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South Africa forced to go cap in hand to World Rugby
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit rugby in South Africa so badly that SA Rugby was forced into knocking on World Rugby’s door to ask for financial support. According to information from the Rapport all the large unions and even some of the smaller ones were forced into requesting an advance on the annual contributions made to them by SA Rugby.
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In effect, SA Rugby has gone to World Rugby and asked them for next year’s stipend now and added that to whatever savings they currently have in order to help the unions survive.
A top rugby administrator told Rapport that this is not unusual as virtually every year there are countries that request an advance.
“It’s dead normal. I think SA Rugby also did it in 2016. Some countries do it every year”
SA Rugby has been helping the unions with advances since March 2020 to ensure there are no fears about them being able to pay salaries.
Despite the advances the insecurities of when the unions will be allowed to open their gates to the paying public again are still there. Terrible pressure is still on the rugby bosses as to when they will be able to normalize their cash flow again.
Unfortunately, no rugby administrator that spoke to Rapport could give a firm date when the stadiums will be allowed to open their gates to the suite holders, season ticket holders and public again.
Rugby bosses are hoping that President Cyril Ramaphosa will provide them with this information soon however the expectation is that this won’t occur before early next year.
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The income from their suites is the third-largest source of income for the larger unions.
“The larger unions have watched the income from their suites fall over the last five years and unions are losing millions of Rands” said another administrator
“They’re struggling to find companies that are prepared to rent the suites for the prices they used to get but even if it’s 100 suites at R200,000 each it’s still R20 million that’s at risk for the larger unions”
Unions can still hold their suite leaseholder to contractual terms as they have a binding agreement in place and the lessee is still bound to honour the terms of the contacts in place.
However, if they do this, they run the risk of alienating those lessee’s and losing them the following year as they simply won’t lease the suite again.
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On top of the risk that the unions carry with the loss of income from the reduction in the amount of games they’ve been able to stage they also have the problem where COVID-19 has caused devastation in the economy to the point where some of the suite holders can’t even afford their current payments.
The first item on the unions budget is now entertainment in order to bring in some much-needed income.
“The only trump card the larger unions have is the upcoming B&I Lions tour where people will renew their contracts for 2021 to be able to watch this but what happens after 2021 is anybody’s guess”
Large unions are only managing to bring in about a third of what their income should be according to another administrator.
Things nearly turned very ugly in France. https://t.co/O4pcGl4PGH
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 23, 2020
Large unions income remains critical according to a third rugby administrator. “What makes it even more difficult is that we don’t want to make empty promises regarding 2021 to our suite holders, sponsors and season ticket holders.”
“I think it’s going to take three to five years for the unions to recover from what COVID-19 has done to them this year.”
A fourth rugby administrator told Rapport that the large unions will only be able to recover from this year’s financial setbacks if they’re able to open their gates immediately in March 2021 for the start of the Pro16 series.
“The next few months are going to be critical for us” he said.
Comments on RugbyPass
He never stops whinging. No wonder he is always chasing the next big dream.
1 Go to commentsI always enjoy a good scrum based article. Thanks, Nick. The Hurricanes are looking more and more the team to beat down here in Australasia. They are a very well balanced team. And though there are far fewer scrums in the game these days, destructive power in that area is a serious weapon, especially an attacking scrum within in the red zone. Aumua looked very good as a young first year player, but then seemed to fade. He sure is back now right in the picture for the AB’s. And I would judge that Taukei’aho is in a bit of a slump currently. Watching him at Suncorp a few weeks ago, I thought he was not as dominant in the game as I would have expected. I am going to raise an issue in that scrum at around the 13 min mark. I see a high level of danger there for the TH lifted off the ground. He is trapped between the opposition LH and his own powerful SR. His neck is being put under potentially dangerous pressure. The LH has, in law , no right to use his superior scrummaging skill….getting his head right in on the breastbone of the TH…..to force him up and off the ground. Had the TH popped out of the scrum, head up and free, there is no danger, that is a clear penalty to the dominant scrum. The law is quite clear on this issue: Law 37 Dangerous play and restricted practices in a scrum. C:Intentionally lifting an opponent off their feet or forcing them upwards out of the scrum. Sanction: Penalty. Few ,if any, referees seem to be aware of this law, and/or the dangers of the situation. Matthew Carly, refereeing Clermont v Munster in 2021, penalised the Munster scrum, when LH Wycherly was lifted very high, and in my view very dangerously, by TH Slimani. Lifting was coached in the late ‘60’s/70’s. Both Lions props, Ray McLouglin, and “Mighty Mouse” McLauchlan, were expert and highly successful at this technique. I have seen a photo, which I can’t find online atm, of MM with a NZ TH(not an AB) on his head, MM standing upright as the scrum disintegrates.
3 Go to commentsHey. Stay home and play for Mooloo.
1 Go to commentsTighthead was always going to be our weakness this year with Ryan going home to Ireland and the Cashed Up Blues taking a third All Black prop from us - nobody else in SR does that. Numia is the exciting one. He used to be a lightweight but he's really improved. Do you have stats on the All Black hookers’ lineouts for the game? I seem to remember a few misses.
3 Go to commentsFergus Burke isn't tier 1 player quality…but guess what, he'll be playing amongst them for Saracens…. all going well and Steve Borthwick is still the head coach, England...Scott Robertson’s hint of amending NZRU’s offshore AB eligibility clause, would mean that players like Josh Moorby who show potential might get a call…
4 Go to commentsThe movement of quality players back to SA is remarkable.
2 Go to commentsInteresting article, Nic. Am enjoying seeing the Rebels doing well, partly just to spite those who are working to wipe them off the face of the Australian rugby planet. But it is also good to see a team with somany good players beginning fire. LSL has benefitted so much from his move up to Northampton for the one year. I wonder why he did not stay on for another year. Does he now looks north and see his teammates of last year now doing so well, and have some regrets.
46 Go to comments“Over 80% of the World Cup squad are over 30” No it isn’t lol
2 Go to commentsTyrel Lomax the best AB prop since Carl Hayman. Absolutely destroyed the Boks in RWC Final and is monstering allcomers in Super this season. Should be a monster battle vs touring Poms, always deliver a power pack.
3 Go to commentsEye gouging seems like such a strong term for what can only be described as a poke in the eye. When I think of eye gouging I think of someone trying to intentionally pop someone’s eyeball out. it’s like calling a high-tackle attempted decapitation.
3 Go to commentsGreat article. No insights to add, just wanted to say that. :)
1 Go to commentsLeinster are going to win the world cup.
13 Go to commentsSuper Rugby desperately needs to lose at least 2, but up to 4 teams. Rebels quietly going bankrupt would have made that a bit easier. Teams like the Rebels and Force serve only to weaken Australian Rugby and Super Rugby more widely. In 13 years in the comp the Rebels are yet to win more games than they lose in a season, have never finished in the top half of the competition, and have come dead last a number of times. The Western Force, barring a brief stint of mediocrity under John Mitchell from 2007-2009 have been even worse. Sadly it’s hard to see a future for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby. Likewise I think the writing is on the wall for the Highlanders, it’s hard to see how NZ rugby can continue to support 5 SR teams, and population distribution suggests one team in the south island would make the most sense.
46 Go to commentsNice that Connor Evans is happy to stay on here, that JD Schikerling is returning and Steven Kitshoff. Dobbo is careful to bring back just anybody but having a new financial lease of life, it has made the Stormers a more attractive club. On top of being good quality, having the financial backing helps a lot
1 Go to commentsEngland-qualified too, I believe.
1 Go to commentsThis might turn out to be emblematic of a real issue in Irish rugby. Ireland have one of the best -if not the best - senior sides in the world, and one of the best under 20s sides as well, but don’t seem to be giving graduating under20s players many opportunities to break through into URC starting lineups. There is a risk that a lot of the junior talent they are developing will either be wasted, or lost to other nations.
1 Go to commentsYou ask good questions, Nick. The group who have put together the proposal to play out of Tarneit and participate in the growing of the ground’s capacity are not a bunch of white knights who have been dragged in post-crisis; they were around whilst the Rebels accummulated $23m in debt. Why do we come up with ideas that might make the franchise affordable after it’s broke and not when it might have prevented the trainwreck this offseason was? As for Gordon/Kellaway v Lolesio/Wright, they are both good options. I think the former are better rugby players but the goal kicking of Noah may be decisive when Schmiddy makes his choices. I know Harry Jones has the hots for Edmed but I think it’s one of his few poor choices and he and Jorgensen aren’t close to the other pairs. By coincidence, the wife and I went into town over the weekend to watch Brian Cox and Patricia Clarkson in Long Day’s Journey into Night. Beautifully acted but it was 3.5 hours in the chair and very hard work. Like the Rebels, there were only small bursts of joy to go with a lot of bad news and a depressing story line. In the end, I was hoping it would end and I could give my sore butt a break. Again, familiar.
46 Go to commentsGood decision, very good player but not international quality. But so was Jamison Gibson Park …..
4 Go to commentsLoose forwards always look good going forward and winning. It’s the same loose forwards for the Crusaders and the Canes this year as last year. Too much of the shiny new things getting noticed here while older consistent ones getting bagged. It’s early days. Calm the farm.
8 Go to commentsThanks Nick, and on the money. We tend to be apathetic until something REALLY BAD happens, then we aren't! At least this applies to the Reb players and coach, if not the spectators. They seem to be getting very quick ball at times. Have they altered something, or is it just all of the skills coming together at the right time? It seems almost the opposite of the Reds, who started the season with quick ball, but haven't been showing that in the last 3 losing games. Is it attitude (McDermott hasn't looked “right” to me for 3 weeks), or something else?
46 Go to comments