Everything you wanted to know about SA Rugby’s Axis of Influence Peddlars

You are about to be exposed to South African rugby’s Axis of Evil, its administration, where rules and agreements are made and signed off by SA Rugby and despite their creation, are flouted with impunity, as also the SA Rugby constitution which requires all unions to uphold agreements made at the President’s Council and by SA Rugby.

The simple question of whether this is right or wrong, underpins the organisation. Not a month goes by without SA Rugby violating their own constitution by not holding unions, administrators and players to President’s Council resolutions. The President’s Council, meeting on a monthly basis, presides over an administration that is so deeply flawed and riddled with hypocrisy, it beggars belief.

We are about to embark on a 2009 Super 14 rugby season, in the second last year of the current five-year agreement with Sanzar and its broadcast partners, Newscorp with New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.

This is the SA Rugby Super 14 franchise participation agreement that commenced on January 1 2006 and ends the May 31 2010. The renewal of this, in whatever new format is proposed, will have to be tabled in June 2009 and Sanzar — led by South Africa — are unable to decide on which set of ELV’s to use before kick-off on February 13 2009.

I need not remind you that SA Rugby, since 2006, has spent an obscene and reckless amount of R27,1-million in deliberately excluding the Eastern Cape from this competition and the cost will continue to soar. In addition, millions upon millions of rands have been given to the Cheetahs and the Lions each year in lifeboat grants, not loans, that exceeds anything offered to the three Eastern Cape unions in the past three years.

Had SA Rugby stuck to their unanimous binding President’s Council resolution, there would be no argument about a franchise, nor transformation, nor acrimony with the Ministry of Sport and the government, and they would have saved themselves tens of millions of rands.

Moreover, the three Eastern Cape rugby unions have been excluded from Super Rugby for over eight years, and you have to understand that the existence of a franchise is the “well” from which all other 11 unions derive their revenues, hence the pitiful state of the three Eastern Cape rugby unions.

Combine this with the raids of the other five so-called big unions finding the elite school players from the Eastern Cape and you begin to realise the appalling victimisation and pillaging of the province, which is condoned by SA Rugby and its administrators.

There is no coherent tournament fixture or structure that takes SA Rugby from the antiquated 1990’s to 2015 and beyond. All SA Rugby can look forward to are obstacles, hurdles, pitfalls and a legal siege on the domestic and international front.

Gate attendances of the Super 14 have plummeted to an all-time low and not a single one of the five South African franchises has an average gate attendance in excess of 48% for the Super 14 season since 2006. This 48% is achieved only by the Bulls while on the other end of the scale, the Cheetahs and Lions compete for an average gate attendance of 18%. The Absa Currie Cup attendances are also abysmally low, showing that spectator support for rugby is in the toilet.

In a snapshot of the existing status quo of Super 14 rugby in South Africa, it becomes patently obvious as to how and why the system is manipulated to the detriment of the entire rugby playing nation. It is so outdated, grotesquely unbalanced and riddled with bias, that no level or fair playing field has been created to include all South African rugby fans and players.

You would think that the credo of “may the best team win” would apply, but it doesn’t. SA Rugby has been so manipulated and tainted with the obsessive compulsion of the few, to protect the interests of these few, that it is now a volatile time bomb about to explode and destabilise the system.

The game of rugby is in peril. SuperSport, the anchor sponsor and broadcaster of rugby in South Africa, are likely to see their treasured broadcast rights upended and lost to the public broadcaster and a phalanx of other international broadcasters.

Allow me to walk you through the inner sanctum of South African rugby and reveal the vulnerability of the game — due to incestuousness — and reveal how short sighted SA Rugby has been.

The individuals mentioned below are not fictitious cartoon characters, yet not one of them is associated with the tabling of any new initiative in growing the game of rugby or generating new revenues, to make the sport relevant to audiences in South Africa and internationally. Each is solely intent on jealously guarding their five “patches” which has been at the expense of the game in South Africa.

The deliberate exclusion of over 40% of rugby players in South Africa in the Super Rugby competition, is nothing short of apartheid and the victimisation of this group.

To top it off they have vicariously plundered the SA Rugby treasury and violated the SA Rugby Constitution with impunity. Not a single individual has been at the forefront of change to make the game of rugby relative to the country’s population or the rugby spectators. Of course there has been the usual rhetoric trotted out, “we will do this and we will do that, next year” … always next year. Ticket prices for the Super 14 and Test matches, are at an all-time high and spectators are voting with their feet and staying away. Not a single, coherent, all-inclusive programme has been tabled by these unions so-called leaders, to advance the game nationally, in the Southern Hemisphere or internationally. So much so, that the NZRU and the ARU pour scorn on Hoskins and Marinos at the Sanzar meetings and these are supposed to be their tripartite partners.

Each of the (five) South African franchises is required and obligated to have a rugby academy, if they are to have a franchise. It is quite simply a condition in the Super 14 franchise participation agreement. Only the Stormers, Sharks and Bulls do. So why is it then that two of the five, the Lions and Cheetahs, have been permitted to be without a rugby academy for three years? This is where the development of each of the franchise unions rugby talent is to be fostered.

Please meet the South African rugby decision makers and decide for yourself whether South African rugby is capable of turning the corner, or in desperate need of rescue.

Oregan Hoskins, formerly of the Sharks, is president of SA Rugby, Mark Alexander, formerly of the Lions, is deputy president, Rautie Rautenbach, formerly of the Falcons, is vice-president. Johan Prinsloo, formerly of the Lions, is CEO and Andy Marinos, formerly team manager of the Springboks, is acting MD. Soon SA Rugby will be dissolved into a section 21 company. Marinos has yet to familiarise himself and read all the sponsorship and broadcast agreements of SA Rugby, which is why John O’Neill of the Australian Rugby Union is giving Hoskins and Marinos a right royal run around at Sanzar.

A basic cost to company of about R12 000 000 per annum is spent on retaining the ten individuals comprising the five CEO’s and five coaches. The five South African franchises, for their 11 unions, have directly cost their unions R36 000 000 over the last three years for their retention and engagement and a further collective R450 000 000 over the last three years (R150m per annum) for the cost of contracting about 250 players for their five franchises and still they continue to cost SA Rugby over R100 000 000 annum in lost revenues.

By all means, reward executives and administrators handsomely for solid performances, results and potent innovative revenue generation, but when they are a liability, with spectators staying away, you then have to draw a line. SA Rugby’s depleted treasury continues to financially “support” the big five unions to the detriment of the other nine unions.

How long can this last and when will it implode?

Chairperson of the Finance committee is Hein Mentz of the Pumas in Witbank and Chairperson of the Competitions Committee is James Stoffberg of the Leopards in Poitchefstroom. These so happen to be the junior partners of the Lions.

There are five franchise CEO’s, representing 11 out of the 14 South African rugby unions:
1. Bulls — Barend van Graan, also of Sail, which has investments and shareholding in the Cheetahs and the Stormers and exclusively manage Vodacom’s rugby account.
2. Lions — Manie Reynecke
3. Cheetahs — Harold Verster
4. Sharks — Brian van Zyl
5. Stormers — Rob Wagner

Then there are five franchise coaches, of the:
1. Bulls — Frans Ludeke,
2. Lions — Eugene Eloff,
3. Cheetahs — Naka Drotske,
4. Sharks — John Plumtree
5. Stormers — Rassie Erasmus

This point is not about racism or transformation, but inclusivity. Peter de Villiers, formerly of the Spears, was the only coach of colour as part of this management committee in 2006 and now that he is the national coach there has been no other replacement or substitute in three years. Does this indicate any advancement by SA Rugby, or is this a sign of some sinister institutionalised thinking?

The Super 14 is essentially run by a management committee and selection committee.

Conspicuous by its absence, is the inclusion of and representation from the three Southern and Eastern Cape unions, Border, Eastern Province and SWD and their allocated franchise.

Below are excerpts of the SA Rugby Super 14 franchise participation agreement with all six franchises that commenced 1st January 2006 and ends 31st May 2010, that is particularly revealing, in that one struggles to find any adherence by SA Rugby and these “five franchise unions”, to their own agreement or constitution.

SCHEDULE XI: Management Committee (14 people)

1. COMPOSITION

The management shall consist of:
1.1 The chairman of the Rugby Committee — Keith Parkinson (Sharks)
1.2 The managing director of SA Rugby, who will act as chairperson. (Acting Managing Director: Andy Marinos)
1.3 The national coach (Peter de Villiers)
1.4 The coaches of the franchises (Frans Ludeke, Eugene Eloff, Naka Drotske, John Plumtree and Rassie Erasmus)
1.5 The chief executive officers of each franchise.(Barend van Graan, Manie Reynecke, Harold Verster, Brian van Zyl and Rob Wagner)
1.6 The regional tournament director who will also act as secretary of the management committee. (Johan Botes)

10. Team selection and management
10.1 Selection of Squads
10.1.1 The management committee shall annually identify a list between a minimum of 210 and a maximum of 245 players for consideration for inclusion in the squad. The Franchise will submit a list of players identified for this purpose to the management committee by 31 October of the preceding year.
10.1.2 The management committee shall select the squads.
10.1.3 The management committee shall implement a draft system to ensure that the top 150 (one hundred and fifty) players in South Africa participate in the competition in each season in accordance with Sanzar’s obligations within the respective broadcast agreements.
10.1.4 The management committee, subject to clause 10.1.5, has the right to draft a maximum of eight players into a squad in any one year.10.1.5 A minimum of eight players of colour must form part of the final squad.
10.1.6 Remuneration, reasonable travel and accommodation costs of players drafted by the management committee into any Squad shall be for SA Rugby’s account.
10.1.7 In any one year of the competition, SA Rugby will pay the franchise R 23 500 per month per drafted player for remuneration for the period January to May, or a pro rata thereof if the player is not in the squad for the full, and reimburse the franchise for any reasonable travel and accommodation cost incurred by the franchise in connection with a drafted Player for the abovementioned period.
10.1.8 Should any two or more franchises agree to the drafting of a player then the CEO’s of these franchises shall agree as to the applicable costs to be paid between the franchises, provided that the combined monthly remuneration as per 10.1.7 shall not be less than R 23 500 per month per player.
10.1.9 The franchise shall be responsible for all costs for those players used before and during the season in preparation whether or not those players are selected for the final squad, subject to 10.1.7 and 10.1.8 above.
10.1.10 The franchise team not participating in the competition in any one-year agrees to a maximum of eight of its Springbok contracted players being drafted to another franchise participating in the competition for that season, where such drafting shall be subject to the player’s consent.
10.1.11 The franchise obtaining the services of such a drafted Springbok contracted player as per clause 10.1.10 will reimburse the non-participating franchise for the player’s full remuneration, and bear all other costs associated with that player’s services for the period January to May of that particular year, or a pro rata share thereof if the player’s services are acquired for a lesser period.

10.1.12 After Sanzar has officially been notified of the names of the members of the squads, any player nominated as a member of a squad for the competition in any particular year may not play in the competition for any other participating team during that year.
10.1.13 The franchise may contract and / or select a maximum of two foreign players in their squad in any one year, subject to the prior written approval of SA Rugby.
10.1.14 The franchise must supply to SA Rugby pen portraits and photographs of the squad, coach and support team in a format determined by SA Rugby on or before a date to be determined by SA Rugby.
10.1.15 The management committee shall submit the final squad of 30 players to Sanzar on a date as determined by Sanzar.

10.2 Announcement of team
10.2.1 SA Rugby shall announce the squad not later than three weeks prior to the start of the competition.

10.3 Match scheduling
10.3.1 The franchise shall have the team play on the afternoon or evening of any day in accordance with the official match schedule, which will be issued by not later than 30 December of the preceding year by Sanzar to the franchise.
10.3.2 Sanzar has provisionally created a five-year competition draw, which will be subject to changes at Sanzar’s discretion by not later than 31 December of the preceding year.
10.3.3 The franchise team that is promoted for any one year to replace the relegated franchise team will adopt the official match schedule, which would have been applicable to the relegated franchise. For the avoidance of doubt Sanzar is not obliged to consider prior match schedules involving the promoted franchise team in order to determine the official match schedule.

Where this all starts to unravel is that no one watches out for the Southern & Eastern Cape regions and that there is hardly an effort to stick to the eight players of colour from each of the five squads of 30. That would make it 40 players of colour from the 150 Super 14 teams.

It is an inescapable fact that over 60% of rugby players in this country are players of colour.

Why then only have 26% representation in the Super 14? Not even that is reflected in the super 14 squad make up for 2009.

It will be most interesting to see the outcomes of the selection of the Super 14 squads from SA Rugby in the next 30 days, especially with the input of South African Rugby’s national coach, Peter de Villiers.

In my view, Peter de Villiers has every right to insist that all the franchises play eight players of colour. If the franchises do not meet this requirement they must be sanctioned financially.

What irks me greatly is the gross injustice and victimisation to over 200 000 rugby players in the Eastern Cape who have been excluded from Super Rugby competition for over three years.

It is a status quo so vile and repugnantly unfair, that SA Rugby should not receive one iota of support for the 2015 and 2019 Rugby World Cup bids until this is remedied with a Super Rugby franchise, in 2009, not when this Super 14 tournament is over in 2010.

The International Rugby Board (IRB) does not stand a hope of persuading the 117 International Olympic Committee (IOC) members, in October 2009, that rugby should be included as an Olympic sport in 2016, when this kind of apartheid and deliberate exclusionary tactics is perpetuated by the country second on their log.

Almost half the voting members of the 117 IOC members are from Africa and South Africa has excluded the Organisation of African Rugby in competitions, let alone three of their own unions. It will be a hard task persuading these IOC members to look favourably on accepting rugby in the Olympics, unless there are drastic reforms.

I have eight letters from African rugby nations imploring SA Rugby to be a part of Super Rugby competitions via a composite African Leopards side. Do you think that any of these letters have been answered? Lapasset, chairperson of the IRB, has been copied on this correspondence, so it will be a real eye opener for him when he visits South Africa early in 2009 to see that SA could quite easily be the cause of the IOC refusing rugby admission to the Olympic games for the fourth time. This presentation has to be done in June 2009 to the IOC executive, before a final vote in Copenhagen in October.

Odd then how SA Rugby becomes the Axis of Evil in June 2009 with the IRB, IOC, NOC, OAR, Sanzar, NZRU and ARU. This did not suddenly happen. This has been a process of toxic fermentation.

Allow the Eastern Cape to have their own franchise and afford them the opportunity to compete against the established five South African Super 14 franchises in a relegation and promotion series and may the best team win.