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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23 Aug 2012, 10:10 am
@Humphrey-43: my point is transformation and development cannot happen over night at any franchise, Sharks were pushed up to CC premier division, did they deserve it? there are points for and against that, hind sight would suggest it was for the best of SA rugby, today we sit with the same situation, Kings now have the opportunity to start that development process, they will now have increased resources to build structures to facilitate their transformation goals, it wont happen over night, it might NEVER happen, but you cant blast them before they have even started trying.
23 Aug 2012, 10:11 am
@MacToogie-40: it’s too late for that and humphrey is not the only one, look at capebull’s 1st 2 posts…all he is looking for are “black players” as if they come off a conveyer belt…
23 Aug 2012, 10:11 am
@grant10-50: Also strong rumours of Cilliers, Butch, and TAute maybe headed Sharks way
23 Aug 2012, 10:13 am
@Humphrey-43:
You’re confusing development with transformation. Without a franchise the EC region has been losing it’s best players which is why they can’t start with a competitive side that includes a majority of black players, when they’ve already moved to other provinces.
23 Aug 2012, 10:13 am
@Transformation-48:
Trans I’m looking forward to seeing the Kings have a go next year, really hoping they do well.
23 Aug 2012, 10:16 am
@grant10-50: Why Rhodes and Maku ? I would rather we go after Cilliers and Taute instead. We have enough capable hookers. Scarra looked very good this past weekend.
23 Aug 2012, 10:17 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-37: blah blah blah what did ja arthur brown do to Boland? he is had the right surname and supposedly the right “business profile” according to you, where did that leave Boland.
Bunker Capital also had the right “business profile” when the bought SWD (Pty) Ltd shares (Pissant was exctatic that he would finally support his HOME province rather than his adopted WP) yet they s.crewed the union up too.
“business profile” se gat!
23 Aug 2012, 10:18 am
@MacToogie-40: Well said !
23 Aug 2012, 10:18 am
@Atlas-45:
perhaps but even with a vote in favour from him it would only be 7 votes?
the lions should have been smart enough to at least sort their franchise partners out the money they owed them, there’s 4 votes right there… how fokkenn stupid.
of course border and ep were always gonna fark them.
so it should have come down to swaying:
boland
griquas
valke
wp
swd
griffons
fs
23 Aug 2012, 10:19 am
what the fools don’t see is that there is NO JUSTIFICATION WHATSOEVER for the Kings’ inclusion, other than to satisfy some “transformation” agenda. They are not even in the Currie Cup premier division, haven’t been for years and have NEVER win the Currie Cup.
Unheard of. How totally undeserved.
They are supposedly there for one purpose and we all know what it is.
What a farce.
23 Aug 2012, 10:20 am
@Transformation-52: Transie , now you are getting there, I agree with you there are only a few black players available , thats why it a problem to field many of them , cause they are not there.If the Kings can over time change this , then I am am all for this.
1 year is enough to fail.
What is conversion rate from school to provincial ?
23 Aug 2012, 10:23 am
@capebull-47:
i think saru themselves said this was how the voting went.
@capebull-49:
huh? i dont understand?
it does?
23 against and 6 in favour?
23 Aug 2012, 10:25 am
@Transformation-57:
ok, but are we agreeing or disagreeing..?..
my opinion is that a dirty businessman was probably going to srew- a dirty union, thats all. the examples you cite are equally apropriate.
23 Aug 2012, 10:26 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-62: Agreed, So Hoskens has only 1 vote
23 Aug 2012, 10:28 am
@Humphrey-60:
there is NO JUSTIFICATION WHATSOEVER for the lions CONTINUED inclusion in super rugby.
23 Aug 2012, 10:29 am
@sharks_lover-53: WP need to try and sign Ruan Pienaar also. Pienaar and Jantjies will make a great combo.
23 Aug 2012, 10:30 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-62:
Didn’t i read somewhere that KDK said WP backed the Lions but Cheetahs turned on them
23 Aug 2012, 10:30 am
@Humphrey-60: Was a time when Eastern Province was a really strong province in the CC (when the Danie Gerbers etc were playing), stronger than Natal and dare I say as strong as Transvaal and OFS. This all changed with professionalism and when Super rugby came to town and franchises started taking away their player base. The game of rugby is traditionally strong in the EC within the schools set up and I’m sure given the opportunity (like the Sharks were given) they could develop into quite a strong franchise.
23 Aug 2012, 10:31 am
@capebull-64:
yip
the final truth of this matter is quite simply that the lions made their bed.
they must now pass away in their sleep.
23 Aug 2012, 10:31 am
I wont be surprised if Saru drop a bomb right before the season starts that the Kings if they finish last in the SA conference wont have to play in the regulation game it will be the next worst performing team.
23 Aug 2012, 10:33 am
@Sasuke-66: Not if the gameplan is to tackle only.
23 Aug 2012, 10:34 am
@bananaboy-68: It could be , but why are the Lions battling
23 Aug 2012, 10:36 am
@sparticus-56: Stormers need Maku as Deon Fourie is set to join Toulon at the end of the season.
23 Aug 2012, 10:36 am
@capebull-49: Doesn’t it?
23 Aug 2012, 10:36 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-69: What would have happened if it was Bulls , Stormers or Sharks, you could have 1 bad year . Or will they say , eg. no the Strompies has not won in 12 years.
23 Aug 2012, 10:36 am
@Sasuke-66: Like Fransie Ruan has an agreement at the Sharks, Thus also early release from his contract when he went to the UK, you will see when he returns it will be to the Sharks
23 Aug 2012, 10:36 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-62:
http://www.rugby365.com/article/49149-lions-led-up-the-garden-path
23 Aug 2012, 10:37 am
@Tarlo-74: Maybe not ?
23 Aug 2012, 10:37 am
@Horings-73: Really?
23 Aug 2012, 10:39 am
Western Province captain Deon Fourie has been offered a contract by Toulon and expects to join the French Top14 club after the Currie Cup.
The dynamic hooker confirmed to this website in an exclusive interview that although he has not signed anything yet, Western Province coach Allister Coetzee knows that he is likely to leave at the end of the year.
“It is still depending on what is going on so I am not going to confirm anything yet.
“Allister [Coetzee] knows that I have had an offer, but I am still focused on the Currie Cup, I am still here until the end of October,” said Fourie.
The hard-working front row forward showed his versatility this season by standing in at flank and No.8 for the Stormers during their Super Rugby campaign, a factor which makes him an attractive prospect to overseas clubs.
Fourie admitted that having played professional rugby in South Africa for eight years he is keen to expand his horizons, and if all goes well he expects to be training with Bakkies Botha, Jonny Wilkinson, Matt Giteau and Joe van Niekerk in France by the end of the year.
“It will be nice, something different. I have been here for eight years now so maybe it is time to move in a new direction,” he said.
23 Aug 2012, 10:39 am
@capebull-61:
“What is conversion rate from school to provincial?”
Opening up a can of worms here.
Tell you what. Make a list of all the u/20 players who won the WC earlier this year. Keep it safe for three years and then have a look who made it to CC at least. Compare the total of white players from this team as oppose to the total of black players playing first class rugby.
I can almost guarantee you that the majority of the white players will play 1st class rugby and only a handful of black players. The real question should be, WHY is the conversion rate so low?
Is it because the coaches at senior level have more faith in a white player than in a black player of similar skills and talent?
Does black players lose interest in rugby after u/20 level? If so, why?
So again, WHY (not WHAT) do so few black player advance to senior level after performing very well at age group level?
23 Aug 2012, 10:40 am
@Horings-73: As a WP fan I’d love to see us get Cilliers, Visagie, Elton and Taute… I feel like that plugs up a lot of our problem areas… Most likely though, Visagie and Strauss will come, maybe Elton (now that catrakillis is heading to Kings) but I reckon Cilliers will go home to KZN and Taute… Who knows. Maybe Bulls, if they tell him Zane is on his way out, but he’d have a better bet at WP, Cheetahs or maybe even Kings. I must say I’d like to see Taute and Goosen in the same backline, sepcially with WIllie le Roux, Sarel Pretorious and Ebersohn around.
23 Aug 2012, 10:40 am
@Te Rangatira-55: thanks mate, it’s a start…it may be awful but it is a start.
23 Aug 2012, 10:41 am
@Horings-80: Heyneke Meyer is like Apartheid. He will get blamed for Fourie’s departure like he is blamed for everything wrong in SA rugby.
23 Aug 2012, 10:43 am
@capebull-72: For the same reason the Kings will suffer if they don’t get it right and why Cheetahs suffer as well and that is that they don’t have the financial clout and brand to compete. The Sharks got it right when they focussed on building a “brand” as this enabled them to buy and build a squad and eventually a “succesful” academy. If you look at the “reach” as it were of the Sharks brand it is by far the most recognised SA brand outside of the country followed by the Bulls (who were aided by their recent super rugby successes) . The Kings will fail if they don’t manage to build the Brand and therefore financial success.
23 Aug 2012, 10:43 am
@MacToogie-67:
ok? 6 votes in favour means only two other unions voted with the lions.
who, i dont know?
wp and bulls? or wp and kzn?
or as supposed in the media bulls and kzn
23 Aug 2012, 10:43 am
@Tarlo-82: And Sadie. With Coenie, Strauss, Brussow, Goosen, Sadie, Taute, le Roux the Cheetahs will have more x factor players than either the Bulls or Stormers.
23 Aug 2012, 10:47 am
@70 patch
23 Aug 2012, 10:48 am
@sparticus-56: Deon Fourie is going to France. Apparently.
23 Aug 2012, 10:49 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-89: Oops sorry, didn’t see that Horings had already mentioned this.
23 Aug 2012, 10:51 am
What is the point of the Kings, they no longer serve a transformation purpose as they have failed to bring black players up to world class standards. That is why talented young black players preferred to join other bigger unions because they know that they will get better development at other unions.
The Kings have had millions thrown at them by Saru only for them to piss it up the wall. I believe that if they used their investment correctly, they could be a competitive super rugby franchise within 5 years, but they need to put a player development programme in place to target age groups and develop winning teams at age groups. Contract these players for 5 years and make sure that you don’t lose them to bigger unions for better pay. If EP can start winning u18 and u 21, they will have a clutch of quality players. Look how well some of the rookies performed, back that up with some seasoned veterans and you have a recipe for success.
But all cheeky can do is to use political connections and force his way in way a union that still in tatters.
In my opinion the lions should have been dropped entirely until they sort out their financial mess and the kings shouldn’t have been admitted.
23 Aug 2012, 10:51 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-86: further down i have a link to the interview with KDK, he says WP did but doesnt mention who else did vote with them. must either be Sharks or Bulls cos he lambastes his “pal” in bloem
23 Aug 2012, 10:52 am
@nama1-81: All relevant questions , maybe something else ,
We are still down to mostly black wings , a few props , almost no locks ?
Bulls have a excellent number 6 played SA schools , be he is like 1.75m for schools thats ok , but later ?
23 Aug 2012, 10:55 am
@capebull-75:
well, it has been done before. wp were relegated because they couldn’t make a cc top 4 place.
i think its a good thing for all the unions to have relegation held over their heads.
we have become weak and soft post isolation.
i say make the unions fight that much harder to stay in the top 4, this should raise their competitivness across the comp.
23 Aug 2012, 10:56 am
@kingcorn-91: you obviously know nothing about rugby in SA, show me one player in the Bok sqaud who hasnt been playing Super Rugby. the lure of SR takes those players away because they know they will never get a Bok, its logical and your argument holds no water.
23 Aug 2012, 10:56 am
@MacToogie-77:
so funny to here kevin moaning about ‘dissapointing’ leadership.
23 Aug 2012, 10:59 am
@MacToogie-95: was supposed to read “will never get a shot at the Boks”
23 Aug 2012, 10:59 am
ag the lions must just ******* off to the desert now like moses and come back surfing a big wave scattering bread from the heavens and carrying a newborn lamb or some such fairytale.
then we will see whose church is stronger, cheeky’s or kevins.
23 Aug 2012, 11:00 am
@MacToogie-92:
hehehe
he’s lambasting his ‘pal’ for srewing him over but conveniently forgets how he screwed the pumas and leopards over.
23 Aug 2012, 11:00 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-96: to be fair on KDK i dont think he caused this mess, he inherited it and is trying to keep it going.
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