Saru
recommendation may blunt Spears aspirations
Presidents’ council
proposes no team be relegated at end of season
The South African Rugby
Union (Saru) has recommended that none of the existing South African Super 14
teams should be relegated from next year’s tournament and that the decision
to include the Southern Spears in the tournament be rescinded.
This follows
a meeting of the Presidents’ Council in Cape Town where it was also decided
to recommend that an inquiry should be launched into the Southern Cape franchise’s
viability and readiness to compete in the next Super 14 competition.
After
the meeting SA Rugby managing director Johan Prinsloo said, however, that it had
been decided that there should be “no relegation or promotion of existing
franchises at the end of the season”.
This follows a decision taken
by the Presidents’ Council on June 8 last year that the Spears should be
included in the 2007 Super 14 and that their participation should be guaranteed
for two years.
At the same time it was decided that the bottom-placed SA
team on this year’s Super 14 log should be relegated and that next season
the Spears would be exempt from relegation.
The decision was ratified by
the SA Rugby Board in December. The Board will now meet next Wednesday to consider
the latest recommendations of the Presidents’ Council.
Yesterday’s
meeting was the first chaired by newly elected SA Rugby president Oregan Hoskins.
It
was also decided at the meeting that Hoskins and a delegation would meet with
the Ministry of Sport and Recreation to discuss corporate governance charges brought
against former Saru president Brian van Rooyen.
It was also decided to rescind
an earlier decision that SA Rugby would pay for Van Rooyen’s legal fees for
the probe as an earlier Presidents’ Council decision had not been provided
with enough information to make a proper decision.
SA Rugby regarded the
matter as “urgent” and said any investigation would be handled jointly
between them and the Sports Ministry.
Hoskins said in a statement that SA
Rugby was committed to helping the Spears make it into the big league – whether
they take part in the competition now or later.
He said an inquiry into
the Spears would help them make an informed decision on the way forward for the
franchise.
The appointment of national coaches was also confirmed at the
meeting. They are: Chester Williams (SA A), Peter de Villiers (U21), Eugene Eloff
(U19), David Dobela (Springbok Women), and Paul Treu (Sevens).
Peter Jooste
would remain Springbok convener of selectors along with Bok coach Jake White and
Ian McIntosh.
SA Rugby deputy president Mike Stofile and Saru deputy chief
executive Mveleli Ncula would represent South Africa on the Confederation of African
Rugby (CAR).
Prinsloo also revealed that changes had been discussed for
the Currie Cup structures, but SA Rugby first wanted to meet with the competition
sponsors to discuss proposed changes to the tournament structures.
They
also hoped that Griqualand West would wish to “continue to pursue that matter
amicably within the spirit of the game”.
The Kimberley-based union
has served papers on SA Rugby challenging the qualification criteria for this
year’s Currie Cup and the matter had been set down for a court hearing on
April 7. — Sapa
