Decision will kill rugby in province
ON May 3, two prominent rugby experts, Nick Mallett and Jean de Villiers, urged the South Africa Rugby Union (Saru) to keep the Kings in the Sanzaar setup for reasons they forwarded.
In my letter published in The Herald on May 9 (“Support the call to keep ECape in Sanzaar fold”), I supported their stance, but also expressed my fear that their plea would fall on deaf ears as far as Saru was concerned. My fears have been proved right. Just like Saru denied the Eastern Cape province in 2003 the opportunity to participate in the most lucrative competition in the Southern Hemisphere, it has now finally booted out of Super Rugby a province that could have helped it in its failed attempts to transform the rugby landscape.
Knowing the rugby leaders’ thinking – I was part of that setup for some time – they won’t move away from the decision they have taken, regardless of the Eastern Cape rugby folk pleading for fairness.
The fact that the Kings were higher up on the Super Rugby log than the bumbling Bulls meant nothing to them.
The fact that the type of rugby dished out by the Kings was drawing more crowds than at Loftus and other big stadia made no difference to them.
The fate of the Kings players is of no concern to them, so long as their beloved and privileged players from the so-called “big provinces” are safely secured.
The following questions will always haunt us: Was due diligence followed before reaching this momentous decision? Were the custodians of rugby in this province, that is the clubs, consulted? Was the government of the Eastern Cape, that has been very supportive of rugby, consulted about the desire to boot out the Kings and the decision reached? Were the real actors, the Kings players and their management, prepared for this eventuality? Is there any available document confirming the participation of the Kings in the Pro12 competition? Can we be presented with fixtures and venues? Seeing that this competition is being played in the off season here, what about the wellness of the players?
I don’t want to bore the readers with other obvious questions, but the fact remains that this whole decision was taken with the aim of killing rugby in this part of the world once and for all.
It raises concerns that the leadership of the Kings voluntarily supported this decision. The recently appointed EPRU president, Andre Rademan, sees exciting opportunities. Which opportunities, Sir?
It is heartening that the likes of Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism, the Kings Army supporters club, Peter Myles, and the Port Elizabeth Metro Bed and Breakfast Association, just to mention a few, are concerned about the negative impact this decision will have on this province.
This decision has proved beyond any reasonable doubt that the word transformation does not exist in the vocabulary of Saru and that it is time for the ministry of sport in this country to pull the plug by withdrawing the guarantee to Saru of its bid to stage the 2023 Rugby World Cup, as this decision is divisive.