Cape Town – The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sport was reassured on Tuesday that the Southern Kings would participate in the 2013 Super Rugby competition.
Sport24
A delegation of the leadership of the South African Rugby Union (SARU) made a scheduled appearance before the committee to discuss a number of issues, including the Southern Kings.
“The Kings will play in the competition in 2013, but not at the expense of one of the other franchises,” Jurie Roux, the CEO of SARU, told the committee.
“Resolving that part of the equation is the issue at hand and we have a number of proposals to take to the Exco (Executive Council) and ultimately to the General Council for a decision in July.”
How SARU will resolve the issue remains a mystery though, with a local newspaper reporting on Tuesday that SARU is looking to possibly stick with its initial decision – where the last placed South African team in this year’s Super Rugby competition will drop out. The Lions are currently the last-placed SA team, 13 points behind the Cheetahs, which would see them dropping out at the expense of the Kings. The report also indicated that a possible Cats merger (when the Cheetahs and Lions played as one team between 1998 and 2005) is out of the question.
SARU also briefed the committee on its Strategic Transformation Plan – which has been newly aligned to the Department of Sport’s National Sports and Recreation Plan – and also on the progress to establishing four SARU academies as a pilot project in Boland, SWD, Border and Eastern Province.
“It was a very productive and useful meeting, which gave us an opportunity to share our plans with the committee and understand the priorities and concerns of our parliamentary leaders,” said Roux.
“It was gratifying to be complimented on the improved quality of our presentation and for the professionalism of our organisation.”
I have a couple of points questions so to speak.
1. Merchandise sales in SA rugby is over 400 million rand
2. Gate Receipts make up 16 percent of the income.
3 SAIL have a stake in WP/Stormers, Bulls, EP, Border, Falcons, Leopards and Griffons
4. Supersport has a stake in the Cheetahs, Griquas and the Sharks
5. The Lions, Border and the Pumas are the only 3 teams that they do no own a stake in and falls under SARU.
So whatever reason they are giving is a plain out lie. What good is a stake in EP and Border if they are not in the Super 12 attracting crowds and advertising their brand name? The Lions would absolutely bring in no profit or is of any use money wise so it better to remove them and replace them with the Kings where SAIL will get profits out of.
I predict the following:
SARU will announce an “expanded” local contest where the 1st division CC champions (Boland) and the Kings have a “play-off” to see who plays the last placed team in the SA Super Rugby conference in a promotion / relegation series.
Hence they have not lied to the Government, they’ve kept their promise to the Kings, and they’ve given the last placed SR team a lifeline. PLUS, they’ve given Boland a chance as well.
FFS, I should be involved in SARU I’m such a genius.
Question is, is it in any Union’s long term interest to merge with another, even for a (relatively) short time (2 years)?
Undoubtedly the Kings would REALLY STRUGGLE in their first couple of seasons in SR, and I personally have no doubt that they’ll end last in the SA conference and hence face relegation.
Swings and roundabouts I guess.
In the same vain, I doubt that the Lions (if relegated) have the business accumen to drag themselves up to the required professional level needed for SR, whether they have all the money in the world or not.
Just an educated opinion.
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