Saru, Spears meeting a success

2006-03-31 17:13

Johannesburg - A delegation of the South African Rugby Union on Friday met representatives of the Southern Spears to gather information on the state of the franchise's readiness to participate in the Vodacom Super 14 in 2007.

The meeting addressed a number of issues including governance of the franchise, sponsorships and understanding of earlier agreements in the Southern Cape region.

Representatives of the Parliamentary Sports Portfolio Committee and the Nelson Mandela Metro ANC Sports Desk also attended the meeting as observers.

SA Rugby Union and Southern Spears expressed satisfaction with the progress of the meeting, as it brought the various stakeholders closer to understanding each other's position on pertinent issues. The meeting was regarded as the first in a series of engagements that will help SA Rugby make an informed decision on the immediate future of the franchise.

The two parties have noted the media and public interest in the current process regarding the Southern Spears, and have committed to keep all stakeholders informed on developments.

The next stage is a presentation by the SA Rugby Union delegation to the Board of SA Rugby on April 18 and further engagement with relevant stakeholders.

The findings of the Saru delegation and a decision on the immediate future of the Southern Spears will be announced publicly once the process has been completed. No media or public statements will be made prior to that.

- SAPA