South Africa’s five Super Rugby franchises have threatened to boycott the 2013 Super Rugby season if any of the current five teams are excluded from the competition.
According to the Rapport newspaper, the Stormers, Bulls, Lions, Cheetahs and Sharks sent a letter of their demands to the SA Rugby Union (SARU).
This followed SARU’s decision at the end of January to include the Southern Kings in Super Rugby in 2013.
SARU’s 14 unions unanimously voted in favour of including the Eastern Cape team – consisting of the Eastern Province, Border and South Western Districts – in the 2013 season.
At the time, the national governing body said the other South African teams in the cross-continental competition would be confirmed only after proposals from provinces were considered at a meeting in March.
Rapport reported that SARU president Oregan Hoskins reacted with shock when he got the letter.
He told the newspaper that the five franchises demanded that unless SANZAR (South Africa, New Zealand and Australia Rugby) expanded the competition to 16 teams to accommodate six South African teams they would not participate in next year’s competition.
Hoskins said he would send the letter to the other nine unions and it “will be in the hands of all unions to decide which teams will play in the Super Rugby series”.
South Africa, however, have a challenge on their hands as the current broadcast deal, which allows for 15 teams in the competition according to the conference system, will be renegotiated only in 2016.
SARU deputy president Mark Alexander said at the end of January that the national rugby body would nevertheless lobby its partners at SANZAR for 16 teams to be introduced into the competition.
“There is a window of opportunity with our partners, we are currently preparing a 16 team schedule so that we can go and debate with them,” Alexander said at the time.
If SARU fails to negotiate the inclusion of a sixth team one of the existing franchises would have to drop out of the series.
“We understand if one drops out it is very difficult to come back and compete again the following year, it makes it almost impossible,” Alexander said.
SANZAR CEO Greg Peters, however, poured cold water on SARU’s ambitions ruling out the possibility of expansion.
I see Morné PissMier calling on Ruggaworld that SARU should call the 5 Franchises bluffs…
Well, SA Rugby’s strenght comes from these 5 Franchises…
I don’t agree that the bluff should be called, I think the silly badly considered inclusion of the Kings for 2013 should be re-assesed.
The Kings had plans to join a Super 6 Series anyway for 2012 – 2015, before SARU gifted them 2013 Super Rugby inclusion, without any afterthought and hoping SARU’s 2 SANZAR partners would just fall for a 6th SA Franchise.
We know SANZAR has laughed off a 6th SA Franchise…
So, what is more fair, that one of SA’s big 5 sits out or that the ill-prepared Kings continue to sit out?
Of course logic would dictate that the Kings stay out and logic would further dictate that SARU are a bunch of wankers who don’t know how to perform the business of SA Rugby interests!
Sorry, posted this on the wrong thread, so will repost it here – again as so often, the circus continues – South Africa’s five Vodacom Super Rugby franchises have not threatened to boycott the competition, the South African Rugby Union (SARU) confirmed on Sunday.
A newspaper report alleged that the boycott threat was a part of a letter from the five franchises to SARU president, Mr Oregan Hoskins.
“No threat of a boycott was made,” said Jurie Roux, CEO of SARU. “But the franchises have made it plain that the only option to them is the expansion of Vodacom Super Rugby.
“They also pledged their support for the Kings’ inclusion in 2013 as well as for SARU’s efforts to persuade SANZAR to include a sixth South African franchise.”
The letter reads:
“After lengthy discussions between the Franchises, we unanimously decided that it is imperative:
That such inclusion will benefit South African rugby in general;
That none of the existing franchises shall be prejudiced by such inclusion in any way whatsoever;
That none of the existing franchises shall be eliminated from the tournament in 2013 or at any stage thereafter as a result of the inclusion of the Kings;
That SARU as custodian of the South African leg of the tournament will ensure that the Kings are included without prejudice to any of the existing franchises.
“The existing franchises will endeavour to provide all necessary assistance and support to SARU in its negotiations with SANZAR to ensure the inclusion of six South African franchises in 2013 onwards.”
Roux said that SARU would continue discussions with its SANZAR partners around participation in the 2013 tournament.
A decision on the mechanism by which South Africa’s entrants in Vodacom Super Rugby in 2013 would be identified was postponed in January. A special General Council meeting delayed the decision until the Annual General Meeting of SARU on March 31 to allow time for further discussions with SANZAR.
Can you believe it!!! When Super Rugby is 15 teams SARU unilaterally decides it will be 16 and will include the Kings. A combination of arrogance and stupidity I think….what are they thinking. They want to include the Kings because it is politically expedient to do so….no thought goes into what is good for the sport. Oz and NZ wont accept this, they will want to have a 6th team too!!! Here we go committing to more rugby just after we debated at great length and probably decided that going from 12 to 15 was too much. Every year a coconut…the idiots make their presence felt again. In a real world the administrators would be fired and have their arses kicked and go back to being street sweepers or something that takes no thought. Really it is all just too much!!! I even get tired doing all the superbru…never mind the actual rugby.
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