are either stupid or were lied too.
Glad I could help.
21 May 2012, 23:17 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-198: I think it’s a pretty exciting team, might not be the best defensively and we can put out a more conservative team more likely to grind the English down but I want to see a new exciting era of Bok rugby. I’d take Johnson over the lightweight Keegan Daniel anyday! The guy is ferocious, big and has great skills, Keegan would get chopped up at test level. I rate Coetzee too, we arent blessed with the most exciting wing talent at the moment but I think he’ll be as good as it gets on attack.
Donkey still has what it takes- his last outing he was the most incisive Bok on the park in a RWC quarter-final coming back from injury.
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