The Board of South African rugby has approved a president’s council recommendation to send a fact-finding mission to the Southern Spears franchise to ascertain their state of readiness for participation in the Vodacom Super 14 competition next year.
Led by South African Rugby Union president Oregan Hoskins, the delegation will visit Port Elizabeth on Friday March 31 for the first evaluation of the regional franchise. Other members of the delegation are vice-president Koos Basson, CEO Johan Prinsloo, deputy CEO Mveleli Ncula and financial director Basil Haddad.
The visit marks the beginning of an investigation into the franchise, regarded as a critical step in determining the immediate future of the Southern Spears.
The enquiry into the Spears will include:
- An evaluation of the commercial impact of the ultimate decision taken on the affected franchises — in the event of a relegation.
- Consideration of the bid documents from the Spears and the other South African franchises.
- An assessment of implications of the decision on the Sanzar/NewsCorp contract obligation to play the best possible sides from each of the Sanzar affiliates.
- A consideration of the implications of a decision for all stakeholders in the Spears region.
”The process will require a lot of research and time,” said Hoskins. ”The ultimate decision is one we will not take lightly or in a haphazard fashion. The terms of reference are designed to give us a total picture that will tell us whether they are ready for 2007 or not.” — Sapa