Deck stays same but player cull on the cards
SA Rugby remains divided even as it seeks calmer waters
● A bright new dawn it is not, but SA Rugby as a result of their elections hasn’t been dragged into a murky future either.
The organisation opted for a “steady as she goes” approach by re-electing president Mark Alexander for four years following an initial two-year stint.
It is moot whether he has steered the ship into calmer waters in that period, but at least he is armed with a blueprint wider in range than that of the man who opposed him, Andre May.
Fact is, SA Rugby has taken on water over the past few years and opinion will be divided on whether the incumbent president is the man to plug all the holes.
Consultation needed first
Key to cash-strapped SA Rugby’s recovery, Alexander believes, is to drastically reduce the number of professional players in the country.
“We will arrive at a figure through a process of consultation between the franchises and MyPlayers (players’ representatives).”
It may not stem the player drain, but there may be more in the pot to retain some of the cream of the country’s talent.
Alexander, who is also a proponent of a draft system in which players can go on loan to other franchises, hopes the 750 or so professional players will be trimmed by half by mid-year.
“We have a lot of players. We have more professional players than most countries,” said Alexander. “Some will have to be semiprofessional, while others will be paid.”
Even the smaller unions, who stood in opposition to Alexander’s re-election, agree the players’ dining room is overcrowded.
“We don’t know yet what the ideal number will be but it isn’t just about cutting the number of players,” said Jan Marais, who unsuccessfully ran against Francois Davids to be SA Rugby’s deputy president. “Fact is, the big unions have exorbitant wage bills.”
The proposed change will further reduce the capacity of smaller unions to hold on to their top talent, which in turn will weaken their hand at the negotiating table.
Already battle lines are drawn over SA Rugby’s funding model, which for obvious reasons is skewed in favour of unions that anchor Super Rugby franchises.
In last Friday’s elections the smaller unions used it as a rallying call against Alexander, who they see as part of the establishment. They also railed against what they termed undue influence wielded by broadcaster SuperSport, who they believe are helping preserve the status quo.
The funding model, which has broadcast rights disbursements as its bedrock, has long been a source of frustration for the unions outside the major metropolitan areas.
Alexander knows, however, he has to pla- cate the small unions.
Though Marais said his concerns resonated with delegates, it wasn’t enough to win votes. “We should forget about small unions and big ones. Let’s talk about our differences. I wrote to the unions and got some positive feedback. There is a general acceptance that around some of these issues things aren’t well and we need to address it.”
Marais said that while he and May failed to get the nod for high office they can still make their voices heard. “It would have been easier had we won but we can still voice our concerns through the general council.”
The election of the Pumas’ Hein Mentz, and to a lesser extent Free State’s Lindsay Mould to SA Rugby’s executive, will give them a sympathetic ear at rugby’s top table.
Mentz is seen by his fellow council members as being deeply conservative.
“He’s an accountant and he brings that background,” Alexander said diplomatically. “Lindsay has an outstanding track record as a schools rugby administrator. The important thing is that we are all mandated to serve the sport and do what is best for it.”
We have a lot of players. We have more professional players than most countries Mark Alexander SA Rugby president