Kings in, Lions out
16 Aug 2012
Saru has confirmed that the Kings will play Super Rugby at the Lions’ expense in 2013.
This ends months of speculation about how the Kings – who were promised Super Rugby entry by Saru – would be accommodated in the tournament. After Saru’s hopes of getting a sixth franchise were dashed by Sanzar, the Lions, who finished last on the combined Super Rugby log this year, were always likely to make way for the Eastern Cape franchise.
The Lions will now have to settle for Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup rugby before getting a chance to get back into Super Rugby by playing a two-legged promotion-relegation tie against the team that finishes last in the SA conference next year.
‘All rugby provinces have been consistently in support of the need for an Eastern Cape team in the Super Rugby competition,’ said Saru president Oregan Hoskins. ‘That decision was first taken in 2005 but their inclusion has twice been postponed.
‘We made a commitment to the Kings to include them in 2013 and rugby has delivered on that commitment. The franchise represents more clubs than any other region – apart from the Stormers – and contains numerous leading rugby schools. It has been starved of top-class rugby competition for a decade and a half and now it has the chance to show what it can do.’
Hoskins said that Sanzar’s decision to grant the 15th franchise to Melbourne in 2011 – rather than the Kings – had created a dilemma for them. He said that the organisation and players had wanted a ‘rugby solution’ to accommodate six franchises in five places and this had been delivered, as challenging as it was for the relegated team.
‘The provinces asked for a rugby solution and we believe that this was the fairest and most transparent method to respond to what is undoubtedly a less than ideal situation,’ he said. ‘We also canvassed Super Rugby players before the start of the season, through the Players’ Association, and this was their preferred mechanism.’
Saru CEO Jurie Roux said that the decision to apply a promotion and relegation system from 2013 was standard practice in sport.
‘We operate promotion and relegation in all our Currie Cup competitions, with the bottom-placed team being relegated unless it wins a play-off,’ said Roux. ‘Our strategic goal is to have six strong franchises covering the whole of South Africa and this decision keeps all of them in play on an annual basis.’
342 Comments
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16 Aug 2012, 18:48 pm
@Dusky-298: Meisiekie, het al is beter as het nog nooit nie.
16 Aug 2012, 18:49 pm
@Horings-299: Ongelooflik kak ja.
16 Aug 2012, 18:49 pm
@David-248: Nice try, David. The one team you conveniently cite as your example of smaller unions who get to participate in Super Rugby also happens to be the ONLY one. Who else, other than the Griquas, sees any action? Griffons? Valke? Leopards? Eagles? Boland? SWD, before they were dumped by the Stormers? No? Thought not.
16 Aug 2012, 18:50 pm
@Horings-301: Hou styf vas aan dit – want dit gaan omtrent al wees wat die Bulle sal he
16 Aug 2012, 18:52 pm
@Dusky-290:
Ons het Juandre en ‘n paar ander goeie spelers ook, dis ‘n jong span en hulle het die jaar goed begin toe HM nog in beheer was
Toe gaan hy na die Bokke toe en FL neem oor
En FL suig donkie
16 Aug 2012, 18:53 pm
@katman-303: Jy stem seker nie saam met my punte nie, maar sien jy darem dat daar ‘n argument kan wees vir die Kings om ingesluit te word.
16 Aug 2012, 18:54 pm
@victoriabok-305: Stem saam met jou oor FL. Wat dink jy van Pine Pienaar?
16 Aug 2012, 18:56 pm
@victoriabok-305: Ja – ek trek maar meestal Horings se been. Die Bulle het goed gedoen hierdie jaar. Na al die spelers wat hulle verloor het – het niemand vir hulle ‘n kans gegee nie en hulle het die top 6 behaal. Ek is net nie so mal oor die spelers wat julle ouens dink die plek van Bakkies, Victor, Fourie en co. gaan vat nie. Ek dink hulle is maar almal ‘average’. Ek is bevrees die Stormers het die nuwe Bok ‘bloed broers’
16 Aug 2012, 18:56 pm
@Horings-306: Is jy gerook?
En daar kak Duminy.
16 Aug 2012, 18:56 pm
Jissus JP. What a stupid shot. First over with the new ball. And Graeme smith’s expression said it all.
16 Aug 2012, 18:56 pm
@Horings-307: Het Pine al sy Audi R8 gekry ? Gee vir hom een laat hy kan fokoff.
16 Aug 2012, 18:56 pm
Well batted JP.
Fark.
16 Aug 2012, 18:57 pm
Forking hell.
Not clever.
16 Aug 2012, 18:58 pm
What’s all this Afrikaans
So “people like” Trans can’t understand
Anyhow. Vok voort vir volk en vadeland.
16 Aug 2012, 18:58 pm
wonder if the sharks will get their cash back?
16 Aug 2012, 19:01 pm
Skiet polisie…skiet !
16 Aug 2012, 19:02 pm
dronkgat is nou ook hier
16 Aug 2012, 19:12 pm
Ja skiet hulle
16 Aug 2012, 19:13 pm
@Dawn-314:
> So “people like” Trans can’t understand
Moenie worry nie Dawn, with Transie’s MPD on this site there’s bound to be a nic or personality that’s proficient in Afrikaans
Who knows, miskien is hy ‘n tannie van Brackenfell of Brakpan as die mood hom vang?
16 Aug 2012, 19:14 pm
Ja. If you say so chunder. If you say so.
16 Aug 2012, 19:14 pm
@charo-315: Why – did you sell them a fake Rolex or a brass ornament that hasn’t been brasso’d enough ?
16 Aug 2012, 19:15 pm
@victoriabok-319: LOL
16 Aug 2012, 19:16 pm
I see now Cheeky is complaining and looking for entrenchment in Super Rugby for 4 years, SARU is hoping the lions will disappear, MTN and SARU will have a good meeting and seen how **** SARU is at negotiation,I am sure to see SARU coming out of that meeting with their pants down.
SARU must go to hell and burn.
16 Aug 2012, 19:16 pm
Them’s Dusky’s words.
“People like you with your entitlement”
16 Aug 2012, 19:17 pm
Die Bulle se span vir volgende jaar gaan hopelik so lyk: Taute, Basson, Serfontein, Venter, Engelbrecht, Jantjies, Hougaard, Botha, Strauss, Potgieter, Kruger, Willemse, Cilliers, Ralepele, Greyling.@Dusky-308: BTW, ek het nou lekker stront gepraat maar ek stem saam met jou oor ons spelers wat die ou garde moet vervang. Kirchner, Steyn, Spies en Flip moet die pad vat.
16 Aug 2012, 19:19 pm
@Horings-307:
Pine is ok, ek dink net nie hy’s ‘n S15 afrigter nie, miskien na ‘n paar jaar van CC
16 Aug 2012, 19:24 pm
@victoriabok-326: Stem saam. Maar hy volg sy eie kop en ek hou daarvan. Hy bring van sy Grey flair saam.
16 Aug 2012, 19:34 pm
@Horings-325:
Ek kan nie vir jou sê hoe bly ek is dat Spies beseer is nie, nou kan iemand wat actually speel ‘n kans kry, tot Cheeky se Devil’s Spawn sal beter wees
Jammer dat Stander weggaan, met hom, die twee Potgieters en Arno sal ons goeie loosies hê
Ons kry ook nou nuwe stutte want Greyling en Kruger kan nie skrum nie.
Dean werk darem in die los, baie harder as Barbie se gespierde useless Ken op agsteman
16 Aug 2012, 19:41 pm
@victoriabok-328: It is so sad that Pierre Spies hasn’t lived up to the talent he showed at schoolboy level. An absolute true athlete. I watched him play as a school boy and he stood head and shoulders as one of the brightest young prospects in South African rugby.
There must be someone that could work a bit more with Pierre to improve those aspects of his game which are questionable.
I cant help but wonder why the shift to loose forward. When I watched him play for Affies he was a right wing, and a flippin awesome one. He was also probably the quickest wing – certainly in Pretoria schools. Can you imagine if Pierre had been brought through the system as a wing – with his physique ?
I dont know whether its mismanagement, or what demons Pierre has running around in his head – but its really a shame that he has turned out to be little more than an average to slightly above average (at best) loose forward.
16 Aug 2012, 19:42 pm
@victoriabok-328: And one cant help but wonder – for his sake, whether Pierre shouldn’t try at a different team. He may suit another teams style better, and his true abilities might surface.
When everything is said and done, he is still a very talented rugby player.
16 Aug 2012, 19:43 pm
@victoriabok-328: Ek hou van Greyling, want hy dra die bal goed en ek hou ook van Kruger want sy workrate is baie goed, maar ons kan ongelukkig nie soveel strafskoppe afstaan soos wat hulle afstaan nie. Ek is wel beindruk met Dawie Steyn. Hy lyk vir my na n meneer.
Rakende Spies. Ek dink nou al lankal hy speel die vekeerde game. In 2009 se finaal teen die Chiefs dan hardloop hy lyne van Olivier se skouer af en maak baie meters. In 2010 teen Engeland hardloop hy van Francois Steyn se skouer af en maak omtrent die enigste linebreak van die wedstryd. Deesdae probeer hy so naby aan die loskrums as moontlik breek. Dit was Guthro, Bakkies, Danie, Gary Botha, ens se sterk punte.
Arno Botha daarteenoor is vir my ‘n baie opwindende speler.
16 Aug 2012, 19:44 pm
@Dusky-329:
Maybe he would have been better as a wins, he’s scared of contact and likes to run free, not get involved in the rough stuff like real loosie
That’s why he never got injured in a few season unlike REAL loosies like Dewald, CJ and Arno
16 Aug 2012, 19:47 pm
@victoriabok-332: I was always impressed to watch him tearing down the wing for Affies and with most of the tacklers being half his size it was quite something to see.
He scored a few ‘Jonah Lomu’ type tries for Affies and used to hand off tacklers like he was swatting a fly. And he is such a nice chap.
Perhaps he should go play a season or two overseas in the mud…..it might bring things into his game and work out some of the devils.
16 Aug 2012, 19:51 pm
@Dusky-330:
No he won’t, look at all the no 8′s, they all play more physical than PS, Vermeulen, Kanko, Baardman etc
Spies should be an impact player, he would be the ultimate impact player, better than Skinstad at his best
16 Aug 2012, 19:58 pm
@victoriabok-334: Have you ever looked at Pierre’s stats ? He is about tall enough to be a lock. I was watching some of the game again of the Bulls vs. Sharks and then Bulls vs. Crusaders and specifically kept my eye on him.
Part of Pierre’s problem with his non-competition in the rucks are his body dimensions and how he enters the rucks. He is so tall – it literally makes it difficult for him to play as a loose forward with the way he is going about things. I am not saying he is the tallest Nr 8 – but someone could help him with his technique a bit.
If you believe Rassie Erasmus, your 8 should be as good a fetcher as your fetcher flank as he often gets to the breakdown first. Hence the fact that Daniel actually makes a pretty decent 8th man. He might not have the bulk to ruck over the ball, but he gets there first and makes the opponents life hell until the big boys arrive behind him. Of course that does bring the occasional penalty.
Perhaps Pierre should be tried at lock.
16 Aug 2012, 20:12 pm
@Dusky-335:
Nooo never, look how physical a lock has to be like Bakkies, Thorne and the like
They must be more physical than a loosie even and do the hard work at the rucks
Spies hates doing it
He should come up for the last thirty minutes and run at the opposition when they’ve been tired out and he could run at the half gaps at speed
16 Aug 2012, 20:22 pm
@victoriabok-336: I dont necessarily share your view though that Spies is incapable of the physical stuff. There is something wrong in his head and to me at least some credit should be given for the fact that he played in the backline at age group level.
He still has some time….
16 Aug 2012, 20:49 pm
@Dusky-337:
I’ve read on the Bulls site that there are rumours of him going to play in France
16 Aug 2012, 21:46 pm
Dusky you’ve totally lost it. Its really big of you to vent your bigotry on an anonymous blog
16 Aug 2012, 23:04 pm
@Dusky-329: Never a truer word said. He could well have been the paler version of a Jomo Lomu in pink or the less rare blue. (I joke of course). But .ths battery runs out, I thought I’d get my penny’s worth in. cheers. And I have a decent ticket for saturday. Eat your collective hearts out manne.
16 Aug 2012, 23:06 pm
@victoriabok-334: that or a wing
16 Aug 2012, 23:14 pm
@TASSIES-341:
The Bulls could move both Spies and Hougie to the wing after 50 minutes and bring Arno and Janno on, it might change the whole game especially with Fouche on flyhalf
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