South African rugby is exploring the possibility of breaking away from their alliance with New Zealand and Australia as the SANZAR relationship is too strained.
The South African Rugby executive council have expressed the view that they need to look at alternatives to the Tri-Nations and Super rugby tournaments after 2015.
“The council gave the instruction that we should look at other possibilities beyond 2015,”chairman of the board Dr Jan Marais told Times Live.
SA Rugby are in partnership with New Zealand Rugby and Australian Rugby until 2015 when the next agreement expires.
The TriNations appears to be set to expand to a Four Nations (from 2012) including Argentina and the Super 14 will expand to a Super 15 next year.
“We can’t do anything about the current agreement because we are locked in until the contract expires.”
“However, there is the strong feeling that we should at least look at possibilities we can explore at the conclusion of our current broadcasting deal.”
Saru’s relationship with New Zealand and Australia has deteriorated to such an extent during this year’s Tri-Nations SA Rugby chiefs insisted that SA’s standing as the major revenue generator in Sanzar be re-emphasised.
The relationship took a further blow when the Springboks complained about the referees in their away leg of the Tri-Nations and the charge of misconduct was made against Springbok coach Peter de Villiers.
Then Sanzar’s sent a letter seeking clarification on Saru president Oregan Hoskins’s supposed “declaration of war” comments.
When asked whether SA would continue their alliance after 2015 Marais said: “We won’t automatically opt for a renewal of the current deal. ”
“I think by then anyway we’ll have new people running the game but given the present climate we have at least decided to start looking at options.”
SA Rugby boss Hoskins also intimated the relationship with their partners had always been strained and said, ” Tri-Nations rugby is a robust game and we have robust conversations in the boardroom and occasionally knock each other down and have to pick each other up, dust ourselves off and get on with it.
“But it has been like that since day one,” said Hoskins.
“The bottom line is that this is the toughest rugby competition in the world and we’re fully part of it with our neighbours.
“In that spirit, we’ll be having discussions with New Zealand and Australia when they’re over here and after that we’ll get on with ensuring we continue to produce the best rugby tournaments in the world,” he said.
If we do break our engagement with ARU and NZRU, I certainly hope we go it alone.
I am not in favour of going North. There are far too many negatives and only money as a positive.
The European club competitions rule european rugby, the tests are only an after thought.
firstly there is not one club competition that is concluded in full before something else starts, how the hell does any club or team maintain continuity and form during the year.
Their rugby is totally different from ours, they have different conditions etc. etc.
Rather focus on making the currie Cup the strongest possible competition and carry on from there.
1@ biltongbek:
If we leave SANZAR and we don’t go North, how do we keep and measure our standards against the world’s top teams in the Franchise area…
We’re also talking massive revenue losses here, should our Francises not compete in a very good International Comp, and unfortunately, that is where the buck stops.
Let’s investigate options and use this as a bargaining chip in further SANZAR negotiations… they need us, whether they will admit it or not.
@ grootblousmile:
Of course our best bet is to remain involved in a Super competition with ARU and NZRU, and I personally think that the only reasons these issues are being brought to light is once again the “new way” south africans do business.
They threaten and play a game of we are not indispensible. The problem with that is eventually ARU and NZRU who are both struggling for finances for different reasons will get fedup.
The answer to this problem is to change administration, get a hard business man to run our affairs, and get rid of the incompetence. The fact is rugby is big busienss these days, and your Board members and public officers need to be business men, not political game playing pawns( And i am not talking politics, i am refereing to corporate politics).
If we change that, the most important hurdle is over come.
The next issue will be the number of teams, as it looks to me this Super Competition very soon will just be yet another global provincial competition with the only criteria to qualify, Bring in the money.
If we have to leave the SANZAR agreement, I am not so sure it will be worse to be on our own than joining Europe.
Our currie Cup is strong, and we can have a Super competition of our own. Money? Well there are many ways to skin a cat.
Just my thoughts.
If we have 14 provinces playing in two currie Cup divisions.
Let the Public finance a Super competition, not the existing Franchises.
Let us say we are talking 6 teams. Let the public buy shares into these franchises, even at 1 million people per Super team, at R50 per month will provide R600 000 000 income per Super team, and that doesn’t include any sponsors or Television revenue.
I say it can be doen, if necessary.
3@ biltongbek:
Yeah, how long have we all pleaded for a proper Businessman at the helm…
… someone like Rupert… or me…. hehehehe
@ grootblousmile:
I think you are a little busy my friend, with RT and all.
Perhaps time for me to run things for a while, just to get the proper strucrues and coaches in place, yeah?
5@ biltongbek:
Hehehehe
Well all Jan Marais has said is that there wont be an automatic renewal.
Realistically if we only play Currie Cup, our rugby will go backwards, you have to be exposed to other teams and to the best that the world has to offer.
I think we should play in both the Heineken Cup and the Super 14, The teams that end 1st third and fifth out of the SA teams should play Super 14 the next year, the teams that end 2nd and 4th should play Heinken cup, or 2nd, 4th and 6th for that matter. Tri Nations should happen every 2nd year and 6 Nations every alternative year and it should be so for the other countries too. ^ Nations send a team to play tri nations and also two teams to play Super 14, if NZ and Oz want to do it too then its fine, so we have a round robin tournament going around the world, instead of NH and SH…should do something for standardising refereeing. The money made out of advertising revenue and gate money should be split proportionately to the teams that draw the biggest crowds, or the biggest tv coverage and sponsorship.
I’ll run it…no problem….GBS seriously, why dont we put in a bid and get someone like Johan Rupert to invest in the concept.
^=6
8@ 4man:
I would support the notion to get a truly business oriented leader to run SARU, but you know what, the current crop of Administrators is so tightly knit in preserving their jobbies that it will be difficult to make such a great idea float…
…. and who suggests something like this, us supporters? This same bunch of supporters who are largely happy to be mere consumers of the game??
Jammer….maar hierdie is nou weer onnodige slegte publisiteit op n tyd wat ons dit rerig nie kan bekostig nie. Ons verloor n paar games, en nou wil ons sommer waai…dit alles lyk vreeslik kinderagtig, al was dit seker nie so bedoel nie. Waar de hel is ons trots heen? Het ons nou sommer oornag verander in n klomp kla- gatte wat oor elke dingetjie bitch en moan? Ek wens hierdie rugby base wil na hulle dingisse toe vlieg en hulle bekke hou. Rugby is besig om in n media orgy te verander….en ek like dit niks.
My eerlike oppinie…ons het no nonsense rugby base nodig, wat weet wanneer om die opposisie geluk te wens as hulle wen, terug te gaan en behoorlik hulle huiswerk doen om te verhoed dat dit nie weer gebeur nie. Ons moet leer uit ons foute, in plaas dat ons die hele wereld blame.
Have a gameplan, but keep your cards close!!
@ bos_otter:
Wonder of John Smit die nodige rugraat kan wys. Dan is hy dalk meer werd in die top bestuur as tans op die veld.
bos_otter wrote:
Ons het ongelukkig nerens n tydperk van aanhoudende dominasie om dan van die “high chair” te skree nie. Elke jaar verloor ons 3 of 4 wedstryde so waneer praat ons?
@ grootblousmile: Yes I know…we tried that before….Most of the supporters like to just sit and moan, but arent prepared to work. I thought with the blog, your profile must be getting higher and coming to the notice of people, so if we have a stated policy and suggestion on how to run it and we make enough noise, maybe it will fly. If we get a big sponsor to run with the idea, then they can put their weight behind it….but it will be a full time job buddy….and some more.
@ superBul:Super….ek dink hierdie soort ding moet agter geslote deure bespreek word…die publiek hoef mos nie noodwendig wan alles te weet nie. Al wat ek probeer se is, hulle moet die regte kanale volg, nie alles aan die media vertel nie. Ons weet die media is lief om met n storie to hol, en ruk heel gewoontlik die dam onder die eend se gat uit. Ek sien mos elke dag hoe die britse media hulle self laat goed lyk, en ander nasies laat sleg lyk. Hulle weet hoe om n storie te verdraai…let bietjie op hoe hammer hulle op sekere punte in interviews na elke game…hulle try hulle beste om sekere antwoorde te kry wat hulle dan agterna as skietgoed gebruik….en PDV val elke keer daarvoor. Die medie like PDV…easy meat for them.
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