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, 10:57 am
@Gumboots-598: AAHHH GUMMYBEAR, funny, typically you ignore the posts of those that have through time started most of those issues you are against, but i am not surprised, you okes love you talk ****, but when it back fires you go into sobbing rants
24 Aug 2012, 11:00 am
@Heavens Game-600: Nope WP double adapters dont see their own little butt plugs starting anything, its fine by them. so ******* typical
24 Aug 2012, 11:02 am
@sharks_lover-602: HG old dawn now hangs onto Capo’s lips, the Same oke who a few years ago called her a slapper
24 Aug 2012, 11:04 am
@sharks_lover-602: Ja, well it looks like we sorted them out chop, chop…. six love
24 Aug 2012, 11:11 am
@sharks_lover-603: Yeah… but Prawny tends to like a bit of nasty… Treat her rough and she comes back for more and more… I reckon it excites her… brings out the whips and chains tendencies
24 Aug 2012, 11:18 am
@Heavens Game-605:
you gotta love how they come cry the injured Bambi?? they fling the insults day in and day out, maar vok hulle kan huil 
24 Aug 2012, 11:20 am
@sharks_lover-606: “maar vok hulle kan huil” Beyootiful
24 Aug 2012, 11:27 am
Heavens Game, Sharks_lover and Mrs South Africa (over 65 category) are walking over a bridge.Mrs South Africa bends to look through the railings, and her head gets stuck. HG sees this, and promptly nails her from behind (it is all over within 25 seconds). When he finishes, he shouts to Sharks_lover, “C’mon it’s your turn”. Sharks_Lover begins crying and says, “My head doesn’t fit through the railings”…..
Stop being such a bender SL, fight your own battles.
(That advice comes to you courtesy of the NGO: “Menshouldbemen”.
Back again later for some more ‘loving’.
24 Aug 2012, 11:27 am
What has blogger’s parents got to do with anything.
Leave it out.
24 Aug 2012, 11:43 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-608: PS… I know you are outraged and flapping more than a little at the temerity of some humble Sharkies… Humble sharkies who have embarrassed you and sent you repeatedly to go and powder your disjointed little nose today…. But please try an original one next time…
:allinthenameoforiginalentertainmentsmiley:
24 Aug 2012, 11:43 am
@Dawn-609: How’s your Mum, Prawny?
24 Aug 2012, 11:52 am
@Heavens Game-610: Outraged no. Amused – very
This certainly highlights the unique relationship Shakr_Lover has with anyone he deems to be ‘powerful’.
I enjoy you fellows. And as for original, when a ‘classic’ is relevant, I’ll be throwing it in.
@Heavens Game-611: I don’t think Dawn will fall for that rather juvenile attempt at ‘stirring’.
Now I really am out for a few hours, but don’t cry for me Thumbelina, the truth is, I never left you…..
24 Aug 2012, 12:09 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-612: “don’t cry for me Thumbelina, the truth is, I never left you…..ROFLMAO, thats more like it
24 Aug 2012, 12:25 pm
I see the stormersaders has been culled.
Beeyyooouuuiiittttiiiffffuuullll!
BOOM!
24 Aug 2012, 18:12 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-612: your are a total joke, you showed your lack of class the day you walk in here, trying to judge me now after i called you for what you are Bwahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaa,
You try telling people ur a lady in here?????????? a bigger BWAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
You don’t deserve even the L in Lady, And again you try to make out you know what i am like and who i like and blah blah blah,
And typically ur just another Stormersader lying sacka ****, you have lotsa nics, Yet you have told some you are new here ??
liar, so you want us to walked in here with that ID as it was your first amd you just had that hate for anything Sharks??? try a new one lady of the street lamps, Class is not a word one would use to describe you, THERE ARE SOME OTHER WORDS I COULD MENTION THAT DOES DESCRIBE YOU TO THE TEE.
As for me, those that know me, knows i am nothing like the person that is telling you what you are, but you and a few of your gat gabbas like capo aka stormerforlife and dawn who likes to walk in here and act cool yet make snide remarks about anything Sharks and of cause there are a few others etc ask for what has come your way in here, suck it up, then again street ladies are used to sucking!!!
24 Aug 2012, 20:32 pm
Jeez, will you potty mouthed Shark filth please take your conversation out back behind the toilets. You carry on like this and not only are you likely to scare away any humans but you’ve just proven the Skop is a shoo in for linguistic sainthood compared to the gutter trash conversation you are indulging in. Oh yes please prove my point by actually responding!!
24 Aug 2012, 20:41 pm
@infidel-616:
In-Fidel?
How deep?
Are you Castro’s toyboy?
24 Aug 2012, 21:52 pm
And that’s your reply, pathetic really….
24 Aug 2012, 22:00 pm
It’s quite hilarious watching the stereotypes. The Stormers supporters can be precious, the Bulls supporter, a little “challenged”, the sharks, well they’re the gutter trash. The Lions are completely deluded (ok maybe it’s shellshock). It appears as if only the Cheeters don’t have an axe to grind but then that’s probably because they never win much.
24 Aug 2012, 22:14 pm
@infidel-619: And then you have the real righteous bloggers… The self-appointed “prefects”… The moralisers, who somehow think they have a monopoly on “thou shalt not”….
Just because they somehow think they are better….
They are wrong of course…
As are you…
Dunce!
24 Aug 2012, 22:21 pm
@Heavens Game-620: And make no mistake… Often these self-righteous moralising emerge under different names – multinic c.unts – and spew libellous garbage of the worst kind…
But this Old HG
He sees thru
He sees thru them all…
24 Aug 2012, 22:26 pm
@Heavens Game-621: sheezus moralising must = moralisers
18 Oct 2012, 15:26 pm
Holy tolito, the sharky strash are out in force on this blog. LOLZ
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