No Elephants in Bullpen

2005-04-18 21:59

Michael Green

Port Elizabeth - Forget about having the Bulls and Elephants in one Super 14 rugby camp.

There is apparently not a hope in hell that this recommendation from the South African Rugby Union (Saru) will become a reality.

"We are not even discussing this possibility," said Willem Stuurman, president of the Eastern Province Rugby Football Union (EPRFU), on Monday.

And, in Pretoria, Dolf van Huyssteen, president of the Blue Bulls, was also cautious when discussing possible co-operation between the two unions.

He is apparently particularly concerned about the financial implications such an alliance will bring.

"The Bulls' Currie Cup money will not be used to subsidise the Super14 team," he said.

"It is a matter of principle for us at this stage," Stuurman said.

'Furthest from our minds'

"We have a meeting with Cedric Frolich (African National Congress MP and ANC spokesperson on sport) here in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday when we will decide on the next step."

"At this stage, we take things one step at a time. That is why possibly joining the Bulls is furthest from our minds," said Stuurman.

The chief executive of the EPRFU, Philip Joseph, reacted quite strongly on Monday to persistent allegations of so-called mismanagement on the EPRFU's side.

"Our independent, registered auditors have never found any evidence of mismanagement," he said.

Eastern Province have 116 clubs spread over a vast region.

If the Southern and Eastern Cape had been given a franchise, it would have been a huge financial injection for these clubs as funds would have been channelled to them.

Joseph asked whether there was justice in the fact that the EPRFU had to pay a guarantee of R5.7m, just like the Sharks, to SA Rugby to host a Test against France.

"But the Absa Stadium in Durban can seat 60 000 spectators and the EPRFU stadium 30 000 at most. Does this make sense?" he asked.

Meanwhile, the five regions that were awarded Super 14 franchises by SA Rugby were given assurances they would not be held to ransom while the Southern and Eastern Cape appeals to politicians.

Putting players at a disadvantage

Rian von Gericke, president of the Griffons, said advocate Norman Arendse, chairperson of SA Rugby's bid committee and chairperson of the South African Law Society, gave this assurance at the announcement of the five regional teams for the 2006 Super 14 on Friday in Durban.

The Southern and Eastern Cape are putting their own players at a disadvantage.

They have 45 days, starting last Friday, to decide whether they will play in the Super 14 series for the next three years or stay on the sideline," Von Gericke said.

SA Rugby will reconsider its division of the Super 14 teams again in three years' time.

Gericke said it was actually a winning situation for the Southern and Eastern Cape teams (Border Bulldogs, Eastern Province's Mighty Elephants and the SouthWestern Districts Eagles) although they were unhappy that SA Rugby did not award them a franchise.

- Die Burger