SACanuck says...

Politics, Politics, Politics as always

Posted 01:05 17th August 2012

glenncat9 says...

As per fattysock ....

Given that all/most S15 level players will be contracted to play in that year's tourney, exactly who will be playing for the relegated side in any future promotion-relegation match?

How will the Gauteng Lions RU recruit for the 2013 game, whether it's played at end of 2013 S15 or prior to 2014 S15? From the remains of the Currie Cup side who weren't good enough for any other S15 team? How does GLRU agree any player contracts, or make any business plans as a commercial organisation?

It's tempting to say they have been stitched up, though i have my doubts SARU considered this predicament in their desperation to wriggle out the hole they dug themselves.

Will be interesting to see if the commitment the other SAf S15 unions made to not play in the S15 if one of them was relegated comes about.

Posted 20:04 16th August 2012

kpe12 says...

Well played SARU (which means monkey in Japanese which is a little ironic).

Keep one team ridiculously weak so that the top sides have easier points and potentially better position for the S15 finals, its a smart move, similar to that of the Australian conference.

Pillage and plunder the weak teams, rack up a few more bonus points, rotate them out, do the same the following year. Top players move to stable franchises and make for more stable and higher performing teams.

Sharks/Bulls/Stormers to never leave the top 3 again in SA conference.

Posted 17:27 16th August 2012

JHRoberts says...

I honestly wonder sometimes if Cheeky Watson doesn't have incriminating photos of a few SARU executives... Like horrible stuff, bestiality, etc. Otherwise, I'm lost.

The ONLY aspect of this that makes sense is the regional one. There does seem to be an enormous geographical gap and if that stat on the number of clubs is accurate, then there's an impetus to have the region represented at the highest level.

HOWEVER, let's keep in mind that the Kings are playing in the SECOND TIER of the Currie Cup, which is itself a significant step down from the Super 15. Even if they do recruit some Lions (and I'm sure that SARU will create some special way to allow it), they won't recruit them all.

They'll be absolutely massacred in the comp next year and subsequently lose the series with the Lions (provided that the Lions are even a reasonable facsimile of their current selves), but by then SARU will have fulfilled their commitment, Watson will agree to destroy the photos and that'll be that.

Or by then it'll become the Super 16 and the Kings will be long-term whipping boys a la Western Force.

Yuck... I feel for Josh Strauss, Elton Jantjies and a host of other Lions players.

Posted 15:58 16th August 2012

philipjfry says...

Why have franchises in the first place? I always thought it was a huge shame that unions like Western Province with more than a hundred years of history should be reduced to an American style 'franchise'. The Currie cup is reasonably competitive, so why not include the top 5 sides from the previous years competition in the current Super rugby competition? Inevitably, those 5 sides will almost certainly include the unions that make up the overwhelming majority of the current franchises. For example the Stormers are WP in all but name, so what would the loss be?

Posted 14:31 16th August 2012

passtheball says...

Back in apartheid days the advocates of ABs and other sporting tours said keep politics out of sport - they don't mix - yeah right! Where people gather there's politics and this business has a strong whiff of it?

Posted 13:29 16th August 2012

Ruggernaut says...

Curious to know why SARU is not prepared to implement that 2-legged relegation series immediately, before the 2013 season starts? Hmmm....

Posted 13:13 16th August 2012

UBA05 says...

What!!!! So what happens to some of the good quality lions players. Do they get poached by other unions, will this be hindered by the fact that their contracts arent expiring in 2012??

Gotta admit though i would love to see a promotion/relegation match. "Fight for your lives!" i reckon it would be more fiercely contested than the super 15 final

Posted 12:57 16th August 2012

Bones7 says...

So now what, I suppose those Lions players have to move to the Eastern Cape? Surely they don't have a large pool of Super rugby level players who have not been utilised by any teams in South Africa who have been sitting round waiting for a chance to play? The Lions must have seen it coming with their spectacular collapse this year but realistically it's just going to be an exercise in relocation for many, a loss of a job for others and, I think we can agree, a like for like replacement on the bottom of the Super rugby log for next season

Posted 12:38 16th August 2012