Golden Lions Rugby Union president Kevin De Klerk has made it clear that no South African Super Rugby franchises would be prepared to merge ahead of the Southern Kings’ involvement in the tournament in 2013.
Representatives from all five South African franchises held discussions on Thursday in order to find a solution to the conundrum created by the South African Rugby Union.
“We’ve been mandated by SARU as the five franchises to look at the possible methodology of how this will take place in 2013,” he said.
“We have met today, we’ve tabled communication to the president and he will comment on that in the next 24 hours, I assume.”
De Klerk said the unions had reached a consensus, and the possibility of any of the franchises merging was out of the question and would not happen at any stage.
“It is sincerely a tough one, but I am sure that we will, in the interests of rugby, make the best decisions.”
The news comes just days after SANZAR CEO Greg Peters also ruled out the possibility of expanding Super Rugby to accommodate 16 teams, in order to make place for the Kings from 2013.
I’m so glad that this is the stance from the 5 SA Super Rugby Franchises!
Merging teams is such a kak idea.
A week or so ago one of the Sport24 journalists, think it was that numbnuts Rob Howing, suggested that the Lions & Bulls merge… what utter bullshit. Why would one reduce the brand name of the Bulls by merging it? Why would one merge 2 entities who combined represents 45% or more of the total South African population (45% or more of SA’s population resides in Gauteng)
Why would one fark around with the only South African Franchise who has won 3 Super Rugby titles, to create an experimental unit with no clear identity?
I’m sure the Lions supporters feel exactly like me too… even though they have been under the financial kosh!
It’s much better to rather take your chances as a South African Franchise to possibly be relegated, than to merge with anybody.
Glad sanity prevailed.
Bulls & Lions together.
2 @ Loosehead:
Why?
So that you finally stand a chance to get anywhere as the Cheetahs?
That is such self-serving shit, it’s not even funny!
Before SARU announced that the Kings WILL play in the 2013 Super Rugby Competition, I received documentation from one of our esteemed members, indicating that the Kings and others were in the throws of organising a Super 6 Series, including teams from:
Border – Out of Buffalo City Stadium in East London
EP Kings – Out of Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth
SWD Eagles – Out of Outeniqua Park Stadium in George
The SA Renegades – A Barbarians styled team comprising emerging South African and Eastern Cape talent and Overseas based South African & Opposing country players out of Mandela Bay Stadium and Westpoint Military Academy in New York
USA #1 – The top Eastern Conference from the USA, out of San Francisco
USA #2 – The top Western Conference from the USA, out of Life University
This competition would have been played from 2012 – 2015, from June to August each year in a home (5 games) and away (5 games) basis.
This of course is surely shot to hell now…
Arghhhh!
By the way, SARU was informed and kept abreast of the competition envisaged. Time lines were drawn, the whole works!
So, in essense, all this kak around Super Rugby and one of our Franchises getting a massive knock, could and should have been avoided, by a simple follow through on the Super 6 Series.
A logo for the proposed Super 6 Series was even designed… here it is:
3@ grootblousmile:
No, because Gauteng and Tswane are practically one city. The Lions are bankrupt in a stadium in the shittest part of Jo’burg.
It can only be a good thing for the Bulls.
What is this aggressive hatred of the Cheetahs all about?
5 @ Loosehead:
Forget the Geographical consideration, it does not make sense!
There’s no aggressive hatred for the Cheetahs, none!
The fact of the matter is that it won’t be good for the Bulls or the Lions or for SA Rugby for that matter and there will be a massive imbalance in population resources for this merged Franchise compared to the rest of SA.
It’s like saying that we should just amalgamate the Stormers, Cheetahs, & Sharks into one Franchise… combined they comprize half of the South African population too.
It’s just a kak idea, full stop!
5 @ Loosehead:
Tswane… or the Metropolitan Municipal area of Tswane (properly put) is in Gauteng. Pretoria forms part of that Metropoltan area, as does Centurion.
So too Johannesburg and Midrand and it’s Municipal area.
Ekhuruleni (East Rand) also forms part of Gauteng.
So, there is no Tswane and Gauteng practically being one.
We have debated the merits and demerits of the Coke-Tin and it’s surrounding area enough, but what you envisage is that Loftus must share a number of games with the Coke-Tin.
That will bring 50% less income to the Blue Bulls Union and 50% less income to the Golden Lions Union.
Kak idea all round!
@ grootblousmile:
This would have been a good idea, had SARU not ruined it. But why can’t this idea be carried on if one of the top 5 fall out? Or we could include a Pampas 15 in a Super 7 competition? There are so many options around that SARU has not even considered.
8 @ Lion4ever:
With the Kings in Super Rugby 2013, it means ALL THREE of the Southern Kings feeder Unions are out… Border, EP Kings & SWD Eagles TOGETHER comprise the Southern Kings Super Rugby Franchise.
@ Loosehead:
It did not work with the Lions and Cheetahs forming the Cats. Why should it work with Bulls and Lions?
When was the last time you visited Ellis Park? Yes it is adjacent to Hillbrow, but the area around the stadium is not so bad, and with all the parking that has been made available around the Coke Tin, there is no reason to fear that area anymore.
On the point of bankruptcy, things were very tight financially, but the Lions are taking measures to improve the cash flow, and the Redefine sponsorship has been a timely shot in the arm, that will surely go a long way to putting the GUMA issue back to bed.
You know, another thing we have not even considered and contemplated is how kak the 3 Feeder Unions (Border, EP Kings & SWD Eagles) will fare in the lessor competitions like the Vodacom Cup, with their best available players suddenly playing Super Rugby as the Southern Kings.
At present they did’nt manage to win the Vodacom Cup, so it’s a very real possibility that they’ll suck the hind tit big time in the Vodacom Cup as well in 2013, only this time really at the bottom of the Logs.
Loosehead @ 5
As jy melk en kak meng fok jy net die melk op. Leeus kan maar aan donner daar in Gauteng.
Hell at this rate we might even consider bringing in the Bothaville papegaaie into super rugby.
13 @ KWAGGA ROBERTSE:
I would give good odds that the Bothaville Pappegaaie would beat the EP Kings Vodacom Cup side in 2013
Golden Bulls?
The time for serious change in South African rugby has arrived, both at national and Super Rugby levels. The former has been blessed with the arrival of one Heyneke Meyer, a master tactician and humble enabler of dormant rugby talent; the latter cursed with a self-inflicted dilemma in what is quickly becoming the most prominent boardroom gamble by SARU since South Africa’s readmission to international sport.
Enter the Kings.
Self-inflicted is the correct term use to describe the predicament that SARU has created given their premature acknowledgement that the Kings will play Super Rugby in 2013. Six teams from South Africa but only five spaces available. One has to wonder how SARU thought it could recreate the format of Super Rugby without consulting Sanzar first?
Upon reflection of their unenviable position, one of trying to please two masters – rugby supporters and politicians – it is clear that SARU’s solution has been to decide on the lesser of two evils.
The first would have been to appoint a Springbok coach based on factors other than pure rugby reasons, which would have allayed the politicians but would have irked the rugby supporters.
The second option, which they took, irks politicians and transformation lobbyists yet pleases rugby supporters – he is clearly the best person for the job.
Consequently, in an effort to keep the rabid politicians off their backs they’ve tossed the Kings a bone and so scored themselves enough room to maneuver on Meyer’s appointment.
The unfortunate spinoff of this whole horse-trading business – now that Sanzar have categorically denied that they are willing to include a sixteenth team until 2016 – is that someone, i.e. one Super Franchise, will have to pay the ultimate price.
Enter the Lions and the Cheetahs.
Looking back at the last six years every Super Rugby supporter will tell you that both of these teams have been brave and promising but ultimately ended up being also-rans when it came to actual position on the log. Lack of depth at the Cheetahs and questionable administration at the Lions combined to make them competitors for the wooden spoon more often than not. This should make the decision to include the Kings at either’s expense an easy decision. However, as with everything else in South African rugby it is not as simple as that.
Since readmission the Cheetahs have been the franchise that has produced the most Springboks – mostly through the ranks at Grey College – in effect ensuring that any action against them would be acting against the duck that lays the golden eggs.
The region also maintains that the death of the Cheetahs Franchise would be the death of rugby in the central region of South Africa, something SARU most definitely cannot afford.
This leaves the Lions as SARU’s first choice Super Franchise to be eliminated.
Yet again, it is not as simple as one would like to think. Following a decade of humiliation and defeat, the Lions under former All Black mentor John Mitchell are back on track to becoming a serious contender on the local and perhaps Super Rugby scene. With a long enough winning culture they certainly have the infrastructure and fan base to potentially regain the international esteem they once held – that of the richest rugby union in the world under Louis Luyt, Kitch Christy and Francois Pienaar.
Given the above is seems certain that every board member at SARU will be unerringly supporting whoever plays against the Lions, hoping that the Lions lose as many as they have during previous Super Rugby tournaments. This, and only this eventuality will cast any real credibility over their decision to allow the Kings into Super Rugby. Should the Lions manage the unthinkable and actually win more than they lose, or even worse, win the South African conference, then SARU could well end up with more than egg on their face.
If the Kings take regular fifty point margins against the big guns of the competition, a situation more likely than unlikely, questions from the sponsors will be inevitable. The reality is that SARU have thrown the whole integrity of Super Rugby into question, a decision they will have to answer for to Sanzar.
Not even the spin doctors at SARU can explain away a hasty decision that will effectively wipe a conference winning franchise off the face of the rugby earth in favour of a new, politically appointed replacement that will most probably be wooded spoonists for at least a couple of years.
Complicating matters will be explaining to Sanzar why they are contravening the rules of the competition by not fielding their five best teams. As the Lions will obviously still have contracted players on their books which will be unavailable to other franchises, the Aussies and Kiwi’s might not believe that Jacques Engelbrecht or Mpho Mbiyozo is better than Derrick Minnie, Josh Strauss or Michael Rhodes. This would be especially true if any of the Lions trio get a national call-up.
The Kings are here to stay; it is obvious that the politics in South Africa will ensure that much. And no matter how hard SARU are going to fight for a sixteen team competition, Sanzar will never allow the conference system to be eliminated. The Australians in particular depend exclusively on this extended format to fill their rugby calendar. What is clear is that one South African franchise will fall away, and what is getting clearer by the day is that the Lions will be extinct come 2013. Even the Lions President, Kevin de Klerk’s recent press release entreating massive fan based support sounded hollow and desperate, as he too knows they have no friends and no recourse. A new time has come for South African rugby and as often in the past, the good has been offset by the bad. Let us hope that the repercussions of this decision do not hamper national success too much in the future. Welcome Golden Bulls! Now, where are we going to play?
By Steblooi
09 February 2012
Steblooi,
Welcome to Rugby-Talk.
You made some good arguments, except you never lay a sustainable foundation for your suggestion of the Golden Bulls! None whatsoever!
There is no way in hell that South Africa should ever allow the most successful SA Super Rugby Franchise, the Bulls, to dilute their brand name into a Golden Bulls Franchise.
Us Bulls supporters would also not tollerate or allow that!
How one could ever justify merging half the South African poluation (Gauteng) into ONE Super Rugby Franchise, whilst 4 very much smaller Franchises are then left, spread over the rest of the country, is just plain stupid.
Like you say, the Kings participation in the 2013 Super Rugby Competition, was a very poorly considered option, and the only solution we are left with is a Promotion (Kings) / Relegation (SA Franchise ending Last) situation.
Soon, after 2 unsuccessful seasons in Super Rugby, the Kings will then be relegated back to where they belong, as the the non-participating SA Franchise.
@ steblooi:
Welkom bt RT
SARU will pay dearly for this. For the last 10 or more years everyone knew that somehow we had to bring in the PE based teams. Even long before that wwe all would have loved to bring in the 6th Test Union, as they were called back in the eighties. If SARU was wide awake they would have ensured that SA gets 6 spots, and for that matter let every other nation also get their 6th team in.
The fact is that Super 15 is not so super anymore , it needs a total revamp.
The way i feel SARU must go is relegation for the SA team ending last, yes i know that might be the Bulls but that will bring back the best out of every team.
Hi GBS,
My mention of a possible Golden Bulls franchise is not meant to be taken as a logical solution to the problem. I presented it as the ONLY option SARU has left itself with following their gamble of gifting the Kings a Super Rugby spot, a predicament that their poor planning has led to. What will eventually happen, in my opinion, is that the Lions will lose their franchise spot and the other unions will pounce to buy whatever good Lions players they can. Not to mention to prolonged court cases against SARU from the Lions Union and the sponsors who have all invested heavily in Lions rugby.
Not even SARU is silly enough to tamper with the Bulls, Sharks or Stormers franchises. Mention of the Golden Bulls was merely to highlight the farcical nature of the situation, as farcical as a Golden Bulls franchise would be.
Apparantly – from a tweet, Current 5 franchise licenses expires the end of 2012, which means SA Rugby can create 5 new ‘franchises’ if they want. Golden Bollocks with Pdivvy in control looks like a good option to me. First part is true, second is rubbish. LOL
Sport24
The Tshwane Sports Council (TSC), which was formed under suspicious circumstances two years ago, will on 31 March officially become the governing body of sport in the Tshwane region.
And according to the Beeld newspaper this new council is keen to replace the daisy and light blue colours with a more representative emblem and colours.
The daisy has been prominent on the Blue Bulls rugby team’s jerseys for years and feature on most of Northern Gauteng sports teams’ shirts.
“All sports codes in the region would have to conform to the TSC’s constitution,” a well-informed source told Beeld.
“Even though the Blue Bulls and Bulls emblems are registered trademarks, there will definitely be political pressure for only one sports emblem to be used for sports teams.”
The Blue Bulls Rugby Union (BBRU) and the Notherns Cricket Union (Titans) have already indicated they are against this new proposition.
Elise Lombard, CEO of Northerns, said the daisy is the team’s registered trademark.
Chaka Croukamp, vice-president of the BBRU said it doesn’t make sense from a commercial point of view to change the team’s registered trademark.
“It is the union’s registered trademark and is known worldwide.”
Twenty-eight sports codes have already indicated that they do not support the new proposition.
In 2010 the Tshwane Sports Council made five suggestions – all with the colours white, black, yellow and green – to replace the light blue.
18 @ steblooi:
It is NOT the ONLY option, far from it!
Relegation of 1 Super Rugby Franchise is the more likely option, which will eventually lead to the relegation again for the Kings, until Super Rugby becomes bigger than a Super 15…. meaning a Super 18 or something similar.
Who will or should be relegated….
Don’t assume it will be the Lions, that will only show your bias. The Lions, like the Stormers, Bulls, Sharks, Cheetahs have gone through a bad patch in the last 9 years or so, but they’re still the only other SA Franchise who has taken a Super Rugby Title (Super 10).
Anyone of 5 SA Franchises can take a plunge this year and end last in the SA Conference… the Cheetahs or Stormers or Bulls or Sharks too.
Assumption is the mother of all farkups!
The best way the Lions can silence their detractors this year is by playing well and doing well enough in the SA Conference, and though they do not have the depth, they definately have the run-on 22 to do it.
I don’t know where your Franchise allegiances lie, and would surmise it either lies with the Stormers or the Sharks or the Cheetahs, because only a coastal or central supporter could support a Bulls & Lions merge and not see the deeper ramifications or imbalance in population distribution it would cause.
What you fail to see is that the 5 Super Rugby Franchises have now already shot down a merge of any nature… this is after all what this Article is about.
So Relegation is one option and the other option is for the 5 Super Rugby Franchises to tell SARU to go get knotted and thus force the withdrawl of the Southern Kings from 2013.
A Lot of support for that could also be garnered from the SANZAR partners, who might just insist on the strongest 5 SA Franchises competing.
All I can conclude is that you are bitterly twisted against the Lions… and somehow desperate to dilute the Bulls so that your preferred side stands a better chance in future.
Gmpfffff… I smell a Stormers Supporter!
No wait, wait…. I smell a Cheetahs supporter… hell, your initial plea for protection of the Central South African area’s rugby was so passionate, your admiration for Grey College so strong… you might even have been through the hostels of Murray House, Brill House and Leith House yourself, walked the isles of Hamilton House, possible played rugby for the Cherries… and still shakes hands with 2 fingers pulled apart!
I see JJ Harme, writing in Rapport, says the 5 Super Rugby Franchises have written a joint letter to SA Rugby, saying if ALL 5 OF THEM do not take part in Super Rugby in 2013, then they will ALL pull out of Super Rugby in 2013.
Apparently SARU will now forward the letter to the other 9 Provinces for commentary.
…. Guess there will be a re-think of the Kings inclusion, if this is true….
I am just posting the story
grootblousmile wrote:
Struggling with that nose a bit, I see. I think you’ve been spending too much time on that cattle farm up the with your feet in the dudu. We need to get you down here for a breath of fresh sea air!!!
Jacques Pauw – City Press
Johannesburg – Golden Lions rugby is hopelessly insolvent.
This despite on Thursday announcing a three-year multimillion-rand sponsorship deal from property firm Redefine.
A 140-page forensic report compiled by accounting firm KPMG last year, and other documents in the possession of City Press, paint a dismal picture of the Golden Lions and its marketing and managing company, Ellis Park Stadium (Pty) Ltd (EPS).
The report shows that Golden Lions rugby nearly lost its most prized asset – Ellis Park (Coca-Cola Park) – and the company managing Ellis Park was so mismanaged that it had exposed its directors to possible criminal prosecution.
The last financial report (2010) shows that its total liabilities exceeded its assets by R73 million.
According to the documents and a reliable source close to the developments, Golden Lions rugby owes different parties about R90 million.
This is far less than their total income of around R44 million from the SARU-SuperSport television rights and stadium naming rights from Coca-Cola.
The money is shared with Ellis Park World of Sport (EPWOS), the Ellis Park stadium management joint venture that also incorporates Johannesburg Stadium and the Standard Bank Arena.
The union reportedly makes about R400 000 per home game (13 games per season) on gate takings. This depends on SuperRugby/Currie Cup match attendances, which average about 15 000 before match expenses, including EPWOS’s share.
All suites income goes to EPWOS.
There is a huge shortfall to cover players salaries and the operations budget of about R90 million per annum.
Another disturbing revelation was the disparity between the salaries of black and white players in the Golden Lions.
Springbok Butch James earned over R3 million for the 2011 season in contrast to flyhalf and Currie Cup final man of the match Elton Jantjies’s less than R500 000.
The KPMG report also raises questions about the deal brokered in 2007, where EPS entered into agreement with Orlando Pirates and a little-known empowerment company, Inza.
The deal gave Pirates and Inza 51% of EPWOS, leaving EPS with 49%.
Inza is said to have been brought in by Kevin de Klerk as BEE partners before he became Golden Lions president.
The KPMG forensic report makes serious reservations about the EPWOS deal. It states the company didn’t have a VAT number nor complied with PAYE, income tax nor did it operate the necessary company bank account since inception in 2007.
Instead, it used the EPS bank account and VAT number to bill clients, which was illegal according to the Companies Act and also exposed its directors to criminal investigation.
Furthermore, rugby revenues had been passed through to EPWOS, leaving EPS/Lions exposed to undeclared tax and liabilities.
The report also points out that Pirates had played very few of their games at Ellis Park, contrary to the shareholders agreement.
EPWOS had a staff complement of 40, with CEO Paul Appalsamy earning R1 million a year.
None of the three EPWOS general managers identified by KPMG seemed to be properly qualified for the positions they hold. The general manager of operations was a former paramedic and fire instructor, it said.
EPWOS has never declared any profit or paid dividends.
The union’s financial affairs were also brought under the spotlight by the high court liquidation application filed by Guma-TAC (Gumede and Ichikowitz) in a lawsuit where they claim R11 million from the Lions for money loaned to pay players’ salaries in December 2010 and January 2011.
In an earlier (January 2012) media statement, Guma-TAC stated that “had the Lions failed to pay the players’ salaries over this period, it would have led to the breach of players’ contracts, which would have led to an exodus of key players, if not all. Furthermore, the loans enabled the Lions to sign top international players, such as Butch James and Lionel Mapoe, and to pay the 24 amateur feeder clubs their grants. Without Gumede and Ichikowitz money, the Lions would not have won the Currie Cup.”
They said the union borrowed the money to pay the salaries of players after they signed a conditional deal in 2010 that they would purchase a 49.9% stake in the rugby franchise, which heralded a new dawn for the Lions and rugby transformation.
The deal fell apart towards the middle of last year.
Ichikowitz and Gumede claim the EPWOS deal was a bad business one for the Lions as it resulted in EPS ceding control of an asset and its income.
EPWOS made a loss of R14 million in 2008 and showed a profit of R10 million in 2010 – thanks to the 2010 Soccer World Cup – although the amount paid by FiIFA was the subject of a dispute. The Golden Lions won last year’s Currie Cup and are now about to embark on their 2012 Super Rugby campaign.
Announcing the three-year sponsorship deal this week, De Klerk said: “We project to be cash flush in months – we are not saying we are not – but this has gone a long way in alleviating the situation at the Lions.”
He did not respond to any questions about the KPMG forensic report or allegations of bankruptcy by Gumede and Ichikowitz, but claimed in other media interviews this week that the pair were behind a media campaign against the club.
Neither Gumede nor Ichikowitz would comment this week.
24 @ Just For Kicks:
Planning to come down for the Bastille Festival in Franschoek, middle of the year. Have been specially invited to it, by some of the co-organisers.
Maybe, I’ll come to Slaapstad even before that…
25 @ Just For Kicks:
Fark, this Lions Financial Troubles story just does’nt want to go away, does it!
26@ grootblousmile:We’re 40 min from that hell hole F/hoek, just over the mountain. There is a cottage on the farm here, and you will be required to make use of it when you come down – for as long as you need! Hell I may even make the trek over the mountain and go to the Bastille thing myself!
28 @ Just For Kicks:
Thanks…. will seriously consider your generous offer!
About time we shared a wee dram!
Hehehehe
The whole thing is looking more and more like a massive Sascoc style stuff-up. So far we have looked at the whole thing for the joke that it is, but it is far from a joke now, and I guarantee the laughing will stop in the next few weeks. I predict that this whole Unions/SARU/Kings/Lions Bankruptcy thing (I include the Lions dilemma, as it is becoming intwined as part of the whole thing now) will become bigger than the 6N, Super Rugby or Tri Nations in the next couple of months. It is an absolute mess as well as an absolute embarrassment to the gams, country and the supporters. I don’t believe any thought was given to the Kings inclusion statement – or if there was, there was an ulterior motive (perhaps the knowledge that the contracts expire at the end of the year have something to do with that). I think that for the unions to leak a report that they have sent a letter to Hoskins stating they will all pull out of the next tournament if one of the teams is pulled or the Kings aren’t included (seems to be differing opinions of what was actually written), is wrong. Hanging out your dirty laundry in public is not on. All sides have to answer for this mess now, it is no longer one particular party that is at fault.
Pissant makes some very good points at http://www.ruggaworld.com/2012/02/12/superugby-dilemma-is-bad-news-for-lions/ makes some good points, which I won’t repeat, suffice to say that he feels that SARU should call the Unions bluff. I agree, to a point, but the unions shouldn’t have been allowed to be put in this position by SARU in the first place, and when your backs are against the wall, you come out fighting aggressively.
It is truly a mess.
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