SA Rugby stuck at southern crossroads
● By having a foot either side of the equator SA Rugby is positioning itself to be at the centre of the rugby universe. Geographically speaking, they have a case.
Playing in competitions in both hemispheres gives them a unique standing in the game, SA Rugby president Mark Alexander contended this week.
European rugby officials have been courting their local counterparts and noises emanating from the north suggest the country is ready to expand its footprint in the Pro14 competition, some suggesting at the expense of their Super Rugby involvement.
Griquas and the Pumas are set to join the Cheetahs and the Southern Kings in European combat but for the moment the Lions, Stormers, Bulls and Sharks are staying put. Besides, even if they wanted to head north it will require Brexitesque negotiations.
“If we are extending our footprint in the north it doesn’t mean we are taking away from the south,” insisted Alexander.
“We have eight franchises. Last year we added the Pumas and Griquas.
“People shouldn’t confuse what we are doing in the northern hemisphere with what we are doing in the south.
“Super Rugby is very good for South African rugby because we are playing against the best teams in the world.”
That is a ringing endorsement but the macroeconomics at play in rugby has local officials wistfully gazing north.
Benefits of playing both sides
Certainly the tone of the conversation is changing. “We see both organisations on an equal footing. They are at the same level.” Alexander expressed a sentiment that would have inspired the search for a rope and a tree in the south not too long ago.
“We are very fortunate to play in two hemispheres. No other federation has that. We want to grow both competitions.
“You are dealing with two different styles of rugby. The more we learn the better it is for the national team.”
Already there is talk of inviting the Cheetahs and the Kings to the top table of European club rugby, the prestigious Champions Cup. “Once we are a full member nothing can block us from getting in,” said Alexander. “Jurie (Roux, SA Rugby’s CEO) sits on the board. In 2020 we’ll be a full member.”
With the allure of the northern lights hard to resist, where does that leave Super Rugby? “We want a Super Rugby competition that is vibrant, competitive and easily understood. The viewership is up. Less is more,” Alexander suggested. It is a comment that may yet earn him an invite for pistols at dawn from a broadcast executive.
He acknowledges though that Super Rugby again needs refining. For that, he admits, South African rugby is largely to blame. “Super 18 was done because South African rugby had a need to cater for six teams. We pushed Sanzaar in that direction.
“We made mistakes, We acknowledge we made big mistakes in the past.
“When we went to 15-team previously we drove that process too. We split the Cats because we wanted an extra team. The Aussies just piggybacked on what we were trying to do. We were the drivers.”
Reaching a key juncture
He believes they are at a juncture where meaningful change is possible. Central to this is the new contracting model that will almost halve the country’s 990 pro players.
“As part of that we are also looking at a drafting system. It will ensure the cream of the crop playing every week.
“We want to contract 40 to 45 players per team. We will hold joint contracts with the unions. We will have a development contract, a match fee contract, a semi-professional and a fully professional contract.”