Underused World Cup stadiums could significantly boost the South African Rugby Union’s (Saru) coffers – but the four big provincial unions are likely to veto a move away from their facilities.
Liam del Carme, Sunday Times
Saru will argue next month, in a yet-to-be-drafted document they will present at a chief executives’ meeting, that they retain hosting rights to high-profile Tests and are not obliged to sell them to provincial unions as is the current practice.
This, they say, will enable them to divide profits from Tests equally among the 14 provincial affiliates. They hope that, in the long run, this will help bridge the gap between rich and poor unions.
Saru intend hosting Tri-Nations matches and other Tests at World Cup venues in Soweto, Cape Town and Durban.
But the four big unions – Western Province, the Blue Bulls, the Sharks and the Golden Lions – have expressed reservations about adopting a model that will preclude them from hosting Tests and harvesting the potential profits.
Saru will have to amend their constitution to push through the move – for which they need the support of 75% – that is, 10 – of their provincial affiliates. The constitution dictates that individual unions have to agree to all Tests played within their geographical borders.
FREE STATE VOTE CRUCIAL
The vote of the medium-sized Free State Rugby Union is therefore crucial to the outcome.
“If we are guaranteed R3-million or R4-million for Tests every year and get to host one of the smaller ones every second year or so, we’re in,” said Free State Rugby Union chief executive Harold Verster.
‘SARU DOES NOT HAVE EXPERTISE’
But Theuns Roodman, WP Rugby Football Union’s chief executive, holds a different view.
He said: “The provincial unions have the expertise to host Tests and I doubt Saru do. I can’t see how WP will support a proposal like that.”
He added that WP were still in discussions with the operators of the Cape Town Stadium about becoming a full-time tenant. “There are issues such as the limited number of suites at the Cape Town Stadium. They have 110 and Newlands has 350.”
LIONS LUKEWARM
Golden Lions chief executive Manie Reyneke was equally lukewarm about the Saru proposal. “I doubt we would support it. Tests are the lifeblood of the unions. To take it away would have serious implications.”
The Lions successfully staged last weekend’s Test in Soweto but Reyneke cautioned that no lasting conclusions should be drawn from that.
The Lions, too, are considering an offer to move from their traditional base to Soweto but Reyneke said before a decision is reached they would have to conclude talks with an equity partner
August 30th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
SO WP, Lions, Sharks and Bulls vote no…
Remaining 11 vote yes, big 4 screwed…
August 30th, 2010 at 12:53 pm
Does the big unions not have more than one vote?
August 30th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
Can the Big Four veto?
Saru should rather take
over the contracts of the
Boks.
Or maybe not – they will
certainly fook it up too.
August 30th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
Reply to Jacques(Bunny) @ 12:53 pm:
Not when it comes to changing the constitution of SA Rugby it seems. And thats what they are on about here.
August 30th, 2010 at 2:53 pm
Keep SARU as far away from running the tests as possible. Anyone want to go and see a test in Polokwane?
http://fromthebottomoftheruck.blogspot.com/
August 30th, 2010 at 2:57 pm
Reply to Fromthebottomoftheruck @ 2:53 pm:
Why not?
They bus you in and give you
a free Coke and a T-shirt.
August 30th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
Perfect solution will be to appoint an independent professional company to administer tests on behalf of SARU.
Use world cup stadiums – take the game everywhere.
And best of all distribute money better among unions.
Why the feck must a rugby player in Bethlehem pay his own fuel to go play in Harrismith because there is no money yet fat cats in Johannesburg get everything on a platter?
Where is the strong prop more likely to come from?
This plan, if done right, can go a long way to securing a solid base in years to come. I mean FS will now host the test. How much of that money do you think will trickle down to the player development in Parys? or will FS refurbish the old players bar on the west stand?
August 30th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Fucks sake and how do we explain Loftus not even 3/4 full for this test?
I am willign to bet good money had the test been in Nelspruit it would have generated more money for SARU. Well maybe not for SARU because its an amateur organisation but surely for a corporate.
Look at English Rugby. They do not only make money from gate receipts at Twickers. They also own shares in travel companies that arrange packages during 6N including commissions from hotels etc.
If you play your cards right a jam packed 40 000 seater stadium in an exotic location should generate more money than a half emtpy 50 000 people at Loftus, where people are over-fed.
Was Loftus perhaps half empty due to everyone paying to go to Soccer City instead – even PTA locals?
August 30th, 2010 at 6:21 pm
Reply to Brendon Shields @ 4:47 pm:
Disillusionment with the Boks
if you ask me.
Even Vic’s 100 could not get
them there en masse.
August 30th, 2010 at 6:26 pm
I tend to agree with Shieldsie.
The management of our rugby wealth
on all levels needs some
profesional management.
On most levels.
Then again,
even with the haphazard management
we’ve won two world cups.
This is a debate like
the piece of string with no end.
Time will tell.
August 30th, 2010 at 6:35 pm
There’s also a lot more “1st class” rugby available to view now, so the money gets spread around more thinly = empty seats. SARU and SANZAR are all about quantity, increasing all the sizes of the tournaments, the fans are a little more interested in quality. Less games should equal higher quality rugby and fuller stadiums, but lower income for SARU, so which way do you think we’ll go?
http://fromthebottomoftheruck.blogspot.com/
August 30th, 2010 at 6:47 pm
Reply to Duiwel @ 6:26 pm:
Fok, bly jy leef ook nog.
August 30th, 2010 at 6:49 pm
Reply to Fromthebottomoftheruck @ 6:35 pm:
In die ou dae het jy 4 of 5 truie
vir ‘n toer met 30 wedstryde en
toetse gekry.
Nou kry hulle twee per wedstryd.
Alles kos geld.
August 30th, 2010 at 8:09 pm
Reply to Duiwel @ 6:26 pm:
Ditto
Waar de fok hang jy uit?