How do we ensure South African rugby can still put forward a quality domestic competition to guarantee the long term survival of the game in this country?
Well the good thing is we have time to do this as explained part 1 as I believe the long term effect of the new Super 15 competition will only really be felt in and around 2013.
I think for this to happen though some out of the box thinking is required which in a South African context in itself will be challenge given our administrators!
Firstly, I believe incorporating all 14 unions is crucial to the game’s long term survival in South Africa not so much for the competitive nature of the sport, but it’s crucial role as a feeder system.
It is also vitally important for me to have at least one high quality product where most of our top 150 rugby players are involved to keep viewer interest, and effectively sponsorship interests high.
The timing of all this of course, will be crucial.
Currently we have a Currie Cup premier and First Division domestic competition structure which does more or less the same thing and is the only reason our ‘minnow’ unions can survive. I don’t think we need to stray too far from this concept or structure, but definite tweaking is required.
The idea is two still have a two-tier competition structure, one involving all 14 unions (the collective current Currie Cup product including all 14 unions) and one involving only the top players and unions.
For all intent and purposes I will refer to one (the lower tier competition) as our ‘League Competition’ and the other (premier) our ‘Cup’ competition. Both will incorporate all 14 unions with the one (premier) just being more concentrated.
Currie Cup League Competition
The Currie Cup League competition will include all 14 unions in a league based competition as a single tier competition on a league based format (no finals). Similar to soccer, league points are accrued throughout the season and quite simply, the union with the most league points at the end of the season is crowned Currie Cup League champions.
The format will be based on two rounds of games where each team will play the other on a home and away basis with a break in the tournament mid-way through the season.
The first round will follow the highly successful Varsity Cup which concludes in March and run for two months from April to May spilling over slightly into June. During this time each team will play all the other teams once (13 games).
Round 1 then enters a break of 1 month before Round 2 kicks off in July and concludes in August possibly just spilling into September where the second round of 13 matches are played alternating which team travelled away in the first round.
The competition concludes once the final league matches are played (26 games in total for each team) with the table topping team crowned Currie Cup league champs.
Given the availability, or non-availability of top stadiums due to tests and Super 15 games which will run during the same time, these games are played similar to the Varsity Cup, at smaller outlying venues or at World Cup stadiums not in use – for example, WP Rugby can use Cape Town Stadium for this and the Sharks the Moses Madiba stadium. The Eastern Cape has the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Pumas Nelspruit and so we can continue.
(I believe we can elaborate on the benefit and marketing potential of this in the comments section to keep the article short)
SA Rugby in this aspect can learn from the Varsity Cup and market this competition as a carnival type competition with minimal fees attached to ticket prices and also involve local clubs or schools to join in this competition to play in the build-up to the main game and make this a family rugby day out involving local communities, schools etc.
Currie Cup ‘Cup’ Competition
The importance of a premier competition cannot be stated enough. There needs to be a level between semi-professional and fully professional (Super rugby) where talent is identified and brought through.
The answer for me in this regard has already been answered by the successful structure cricket has adopted in South Africa.
Create 6 Super franchises incorporating and covering all regions and including all unions and run it as a separate, fully professional franchise.
It is easier in rugby terms because we basically already have them. The current 5 Super rugby franchises and the much discussed Southern Kings franchise which cannot wait to be recognised and incorporated into SA Rugby structures.
Each of the 14 unions is absorbed into one of the franchises as is currently the case, with the Kings absorbing SWD Eagles, Border and EP Rugby into its structures.
The only problem yet again is the timing in which you try and establish a competition involving these 6 franchises to get maximum exposure from a player availability perspective (top players) and a viewing audience perspective (not overlapping other competitions).
Given how congested the rugby calendar is, there will always be some overlapping of competitions but you can control some of this.
In a way, the Super 15 format actually helps this proposal… Let me explain.
The Super 15 will have a 1 month or 4 week break in the middle of the competition to allow for incoming tours to the SANZAR countries from Europe. This will happen in June (more or less) each year.
During this period between 25 and 30 players involved in Super rugby will be called up for national duty. In South African terms this means 120 top professional players becomes available for selection for other competitions.
Realistically, franchises will also use this time to re-assess where they are, afford rest and reconditioning periods to a number of players but also have a surplus of players that will be in need of game time from their originally announced squads for the Super 15.
If we stick to the figure of 120 (150 total players less possible Bok call-ups for incoming tours) it means that franchises will on average sit with 24 players with very little to do for a month.
Of course squad systems and rotation within each team will change from team to team, but if we can realistically say 50% of these players will be in need of game time somewhere in this month with the other 50% not playing at all for a month (which is highly unlikely) each squad will have 12 players, or top contracted professionals available, but for the sake of this argument let’s inflate that to 15, or a full run-on team.
Now this is where this proposed competition gets tricky but let me try and explain as best I can.
This break period in the Super 15 also coincides with the break (see above) in the league competition after Round 1. Franchises in effect already absorb all 14 unions into their structures and will now be able to not only make use of top Super 15 players on a month break, but also take the top performing players of the League competition during its break to supplement their squads for what will effectively become their Currie Cup Premier, or Cup squads.
I think it becomes obvious then that I propose the Currie Cup Premier, or Cup competition launches during this period where Round 1 is completed during the Super 15 and League competition break period. There will be some overlapping of competitions but this as mentioned, is inevitable. The most important part if for the largest period during Round 1 of the Cup competition the majority of top rugby players, excluding Springboks of course, which will entail one round of games being played by all 6 Franchises (5 games).
A cleverly managed squad system can not only ensure much needed game time for fringe Super rugby players but also vitally, built depth to franchise squads which will be crucial during the very long Super 15 competition.
(Again I think benefits, risks and concerns can be discussed in the comments)
The Cup competition will then also resume with the second round continuing or starting once the Super 15 competition, and domestic League competition concludes in August (even affording players a two week break) which in effect will also see the Cup competition decided on a basis of each franchise playing two rounds of games on a home and away basis totalling 10 games in a season.
The finals, as is the case currently can conclude on the back of the Tri-Nations or once that has concluded where depending on player availability (injuries, conditioning and rest required) might well include a splatter of Springboks in the final rounds or finals.
It may well also double up as the deciding factor as to which franchises qualifies for the following year’s Super 15 where one SA Franchise, or the one ending at the bottom of the table following the round robin stages of this competition sits out or is ‘relegated’ from Super 15 participation the following year.
In conclusion, this is a very simplistic explanation or structure which only covers the very basics of a possible solution.
The biggest threat to all of this will be the amount of rugby players will be exposed to. It will be impossible for our top 150, or in the case of 6 Franchises, 180 players to play all the games even if we exclude test rugby. Just looking at Super 15 rugby (total of 16 games) and the proposed Premier Cup competition as a local competition it will amount to 26 games excluding finals, that is 0ver 2000 minutes of rugby.
But every problem also provides an opportunity, and the opportunity here might just be to expose more of our players to top class rugby and top class structures as professionals which will give us incredible depth as a rugby playing nation. Incorporate an American Football draft system in this somewhere to aid redistribution of talent and we might just uncover something great here.
What is vital for me in all this however, is that franchises will have to be operated completely separate from union structures or levels for this to show any possibility of success. Of course given our natural strength and resources in South African there can be no doubt which unions will assume control or host or be the base for franchises but crucially, the competitions have to be handled, operated and managed separately possibly, or preferably, even at national level or within SA Rugby.
I am still off the believe that franchises need to assume control of their regions taking that responsibility away from SA Rugby as a controlling or governing body at all levels. Needless to say they are still governed by the constitutions within SA Rugby as the controlling body who to my mind, should only assume direct interest in National teams at all levels.
There you have it, enjoy taking this apart!
OK, let’s face facts, albeit all suggestions might have merit in their own right, passing these ideas on to SARU will be mighty tricky.
In my opinion the only way in which the Currie Cup can be maintained, is by playing the business card. Have South Africa withdraw from SANZAR with immediate effect. I have had discussions in this regards with many overseas bloggers in the past, but the fact remains, if SA pulls out, Australia and New Zealand find themselves in a financial pickle.
Too many ideas and propositions, favourable to only Australia and New Zealand, are being thrust upon the alliance, and blindly accepted by the SA representatives.
Even in the Super 14, South African Stadiums draws crowds, not Aus & NZ.
Being in the era of professional rugby, one cannot necessarily say it a winter sport anymore, join some competitions in Europe, gone is the question of jetlag, gone is John O’Neil and unless a miracle is found, goodbye Southern Hemisphere rugby.
Australia has long since gone on, that SA isn’t needed in the Tri-Nations, that they can maintain the crowds and the financial influx. Let them prove it, and in the end if…no let’s rather say, when their venture fails, THEN, and only THEN, negotiate a comeback, but on SA Rugby’s terms, and for heaven’s sake, someone just get rid of that farking O’Neil.
@ The Saint:
I thought it was my job to be the pessimistic prophet of doom???
Deal with what you are dealt with mate, SANZAR will never split, not whilst there is moola around and there is plenty of that still.
Morné,
Complicated solution you’re proposing… and honestly I read through it very briefly, whilst concentrating on other stuff here.
My solution in part 1 (Threats of Super Rugby to South African Rugby)… comment No 4 there, just seems simpler and easier….
Here it is again:
The Logical (or one of the logical) solution might lie in moving away from Super 15 Franchises and back to individual Unions, seeing as there is little difference anyway in their make-up et cettera….
Let me explain.
1. Choose the top 6 UNIONS (soon to be 6 considering the Kings might take part in a Super 18 or similar scenario) to compete in the Super Domestic Conference.
2. Whilst the top 6 Unions play in the Super Domestic Conference, let the local home and away matches count towards Currie Cup Log Points. (12 games for each Union which counts towards Currie Cup Standings)
3. Let the remaining 8 Unions play a Parrallel Conference Competition of their own (Call it Vodacom Cup Conference… and indeed replacing the Vodacom Cup), which Log Points also counts towards Currie Cup Log points…. and which games also take part on a home and away basis. (14 games for each Union which count towards Currie Cup Standings MINUS Log points gained against the 2 worst sides [who fall out] to equal out with Super Union Log points tally)
4. During the June Test window AND Four-Nations break in the Super 15, let the best 6 Vodacom Cup Conference teams play against the 6 SA Super 15 Conference Teams (who would be without their Bokke and levelling the playing field somewhat), both home and away, in a continuation of building Currie Cup Log points. We’ll call this the CONTINUATION STAGE.
[CONTINUATION STAGE WORKS AS FOLLOWS:
The Super 6 and the Best Vodacom 6 play against one another, in the CONTINUATION STAGE (June Test Window & Four Nations), not Top 6 against Top 6 (they’ve done that already early in the year, home and away) or Vodacom 6 against Vodacom 6 (they’ve done that already early in the year, home and away) and not all playing one another… so it’s only 10 games per Union in the CONTINUATION STAGE … which means that from the start of the year the 10 best Unions have all played each other home once and away once…
In other words the Super Unions play their home and away fixtures against the 6 best Vodacom Unions… in the middle of year Test Window.
By the end of this stage each of the 10 best Currie Cup sides would have each played 22 Currie Cup fixtures mixed in with their other Competition games]
5. This of course leaves the worst 2 Vodacom Cup Conference Teams available to play against Namibia, Zimbabwe and a few developing Nations in the June Test window and Four-Nations Test window… which should provide good opposition both ways… and keep the small Unions playing.
6. After the last Four-Nations match we move back to Super 15 play-outs and semi’s and Finals.
7. At the end of the Super 15 Finals, let the 6 Top Currie Cup sides, (decided after POINT FOUR is completed and who automatically qualify for the next year’s Super Rugby Competition)… according to their Currie Cup Log Positions, compete for the Currie Cup Crown, by playing some somewhat limited knock-out culminating in a Final… winners taking the Currie Cup crown.
8. The End of Year Tours can then either contain frontline Bokke or not, considering their player hours of the year.
9. In this way EVERY Bok plays both Super Rugby and Currie Cup, no watering down of anything…. and the principles of strenght vs strenght is also served.
@ grootblousmile:
For much we say exactly the same thing effectively.
Only problem I see with what you propose is that the Kings as the 6th Super rugby franchise (part of the SANZAR family) won’t come to a realisation until 2014 when the competition is said, not confirmed, to expand to a Super 18.
It will of course then be much easier to use the Super 18 domestic tiff and let it count towards the domestic CC premier log.
Until then though, this will be a problem I see.
Where we are basically on the same page is that the CC propper is to be contested between the 6 Super franchises, and another competition for all remaining unions runs concurrently, but seperately (almost).
It is just how we go about things that differs slightly…
4@ Morné:
Till the EXTENDED Super Comp, it could work like this…
play 5 Unions in Super Conference, 9 Unions in Vodacom Cup Conference, thereafter 4 worst Vodacom Cup Conference Unions fall out to play minion Nations like Zimbabwe and Namibia…
10 best Union Teams effectively compete for Currie Cup Log position, best 6 to play in the last limited knock-out…
In other words same format I suggested, just changes to accomodate the numbers…. and we’re only talking 2 years of bridging it like this, if you only do it from 2012… next year has enough rugby already.
OK, look at this.
There are 52 weeks in the year.
The Super 15 runs for 21 weeks up to week 28 of the year.
During this same time the Vodacom cup runs as per usual.
After week 28, accept the Springboks are not available anymore.
But that leaves a window of 24 weeks wherein the best time can be chosen to run a Super Franchise currie Cup with Bulls, Cheetahs, Lions, sharks, Stormers and Kings. during this time the currie Cup B division runs with the other 9 teams.
This will become a high profile super currie cup comp and the last team on the log, does not qualify for the Super 15 the next year.
I Like your idea Morne, but do not like the scheduling, so this way the strucutres are the same, but the schedule differs and are more workable.
4@ Morné:
Fact is that the conundrum, which gave rise to your 2 Articles is salvageable and easy enough to solve via creative thinking….
In fact, not a HUGE amount needs to change… except for Vodacom Cup to be replaced by the Vodacom Cup Conference System…. which should strenghten smaller Unions anayway because they would be able to feed from and draw players from the Vodacom Cup base of the Super Rugby Unions, which player numbers will have to be smaller than it is now.
@ grootblousmile:
Trying to get my head around this so bear with me…
1) 5 Franchises in Super 15 competition uses the home and away local (SA) conference games to count towards the (what will be) Currie Cup premier log (domestic competition) – total 8 games.
2) 9 Remaining Provinces player their own competition, both also home and away to determine the best 5 from these unions – 16 games
3) Best 5 from the Vodacom Cup conference, or smaller unions based on log points then move to the Currie Cup Premier division to compete with the 5 Super 15 franchises.
4) These 10 teams then play in a competition, the Currie Cup premier division, home and away – total 18 games.
5) At the end of the round robin stages the top 5 (after 2014 top6) qualifies for the following year’s Super 15/18.
Now where I get confused is in point 4 of your original post you suggest a ‘continuation’ of building towards CC log points…
The top 5 Super conferences play only 8 games (their domestic Super rugby conference), the Vodacom Cup conference plays 16 games in the domestic competition that runs concurrently with the Super Rugby competition…
If let’s say the Bulls win all their matches as a Super 15 team, they can only score a max of 32 log points (excluding BP) because they only play 8 games – however the Pumas, playing 16 games winning all their games can score a lot more so how will each individual conference affect the log standings, or points once the top 5 is identified and the VC guys play the S15 guys? Do they start from a clean slate once they play each other and the smaller unions are dropped?
Also, a 10 team competition in the Currie Cup propper or Premier league is an 18-game competition, that is a 18 week minimum period in which this will take place excluding finals which equates to roughly 4 and a half months.
The Super 15 will only end at the end of July or in August, leaving the Currie Cup propper running into December?
Also considering that the Super franchises will in one season play 26 games excluding finals, and the Vodacom Cup conference teams that make it to the CC propper 34 – and that excludes any tests?
If we half this, with the VC conference only playing one round of matches either home or away and alternating every year it might reduce the workload to also 26 games.
I cannot see the CC propper (the 10 team system) being reduced to only one round as teams competing will or could effectively change every year eliminating the possibility of alternating the home advantage every other year.
Oh and mine above does not only need to start in 2012, it can start immediately.
@ biltongbek:
Only thing is you have to work around the schedule of the two premier comps being the Super 15 and 3/4N.
Which is the only reason I proposed that schedule.
@ grootblousmile:
There is definately a solution somewhere…
#%@$ me if you ask me to find it now though my brain is fried.
8@ Morné:
No, not like that, regarding point 4..
The Super 5 and the Best Vodacom 5 play against one another, in the CONTINUATION STAGE (June Test Window & Four Nations), not Top 5 against Top 5 (they’ve done that already early in the year, home and away) or Vodacom 5 against Vodacom 5 (they’ve done that already early in the year, home and away) and not all playing one another… so it’s only 8 games per Union in the CONTINUATION STAGE … which means that from the start of the year the 10 best Unions have all played each other home once and away once…
In other words the Super Unions play their home and away fixtures against the 5 best Vodacom Unions… in the middle of year Test Window.
That’s what I mean about CONTINUING building towards CC Log points…. taking only Log points from games between the 10 teams to determine the top 6.
Regarding the difference in amount of games between Super 5 and Vodacom 9 – Remember that the Super 5 has to play games against teams of the 2 Overseas Conferences as well in the first part of the year, which will take their 8 home and away games against local teams to about 16 Super games in total if I’m correct… no difference in amount of games….. and if I remember correctly the 1st stage of Super Conference runs for 18 weeks.. so there’s ample time for the Vodacom Conference lot to play their home and away games in that Vodacom Conference.
So, the TOP 10 Currie Cup Teams (Super 5 PLUS Vodacom top 5) would play 16 Currie Cup matches before the top 6 is decided, not 8 plus 18 as you interpreted…. a lot of which will double as games which count for the Super Rugby Comp.
Hey, I have to go to Centurion and Midrand quickly, talk later.
@ grootblousmile:
Super 15 franchises play 16 games, 8 in their local conference and a further 8 against the other two conferences (4 from each conference) = total 16 games for Super 15 franchises.
Okay so;
1) Super rugby teams play in the Super 15, no effect on the CC comp.
2) Top 5 Vodacom Cup franchises decided by their own competition during the Super 15 will then play the Super 15 franchises twice, home and away.
3) Log points from the Super 15 domestic conference, and log points from the Vodacom Cup franchise competition (only points against teams that qualifies for the Currie Cup propper) are carried over to the local domestic log. Remembering that you have 5 franchises on each side who in total, will only carry points over from 8 games played before they play each other (points gained against teams in the Vodacom Cup conference who got eliminated does not count towards this log).
4) Only games left now will be for the 5 teams from each conference to play each other twice, home and away during the test window and 3/4N. So Pumas will play Bulls twice, Stormers twice, etc. that equates to 10 games to each team.
5) This will conclude the round robin stages of the premier Currie Cup round with each of the ‘top 10’ teams having played each other twice. The top 5/6 teams in these standings qualify for the Super 15/18 the next year.
6) Finals are then played between the top 4 (semi’s and final) to determine best local team in South Africa.
For Vodacom Cup franchises this will mean 16 games in their qualifying rounds (9 teams playing each other home and away) plus 10 games against for the top 5 Vodacom Cup franchises against the Super 15 franchises. Total = 26 games.
For Super 15 teams it will mean 16 games during the Super 15 season, plus 10 against the top 5 Vodacom Cup Franchise teams. Total = 26 games.
The top 5 Super rugby franchises and Vodacom Cup franchises will need a minimum 10 week period to conclude these games outside the Super 15 competition ending July/August.
Basically 2 and 1/2 months from August somewhere till mid-October.
That is definitely do-able…
But here is the one glitch I picked up from my side…
The current 5 Super rugby franchises use players from the smaller unions with the exception only being the Eastern Cape unions (Border, EP and SWD) not being absorbed into Super rugby franchises…
How will these 9 remaining unions make up their teams or squads if the lose their best players to the top franchises who, in some instances they will face in your proposed structure if they end up as one of the top 5 Vodacom Cup unions?
For instance, Griquas loses all their top players to the Cheetahs Super rugby Franchise. If the Griquas then have to face the Cheetahs in the Currie Cup part of the competition will they get their players back? Same with Boland and Stormers?
And if the Kings are established and EP has to play the Kings something similar?
Again, we are pretty much thinking along the same lines but I tried to avoid just that scenario.
13@ Morné:
Unions Morné, not Franchises…. so Griquas won’t lose a single player to the Super Cheetahs team…. Cheetahs would compete in the Super Conference and series as a Union, not a Franchise….
Anyway, I’d have to sit and explain what I mean… coming to Cape Town for Business, probably, next week… we could have a beer…. and together solve SA Rugby’s issues…. then write SARU a joint thesis, for a fee of course…. hehehe
(We’d have to include schematics and pictures for those doffies at SARU to understand properly)
@ grootblousmile:
Okay got you, drop the franchise system and play as unions…
Question then, given the demands of the Super 15, its length specifically and amount of games how important, now more than ever, will it be for the Cheetahs, or any union to stock up on players and squad depth and use a rotation system?
Raiding of the small unions will continue unabated and even more imo.
Actually, unions like the Griquas will now not only lose their top players during the Super rugby season and get them back after the competition concludes, but for good.
The big gap that already exists between the top and bottom unions will grow even wider. Given that scenario you will, during your suggestion of the Currie Cup propper taking place, have a Super rugby union play against what will effectively be a Vodacom Cup team – 100 point hammerings all round, viewership interest decreases because there will be no strength vs. strength games at all following the Super 15 which is at least something we have at the moment.
Drop in quality of product, back to square one?
Let me know when you are in town.
15@ Morné:
Only 2 Super Franchises currently use players outside their home Union… Lions and Cheetahs.
No Bulls player outside Blue Bulls, no Sharks Super player outside Sharks Union, No Stormer outside WP.
About 3 Pumas players for Lions, about 3 – 5 Griquas players for Cheetahs Super Franchise.
Will it have that much of an effect, considering that during the CONTINUATION PHASE (June Test window and Four-Nations) the Bokke will be out of their Union games and involved in Tests, thus levelling the playing field considerably?
In fact, due to the fact that the Bulls for instance won’t field a Vodacom Conference side (so too the other biggies) not have the effect of providing smaller Unions with more players, spreading the player base very favourably towards the smaller Unions?
15@ Morné:
The drop will only be temporarily, we have the players, it is more the issue of money.
If the minnows can pay their players on contract system, they have more control out of season on conditioning, strength training etc.
That is why I sugeested salary caps. We just need to find enough sponsors and spread the money more evenly.
@ grootblousmile:
Stormers use Boland players, so make it 3.
Also there will be two sides to this I think…
Because of the demands of a Super rugby season under its new format, squad depth is going to be crucial now, almost to the point that you will need 3 players per position where the current rule of thumb is two.
For my money, players will still much rather accept a Super rugby contract even in a reserve or surplus player condition than a small union contract…
So I do not think the smaller unions will have that big of a base to increase their own surplus demands especially since they too remember, will have a season consisting of 26 games a year!
The problem as Biltong mentions is money, I said yesterday consider the fact that the best small union from the lot, Griquas will next year only contract a handful of players as they cannot afford to contract a team, let alone a squad.
I mentioned in Part 1 Chaka mentioning the Leopards, currently a Currie Cup premier division team losing 35 players a year – and this under the current structures.
So my concern will still be the gap between the teams, which affects the quality of teams and the imbalance it will create.
Money is the big issue here, and if you do not play Super rugby, you do not have money and will struggle to get any.
Last point before I go.
I tend to favour keeping things seperate, but actually bringing them closer together or closing the gap between the top and bottom unions.
The bottom unions will always act as a feeder system, no getting away from that I believe, but their future lies in ensuring they continue to exist, and actually are put in a stronger position – hence I will tend to involve them more in a franchise setup than is currently the case not so much as forcing anyone, but through a competition perhaps allow bigger franchises easier access to smaller union resources with smaller unions not being affected by this at all…
Anycase, might check in later tonight, ciao.
19@ Morné:
For the life of me I cannot think of a Boland player as a “Starter” in any Stormers game… maybe 1 or 2 in the extended squad…. or am I missing something obvious here?
Anyway, that is not important…
Money IS indeed the problem and any Currie Cup Premier Division Team who ends lower than in 6th spot has the added disadvantage of not being able to offer much of a contract to a player for the next year, until the promotion / relegation matches have been completed, at which stage it is often too late to pick and choose between good candidates.
A lower placed team than 6th in the Currie Cup is at a distinct disadvantage to contract quality players, money aside. So therfore we have 8 disenfranchised Unios, as it currently stands.
I hear what you say about squad depth, but the reality is we either find a solution to save the Currie Cup format, as one of SA’s premier Competitions…. or the oldest Competition is doomed.
With my suggestions, at least all 14 Unions start out in the beginning of a season with a possibility of competing to the end in the Currie Cup Premier Competition, thus broadening their expectations, whereas only 8 Unions have that luxury at the moment… that alone has to have an impact on distribution of players and losing less players.
Add to that the fact that players which previously were happy to play Vodacom Cup Rugby at one of the 5 Big Unions, now gets a chance to go to another Union and actually maybe compete, even if just for a while, in a competition with more prestige, the new broader Curry Cup competition.
I doubt that many 3rd choice players would be that happy never to get game time… we saw it this week with Jaco Engels who opted for the Kings, just to be able to get more regular game time… and recently with a few who have already now signed deals to play for the Kings. So it might actually be a blessing is disguise and a huge positive….
I’d much rather sacrifice the Vodacom Cup, than sacrifice the Currie Cup.
In any format envisaged, there will be some negatives… every single one.
Let’s consider the alternatives:
1. Do nothing and we stand to lose the value and prestige of the Currie Cup format as we know and love it.
2. Use my Suggestions and we lose the Vodacom Cup format (which in my mind is not necessarily a bad thing because it is upgraded to a better Competition) but some Super Teams might have to contract better because they will be taking part in the Super Rugby series as Unions and not Franchises.
3. Use your format and it becomes complicated and the same risks apply mostly as with my Suggestions.
4. Scrap the Currie Cup as a whole and forget about sentiment and / or the oldest competition in World Rugby – baddddddddd idea
5.
6.
7.
I’d be interested in more CREATIVE THINKING from other bloggers, who’s to say me and Morné have all the answers, maybe somebody comes up with a positively brilliant set of ideas…. but hey, you’d have to pen them down here for us to consider.
grootblousmile wrote:
sorry the most wide awake contributer here is very busy developing a garden, i just hope it is not a flop. U might see me back in full force after this garden make over. Hell i must admit i enjoy it. My hands shot, dirty , sore but the satisfaction of growing and flowering plants makes up for it.
@ superBul:
My creative powers goes into the garden makeover
22@ superBul:
Flok, klink of jy ‘n Botaniese Tuin bou wat die Botaniese Tuine in Pretoria en daai ene in Kaapstad, Kirstenbos, sal laat klein lyk!
Met my budgett en die bleddie onsekerheid van my job hetek maar n regte plaas tuin gemaak, net lekker om weer in die grond te werk. Daar is tans te veel stress in my lewe. Ons was mos op die drumpel van pakkette. Was half bly maar ook kwaai geworried. Nou het die Unie bietjie tyd gewen.
Ek mis ons ou kameraadskap, darem jammer ons het so mekaar gelos. manie was altyd maar so bemoedigend, die jong manne was vol lewe en Pietman was Mr Knowall 😆 just joking ag wat ek oel baie gelukkig om weer iets aan my tuin te doen, die laaste 10 jaar het ek net gods water oor my tuin laat loop, niks nuut gedoen nie. Noudat ek dit begin doen het is daar weer lewe in die plek.
Eish ek chat weer op die mails eendag , maar ek mis my ou broeders.
I havent read anything in detail, but to me like most things, it is simple.
Without a strong domestic competition there is no way we can develop future Springbok players. This is ultimately good for our rugby, we will have more players getting top level exposure and when guys are nearing their sell by date, the overseas clubs will still beckon. Lets hope the sponsors front up and we start putting development money where it should go, to the grass roots and build a bigger fan base for the game in SA.
Anyway, time will tell.
4man my friend i am so busy with my own things i did not come back to you yet, that venue i told you about is now almost finnished, it seems like it will be a camp suitable for 10 people, 5 couples. At a cheap price even in SA rands. I will make a effort to contact Sandy and sort things out.
Ross is leaving Tshukudu, dont know why . i Will let you know, he ends his 14.5 year career on Saturday there.
@ superBul:
Its probably because of the Sussmans accident….and he doesnt like the new owners?
@ 4man:
I really dont know, his wife is expecting their second and he wants to try something on his own, maybe there is to much memories. Anyway i MUST get to him this week.
@ superBul:
Who has taken over the place anyway…as far as ownership is concerned?
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