SA Rugby: Where to Now?

Congratulations to the Australian Rugby Union who, against all odds, have managed (read carefully; meticulously choreographed) to bring the 15th Super Rugby franchise to Melbourne, especially when the ARU has 80,000 registered rugby players, and SA Rugby has over 500,000, over five times the number of players in Australia.

SA Rugby has had four years to plan for the inclusion of their sixth Super Rugby franchise from the Eastern Cape in Super Rugby, and now they are left with the most diabolical wrangle amongst each other.

Ten of the 14 South African rugby unions are on a collision course with each other, and if it's not sorted out now, South African rugby will be torn apart.

Let me declare at the outset that the tragedy in all of this has nothing to do with racism, performance, or money, but about a small group of individuals not adhering to the basic tenets of the SA Rugby Constitution.

Rugby must be fair and a game for all, without discrimination and rancour.

However, the Eastern Cape franchise has been unfairly accused of racism, low performance levels, and financial destitution—having been a drain on the resources of rugby in the country. For example, SA Rugby led the Bid process for the Southern Kings, but failed to attain a collective shareholder's agreement between Border, EP, and SWD; a fundamental cornerstone of its corporate structure.

Also, Eastern Cape has been a drain on resources, but it is mostly due to SA Rugby's implementation of a drip feed system.

The marker in all of this is performance, on the field, and off the field.

That, and only that, must be the determinant of progress, or failure. Had SA Rugby adhered to their Presidents Council resolutions of Jun. 2005, and abided by their constitution, the 2006 Eastern Cape would have cost R10m, and not the R220 million that has wreaked havoc on rugby in South Africa.

The staggering R220m of sponsors and all 14 unions money that was spent, lost, and forfeited on a dubious and sinister campaign deliberately flies in the face of a legal, and constitutionally binding agreement that first excluded the Southern Spears.

Now it has marginalised the Southern Kings.

The cost is so mind-boggling that it is almost incomprehensible that the actions of a few have been tolerated for so long, without recourse.

The past four years have been a reckless and negligent campaign, in direct violation of the SA Rugby constitution. It defies logic how an organisation could disadvantage rugby with a crazed 48-month spending spree because of fear.

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