SA Rugby board of directors has decided to halt the participation of the Southern Spears in the Vodacom Super 14 next year, and instead put measures in place to help the franchise and the region reach acceptable levels of readiness.
At a media conference on Wednesday, the board said it was aware that the decision might not go down well with some members of the affected communities, but thorough investigation showed it was a sensible one to take.
”We realise that it is a difficult and sensitive issue,” said board chairperson Mpumelelo Tshume. ”The decision of the board will be an unpopular one in some sectors of the community, but we believe halting the Spears’ participation in the Super 14 for now is the right thing to do. Posterity will judge us harshly if we consider quick fixes.”
The decision, originally scheduled to be announced on Friday, was made public on Wednesday because the board managed to secure an earlier consultation with the provincial presidents in Cape Town.
Tshume said the board was satisfied that it had applied its mind properly to the facts around the Spears issue, before coming to the conclusion that the franchise was not ready for Super 14 engagements.
”The board of SA Rugby has employed a thorough process in its quest to find a sustainable solution to the challenges facing rugby in the Eastern and Southern Cape, generally, and the Southern Spears, in particular.”
Tshume said SA Rugby was committed to the cause of developing the game in the Eastern Cape region. This will be done through the implementation of sound corporate-governance procedures, putting in place sound administration and workable structures, helping the region attain financial sustainability and helping to develop player capacity in the region.
Tshume noted that at least two of the three Provinces in the region were in serious financial difficulties. He said the rugby authorities were taking into account the provisions of the Sanzar agreement.
”We need to take positive intervention to ensure sustainability in all areas of work in those provinces. Part of the remedy to be implemented immediately is the production of a detailed plan to assist the board of SA Rugby intervene in the three Provinces.
”Senior management of SA Rugby has been mandated to pool resources, including from outside of rugby, to help draw a blueprint that would point to the sustainability of rugby in those areas.”
One of the pending positive interventions is the establishment of a rugby academy in the Eastern Cape, a project to be undertaken in partnership with television channel SuperSport.
”The high performance centre should help take the level of the game in the Eastern Cape to impressive levels.” — Sapa