Internationaled » Tony McKeever http://www.internationaled.org International Sports Association Sat, 31 Dec 2011 13:52:38 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 Rugby: For The People Not the Few http://www.internationaled.org/rugby/rugby-for-the-people-not-the-few/ http://www.internationaled.org/rugby/rugby-for-the-people-not-the-few/#comments Thu, 03 Jun 2010 13:17:05 +0000 Tony McKeever http://bleacherreport.com/articles/400708-rugby-is-for-the-people-not-the-few

In the last two weeks all of South Africa bore witness to two remarkable rugby events — that far from being incidental, as a consequence of the Soccer World Cup change in venue requirements — had a Super 14 rugby semifinal and final being played at Orlando Stadium in Soweto.

These two events, each with 40,000 rugby ambassadors, mainly from Pretoria of course, resonated across and throughout South Africa in such a fashion it highlighted what it is to be a South African, with other South Africans celebrating our pure unbridled passion for our sport.

These two events overcame pre-conceived notions and wound up being a double national celebration of who we are and what we are capable of as a multicultural nation that is capable of a huge outpouring of emotion.

One resident of Soweto who attended the games said it best with his statement that, “the World Cup in South Africa is a celebration for the world, but the Super 14 semifinal and final was a celebration for South Africa.”

Even my Blue Bulls Fundamentalist father-in-law’s friends did it the right South African way, for a gang of five very senior 75+ year old rugby loving Blue Bulls supporters, by hiring a local minibus taxi in Pretoria, to take them to the game and visit three shebeens before the game and another three shebeens after the game.

To me that is a remarkable revelation of how our game rugby turned into a celebration of a national rugby fellowship.

What makes this a remarkable celebration was that it was in the public eye and the focus of all these positive emotions were brought about by the absolutely phenomenal professional planning and camera work of SuperSport.

The CEO of SuperSport, Imtiaz Patel and his colleagues can take a bow for producing a spectacular visual odyssey of what our South African sporting and rugby life was like in Orlando Soweto over those two Saturdays.

What might have seemed like a pending clash of cultures of white and black people, turned out into the most wonderful melting pot of what drives us as a nation.

This visual presentation by SuperSport, captured the whole spectrum of emotion from the players on the field to the fan sitting high up in Orlando Stadium, to the rest of us scattered around the country soaking up the game from the nearest DSTV decoder, in total wonderment how black and white get along in South African rugby, marvelling in the fact that the bulk of the Blue Bulls supporters are black and so on.

After all this public outpouring, of how great the game is and everyone congratulating themselves on how everyone got along with each other inside and outside the stadium, it got me to thinking about a great sadness of what has been lost to the country and to us as rugby loving supporters.

If the last two weekends demonstrated anything to us and the world, it is that Orlando Soweto embraced these two events as a sign of what we are and capable of together as people.

But this did not suddenly happen overnight and the Blue Bulls did not suddenly acquire a black supporter base, as this passion for the game of rugby, has been in existence for a hundred years and all of these noble attributes and qualities of what the game of rugby has done and still does do for South Africa was stifled, up until two weeks ago, when there was the dawning realisation we have these feelings and passions in common.

I have seen it over the last decade and these same emotions have existed with the equivalent intensity, maybe even more so, not just in Orlando Soweto, but throughout the Eastern Cape, from Motherwell to Mthata.

The sadness is that the Eastern Cape has been denied and excluded from Super rugby participation over the past five years, of over 60 games (13 each year) of Super rugby that would similarly have fuelled these same emotions.

A cure for the exclusion of the Eastern Cape from Super rugby, from society and from South African rugby, just has to be found and soon.

We cannot momentarily celebrate these past two weekends of great rugby in Soweto, without also feeling the loss experienced by our fellow rugby supporters and players in the Eastern Cape.

To SA Rugby carpe diem .


Read more Rugby Union news on BleacherReport.com

]]>

In the last two weeks all of South Africa bore witness to two remarkable rugby events — that far from being incidental, as a consequence of the Soccer World Cup change in venue requirements — had a Super 14 rugby semifinal and final being played at Orlando Stadium in Soweto.

These two events, each with 40,000 rugby ambassadors, mainly from Pretoria of course, resonated across and throughout South Africa in such a fashion it highlighted what it is to be a South African, with other South Africans celebrating our pure unbridled passion for our sport.

These two events overcame pre-conceived notions and wound up being a double national celebration of who we are and what we are capable of as a multicultural nation that is capable of a huge outpouring of emotion.

One resident of Soweto who attended the games said it best with his statement that, “the World Cup in South Africa is a celebration for the world, but the Super 14 semifinal and final was a celebration for South Africa.”

Even my Blue Bulls Fundamentalist father-in-law’s friends did it the right South African way, for a gang of five very senior 75+ year old rugby loving Blue Bulls supporters, by hiring a local minibus taxi in Pretoria, to take them to the game and visit three shebeens before the game and another three shebeens after the game.

To me that is a remarkable revelation of how our game rugby turned into a celebration of a national rugby fellowship.

What makes this a remarkable celebration was that it was in the public eye and the focus of all these positive emotions were brought about by the absolutely phenomenal professional planning and camera work of SuperSport.

The CEO of SuperSport, Imtiaz Patel and his colleagues can take a bow for producing a spectacular visual odyssey of what our South African sporting and rugby life was like in Orlando Soweto over those two Saturdays.

What might have seemed like a pending clash of cultures of white and black people, turned out into the most wonderful melting pot of what drives us as a nation.

This visual presentation by SuperSport, captured the whole spectrum of emotion from the players on the field to the fan sitting high up in Orlando Stadium, to the rest of us scattered around the country soaking up the game from the nearest DSTV decoder, in total wonderment how black and white get along in South African rugby, marvelling in the fact that the bulk of the Blue Bulls supporters are black and so on.

After all this public outpouring, of how great the game is and everyone congratulating themselves on how everyone got along with each other inside and outside the stadium, it got me to thinking about a great sadness of what has been lost to the country and to us as rugby loving supporters.

If the last two weekends demonstrated anything to us and the world, it is that Orlando Soweto embraced these two events as a sign of what we are and capable of together as people.

But this did not suddenly happen overnight and the Blue Bulls did not suddenly acquire a black supporter base, as this passion for the game of rugby, has been in existence for a hundred years and all of these noble attributes and qualities of what the game of rugby has done and still does do for South Africa was stifled, up until two weeks ago, when there was the dawning realisation we have these feelings and passions in common.

I have seen it over the last decade and these same emotions have existed with the equivalent intensity, maybe even more so, not just in Orlando Soweto, but throughout the Eastern Cape, from Motherwell to Mthata.

The sadness is that the Eastern Cape has been denied and excluded from Super rugby participation over the past five years, of over 60 games (13 each year) of Super rugby that would similarly have fuelled these same emotions.

A cure for the exclusion of the Eastern Cape from Super rugby, from society and from South African rugby, just has to be found and soon.

We cannot momentarily celebrate these past two weekends of great rugby in Soweto, without also feeling the loss experienced by our fellow rugby supporters and players in the Eastern Cape.

To SA Rugby carpe diem .


Read more Rugby Union news on BleacherReport.com

]]> http://www.internationaled.org/rugby/rugby-for-the-people-not-the-few/feed/ 0 Super 14 Referees Decisions & Performances Are Inconsistent http://www.internationaled.org/rugby/super-14-referees-decisions-performances-are-inconsistent/ http://www.internationaled.org/rugby/super-14-referees-decisions-performances-are-inconsistent/#comments Mon, 26 Apr 2010 21:27:13 +0000 Tony McKeever http://bleacherreport.com/articles/384754-super-14-referees-decisions-performances-are-inconsistent  

On average a game of 80 minutes of Super 14 rugby, has just 34 minutes of playing time.

The rest of the 47 minutes is directly attributable to the referee and how he blows the game.

The standard of refereeing this 2010 Super 14 competition has gone from bloody awful to absolutely flawless. However, no team or coach is permitted to criticize the referee, so it is basically left to SANZAR to have this oversight and management of a system that has way too many variables.

In short there is a gag order out about any criticism for a referee by any player or coach and that leaves the ref beyond reproach without any real accountability. And that is not good for the game.

There has to be a degree of scrutineering of the refs every Monday by SANZAR that is made public, to vouch for the impartiality and fairness of the referee, who in turn is assisted by two Assistant referees on the touchline, plus a TMO.

Referees have to be publically graded and assessed, not to necessarily censure them publically, but definitely to educate the players, coaches and fans, as they are front and centre of the game and woeful decisions can cost the game millions of dollars.

It also removes any suspicion of bias if SANZAR established a score card of criteria, so that defuses any hotbed emotional outbursts.

Take this past weekends Super 14 games.

 

1) Pollock in Reds vs Stormers: 3/10. He wrongly awarded the Reds 2 penalties against Vermeulen and Louw which were converted into points. That swung the entire game around. Biased in favour of the Reds. At one stage the penalty count was 7-1. The late shoulder charge on Habana should have earned the Reds a yellow card and even though it was out in the open he still conferred with his linesman. It might well have been a penalty try.

 

2) Kaplan in W Force vs. Crusaders: 8/10.
He was steady and consistent and carried no bias.

 

3) Walsh in Waratahs vs Brumbies: 4/10.
He was definitely biased against the Brumbies and instead of awarding them a try, penalised the try scorer for a ‘double movement’. The modern accepted ruling is that even if you are tackled and held you can stretch and place the ball.

 

4) Jonker in Bulls vs Lions: 8/10.
He was consistent and fair and missed very little. His only questionable decision was when Vermaak kicked a Bull, in that he awarded only a penalty instead of a yellow card and penalty.

 

5) Lawrence in Sharks vs Blues: 4/10.
Quite obvious bias shown towards the Sharks. Twice when the Blues captain approached him with a penalty query he didn’t answer but advanced the penalty 10 metres for chirping. Once when two Sharks were lying on the Blues side blocking the ball the Blues all appealed and he awarded the penalty to the Sharks!

 

Suggestions:

a) Specific, clear and vocal signals should be given by the ref indicating what the penalty was for plus the number of the infringing player.

b) The linesman should be the arbiter of ’straight’ lineout throws, leaving the ref to concentrate on other aspects. If a crooked throw happens the linesman would merely wave his flag in the direction of the offending side.

c) Refs were told two years ago to check crooked balls at scrum put in. Some scrummies are still throwing the ball under their locks’ feet without penalty. This could also be a linesman’s call.

I am not the only one who feels this way about this seasons refereeing and I would welcome receiving your comments and perspective on how refs could be made to perform better, to give us a better game of 40 minutes of actual rugby instead of the 34 minute offering we have now.

Read more Rugby Union news on BleacherReport.com

]]>  

On average a game of 80 minutes of Super 14 rugby, has just 34 minutes of playing time.

The rest of the 47 minutes is directly attributable to the referee and how he blows the game.

The standard of refereeing this 2010 Super 14 competition has gone from bloody awful to absolutely flawless. However, no team or coach is permitted to criticize the referee, so it is basically left to SANZAR to have this oversight and management of a system that has way too many variables.

In short there is a gag order out about any criticism for a referee by any player or coach and that leaves the ref beyond reproach without any real accountability. And that is not good for the game.

There has to be a degree of scrutineering of the refs every Monday by SANZAR that is made public, to vouch for the impartiality and fairness of the referee, who in turn is assisted by two Assistant referees on the touchline, plus a TMO.

Referees have to be publically graded and assessed, not to necessarily censure them publically, but definitely to educate the players, coaches and fans, as they are front and centre of the game and woeful decisions can cost the game millions of dollars.

It also removes any suspicion of bias if SANZAR established a score card of criteria, so that defuses any hotbed emotional outbursts.

Take this past weekends Super 14 games.

 

1) Pollock in Reds vs Stormers: 3/10. He wrongly awarded the Reds 2 penalties against Vermeulen and Louw which were converted into points. That swung the entire game around. Biased in favour of the Reds. At one stage the penalty count was 7-1. The late shoulder charge on Habana should have earned the Reds a yellow card and even though it was out in the open he still conferred with his linesman. It might well have been a penalty try.

 

2) Kaplan in W Force vs. Crusaders: 8/10.
He was steady and consistent and carried no bias.

 

3) Walsh in Waratahs vs Brumbies: 4/10.
He was definitely biased against the Brumbies and instead of awarding them a try, penalised the try scorer for a ‘double movement’. The modern accepted ruling is that even if you are tackled and held you can stretch and place the ball.

 

4) Jonker in Bulls vs Lions: 8/10.
He was consistent and fair and missed very little. His only questionable decision was when Vermaak kicked a Bull, in that he awarded only a penalty instead of a yellow card and penalty.

 

5) Lawrence in Sharks vs Blues: 4/10.
Quite obvious bias shown towards the Sharks. Twice when the Blues captain approached him with a penalty query he didn’t answer but advanced the penalty 10 metres for chirping. Once when two Sharks were lying on the Blues side blocking the ball the Blues all appealed and he awarded the penalty to the Sharks!

 

Suggestions:

a) Specific, clear and vocal signals should be given by the ref indicating what the penalty was for plus the number of the infringing player.

b) The linesman should be the arbiter of ’straight’ lineout throws, leaving the ref to concentrate on other aspects. If a crooked throw happens the linesman would merely wave his flag in the direction of the offending side.

c) Refs were told two years ago to check crooked balls at scrum put in. Some scrummies are still throwing the ball under their locks’ feet without penalty. This could also be a linesman’s call.

I am not the only one who feels this way about this seasons refereeing and I would welcome receiving your comments and perspective on how refs could be made to perform better, to give us a better game of 40 minutes of actual rugby instead of the 34 minute offering we have now.

Read more Rugby Union news on BleacherReport.com

]]> http://www.internationaled.org/rugby/super-14-referees-decisions-performances-are-inconsistent/feed/ 0 South African Rugby’s Precedent: Pride or Prejudice? http://www.internationaled.org/rugby/south-african-rugbys-precedent-pride-or-prejudice/ http://www.internationaled.org/rugby/south-african-rugbys-precedent-pride-or-prejudice/#comments Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:38:34 +0000 Tony McKeever http://bleacherreport.com/articles/352722-sa-rugbys-precedent-pride-or-prejudice On March 5, SA Rugby nominations for President, Deputy President and Vice President, must be received in writing, from both the nominees accepting the nomination, as well as those doing the nomination, for the SA Rugby elections that will take place on the March 26.

It is really quite simple. SA Rugby’s 14 unions each have 2 votes and the individual with a majority of 15 out of 28 votes wins.

It is without doubt one of the most important watershed moments in the annals of South African rugby, as the new leadership comprising the President, Deputy President and Vice President, will assume office for a term of four years through till 2014.

These three individuals will comprise the SA Rugby leadership triumvirate, which will take SA Rugby into the future, with either some limp-wristed chatter of promises, or a powerful credible team that will make bold progressive changes to enhance SA Rugby.

Candidates who have made themselves available for election so far, are Oregan Hoskins, who has been SA Rugby President for four years (two terms of two years each); Mark Alexander, a serial administrator in other sports who has been Deputy President for two years; and Rautie Rautenbach, who has been a figurehead for two years as Vice President, the most notable contribution is attending a Confederation of African Rugby, as the SA Rugby representative in Dakar, Senegal, last year.

Again each of these three have, over the past two weeks, let it be known, that they will also stand for any other presidential position, as it is just way too intoxicating a feeling to not consider being in the mix.

Hoskins, from the Sharks, is a nice guy, however he was first elected to stand opposite Brian van Rooyen in February 2006, specifically because he was coloured, as the SA Rugby constitution at the time required that the three SA Rugby Presidential candidates comprise of a white, coloured and black, in no particular order.

This was to particularly bring into effect, his mandate from his nominees and backers of the big five, which at the time was clear, prevent the Southern Spears from entering Super 14.

This in effect started the clandestine collusion of the big five franchises, three of whom faced the very real prospect of relegation for two of the five years, out of the Super 14 from 2006 to 2010. A case of, All for one and one for All against the Eastern Cape.

The only reason this impasse and threat to all six Super rugby franchises came about which has been festering for four years, at a staggering cost of some R400-million to SA Rugby, is that no one has quite simply bothered to sit down and figure out how to embrace the six South African Super rugby franchises, to all play in international tournaments, and be of benefit to all of South African rugby.

Instead SA, Rugby has lost close to a R500-million to exclude three of their own unions from Super rugby, instead of embracing them and yet still, to this very day, one reads the most appalling drivel and lame excuses about including the Eastern Cape as the sixth South African Super rugby franchise, in any exhibition game, except that of the Super 14 or Super 15.

Exactly one month after Hoskins was elected President in February 2006, he arrived in Port Elizabeth, on March 29 2006, to allegedly champion the way forward for the Eastern Cape’s Super Rugby ambitions and instead, excused himself early from the meeting, to take a helicopter ride to Alicedale to view the site of the new R30-million proposed SA Rugby Academy.

Neither of these material and significant developments have taken place, and SA Rugby has neither arranged an annual scheduled tournament for the sixth South African franchise, nor the R30-million intended for the Rugby Academy, which was used to buttress the SA Rugby balance sheet in 2008 to avoid declaring any losses.

To evaluate the merits of the three incumbents, who have put themselves up for election, again, it is probably best to look at a score sheet for Hoskins term of office over four years and Mark Alexander and Rautie Rautenbach over their term of office over two years, to evaluate what they have done or not done as administrators and then to look at the only alternative to salvage SA Rugby for the future.


Oregan Hoskins — President of SA Rugby, 2006-2010

1. Eastern Cape franchise — Southern Spears — Loss of multiple High Court actions declaring the Southern Spears Super Rugby agreement legal and binding on SA Rugby — Cost to SA Rugby: R400-million
2. Serial violations of breaching the SA Rugby constitution with regards to binding agreements and President Council Resolutions
3. SA Rugby Academy — R30-million — scuppered
4. Cost of Pumas tour to South Africa — Loan from the International Rugby Board
5. Cost of the abandoned Ireland SA Test in Dubai — R9-million
6. A record Triple unreserved apology to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee of Sport for misrepresenting facts at a briefing.
7. Loss of R150-million revenues from SANZAR over five years to the NZ and Australia rugby unions by agreeing to give up 5% of broadcast revenues
8. Rugby World Cup Bid 2015 — Failed
9. Rugby World Cup Bid 2019 — Failed
10. Super 15 Rugby Franchise — Failed


Mark Alexander — Deputy President of SA Rugby, 2008-2010

1. Chairman of EP Rugby charged with ensuring the province gets a Super Rugby franchise — Failed
2. Serial violations of breaching the SA Rugby constitution with regards to binding agreements and President Council Resolutions
3. Rugby World Cup Bid 2015 — Failed
4. Rugby World Cup Bid 2019 — Failed
5. No Southern Kings Franchise shareholders agreement
6. No Southern Kings President’s Council Resolution
7. Super 15 Rugby Franchise — Failed

 

Rautie Rautenbach – Vice President of SA Rugby, 2008-2010

1. Serial violations of breaching the SA Rugby constitution with regards to binding agreements and President Council Resolutions.

So who then are the best Presidential candidates to lead SA Rugby out of this darkness?

Of all the 14 Provincial Rugby Union Presidents, plus the three Presidential incumbents (who are not allowed to vote), there is but one individual, who stands head shoulders above all 17 rugby Presidents, as the true bona fide rugby man and the only authentic and pedigreed Springbok amongst them and that man is—Kevin de Klerk—President of the Lions.

What better than a pedigreed rugby man to lead our rugby?

Combine Kevin de Klerk’s stature and leadership, with the continuity of knowledge and years of experience of SA Rugby’s administration, which Mike Stofile has, and you have the perfect 1-2 combination to turn SA Rugby around in months, and to deliver healthy annual revenue streams to each of the 14 Unions.

Mike Stofile is a straight shooter and tells it like it is and has attended all the Presidential Council meetings at which key Resolutions and binding agreements have taken place and can offer an antidote to the continuous conflict the sixth Eastern Cape Super rugby presents to SA Rugby.

Kevin de Klerk and Mike Stofile would be the powerful SA Rugby leadership combo, to lead SA Rugby out of this turmoil, with their strong and effective leadership, focusing on deliverables and fulfilment for the benefit of all SA Rugby.

Gone would be the flippant rhetoric and patronizing chit chat press releases, which are trotted out by SA Rugby’s media department at the behest of the incumbents.

The 14 SA Rugby unions who have two votes each, represent their clubs, who voted to put them there for the benefit of all SA Rugby, would be wise to heed the siren call of a Kevin de Klerk and Mike Stofile 1-2 combo for SA Rugby.

This combination alone would unlock the value and funding for ALL 14 Unions from corporates around South Africa and rid South African rugby from this perpetual conflict and hemorrhaging of cash.

Anything less, and SA Rugby and its supporters will be faced with four more years of misery and a skint treasury.

Read more Rugby Union news on BleacherReport.com

]]> On March 5, SA Rugby nominations for President, Deputy President and Vice President, must be received in writing, from both the nominees accepting the nomination, as well as those doing the nomination, for the SA Rugby elections that will take place on the March 26.

It is really quite simple. SA Rugby’s 14 unions each have 2 votes and the individual with a majority of 15 out of 28 votes wins.

It is without doubt one of the most important watershed moments in the annals of South African rugby, as the new leadership comprising the President, Deputy President and Vice President, will assume office for a term of four years through till 2014.

These three individuals will comprise the SA Rugby leadership triumvirate, which will take SA Rugby into the future, with either some limp-wristed chatter of promises, or a powerful credible team that will make bold progressive changes to enhance SA Rugby.

Candidates who have made themselves available for election so far, are Oregan Hoskins, who has been SA Rugby President for four years (two terms of two years each); Mark Alexander, a serial administrator in other sports who has been Deputy President for two years; and Rautie Rautenbach, who has been a figurehead for two years as Vice President, the most notable contribution is attending a Confederation of African Rugby, as the SA Rugby representative in Dakar, Senegal, last year.

Again each of these three have, over the past two weeks, let it be known, that they will also stand for any other presidential position, as it is just way too intoxicating a feeling to not consider being in the mix.

Hoskins, from the Sharks, is a nice guy, however he was first elected to stand opposite Brian van Rooyen in February 2006, specifically because he was coloured, as the SA Rugby constitution at the time required that the three SA Rugby Presidential candidates comprise of a white, coloured and black, in no particular order.

This was to particularly bring into effect, his mandate from his nominees and backers of the big five, which at the time was clear, prevent the Southern Spears from entering Super 14.

This in effect started the clandestine collusion of the big five franchises, three of whom faced the very real prospect of relegation for two of the five years, out of the Super 14 from 2006 to 2010. A case of, All for one and one for All against the Eastern Cape.

The only reason this impasse and threat to all six Super rugby franchises came about which has been festering for four years, at a staggering cost of some R400-million to SA Rugby, is that no one has quite simply bothered to sit down and figure out how to embrace the six South African Super rugby franchises, to all play in international tournaments, and be of benefit to all of South African rugby.

Instead SA, Rugby has lost close to a R500-million to exclude three of their own unions from Super rugby, instead of embracing them and yet still, to this very day, one reads the most appalling drivel and lame excuses about including the Eastern Cape as the sixth South African Super rugby franchise, in any exhibition game, except that of the Super 14 or Super 15.

Exactly one month after Hoskins was elected President in February 2006, he arrived in Port Elizabeth, on March 29 2006, to allegedly champion the way forward for the Eastern Cape’s Super Rugby ambitions and instead, excused himself early from the meeting, to take a helicopter ride to Alicedale to view the site of the new R30-million proposed SA Rugby Academy.

Neither of these material and significant developments have taken place, and SA Rugby has neither arranged an annual scheduled tournament for the sixth South African franchise, nor the R30-million intended for the Rugby Academy, which was used to buttress the SA Rugby balance sheet in 2008 to avoid declaring any losses.

To evaluate the merits of the three incumbents, who have put themselves up for election, again, it is probably best to look at a score sheet for Hoskins term of office over four years and Mark Alexander and Rautie Rautenbach over their term of office over two years, to evaluate what they have done or not done as administrators and then to look at the only alternative to salvage SA Rugby for the future.


Oregan Hoskins — President of SA Rugby, 2006-2010

1. Eastern Cape franchise — Southern Spears — Loss of multiple High Court actions declaring the Southern Spears Super Rugby agreement legal and binding on SA Rugby — Cost to SA Rugby: R400-million
2. Serial violations of breaching the SA Rugby constitution with regards to binding agreements and President Council Resolutions
3. SA Rugby Academy — R30-million — scuppered
4. Cost of Pumas tour to South Africa — Loan from the International Rugby Board
5. Cost of the abandoned Ireland SA Test in Dubai — R9-million
6. A record Triple unreserved apology to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee of Sport for misrepresenting facts at a briefing.
7. Loss of R150-million revenues from SANZAR over five years to the NZ and Australia rugby unions by agreeing to give up 5% of broadcast revenues
8. Rugby World Cup Bid 2015 — Failed
9. Rugby World Cup Bid 2019 — Failed
10. Super 15 Rugby Franchise — Failed


Mark Alexander — Deputy President of SA Rugby, 2008-2010

1. Chairman of EP Rugby charged with ensuring the province gets a Super Rugby franchise — Failed
2. Serial violations of breaching the SA Rugby constitution with regards to binding agreements and President Council Resolutions
3. Rugby World Cup Bid 2015 — Failed
4. Rugby World Cup Bid 2019 — Failed
5. No Southern Kings Franchise shareholders agreement
6. No Southern Kings President’s Council Resolution
7. Super 15 Rugby Franchise — Failed

 

Rautie Rautenbach – Vice President of SA Rugby, 2008-2010

1. Serial violations of breaching the SA Rugby constitution with regards to binding agreements and President Council Resolutions.

So who then are the best Presidential candidates to lead SA Rugby out of this darkness?

Of all the 14 Provincial Rugby Union Presidents, plus the three Presidential incumbents (who are not allowed to vote), there is but one individual, who stands head shoulders above all 17 rugby Presidents, as the true bona fide rugby man and the only authentic and pedigreed Springbok amongst them and that man is—Kevin de Klerk—President of the Lions.

What better than a pedigreed rugby man to lead our rugby?

Combine Kevin de Klerk’s stature and leadership, with the continuity of knowledge and years of experience of SA Rugby’s administration, which Mike Stofile has, and you have the perfect 1-2 combination to turn SA Rugby around in months, and to deliver healthy annual revenue streams to each of the 14 Unions.

Mike Stofile is a straight shooter and tells it like it is and has attended all the Presidential Council meetings at which key Resolutions and binding agreements have taken place and can offer an antidote to the continuous conflict the sixth Eastern Cape Super rugby presents to SA Rugby.

Kevin de Klerk and Mike Stofile would be the powerful SA Rugby leadership combo, to lead SA Rugby out of this turmoil, with their strong and effective leadership, focusing on deliverables and fulfilment for the benefit of all SA Rugby.

Gone would be the flippant rhetoric and patronizing chit chat press releases, which are trotted out by SA Rugby’s media department at the behest of the incumbents.

The 14 SA Rugby unions who have two votes each, represent their clubs, who voted to put them there for the benefit of all SA Rugby, would be wise to heed the siren call of a Kevin de Klerk and Mike Stofile 1-2 combo for SA Rugby.

This combination alone would unlock the value and funding for ALL 14 Unions from corporates around South Africa and rid South African rugby from this perpetual conflict and hemorrhaging of cash.

Anything less, and SA Rugby and its supporters will be faced with four more years of misery and a skint treasury.

Read more Rugby Union news on BleacherReport.com

]]> http://www.internationaled.org/rugby/south-african-rugbys-precedent-pride-or-prejudice/feed/ 0