Saru’s Super Rugby solution not set in stone
23 Aug 2012
GARETH DUNCAN says while most of South Africa bemoaned Saru’s decision-making in accommodating the Southern Kings next season, many missed the fine print.
On Thursday last week, Saru announced that the Lions would be relegated from the South African Super Rugby conference in order to make way for the Kings. This was the decision voted by majority of the 14 unions at the annual general meeting, after no other suitable solution could be drawn up after months and months of negotiations and emergency meetings.
Saru also announced its promotion-relegation initiative, which will allow the Lions to compete for a Super Rugby place in 2014 as they’ll face next year’s last placed South African franchise in a play-off.
Many pundits see this as a lose-lose situation. And they are right.
Let’s look at the Kings.
It’s ridiculous to expect them to escape the wooden spoon in their debut season (well, at least in the South African conference which was the strongest group in this year’s competition). Super Rugby trends have proven that the newbies don’t do well during their early years. The Melbourne Rebels and Western Force finished last in their debut campaigns and still feature in the bottom half of the table every season, despite the odd upset victory. The Lions and Cheetahs haven’t fared much better since splitting from the Cats initiative in 2006.
The Kings will also struggle to recruit the necessary player base to be competitive at Super Rugby level. High-profile names will be hesitant to sign a one-year contract as the Eastern Cape franchise can’t guarantee tournament participation in 2014.
Saru’s answer to the media’s question of the Kings not being given enough time to carry out the necessary plans to ensure they will be competitive in 2013 was that the confirmation on their exclusion was made ‘several months ago’.
If this is so, the national administrators handled the situation poorly.
There were several stories that speculated the Kings were going to be dropped at the last minute. This including the report from the Weekend Argus in July that Saru offered the Eastern Cape franchise R40 million to stall their Super Rugby ambitions until 2016. If this was false, why didn’t Saru come out publicly and denounce these rumours?
This did the Kings no favours.
Kings boss Cheeky Watson has complained that they’re not happy with being given only one season to prove themselves. But Saru CEO Jurie Roux has revealed a way for them to extend their stay.
While most of the media focused on lamenting Saru’s decision, Roux confirmed that if the Kings received the majority vote to have an extended stay in Super Rugby at the next annual general meeting, and if this was passed by Saru’s executive council, then it would be granted.
Roux did, however, add that this is unlikely.
When it comes to the Lions, they’re in a very tricky situation.
While they’re in the Super Rugby wilderness, they’re also in trouble financially as reported on keo.co.za on Wednesday.
Saru confirmed that they are in negotiations with powers up north to see if the Lions could compete in any European competitions in 2013, but this is unlikely to happen as the European season starts in a couple of weeks.
However, Roux revealed a way for the Lions to feature in Super Rugby next season. He said the South African franchises are ‘businesses’ and they are allowed to run their ‘businesses’ as they’re pleased. So if the Lions were to amalgamate with another South African franchise, this would be allowed.
The only issue is, who would want to merge with a franchise in financial turmoil? The Lions have shot themselves in the foot (maybe even the chest) in the way they’ve run their business.
Saru’s Super Rugby solution is not set in stone. The Lions and Kings are likely to appeal its current terms, but the national union is unlikely to budge. If possible, the franchises should look at the fine print to solve their woes, more so the Kings.
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623 Comments
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24 Aug 2012, 10:05 am
Indeed Jerry.
Series win to secure it would be naaice.
24 Aug 2012, 10:06 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-548: well atleast we can admit to being 2 people, you fighting us as 3 people
fugging multinickers 
and someones revved up??
BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA must be goodstuff, he googling like crazy to get some facts
24 Aug 2012, 10:06 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-548: Middle aged…? How farken dare you little geekyfucker…. Call me an oldcunt or nothing…
Farken “middle aged”… what kind!?
Now go dry your legs for round two…
24 Aug 2012, 10:07 am
@Heavens Game-545: when she blows through the gap in teefs it sounds like a kettle boiling
24 Aug 2012, 10:08 am
@Heavens Game-553:
24 Aug 2012, 10:08 am
@Heavens Game-532:
Ja, money in the coffers for the semi-final but the fat cats catering bill just farked everything up.
24 Aug 2012, 10:09 am
@gunther-539: no comment
24 Aug 2012, 10:09 am
Need to pop out for some smokes… Will be back shortly to proceed shagging these little fairies
24 Aug 2012, 10:09 am
@gunther-551: hiyas boet, you okes ready for tomorrow?? lol gonna be a good game
24 Aug 2012, 10:10 am
What ever.
The two of you are boring verby.
Got each other’s wangers stuck in each other’s gobs.
24 Aug 2012, 10:13 am
@Dawn-560: “boring verby”… you mumbling now… You sure you haven’t got a wanger stuck in your’s. Sort of hooked on gap…
24 Aug 2012, 10:14 am
@Dawn-560: Dawn stop talking about PeePee’s we understand you dont get any thus you keep talking about,
24 Aug 2012, 10:15 am
@gunther-551:
They moered the Aussies 4-0 so they up for the challenge.
Wonder how KP’s doing. Saw an interview on youtube recently. Me thinks his a few floats short of a parade.
24 Aug 2012, 10:15 am
the mulitinics are running away
ag shame !!!
24 Aug 2012, 10:16 am
24 Aug 2012, 10:17 am
@Heavens Game-558: Nope, you are going to wipe yourself off…..
@sharks_lover-552: Now I am a multinic army?
Powerful. Now that HG is gone, I am guessing you will revert back to blaming all Stormer and WP fans for ‘causing trouble, swearing, and being mean’ ….Alzheimers is afuckingwonderfultooltoaidpleasers.
24 Aug 2012, 10:17 am
@Jeraldjay-563: yeah to be honest KP has serious issues,
24 Aug 2012, 10:18 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-566: calm down peewee multinic
24 Aug 2012, 10:20 am
@Dawn-560: I won’t deny them that. And neither should you. At their age and with their social skills, I reckon one takes a BJ whatever way one can get it.
24 Aug 2012, 10:20 am
@sharks_lover-550: “Stormers got P@esklapped” No I think that was the sharks in the final, was it a 30 point margin?
24 Aug 2012, 10:21 am
@sharks_lover-567:
He probably can handle the ECB officials but his teammates don’t want him back.
Troubled soul…
24 Aug 2012, 10:21 am
@sharks_lover-568: Pop quiz: When last did you have an original thought?
24 Aug 2012, 10:22 am
@goodstuff-570: Sharks_sodomiser only sees and believes what HG tells him.
24 Aug 2012, 10:22 am
@goodstuff-570: considering what the Sharks had to endure to play you at Newlands??? trust me that was P@esklap
Anyhows you shoudnt be getting yourself involved in this, you are not aware of where this all comes from
24 Aug 2012, 10:23 am
@Jeraldjay-571: yeah, so arrogant, not saying the ECB are innocent, but a player should know his place even though there is alwayts 2 sides to a story
24 Aug 2012, 10:25 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-573: hey Cnutplug, stop assuming you know me, just because you Capies love playing is the **** does not mean we all do
Fugging broke backs
24 Aug 2012, 10:26 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-573: and you wanna see a sodimiser?? look no further then ur parents, thats where you were born from
24 Aug 2012, 10:28 am
@Jeraldjay-571: Thing is did he even think before tweeting what he did?? or what he said?
24 Aug 2012, 10:28 am
@sharks_lover-575:
When anything is communicated in writing whether it is via texting, Facebook, Twitter, blogging or e-mail you should think before punching in a keys.
Then pen will always be mightier that the sword.
24 Aug 2012, 10:29 am
@sharks_lover-575: Hamburger flippers should also know their place…
@sharks_lover-574: What the Sharks had to endure? FuckmeyouarethewimpiestwashiestsupporterEVER. Endure? Tell us what they had to endure, please do? Were they tortured, nails torn out, electrodes attached to their genitals, bamboo shoved up their nostrils? Melodrama of the highest calibre.
24 Aug 2012, 10:32 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-569: Exactly… Now, daahling you are welcome anytime…. Come to Daddy… It might be shrivelled, granted, but its still a mouthful.
24 Aug 2012, 10:33 am
@sharks_lover-574: I don’t have to know, but I could tell you guys got your facts messed up about the attendence so I set you straight. Seeing as you were calling for prove and now that you have it you two are bitching like two 40 year old virgins getting their backs waxed.
24 Aug 2012, 10:34 am
@sharks_lover-576: Swiss finishing school for you old man. @sharks_lover-577: My parents have exactly what to do with your issues with me? Just curious. But on the flipside, you have just signed the permission slip allowing me to bring your wife and children into any future insults I might wish to throw about.
Would I do it though….no. Could I do it….yes.
For one that spends so much time attacking others about their behaviour and ‘class’, you seem to have the trailerparktrash blueprint **wink wink**
24 Aug 2012, 10:35 am
@Jeraldjay-556: Ja, from the looks of Oom Tobie, he has a catering budget all of his own…
24 Aug 2012, 10:36 am
@goodstuff-582: only fact here is you are showing yourself to be one very stupid prick, but as you wish no problem,
24 Aug 2012, 10:37 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-583: Doggy dishing threats…
Doodums, is she getting angry…
24 Aug 2012, 10:39 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-583: NA you showed yourself as the gutterqueen a long time ago, but i see i am getting under your skin, keep stressing cnutcucumber,
24 Aug 2012, 10:39 am
@Heavens Game-586: YUP,
24 Aug 2012, 10:39 am
@goodstuff-582: “calling for prove”… you mean “calling for proof”….
Just setting you straight… porky
24 Aug 2012, 10:40 am
@Heavens Game-584: Ya old Tobie looks like the michelin man
24 Aug 2012, 10:40 am
@goodstuff-582: Mate, Sharks_sodomiser can’t help himself. The closest he gets to any ‘****’ at all, is using the word in one or two of his posts. Allow him this simple pleasure please.
(Ignore it…..it’s just the curse of being a middle aged bling king)
24 Aug 2012, 10:45 am
@sharks_lover-587: Under my skin…nope. Tickling my brain – yes. From a purely scientific perspective of course….
How is it that an old man, (who probably has grandkids, or great grandkids), finds pleasure in ‘putting on his man disguise’, ‘pulling his sword’ and acting all’Braveheart/Shameless’ on an internet blog?
There is a study in this. Fact.
Anyhow, I have to be off for now. It’s been a pleasure.
24 Aug 2012, 10:45 am
@sharks_lover-590: Yeah…
I also got the slight suspicion that doggy might look like that too…
Her poor hubby… and the much abused sealy under them after a wild “Cape” night of passion…
Point Break – ride them waves of luuurve… and wobbles
24 Aug 2012, 10:47 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-592: Yeah… now fuckoff and go dry your legs for round three… You 2 down already….
24 Aug 2012, 10:47 am
@Heavens Game-589: Ah, pointing out spelling mistakes, a sure sign of running out of legitimate arguments or a tactic used by losers to avoid the challenge put to them.
Hows the wax going?
24 Aug 2012, 10:49 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-591:
24 Aug 2012, 10:49 am
Sheezus… what is wrong with these new fairies here… How I long for the days of the Camps Bay liberation movement… Gwantie and Mini me…. Now those were proper farken fairy legends…
24 Aug 2012, 10:51 am
The reason I don’t post much here is that things don’t change. The same old fickle and childish chirps at province supporters.
Just a gentle reminder that this is a mature site meant for mature people…
The only people who find you funny are yourselves…
Won’t bother posting here, until some people grow up…
24 Aug 2012, 10:53 am
@goodstuff-595: 1. There was no “spelling mistake”… You used the wrong word in the wrong place.
2. It was an attempt at irony – just “setting you straight” while you were in the process of “setting straight”… Capishe?
Ag… why do I bother… You’re as dumbasfuck, what was I thinking – you actually understanding Irony, of all things…
24 Aug 2012, 10:56 am
@Gumboots-598: Shutup Bill… FIFO, alright? Just responding to that fuckface Dirty Harriet… to this geeky little Dogfuck too… and other dumbasfuck hanger onner fairies… Dont come get all righteous you lilly livered twatteroo
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