1
Double blow for Sale: Gloucester sue over van Rensburg and new stadium plan causes anger
Premiership playoff-chasing Sale have been deal a double off-field blow – they are reportedly being sued by Gloucester over the Rohan Janse van Rensburg contractual debacle while plans for a new stadium have been hampered after thousands of people signed a petition against the plan.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Sharks were handed a suspended five-point deduction at an RFU disciplinary hearing in April that investigated how South African van Rensburg wound up signing a three-year contract for Sale in January 2018 after originally inking a similar length deal with Gloucester just three months earlier.
The RFU fined van Rensburg £32,500 and issued a two-week ban, while Sale were given a £20,000 fine and handed the points deduction that has been suspended for two seasons. The disciplinary hearing’s written verdict laid bare the tensions between both clubs and it has now emerged that Gloucester are suing for damages, the Telegraph claiming they are chasing around £400,000 in compensation.
Meanwhile, the company behind Sale’s tentative move back to their hometown in the Greater Manchester area were forced to issue a statement just a week after unveiling ambitious plans to turn Crossford Bridge playing fields into a modern sports complex that would including housing the Sharks at a new stadium.
More than 3,000 signatures have been received by a change.org petition voicing concerns over the project. Speaking in the Manchester Evening News, petition organiser Catherine Perrin said: “The negative impact of these plans would be immense, not only to the people who use it but to the wildlife, environment and surrounding area.
Things have turned quite bitter between the clubs, if this remarkable hearing was anything to go by
– writes @heagneyl https://t.co/vwdWPlTais
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 24, 2020
“Generations of my family and I have grown up and lived in the Crossford Bridge area and it would be nothing short of heartbreaking to see such a place disappear.”
Edouard Whyte, who lives next door to the site, added: “We only received a letter informing us of the consultation on the day the Sale Sharks’ media coverage started to appear telling the UK they were ‘coming home’.
ADVERTISEMENT
“This resulted in a lot of unrest and worry for those of us who live nearby. I know that all of the concerns I have voiced are shared by my neighbours and others living near us. We have rallied together over the past few days but we are all feeling very uneasy about what’s to come.”
The level of antipathy towards the project forced Crossford Futures to issue a statement in an attempt to allay growing fears. It read: “We can confirm that all parties have now entered dialogue around the vision for the potential development of Crossford Bridge and intend to hold preliminary discussions as part of a more detailed consultation which will take place in the coming weeks.
“Our shared priority is ensuring that all involved, including the clubs, local residents and the wider community benefit from any proposals for the site.
“We would like to reiterate that no solutions will be put forward in the second phase of consultation in the autumn that do not meet with approval from all of the parties involved, especially Sale United FC, Sale Harriers Manchester and Old Atrinchamians FC.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Local residents and all the children who enjoy the current facilities will then have an opportunity to provide significant feedback as part of that second phase of consultation.”
Huge development coming out of Sale Sharks https://t.co/jQfOe7QxaG
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 17, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
To me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
30 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
30 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
30 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
30 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
30 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
30 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
30 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
17 Go to comments