Argentina will not have a team participating in next year’s Vodacom Cup competition, it is reported.
Sport24
The Pampas XV – who have played in the South African domestic competition since 2010 – have pulled out of next year’s edition. It is believed that the 2011 champions find it too expensive to take part.
There will now be 15 teams in the competition, seven in the Southern Section and eight in the Northern Section. Whipping boys, the Limpopo Blue Bulls, are the eighth team in the Northern Section.
This will be a big blow to Argentine rugby as the event was used to improve the depth of their national team and give fringe players more exposure to professional rugby.
Pity, as Argentina needs to develop depth. But it is horribly expensive to send a squad over here for a full VC season.
1 @ Lion4ever:
I am questioning the validity and value of the Vodacom Cup more and more…
There are virtually no spectator numbers at Vodacom Cup level anymore, whilst Super Rugby and specially Varsity Cup spectator numbers is booming.
What I’d like to see in place of the Vodacom Cup is a proper revival of Club Rugby in SA (in addition to the Varsity Cup and Community Cup), in order to build on the overall depth in SA Rugby as a whole, over the whole perspective.
I remember the days when Springbok players regularly played Club Rugby… and when Club Rugby was booming in the amateur era, when SA Rugby could draw on these structures and when the Springboks were the Number 1 side in the world due to the fact that our Clubs were so strong and competative.
It might also greatly contribute to the Unions having to contract fewer players in their overall contracting endeavours in order to be competative on ALL these levels.
They now contract Under 19’s (who they have pre-contracted years earlier, Under 21’s, Vodacom Cup players, Super Rugby Players… and depth in all these groups.
At the same time the Varsities contracts another bunch… with support staff.
So, what remains in the money pool for all the open Clubs in the regions… effectively nothing! That is the main thing which needs to change to take the game back to the people and to all communities… in order to broaden the game and bridge all the gaps.
Effectively as structures now stand.. we have Junior Rugby, Under 21 Rugby, Inbetween Rugby (Varsity Cup & Premier Clubs), Senior Rugby (Vodacom Cup), More Senior Rugby (Super Rugby), More Senior Rugby (National Rugby – Springboks), More Senior Rugby (HSBC Sevens World Series).
So, the SENIOR RUGBY structures (Professional Rugby) is hugely overloaded… all biting at the same money cake and ultimately all getting less of the cake. This inspires moves overseas, simply to have more cake to eat and opportunities to get.
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