Sanction Saru’s untouchables
16 Jul 2012
RYAN VREDE foresees no accountability from the South African Rugby Union for the multi-million rand Kings mess.
The Weekend Argus reported on Sunday that Saru will pay the Kings R40 million to stand down from their promised Super Rugby inclusion for three years. This would end a saga that has dragged on for longer than anyone would care to remember. It would further tarnish the governing body’s reputation as one continually plagued and undermined by politics and poor business acumen.
Saru never misses an opportunity to trumpet its professionalism, but has consistently failed on the biggest issues. It remains utterly perplexing that Saru would initially promise the Kings’ inclusion in the 2013 tournament, basing its solution on how a sixth South African franchise would be accommodated in a conference system dependent on an even number of teams, and their ability to bully Sanzar into a favourable format alteration.
Credit must go to Sanzar for not rolling over, insisting from the start that no such change would happen until 2015. This left Saru in a quandary. It initially issued a veiled threat of a boycott if its demands weren’t met. That simply served to deepen Sanzar’s resolve on this issue.
A merger between the Lions and Cheetahs was floated but dismissed almost immediately by the latter. Saru then sought to find alternate solutions, which its best efforts failed to achieve. That outcome was predictable, despite Saru’s insistence throughout the process that it had not painted itself into a corner.
If we accept the truism that rugby has become big business, then it stands to reason that a R40 million payout that stems from a diabolical business decision must carry consequences for the decision-makers, in the same way it would in the corporate world, right? Wrong. The presidents who voted unanimously for the Kings’ inclusion will face no repercussions for this ill-considered decision. They are autocrats and thus not answerable for their errors, even ones of this magnitude.
Saru president Regan Hoskins and CEO Jurie Roux have displayed poor leadership on this issue. There is already a widespread belief that Hoskins lacks the aptitude for his role. But Roux in particular has failed in his biggest challenge to date. In recent months Roux has not missed an opportunity to question the media’s capacity to do their jobs. How ironic it is that he would fall so far short of the base expectation for a leader of his standing. These are the types of decisions that define elite business leaders. Roux will have to work hard to restore credibility to where his lack of decisive leadership has eroded.
It infuriates that Hoskins, Roux and co will not face any sanction for their roles in this shamble. This is not right. It is incumbent upon the sports ministry to launch an independent review of the entire process and punish those responsible for this mess. Failure to do so would amount to failing in their mandate to serve the best interests of the game’s main stakeholders, the rugby public.
The plight of our challengers in their respective Super Rugby matches this coming weekend should be the focus this week. Instead our game’s governing body’s incompetence will steal the show once more.
Pathetic.
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72 Comments
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16 Jul 2012, 11:32 am
@Umlungu(Umlungu)-39:
I agree Roux has to fix this but it is not as simple as you seem to imply
Or maybe you think that if it isnt your option its wrong.
Presidents elect the officials (line Hoskins etc. The Exec appoint the CEO.
Roux has to execute on SARU’s instructions. That is his job.
He also has to look after governance and minimise legal risk (that could come from both the Lions and the Kings)
At the end of the day there are only a few options
a) Convince SANZAR to take 6th side – Not an option till 2016. He has to work hard on this but we wont hear details of confidential negotiations
b) Relegate Lions and compensate them
c) Delay the Kings and compensate them
d) Facilitate a Merger between 2 sides and compensate
e) Have I missed any? – Sure as hell no-one is going to roll over and give up without compensation
I blame SARU 100%, lets make no mistake. I just dont blame Roux.
What I dont get is what specifically has Roux failed to do that was achievabble.
He is pursuing the 4 options above.
One of them has to happen. If none of them happen then SARU get sued. And it is his job to try and stop SARU getting sued.
What else can he do?
I ask that question to Ryan as well.
16 Jul 2012, 11:33 am
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-50: Oops that post was meant for PA
16 Jul 2012, 11:38 am
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-45: nope wrong , with PAt and Frans out??
this should be the Sharks backline
15 Ludik
14 JPP
13 Jordaan
12 Whitehead
11 Mvovo
10 Fred
09 Mcleod
Reserve backs
Reinach
Bosman, covers 10,12
Odwa/Viljoen, These 2 cover FB , wing FH
16 Jul 2012, 11:40 am
JOrdaan will add that Speed factor at 13 that Whitehead seriously lacks, and I aint knocking whitehead, he has been brilliant and does far more good then bad on the field, But to me JOrdaan on form at 13 running the right lines as he does into spaces etc?? could just do the trick
16 Jul 2012, 11:42 am
@Bagel(Bagel)-49: He is not really saying that the Kings won’t take an offer?
16 Jul 2012, 11:47 am
Against the reds i would play
01 Beast
02 Bissy
03 Jannie
04 Sykes/Alberts
05 Bresler
06 Keegan
07 Marcel
08 Ryan
09 Mcleod
10 Fred
11 Mvovo
12 Whitehead
13 Jordaan
14 JPP
15 JPP
16 Burden
17 Herbst
18 Alberts/Sykes
19 Botes
20 Reinach
21 Bosman 10/12
22 Viljoen/ Odwa, covering 10/11//14/15
16 Jul 2012, 11:47 am
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-56: eish, 15 is Ludik
16 Jul 2012, 12:42 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-53: I didn’t realise Jordaan was fit, hence I would have played Pat at 12. I realise he’s also not available tho.
16 Jul 2012, 13:06 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-58: hiyas M, yeah JOrdaan is Fit, played the last 7 minutes in last weekends match
16 Jul 2012, 13:18 pm
frans steyn will be badly missed.
already one of the best players ever SA has produced in my opinion.
will be central to any bok success in the coming 5 years.
16 Jul 2012, 13:20 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-10: The verdict is still out if we actually did get a competent coach.
16 Jul 2012, 13:26 pm
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-56: Nice team… Will probably be the one chosen. Could be JPP at 13, and Odwa at 14 though, depending on how Jordaan is.
16 Jul 2012, 13:34 pm
@Biscuit(Biscuit)-51:
Roux attends to – or should attend to – the day to day management & administration of SARU – of which the greatest revenue generator to SARU and all 14 unions is Super Rugby.
The capacity – given that – his predecessors at SARU did not demand the 15th franchise in S15 be the EC one and that they surrendered 5% in revenues of the $400m broadcast deal to Australia & NZ – means that he has many other options that can be leveraged.
To begin with it is out of the question that a franchise should sit out with no Super Rugby competition in 2013, 2014 & 2015.
So any merger or relegation is out of the question and will not be accepted by the SA unions.
That means another Super Rugby Lite tournament could be easily put together now – that could comprise of the 3 teams that will join Super Rugby from 2016-2020 – for the Super 18 – who could play various internationals either between each other or with the addition of an Argentine side or Japanese side.
This offers an additional rugby inventory for TV and starts SANZAR to get ready for a 3 X 6 team conference pool competition for 2016-2020 to be trialled and finessed at the same time that the S15 is on the go.
Bear in mind that there are only 8 home S15 games in a season except for the 1/4′s, Semi’s & Finals.
So in effect Roux for and on behalf of SARU – puts SANZAR to task to prepare for 2016 and gets them to pony up some funding in 2012 for 2013-2015 – that should rightfully be SA’s for this Super Rugby Lite tournament.
That could be $5m pa (R40m) as seed capital to secure & sell TV rights and underwrite and invest in making the 3 conferences of 6 teams each a good TV product.
This is where SARU’s focus and in particular Jurie Roux’s attention should be.
Generating revenue instead of haemoragging cash and talk of relegation and mergers.
That is defeatist chit chat – where is the offensive play and innovation from SARU to grow the game in SA and add value for sponsors and us the rugby public as well as the emerging elite players?
Today kids at high school will be tomorrows – RWC 2015 & 2019 – rugby stars.
So let Roux whip off his blinkers and lead SA out of this dark abyss that has been compounded by the folly of past SARU managers and admin personnel.
End it.
16 Jul 2012, 13:37 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-60:
yes, but steyn for cooper is a fair balance.
16 Jul 2012, 13:41 pm
Huge backroom deals being made by the usual suspects. Sheeke’ Watson and his band of baddy brothers are walking away from this laughing all the way to the bank.
The Kings were nothing more than a front for certain actors to receive large sums of money to ‘keep quiet’.
16 Jul 2012, 15:17 pm
There is a solution if the Kings so desperately want to be part of Super Rugby that could work for all.
Rather than including an extra team in the entire competition, why not play conference games up front, at the beginning. SA can include the kings at this stage. The team that finishes last don’t get the opportunity to play foreign teams or take part in the league. Any points gained against the team that falls out will be taken out of a team total league points.
That way there will be 10 games played for all of the SA teams and the weaker team loses out on touring and continuing with their participation.
It wouldn’t change format at all but just the way games are scheduled. They just need to get Zanzar to buy into it and agree on altering the format slightly. For SA, the team that loses out can have their players loaned out to other SA teams to strengthen their teams.
16 Jul 2012, 16:23 pm
@Umlungu(Umlungu)-63:
I dont deny that Roux should be working on the future. That should be his priority, no argument.
Of course we dont know that he isnt doing that
SARU have been awful at grass roots development.
Improvement of clubs is another area wher its gone to pot.
None of these things are easy.
I like your idea of a Super Lite tournament but we need SANZAR buy iin for that.
We need sponsors to step up.
Who else will compete? You need at least 6 sides.
That cant be assembled quickly.
Again its possible that this is being considered
It certainly isnt easy
In the meantime (for 2013 anyway) a plan needs to be made.
And it is as simple as those options I listed
I dont disagree with your priorities.
I dont even disagree with your longer term solutions
The mess took SARU 10 years to create. One cant solve it that quickly.
Not when it requires buy in from the SARU exec and the Provincial Presidents.
We dont disagree much.
I just think you are being too hard on Roux
16 Jul 2012, 16:26 pm
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-10: And yet ironically, even after “tossing the political hyenas a bone”, we still have a totally incompetent coach. As for the idea of paying R40m to keep dinosaurs like Jaque Fourie and Bakkies Botha in the country, enough said.
16 Jul 2012, 16:35 pm
@pierre(pierre)-68:
Why would SARU top up the Provinces payrolls?
Especially for someone quite old like Bakkies
We dont have central contracts like Ireland
Franchises pay the players.
Boks top them up according to a scale.No special treatment.
If the Bulls and Stormers cant afford their rates then they have to move on.
As for the R40m – Given the history we are paying compensation to someone regardless. You cant unwish the promises made 2x to the Kings over 9 years
There are only 3 choices
a) Lions drop out and accept compensation
b) Kings drop out and accept compensation
c) lions and someone merge and both accept compensation
Anything else will be challenged in court
16 Jul 2012, 18:16 pm
@Biscuit(Biscuit)-67:
They are doing their bit for club rugby, something long overdue and something no-one before Roux gave a **** about.
Check here: http://www.ruggaworld.com/2012/07/02/ground-breaking-saru-initiative-for-club-rugby/
16 Jul 2012, 19:33 pm
@Biscuit(Biscuit)-67: how can you absolve Jurie Roux from this mess? Yes he did not create it by what he did was throw pertrol on the flames!
Yes he did not engage the “think-before-you-speak” button when HE announced to the world that Kings WILL play Superrugby in 2013 …… without a kookingclue on how this will happen and without understanding that no way in hell will the haves (existing franchises) step aside for the have-nots (Kings).
Roux is stupid and naieve and is culpable in this mess.
17 Jul 2012, 09:29 am
This is not so simple for the Lions or Kings you cannot sue your employer and then still work for him, it is a delicate balancing act. If the Lions see that been dropped from Super Rugby will collapse the Union then by all means go out guns blazing.The little things that SARU have that show bad faith, the Test at FNB does not go to the Lions coffers it goes straight to SARU, yet the stadium is in the Lions area, Cape Town city council tried this trick with the Saracens game and look what transpired.
If they stood up today and had the balls to say the Lions are out then they would be able see what the consequences of their actions are, maybe it will be like a dominoe effect and they will have the baby to take care of.
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