City pulls clever stadium move
23 Jan 2013
Western Province may not want to move, but the City of Cape Town is happy to find creative ways to host top flight rugby at the Cape Town Stadium.
As such, the traditional pre-season friendly between the Boland Kavaliers and the Stormers will be played at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday, 9 February – a move that will no doubt be welcomed by passionate Cape Town rugby fans.
The City and the WP Rugby Football Union have been at loggerheads over the past few years, with the City wanting the union to move to the luxurious stadium in Green Point given the financial burden it has become due to high maintenance costs.
The WPRFU, in turn, argues that it is not its problem, and that it would be too expensive to move from its traditional base in Newlands, which it owns, to the Cape Town Stadium, where it would have to rent.
The Stormers website lists the following pre-season fixtures:
2 February: vs Cheetahs (in Bloemfontein)
9 February: vs Boland Kavaliers (in Wellington)
But the City of Cape Town has secured an arrangement with the Boland Rugby Union to host the game at the Cape Town Stadium.
Both Boland and Western Province will get an opportunity to further test their team’s depth for the Vodacom Cup season, with a curtain raiser scheduled before the main event between a Boland Invitational XV and the Western Province Vodacom Cup side.
With the inaugural Community Cup due to start on 16 February, perhaps it would have made more sense to have seen Boland’s representative in that tournament, Villagers Worcester, take on either SK Walmers or Durbanville-Bellville, the two sides representing WP, in the curtain raiser.
Tags: stormers
140 Comments
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23 Jan 2013, 07:42 am
CT Stadium is a fantastic modern venue at a superb location . But this is South Africa. Putting WP rugby in a position where it is dependent on politicians, such a move would be very dangerous. The same in Durban. The more the money grabbing barstids can put the screws on you, they will.
WP rugby buying out the stadium would be the only way to protect their independence.
23 Jan 2013, 07:42 am
@Tankman-30: the next Stadium that should lose tests is the shark tank, for the last 3 years the turnout for Bok games have been pathetic, a dry spell for 3 years would shake them up a bit.
23 Jan 2013, 07:48 am
@Sasuke-44: Just don’t “poke” him. That would be weird.
23 Jan 2013, 07:55 am
@BrumbiesBoy-49:
yip, they’ll probably PR it as ‘a wonderful opportunity for the people of the Boland see the worlds most beautiful city’.
23 Jan 2013, 08:03 am
@stormersboy-53: lol no doubt!
23 Jan 2013, 08:05 am
Beautiful Stadium.
I will be there ..
23 Jan 2013, 08:08 am
flip these americans are a larf. some twitter responses to Beyonce lip syncing their nationa l anthem:
The Fix ? @TheFix
Beyonce lip-synching the Star Spangled Banner makes me question fundamental truths of human existence.
6:30 PM – 22 Jan 13
————————–
Steve Cochran @CochranShow
As of 4 minutes ago my life was shattered. #Beyonce
————————–
pourmecoffee ? @pourmecoffee
A single wet tear falls from the Lincoln Memorial onto the cold hard floor upon learning Beyonce was lip-syncing.
—————————-
23 Jan 2013, 08:09 am
@MacToogie-52: Agreed. very poor attendances recently, and same situation re 2 stadia … although theirs almost worse in that they are neighbours!
23 Jan 2013, 08:10 am
@RL-3: Tank Lanning is well respected and certainly more qualified than 95% of rugga journos as he has actually played top flight rugga.
Just mentioning this in the hope it assists you in yanking your foot (with red croc attached) out of your mouth.
23 Jan 2013, 08:10 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-54:
And spend all that money to see “their” Currie Cup champions in action!
Sies man.
23 Jan 2013, 08:12 am
Saru are again showing their unique gift for stuffing things up with the allocation of test matches. Next three years ABs in Jhb. Ct gets Oz and Argies. Nothing for Durbs in 2014
23 Jan 2013, 08:13 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-57: Totallyoffthecharts. Proof that aliens do walk amongst us, and procreate.
@MacToogie-52: Don’tpisstheguppiesoff. There will be another biblical type exodus.
23 Jan 2013, 08:14 am
@MacToogie-52:
easy there Mac, this topic has been well covered before with a detailed breakdown of the attendance figures going back five tests for both CT and Durbs and it turned KP has a better crowd attendance figure than Newlands.
i suppose a comparison between KP and perhaps Loftus or EP would be worth making (stadium seating capacity notwithstanding).
23 Jan 2013, 08:18 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-63: Both stadiums basically sell out for the big games. KP has a slightly higher capacity so it will have higher numbers (just). We are talking about international games here of course. When it comes to local games there is no contest. Newlands trumps all with major daylight between us and the rest.
23 Jan 2013, 08:19 am
Ei man, Tank seems like a cool guy (noh0mo)
Im giving it 3 months before he has a minor breakdown/fight/brawl/beef with a blogger of some sort.
23 Jan 2013, 08:21 am
@stormer in a teacup-61:
there is a very good reason for that, Saffakiwis. that disgusting bunch make Bok vs AB games miserable in CT. Boks should never, ever host the ABs there again.
23 Jan 2013, 08:21 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-57: I’m pretty sure some had their tongues firmly in their cheeks when they posted those.
23 Jan 2013, 08:22 am
Who’s Tank
23 Jan 2013, 08:24 am
@Dawn-68:
He’s Frank.
23 Jan 2013, 08:25 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-62:
expect semi-automatic sales to go through the roof.
@stormersboy-64:
can WP ever lose… at anything..?..
true though, your super rugby and CC figures are always good.
23 Jan 2013, 08:25 am
23 Jan 2013, 08:26 am
@gunther-69: Who is Frank?
23 Jan 2013, 08:27 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-72:
The Tank.
23 Jan 2013, 08:28 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-70: Technically we don’t ever lose…at anything. The result or outcome might ‘indicate’ a loss, but we always know that wehadinfactbeenfuckedover by jealous and corrput officials.
23 Jan 2013, 08:28 am
@gunther-73: Who is the Tank?
(C’mon Gunther, play along now – you can see what I’m doing here, keep it going)
23 Jan 2013, 08:28 am
Frank?
23 Jan 2013, 08:32 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-70: haha no, but when the silverware is scarce, the one thing we can still count on is the support from the locals. So we are proud of our attendance figures.
Now we have some silverware too I guess, But it’s been a long time coming as you can imagine.
23 Jan 2013, 08:33 am
@Dawn-76: ‘n Furter??
23 Jan 2013, 08:33 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-62: so dog food – just to let you know our anti guppy alliance is over! Finish en klaar. Leave my guppies in peace dog breath.
23 Jan 2013, 08:34 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-63:
not cared about what stats you bring out, for the last 3 years watching games played at KP there has been a plethora of empty seats, any stadium that has that happening should lose the hosting of tests for a while, if nothing else to build up demand again.
the Boks should not have to play in a stadium that has so many vacant spaces, the blame doesnt only lie with the city and supporters though, SARU need to seriously re-look at their ticket pricing
23 Jan 2013, 08:37 am
@RL-79: Your guppies? Ohdear. You will be supporting them this season? AndKeeganwept….
23 Jan 2013, 08:37 am
Speaking of Frankly where is my brother from an Amish mother Tacitus?
It’s a been to long.
23 Jan 2013, 08:38 am
@wpstormerbok-65: lol nohomo
23 Jan 2013, 08:39 am
@MacToogie-80: To be fair to the guppie segment of Bok fans: there are many reasons as to why they struggle to fill KP….
Agricultural shows. (The Royal show or something of the sort)
Schools rugby.
Bad weather.
(Guppiefans have told us this)
23 Jan 2013, 08:40 am
Frank the Tank! Frank the Tank! Frank the Tank! Classic scene.
23 Jan 2013, 08:41 am
@gunther-82: Dunno about Taccy. But I saw Skop making a skittlsticks fckadilly comeback.
23 Jan 2013, 08:41 am
The city of Cape Town will end up giving them the stadium just to get rid of the liability. Nothing crafty about that.
That lot is about as crafty as a colouring in book for the blind.
23 Jan 2013, 08:43 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-75:
I’m so cold…I think I see Blue! He looks glorious.
23 Jan 2013, 08:44 am
@gunther-88:
Cleva man.
23 Jan 2013, 08:44 am
Hooker is only Stormers concern
——————————————————————————–
by Gavin Rich 23 January 2013, 08:21
The name of Springbok World Cup winning captain John Smit is being circulated as a possible inclusion in the Stormers squad for the opening Vodacom Super Rugby match against the Bulls in Pretoria towards the end of next month.
Coach Allister Coetzee confirmed at a press conference in Hermanus last week that he was looking for an extra hooker due to the injury that at that time was threatening to put Scarra Ntubeni out for four weeks and threatened to force him to miss the opening game. Since then, however, his worst fears have been realised, with Ntubeni having to undergo an operation on Tuesday that will keep him out until April.
With Tiaan Liebenberg, the back-up Springbok hooker from last year’s Rugby Championship campaign, still unsure of whether he will be able to start the new season due to the injury that knocked him out of the end of year tour and the closing stages of the Currie Cup, that does leave Coetzee in a bit of a hole. His only completely fit hooker at the moment is Deon Fourie, who led Western Province to Currie Cup silverware last season from a position in the loose-forwards.
Ntubeni’s progress was one of the shining lights of the 2012 domestic campaign, so his loss is a big blow.
“Fortunately Tiaan (Liebenberg) is making good progress and we have been pleased to see him back in training and he was able to help out at the lineouts. It looks like he may be ready for Loftus,” said Coetzee in Hermanus.
However, it looks touch and go, and Coetzee won’t want to risk it. The next player in line, WP under-19 star Freddie Kirsten, is a promising forward, but Coetzee won’t want to throw him in at the deep end in a massive Super Rugby derby before he has even played Currie Cup rugby.
That’s where Smit comes in, with sections of the Cape media speculating on Wednesday that WP’s good relationship with English club Saracens, where Smit is currently backing up former Stormers star Schalk Brits, could bring the 33-year-old into the frame on an early season loan basis. Of course, whether Smit would want to play Super Rugby again, particularly for the Stormers, is another story, as he is certainly not a player who needs to experience that competition or prove himself to anyone in South Africa.
The hooking situation aside, the Stormers look in rude health, though much may depend on how Schalk Burger comes through his first couple of games after sitting out almost the entire 2012 season with a troublesome knee injury that some thought might end his career.
Nizaam Carr, Siya Kolisi, Rynhardt Elstadt and Andries Bekker all joined Burger and Liebenberg at training in Hermanus, and Duane Vermeulen is of course back in the mix after sitting out the second half of last year’s Super Rugby campaign.
Add to that the Lions players who have moved down, with Elton Jantjies, Jaco Taute, Ruan Botha and Pat Cilliers bolstering the depth, as does Michael Rhodes, and it appears the Stormers have options that last year they didn’t have.
Perhaps the biggest gain of all though is the growth of some of the young players on the WP books in the space of the 12 months that have passed since last year’s training camp in Hermanus. Back then everyone was talking about young Eben Etzebeth because of his physique, but now the conversation is a different one, with the lock having established himself as one of the best players in his position in world rugby.
It’s a far cry from the last time the Stormers held a media open day at a pre-season camp, when all the talk was about what the Stormers had lost. Back then it was just two days after the shock resignation of Rassie Erasmus as director of rugby, and on the playing side there had been no substantial gains to off-set the loss of stalwart flank Francois Louw and the much spoken of departure of Johann Sadie and JJ Engelbrecht for the Bulls.
Louw would still walk into the Stormers side if he wasn’t enjoying himself so much in England, as he showed during an impressive international season with the Springboks. But Kolisi effectively stepped into the void, and so did Carr before his injury. While Engelbrecht’s star has soared at the Bulls and the Stormers may well approach him to fill the void that will be left when Bryan Habana leaves, Sadie’s has waned, while other players who have left have also been more than capably replaced, as shown by WP’s triumph of depth in winning both the Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup last
23 Jan 2013, 08:44 am
@gunther-87:
is are.
sheesus poodlefucker moment.
23 Jan 2013, 08:44 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-84:
hahaha, agricultural shows.
it seems you love the guppies just as much as i do.
23 Jan 2013, 08:45 am
I Read the t@grant10-90: I read the first line and needed to take a Myprodol, 2 Panado and a Grandpa Headache Powder….
Please dont let this be happening….asseblief!
23 Jan 2013, 08:46 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-74:
i’m beginning to see that.
why dont you just pull right the flip out of all rugby competitions?
like the americans do with baseball you could stage a “World Series” competition by yourselves every year and be the only province to win it…
@stormersboy-77:
yeah, good for you.
keep it up CT.
@MacToogie-80:
agreed, bok tests should never have empty seats, ever.
just saying, its relative.
if anyone has the time do a comparison between KP and EP or Loftus?
23 Jan 2013, 08:46 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-89:
I love it when you smile at me. It make my breath come in short pants.
23 Jan 2013, 08:49 am
@grant10-93:
AAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA OH PLEASE LET THIS BE TRUE!!!
the irony would be priceless
23 Jan 2013, 08:51 am
@gunther-88: What is that song he sings at the funeral?
23 Jan 2013, 08:51 am
I can understand empty seats at Bok tests
has something to do with the style of rugby they play.
23 Jan 2013, 08:52 am
@grant10-93: Wont be a bad bench option.
23 Jan 2013, 08:53 am
@Sasuke-97:
dust in the wind (classic).
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