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, 18:29 pm
@victoriabok-396: nah, michael jordan, kareem abdul-jabbar, larry bird, chris mullins clyde drexler, hakeem olajuwon, patrick ewing.
23 Aug 2012, 18:39 pm
@Transformation-401:
Steve Nash is from Victoria, do you know him?
23 Aug 2012, 19:32 pm
@Dusky-399:
I agree, although there’d need to be some realignment of the tournaments. The VC runs during the S15 season and the CC after it.
@PissAnt-400:
Tacitus priorities are the complete opposite of the aim of the Franchise system. He sees the franchise as an extension of the Blue Bulls provincial union, whilst the S15 is actually an extension of the Springbok high performance players programme.
23 Aug 2012, 19:41 pm
@David-403:
Yes. And this topic has been ragged to pieces now.
23 Aug 2012, 19:51 pm
@PissAnt-404:
Yes it has. How many years is it now?
I reckon Tacitus is being deliberately obdurate though, just for the fun of it.
23 Aug 2012, 19:51 pm
@PissAnt-400:
It summed up pretty accurately, but those guys from Pretoria understands it just too well
The idea is to buy time by throwing the Lions under the bus in the hope to circumvent the inevitable
What Tacitus said is irrelevant -as usual- it the conduct of the other 4 Unions is what count, as Denton once said: “I am dragging Robespierre with me” (to the guillotine)
Don’t cry for the Lions though they knew it’s coming but did nothing about, so now it will the Stormers’ turn to accomodate Elton Jantjies,,,
23 Aug 2012, 19:54 pm
@David-405:
I have lost count David! Definitely too many.
@Hondo-406:
Love the Denton quote bud.
Anycase folks, I am treating myself and the wife to a whole grain mustard peppered sirloin steak, time for me to get cooking and uncork!
23 Aug 2012, 19:56 pm
@David-403: Actually the structure as it is, is not all bad. It presents a succession plan or else we would have developing players only playing one tournament per year – and then only if they are good enough to make the CC squad.
Also we would be back to a Currie Cup format including all the ‘other’ smaller teams which would raise the argument again as to the value of having games between the big 5 unions and the minor teams. Hardly anyone attends those games or really cares about them and the risk of severe injury escalates when you have semi-professional players possibly playing against Springboks. We dont want more Max Brito’s
We just have to accept that the Currie Cup has evolved (through the Super rugby and Rugby Championship seasons) into a tournament devoid of Springboks. It is what it is.
23 Aug 2012, 20:09 pm
Danton surely ?
23 Aug 2012, 20:18 pm
@victoriabok-402: of course i KNOW him, he is outstanding! he’s just moved to the Lakers.
Nash was born in JOHANNESBURG!
i bet you didn’t know that
23 Aug 2012, 20:21 pm
Indeed Transie his mates call him Bangers.
23 Aug 2012, 20:39 pm
@Transformation-410:
Yes I did
Don’t go claiming him like you did with Federer
23 Aug 2012, 20:40 pm
Vic Matfield says Deon Fourie feels snubbed by his non-selection post Bismarck’s 8 month lay-off
23 Aug 2012, 21:04 pm
@viewer-413:
well maybe he should be looking at his poor basic skills as a hooker, thats what cost him
But then again he is from WP, maybe he feels its his right to just becomde a bok
23 Aug 2012, 21:31 pm
@viewer-413:
When did Matfield say it? Sounds like rubbish to me.
23 Aug 2012, 22:18 pm
@robzim On TV (boots&all on SS)
23 Aug 2012, 22:21 pm
Remember, both tiaan & burden are second choice hookers @ their SR teams. So fourie might take up the toulon contract
23 Aug 2012, 22:45 pm
@viewer-416:
OK, thks.
Victor was probably only speculating as he is certainly in no position to speak on behalf of Fourie.
Anyway, Fourie is a good player- very gutsy, always going flat out, no bars hold, punches above his weight- he is the sort of guy one would love to have on your side in a war.
But, sadly, his basic skills as a hooker are not good enough. In fact, he is probably the worst thrower of the ball into the lineout in local senior professional rugby. It is not only that he is technically a bad thrower, he also seems to suffer from “stage fright” meaning that he usually misses the vital ones.
I do not think Teddy Bear Straus and Burden are even remotely close to world class but under the circumstances I would also have selected them ahead of Fourie.
23 Aug 2012, 22:46 pm
@Robzim-418:
I hear G10 has returned to Keo, is this true or is it the imposter again?
Anyway how are you?
23 Aug 2012, 23:06 pm
@carol-419: it is him…for real. The rants abt John Smit, fetchers…you couldn’t confuse him if you tried
23 Aug 2012, 23:14 pm
i was reading another forum called sharksworld today and discovereI wonder what kd that the poster on here known as transformation posts under the name megatron on that site, and boy what a troll he/she is on that site. seems like he/she has a bit of a chip on the shoulder about the sharks. Poor kid.
24 Aug 2012, 00:19 am
You are fooling no one with your neophyte tendencies Humphrey by dishonestly pretending to be a new blogger on this and other sites when you know you are one of the SharksGang nicstealing multinics who has come up with a new pseudonym since the Keo.co.za webtech was forced to sort out the nicstealing last week. You ask innocent ‘naïve’ questions about being banned for saying ‘nawty’ things to try and con people into thinking you’re ‘new’. There is no way a person new to blogging would dream up whether Transformation on this site and Megatron on the other site are one and the same. The only people who have ever made that accusation are members of the Fritzl Freak SharksGang drunken HeavensShame and his sycophantic bootlickers SharksLover Predawn Fern WoodenSpoon and Dusky. The dishonest old lush SharksLover still cannot make a comment without spitting venom at Wp supporters and players I have proven this to be true on countless occasions now by using his own words to prove him guilty of being the lowlife liar he is and then he has the audacity to criticize other bloggers for the same thing. You and your sardineshoal of copycat cut and paste opinionistas do nothing but troll and look for trouble you are so envious of the Cape and people who live there and are so angstridden about the class and breeding you will never have because your incestuous breeding habits preclude the procurement of quality genes.
SARU should have kicked the Sharks out and let you delusional Nataalians in your Last Outpost of White Colonial Conservative Supremacist Bigotry go it alone and let all genuine South Africans get on with their united national rugby lives while you fools proclaim yourselves Kings of your little corner of Empire and crown your team Champions of the World at the Royal Show. The Sharks are now indisputably the Champions of Cheating Rugby in South Africa. Your New Zealand coaches have brought the concept of Coached Cheating to South Africa and you Nataalians have taken to cheating like vampires to blood because Nataal were never anything more than lucky winners before but now you will do anything to win in your desperation for acceptance to run with the big dogs of South African rugby.
So what if Transformation trolls on SharksWorld as Megatron he is doing nothing different to what you and your SharksGang do on Keo.co.za. Why do all of you not go and blog on SharksWorld where your mutual semantic masturbation will not revolt so many people.
Before you get carried away I do not hate people who live in Natal (even though the province should be called KwaZulu…) but I detest and loath the dishonesty and hypocrisy continually demonstrated and proved by drunken HeavenShame lush SharksLover You and your gang of classless wannabes.
24 Aug 2012, 00:29 am
@Dirty Harry-422: hey Dirty Harry but you are a proven capey multinic you post under the name FckU2 in case you forgot so i guess that makes you a big old toolbox. Seems like you too have issues with life in general and the Saarks in particularly, how long it must have taken you to type that nonsense – what a waste of valuable living time all to only achieve making a fool of yourself (again) you deluded old goat.
24 Aug 2012, 00:56 am
You are a fool my original nic was FckU2 and I added the Dirty Harry when both nics were used on Keo.co.za so that my full name to all posters on this website was Dirty Harry (FckU2) I never hid from anything or pretended to be anything or anyone else then Keo.co.za dropped the bracketed original name which caused the hassles and allowed dishonest scumbags like you to ‘steal’ the names of other users and cause mayhem. I never did that and when the webtech sorted the problem last week by resorting to only the original nics I thought it would be better to use Dirty Harry instead of FckU2 and I even posted that I had reregistered myself as Dirty Harry although the fool Predawn was too stupid to understand what I wrote. So there is nothing dishonest or duplicitous about what I have done on Keo.co.za.
I live a fantastic life and have very few issues in general or with Sharks what I do have a problem with is dishonesty and hypocrisy and will call people who continually exhibit those characteristics it just so happens that on this weblog most of the dishonest hypocrites are coincidentally Sharks fans and you and your Fritzl Freak SharksGang are all dishonest hypocrites.
You do a great disservice to honorable Sharks fans like SharksGirl Puma Rangerman Charo MrBlack and others. You can throw all the insults in the world at me it will not make one bit of difference I am here to keep reminding everyone who posts here that you and your uncouth lowlife SharksGang are the only real nicstealing trouble makers and I will continue to drop in and show you liars up for the scum you are as long as you are on this site so you had better learn to deal with it and me when you post yourshit I will post it right back until you have two choices leave the site or drop the dishonest hypercritical trolling and lying that You HeavenShame SharkLover and your gang of liars do all the time.
The really funny thing is that I am not even a WP fan I just hate dishonest people like you HeavenShame and SharkLover and the trouble and hatred you cause.
24 Aug 2012, 01:00 am
@Dirty Harry-422:
You should’t post more than five lines, no-one will ever read it anyway
24 Aug 2012, 03:39 am
@Dirty Harry-424: Hey brakkie stoepkakkerkie yip yapperkie….you have a serious chip on your shoulder about the Sharks hey ? You a Weer Probeer supporter ? Can’t blame you then….I know the Sharks are public enemy # 1 in the mofkop majority Slaapstad at the moment. You probably used to go on like this about the Bulls as well considering they were the ones that owned you before the Sharks did.
@Humphrey-421: Transformation has multiple personas on this blog, so it hardly surprises me he hangs around on Sharksworld. Mind you there are some prime chops on Sharksworld so I don’t mind if he goes and trolls there a bit. Some a-holes on there deserve it.
24 Aug 2012, 07:19 am
haha i have no idea what you are talkin about Scumbag Harry but i can tell you that your long winded posts do you no favours.
@Dusky-426: i popped on to check it out (Sharksworld) and read a few threads. they don’t like anyone mentioning “keo” and the managment there seem to come down hard on anyone who speaks against the grain. in the one thread they mentioned “transie” is megatron. wow so transformation has multinics here too?
24 Aug 2012, 07:26 am
@Humphrey-427: I mentioned transie is megatron, because it’s true
24 Aug 2012, 07:31 am
@sharks_lover-428: Hey SL, looks like we have a real pom pom girl…
She seems to have taken writing long love letters in the dead of the night…
Apparently she’s “not even a WP fan”
But definitely slightly obsessive it seems…
24 Aug 2012, 07:33 am
Sharks-Lover what did you do to get Scumbag Harry’s knickers in a knot. I’m guessing nothing. Seems Scumbag Harry has a bit of a thing for you.
24 Aug 2012, 07:36 am
someone is on the rag it seems…
24 Aug 2012, 07:40 am
@Fern-431: Fern, looks like you got a mention too…
Not even bluff scruff is spared it seems
24 Aug 2012, 07:49 am
This multinic thing I have raised seems to have exposed a few raw nerves…
24 Aug 2012, 07:50 am
Morning HG
I see that aswell.
It just needs to get laid.
Has the obese car gaurd from Kings Cross been around?
24 Aug 2012, 07:53 am
@Fern-434: I think Poops may have had his meds… all quiet from the Fatty
24 Aug 2012, 07:55 am
Or he has been instutionalized HG,or he suffered another breakdown,maybe Mt Pooper has erupted as predicted by my.
24 Aug 2012, 08:00 am
@Fern-436: Ja, maybe… The Kiwis seem to be a bit sparse at the moment. Cane is around but havent seen much of Hurricane Satriani lately… Maybe they just feeling a bit smug and have no need of defending their team and country’s honour at the moment.
24 Aug 2012, 08:03 am
@Heavens Game-435: @Heavens Game-435: @Humphrey-430:
we be famous,:lol:
Dirty harry is the one and only Al Crappo, tries to act like he is a new blogger
it crawled out of the gutter to make a noise, He is living proof that skunk afterbirth does get to breath sometimes
He runs around trying to twist peoples wors around, now my good fellows dont be suprised when ya find out who it is, see for a while since Stormersz got their asses kicked?? WEEPEE has dissapeared and for the most so has Stormergutterboyforlife,
24 Aug 2012, 08:04 am
Shame, the Cape Vuilgat having a cry ‘cos the sharks are spreading hatered? Yip, a lot of them hate the Sharks for being the best team in the country.
24 Aug 2012, 08:06 am
@Dirty Harry-424: hey bosbaba, only thing dishonest in here is you, hiding under other nics, how does it feel to have a yellow jelly spine??
24 Aug 2012, 08:06 am
@sharks_lover-438: Poodlenaaier?
24 Aug 2012, 08:07 am
@439
I the words of Kurt Cobain
“hate me I dont care”
24 Aug 2012, 08:09 am
@trupisero-439: Yup Trupi,
24 Aug 2012, 08:10 am
@trupisero-441: YUP
thaat one is scum of the lowest form
24 Aug 2012, 08:14 am
you can also see since the WP and Stormers took a couple of good smacks from the Sharks the likes of WEEPEE and POODlefucker are nowhere to be seen accept under new nics, acting like they are new
Let the WP win a game against the BUlls or the Sharks then they will be visible again telling us WP rule the world
24 Aug 2012, 08:16 am
@sharks_lover-444: kakker as kakkerlak kak
24 Aug 2012, 08:16 am
@trupisero-446:
verseker
24 Aug 2012, 08:16 am
@sharks_lover-438: You reckon Dirty Harriet is Poodlenaaier aka stormerforlife aka wnbb….? Maybe. But I have a suspicion that Harriet is another poster – with a “nice” alter ego. I wont name it yet, its just that I remember a comment slipping from said alter ego while the Harriet had just been posting – it was as if it had forgotten it was not posting under the Dirty Harry nic… A case of multinic confusion
24 Aug 2012, 08:18 am
@trupisero-446: daai gemors was op geboorte baie gelukkig, die doktor het gese maak dood, toe dog sy ma hy het gese maak groot, en toe maak sy nog die fout om die nageboorte te laat lewe en nie die uintelike kind nie
24 Aug 2012, 08:20 am
@trupisero-439: “A lot of them”, lol… Naah, on Keo its just one or two in reality – but each have about 4 or 5 different nics… So one = five or two = ten…
Its just that their frustration boils over from being regularly outsmarted and outwitted…
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